Raine saw her father’s eyes flash wolf. That could only mean one thing. He was angry. And the anger was all her fault. She had rotten luck as he found her sprawled on the floor like a coward. Her stepmother, Shania, stepped through the small crowd that had gathered and sneered at her.“And why exactly are you cowering on the floor?” She hissed. The woman had no love for her step daughter. Not even a tiny bit.Just before Raine could think of an answer to give, her brother, Atticus, ran to her side.“Raine!” He bent down and gathered her in his arms. He was the only one who ever cared for her in the entire household.“What’s going on?” He asked, looking pointedly at her. She closed her eyes and let the deep baritone of his voice wash over her and give her some comfort.“Tyrion? What’s this?” Atticus asked again, looking up at his dear friend. The three of them have always been inseparable.“Raine is acting up. Again.” It was Bellona who answered. Raine’s head snapped up at once to glar

Sunlight filtered into the room. It glinted off every surface. The dust motes danced and shifted in the beams, as though they had a life of their own.The morning was warm. It made Raine feel like a blanket wrapped around her when she lay down in bed. If she had a mother, then this is what her love would feel like.The gentle wind outside ruffled her hair, and she got a whiff of the scent that surrounded her. Raine’s eyes widened, and she sprang up from the bed. Her scent. There was something different. about it.She opened her dresser and peered at herself in the mirror. At first, she saw nothing unusual. Then it came to her. There was a giant wolf bite on her shoulder.Tyrion had marked her.“Shit.” Raine cursed. She ran her fingers through her red curls and bangs, trying to tame the wild hair until her fingers reached her nape. She massaged lightly, and the memories of the previous night assaulted her. They didn’t come as flashes and images. They were all clear. How Tyrion’s lips

Raine's eyes narrowed into slits as she watched her sister advance towards them. Jealousy brimmed in Bellona's eyes, and Raine could feel the heat behind them.She walked up to the attendants and subtly pushed them aside. Then, she ran her hands down Raine's hair, sifting through the silky curls and weighing the new look."You have such beautiful hair." Bellona complimented. Her voice was filled with awe and reverence. Her eyes were glued to the strands of hair in her hand. Raine watched her with guarded eyes, but slowly, her suspicions fell away. She let herself feel the love and bond that should be shared between sisters. Bellona smiled at her and sat at the foot of the bed."I'll just sit quietly and watch you get ready." The head attendant raised a brow at Raine asking for her permission. Raine gave her a nod and they continued with the preparation."You should go into the bathroom and change into your dress." The stylist advised. Raine took a deep breath and got up. Bellona gas

Cries and murmurs erupted from the crowd. Raine knew she was in for more trouble than she could have ever imagined. "Now is not the time to be paranoid." Tiki bellowed. The sound of his voice quietened the crowd. Raine couldn't bring herself to look up. She could already imagine the death glares directed at her.Her body shivered from fear of the unknown. Sabotaging a moon offering is an offense only punishable by death. Deep down she knew her family would seize the opportunity to get rid of her."The goddess has rejected us. We should offer the perpetrator to attain forgiveness!" An old wolf cried. Raine knew at once that it was old man Zerkes. She had been sent to attend to him during one of his feral episodes. She had sedated him and he didn't like it. Since then, he's had it out for her."Killing the moon won't solve anything," Atticus stated from the crowd. "We should invite the priestess to atone on our behalf."Another uproar went up. The pack members didn't like the idea of

Raine's POVTiki has been livid and in a funky mood for about two days now. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Raine's blunder on the day of the moon dance. She tried to keep herself as invisible as possible. Carrying out her chores and doing everything she could think of to not get in trouble. She didn't want to shoulder the blame for ruining the moon dance and also jeopardizing the pack's safety. But she should have known that there was no way her family would have left her alone.On this particular day, Raine woke up at the crack of dawn. Cold wind billowed outside her window and ring bits of it seeped into her skin. She didn't have a wolf to keep her warm and so her teeth chattered on impact.She grabbed a fur jacket from where it hung on the door and draped it across her shoulders. She looked at the time. It was just some minutes past six. She groaned in frustration knowing she had to be fast with her chores before Shania got up. Else she would be punished for waking late.H