Alphated : The forgotten Luna

HAT

: The Enemy

ost dangerous girl in a kingdom of werewolves was t

nguinara estate ha

d over the hilts of their ceremonial blades. Every corridor carried the same tense whisper. Every servant who passed Rose lowered their gaze a second too quickly

unar

d the sou

r was hiding another secret behind that careful smile. Now a book had named her an heir, an ancient altar had announc

the middle of it all, looking as though he ha

ing at me ag

st over on her plate. "I'm deciding whether you're more susp

lightly. "And what

thing is probably a

wou

l finally tell me

almost-sm

was the faint clatter of dishes being cleared by

knew who they were before Elder Valerius finished speaking. You also looked terrified when that book mention

ed her for a

ugh," he

not an

y honest one I

ive me the dishonest one. The one y

w tigh

pond, the dining-ro

ne hand. The old werewolf's silver hair was neatly

nder. "We have received a resp

immediately

t it befo

nd

glanced

it says, I am sitting right

ted, then unfold

d to our territory before the next blood moon. She is not a prisoner of the Sanguinara dynasty, nor is she its

tomach t

epeated. "Who entr

ued, his voice

ll regard the refusal as an act of war. Any bloodshed that

ttled over

Xander. "They

es

ow my bl

elieve

threatening

said

I haven't even had breakfast properly, and

os

me in that voice and expect me to calm down. Someone needs

as guarded certain ancient records for generations. If they have r

ask the

emanded your

der me and ask them quest

diplomacy works,"

y should try bein

fore Rose caught the brief fli

t him. "Don't

ldn't

solutel

is face loosened. Then Valerius placed a second d

greed to examine the records of the ancestral altar. He believes

on sharpened.

ng Fate c

went ve

not

se she

," she d

orn, the Sacred Register records the identity of their destined mate. The record is normally established throug

e mi

ssi

"And what does that h

answered qui

oved to Xa

ntry in the Sacred

wa

as

the royal chapel. When your name appeared on the ance

d of dist

egister opene

nge chill travel

nd

ined unchanged," Xande

ared a

y is no lo

N

does i

ked direct

e Lu

seemed

another explanation involving secret families, old prophecies, or political lies. She had not expecte

ean anything,"

t mean s

ok has decided to i

ne interp

erpretation I

ere was something gua

tar says. And I certainly don't care what some ancient tradition says I am supposed to feel. If this thing

a way that made her s

d," he

ected him to a

stion him further, t

ced her awakening. These were sharp, frant

urried to

it?" Xand

in the doorway,

eone has crossed th

htfa

cks leading toward the gate. The strang

ression chan

are the

old cons

face drain

as been sealed for

d between

er an

to despise how o

with you," s

Xander

not a

s could be

to see me. I'm not going to sit in a room whil

ng to pro

eing treated like an obje

ning of the wolf beneat

he air between

der step

behi

ast him. "I'l

state. Unlike the polished halls upstairs, this part of the house smelled of dust and damp stone. The windo

o the conservatory, th

bbed he

s place?" sh

ueen," Valerius replied. "She cultivated rare plants

was it

s expressi

here that the royal family

opped w

pened here that your fa

t the conservatory doors ope

stood

rn along one sleeve. Her black hair was threaded with silver, and a faint scar crossed her

were fixe

tion of standing before someone who had be

n's lips

ghter," she

eartbeat

are

r finger. Its surface bore a symbol Rose recognized from the glowing

ade a stra

bol is fo

coldly. "The same council that erased

, placing himself betw

ify yo

ed at him with

was taught to guard a secret before

lders st

not

ai

is Mara Veyne. I served your mother before the coun

ld barel

ew my m

ter than most people k

e what happe

, but the sadness in her e

amed of you. She made a choice that saved your life, and the people who forced he

hook h

were ordinary. She raised

life she could give you without

n't she

on she trusted with th

s hung i

e turned to

d gon

e movement and

she said. "The

. "You don't know what

n't

care

an finish the story? Is that what the Blood Moon

pped bet

. Both

ever possessed before. The silver ring in Mara's hand began to glow. S

arely

watching

omething to do with my

ned hi

ng ca

answer enough

nde

finally. "I didn't know what they were d

ere the

they had met, he looked less like a prince and more l

know ev

me what y

wer, the conservato

Vines twisted across the glass ceiling, their leaves turning a pale

umbled

red. "It cannot

her. She reached instinctively for the nearest table, but the moment her fingers

in a whi

dark

er e

haped mark a

d at the r

an star

and pressed it against th

breath

um

age va

shattered i

houted and the conservatory filled with flying fragments. A pulse of silver

the stranger wa

as though she had

d. "Your mother placed t

ed away f

oes tha

fted he

er merely protecting you from the kingdom. It was pro

more than the broken

my blood

shattered panes revealed a sky that had

ueen buried when she discovered what the

ade. "This conversation is over. The p

aughed

ers as if the tru

signalled

oach, Mara tossed the

e ring changed direction in mida

ed it, a voice whisp

e seven

gas

tters appeared along its inner edge, so smal

RA

er's name was an

WAS NEVER MEANT

oked up

the seven

ce had go

n't k

t me to be

rded by the Lunar queens. But the seventh was remo

remov

t Blood M

rned to

ad become

about the s

not a

fered no resistance. As they led her toward th

ads to a monster. The Nightfang pack will tell you it leads to a weapon. Y

s tightened a

do I

ression tu

iginal Sacred Register, not the copy t

he was

y doors slammed

seconds, n

tered register. He had known his family was hiding something. And when Mara accused him

tell me everyth

wil

he

os

m ready. Not when your council de

Valerius, who imme

ld Rose more than any

t was not

ed to the

e the one person capab

ing else," Xand

rless smile. "Of

Register isn't beneat

re i

the silver ri

t was taken to the underground v

ll go to

ter the last Lunar rebellion. No member of the

at the crescent s

family isn't supp

d toward

r followed withou

ross the back of Rose's hand, directly beneath the silver

trees grew twisted and the moon never seemed to set, a man dres

peared the momen

s changin

ior bowed his h

id, "the Lunar heir has made

hed the silver f

seal is

prepare

s fingers closed around a second silver ring

replied.

ent portraits. At its centre hung the painting of a woman with s

someone had scratched

RA

etters with the ti

nd out whether the girl remembers

d to the

word to th

itated. "Which

smile w

ding beside t

he entrance to the royal chapel when Xander stopp

w?" she

t the crescent m

begun to blee

ed with three heavy knocks from the

d only once before whisper

me, seventh

had faced enemies without flinchin

e knew th

oken, his father had ordere