Thor

apping myself in a thick, dark towel that smelled of him-pine and that impossibly clean mountain air-I stepped cautious

go. I was a prisoner in a gilded

n't a sound that traveled through the air; it was simply... there. Deep, f

business. Maeve wil

another facet of the bond, one I was completely unprepared for. The intimacy of it, the casual inv

stand, buzzed. The screen lit up, and my heart plummeted. It was a text from the one pe

Alpha King? Don't let him scare you! He's just a

own wolf had gone dormant decades ago after her mother's death. A safe, political figurehead for me to align with. She had no idea. The wolf

the door. "Luna?" a

my throat d

e of clothes. Her demeanor was respectful, but her eyes held a knowing glint as they flickered briefly to the mark o

moved to get dressed, her phone buzzed. She answered it with a polite murmur. "Yes... I understand. I will let her know.

Covering for me. The lie had already begun,

voice barely a whisper a

ssion unreadable. "Will you be

and dangerous on my tongue. "The Alpha King. Bri

e dropping to smooth a non-existent wrinkle on the bedspread. The shift was subt

t. The confirmation sen

go face my best friend. I had to walk out into this pack, wearing this mark, and pretend that

, their grunts and the crack of fists on leather pads filling the crisp morning air. The scent of sweat, dirt, and wolfish aggression was sharp. Doz

ing with another warrior, then her eyes found mine and her face split into a wide,

the spot. My wolf pac

a hug that was so tight it squeezed the air from my lungs. It was so normal, so *Briar*, that

ns of fear or intimidation, not... this. She saw the new clothes, the exhaustion in my eyes, but her brain didn't register the one thing the

spiratorial smirk. "You survived the night with

t thread of the lie, she beamed, gave me a playful wink, and snapped a mock sa

lo,

hum, the world narrowing to the space between us. The word 'Luna' hung in the air, a title that felt both like a brand on my soul