Chapter 7

• SKY
• I can’t stop trembling. My legs feel weak, and I honestly think I might faint. I’m mated to Lamen. My true mate.
• I stare at myself in the mirror, shaking my head again and again, trying to make it feel real. The same Lamen who used to hurt me, who pushed my face into the dirt so many times I know exactly how it tastes.
• Biting my bottom lip, I walk carefully through the corridors of the Silver Moon Pack house. My heart races as I prepare for the mating ceremony. This is a big moment, and I’m not sure I’m ready. I came to the hall early because I need a few minutes alone to take it all in.
• I didn’t dress too fancy tonight. I wanted something simple, something I can easily take off when I have to run. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself, when suddenly, two warm hands slide around me from behind, making me jump. Then a soft kiss lands on my bare shoulder.
• “Hey,” Lamen murmurs close to my ear. “Nervous about tonight?”
• “Yes,” I whisper, trembling as his hair brushes against the back of my neck. My whole body reacts to his closeness.
• “It’s okay,” he says, his voice low and rough. “We’re going to be a great team.”
• A small part of me wants to believe him. This week, Lamen has been gentle and affectionate. We’ve shared kisses in secret, and even some in front of others. I didn’t think he’d ever show me affection publicly, but he did. Thinking about it makes me smile without meaning to. Maybe things are changing. Maybe this time, we’ll really make it work.
• “Are you sure you’re done with Aria?” I ask softly. “I thought you didn’t want to be with me because I’m not pure blood.”
• He takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine, holding tight. “Yes. It’s over. She understands. We weren’t true mates anyway, but you and I are.”
• He looks at me with those deep, serious eyes, and I want to believe him. But that’s when my wolf speaks up inside my head for the first time.
• Be careful, dear. All is not as it seems.
• The voice startles me so much that I nearly jump. Lamen feels the change in my body instantly.
• “What’s wrong?” he asks sharply.
• “N-nothing,” I stammer. “Just… a little cold, that’s all. I should go inside.”
• But I know what I heard. My wolf’s warning echoes in my mind, even though I try to shut it out. I don’t want to think about what it means. I just want to believe this time will be different.
• For once, I’m not covered in bruises or soaking in a bath to ease the pain after being beaten. That alone feels like freedom.
• “I could feel you,” Lamen says behind me. “I knew you were here.”
• “You did?” I squeak, turning slightly.
• “Yes,” he replies, his voice rougher now. “I can feel you.”
• He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me close. I can feel his body pressed against me, and a shiver runs up my spine. The heat between us is powerful, overwhelming even. If this is what’s waiting for me, I’m not sure how I’ll survive it.
• “I’m scared about shifting,” I admit quietly. “What happens to your body?”
• He smiles a little and brushes a strand of hair away from my face. “You’ll be fine. A few bone cracks, maybe some pain, but nothing you can’t handle. You heal fast.”
• His words make my stomach twist. For a moment, I remember the times he and Aria’s friends kicked me until I couldn’t breathe. My ribs still ache from those memories.
• “Right,” I mumble.
• Lamen leans in again, nuzzling my neck and breathing me in. I tilt my head without thinking, letting him, even though part of me feels uneasy. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aria standing across the hall with her arms crossed, glaring.
• I feel sorry for her, even though I shouldn’t. Her heart feels like stone to me, but I can’t help having compassion. I inherited that from my mother—caring too much, even for people who don’t deserve it. Sometimes I wonder if that’s what got her killed.
• Still, I want to believe Lamen when he says it’s over.
• “Sorry,” he whispers. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ll never hurt you again, Sky. I swear. It’s all behind us now.”
• His voice sounds so tender that tears slip down my cheeks before I can stop them. Maybe it really will be different this time.
• I quickly wipe my eyes as the rest of Lamen’s crew—the Rock brothers and Eli—walk into the hall.
• “Meet me at Sequoia Moon Forest,” Lamen whispers in my ear. “Not Shady Forest. I know you hate that place. Too many bad memories. Meet me there at midnight. That’s when you shift, and I’ll chase you. It’s part of the Silver Moon tradition. It’s like a mating game. It’ll be fun, I promise.”
• I nod slowly as my father, Lucien Silver, steps onto the stage and taps the microphone.
• “Thank you all for coming,” he begins proudly. “It’s been a busy week for the Silver Moon Pack, but tonight we celebrate the union of two true mates—Sky and Lamen. An unexpected pairing, perhaps, but one I am proud of. Lamen will be a steadying force for my daughter.”
• The pride in his voice makes my stomach twist. Something about his words feels wrong. I can’t explain it, but it’s the same sick feeling I always had right before Lamen and his crew used to corner me.
• My wolf’s voice cuts through my thoughts again.
• Listen. You still have time.
• I want to answer her, but I can’t think clearly. Lamen keeps handing me drinks after my father’s speech and ceremony. I feel fake smiling through it all while he crowns us. When I look around at the pack, their faces seem distant, blank, lifeless. It’s like no one here truly sees me.
• “It’ll help when you shift,” Lamen says, pressing another glass into my hand. “You won’t feel the pain as much if you’re drunk.”
• So I drink. I drink because it’s easier than feeling out of place. I drink because maybe it’ll quiet the voice in my head that keeps warning me.
• By the time midnight comes, most of the guests have left. I’m laughing and joking with Lamen’s crew—Gareth, Rylan, Eli, and Drake. I’m surprised at how easy it feels, how much lighter I am. Maybe it’s the gin. Maybe it’s the moment.
• For the first time, it almost feels like we’re all on the same side.