CALEBMiranda leads me back to the Flagstaff pack house. I feel numb. I can’t believe that Sarah would give up on me just like that.I slump into the recliner in the pack house living room and just stare into space. I never thought my heart could be this broken.“Hey, Caleb,” Miranda says, sitting down next to me and holding my hand. “I know that this isn’t the best time, but I think it’s important to talk about.”“Hm?” I turn my hear toward her, feeling too sad to talk about anything, but without the energy to tell her no. “Well, it’s just that, it isn’t only you who has lost someone. The whole pack just lost their Luna. It’s not going to be an easy adjustment.”“Why do you care?” I grumble. “You always hated Sarah.”“I’ll admit, I never did warm up to her,” Miranda says with a shrug, “but it was only because I care so much about you, and I didn’t think she was good for you.” Miranda pauses, then gives a sort of ‘told you so’ expression. “And I was right, after a

For some reason, the pack house is empty. All the lights are off. I have no idea what’s going on. Malcolm told me about his plan, but maybe something went wrong. Maybe the Rogers Lake pack already killed everyone here, or maybe they’ve all gone to the ranch.I’ve never seen a pack house this empty. Even Arnold is gone. I prowl around quietly, my ears on alert for any sound or motion. I don’t turn the lights on, preferring to let my wolfish senses carry me.I smell Malcolm - he was here recently. So was Miranda. But they’re not here right now. Arnold is gone, as is everyone else. There doesn’t seem to be any sign of a struggle, though, so it seems like everyone left willingly.Where could they have gone? I have to find them. I’m their Luna, and it’s my job to look after them. But first, I need to find Caleb. I need to be with him again. I need to tell him that I never meant to leave him. That I’ve always been fighting to get back to him.I lift my nose and take a deep breath

Malcolm declares himself the new Alpha, which makes Miranda the new Luna. She stands by his side, one arm around his waist, and even though we just finished the funeral ceremony for our last Alpha, she can’t hide her grin.I look over at Arnold, hoping that maybe he knows of some rule or ritual that can help me, but even though he looks rather annoyed at having Malcolm as his Alpha, he just gives me an apologetic shrug. There’s nothing he can do. “Now,” Malcolm says, pointing at me, “I think there was the issue of what to do with this Omega traitor.”“I’m not a traitor,” I say through gritted teeth. “Caleb and I were betrayed. You worked with the Rogers Lake pack to set us up.”“Now, we all know that can’t be true,” Malcolm says with a roll of his eyes. “For one thing, you and Caleb have that magic amulet, so you can’t be betrayed.”“It doesn’t work that way,” I try to explain, but Miranda interrupts me.“Plus,” she says, “we all just spent the whole day hanging out

Malcolm looks shocked, like he never expected me to choose death over a life spent in his thrall. Then, once the surprise fades from his face, a vicious sort of excitement takes over. Beside him, Miranda looks like she’s starving, and the only thing she wants to eat is me.“Well,” Malcolm says, narrowing his eyes at me, “you heard her. Flagstaff pack, as your Alpha, I give you both permission and command - KILL HER.”After that, everything starts moving incredibly fast. I feel the world around me go blurry as the pack moves in, all lunging at me together.For a moment, I feel sure that I’m about to die. The Flagstaff pack is full of tough, strong wolves, and they have killed much bigger prey than me. These are experienced hunters who know how to take down an elk together. The difference is, though, that I’m not prey.I’m a wolf.In an instant, I shift, feeling the same crackling magic ripple through my body as it did the first time. I land on all four feet in the

I dream.In the dream, I’m sitting beside Caleb on the porch of the cabin. He looks older, a few more lines around his eyes, some lighter hairs peppered through his dark curls, but he looks happy.I hear laughter. In front of us, running around on the grass, are two cubs. Our cubs. A boy and a girl, currently chasing each other back and forth across the stream, splashing as they jump.“I always wanted to bring my own cubs here,” Caleb says, reaching over to take my hand. “They’re adorable,” I say, stroking his hand with one finger. I’m wearing a ring, I notice. One with blue gems in it.“I’m so glad Arnold figured out how to split the amulet,” Caleb says, noticing me admiring the ring. “Now everyone in our family is protected.”I see two dark stones, each hanging around the necks of my children. No one can ever betray them. They are the future of this pack, intelligent and kind, born to be leaders. Neither of them will grow up like I did, ridiculed and ostracized.