At the Shadow pack's Moon Ceremony, the wolfsbane smoke mingled with a metallic stench in the air. The fumes burned my throat until I tasted blood. My wolf, Nina, thrashed inside me, her pale gray form straining so violently it felt ready to rip through my skin. By alliance law, I was supposed to stand beside Cyrus Miller as his appointed mate. Instead, two warriors held me down in the corner, their grips crushing my shoulders. Meanwhile, Cyrus stood rigid. His wolf, Blaze, unleashed an aura so heavy that my knees nearly gave out. Yet, that same aura became a shield for Sophia Grant, who leaned coyly into his arms. Cyrus raised a hand over her head, letting the wolfsbane-laden droplets fall onto his left shoulder instead. The skin there blanched and blistered instantly, but he didn't even flinch. "An outsider stays an outsider. Sophia's the one who belongs at Alpha Cyrus' side," one snarled. The other added with a sneer, "She's just a lowborn from the Lunar pack. She isn't
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