Moonblood Heir

ashing through the underbrush like panicked deer. They

ed, every scent screamed into her brain. The world was louder, wilder, alive in ways she'd never known. She coul

w, a question ec

ave I

nd instinct and heat-was trembling. She had shifted, yes. But it wasn't gentle or grac

with a strange calm. His silver eyes glinted with more

e wasn't sure how he expected her to do

car on her wrist. The coldness of her aunt's home. The warmth of

r receded. Her t

nric didn't gawk or leer. Instead, he turned and retrieved a black cloak from b

e same-and yet not. Her veins still b

I?" she w

er. "You're what they fe

s that? They said it meant

n. You were bound-sealed with blood magic the day yo

ch turned

to erase the bloodline of the Old Moon. Your mother... she tried to protect you.

's throat tightene

she vanished. She was the last Moonblood before yo

prop

ot here. Come. W

pulling the cloa

Forsaken

e'd heard as a child-ruins swallowed by mist, wolv

.. where the

you to believe. But it's where the truth live

. Elara tried not to think about how many hunters had seen her shift. How many would

be small. Now she had shifted into something ancient, som

nd the mist thickened. The air grew colder, and the ground took on

opened into a vast

hem was

s older. Wilder. Winding paths cut between towers carved into rock. Glowing symbols lit doorways. Wo

ped forwar

" Fenric said. "Home

ght the Forsaken were scattered rogues-dangerous a

into the city, whi

t's

Moonb

ed under th

y stare reminded her she didn't understand what she had

o cloaked sentinels. They bowed to Fenric, who nodded

stood a circular table, and seated around it were five individuals-each radiating

o them. "The Coun

ose. "So, this is the girl," she said, voi

d. "I didn't

eaned forward. "And yet here you

y would have killed her

t Elara. "Do you know what it

ara said

owly toward her. "T

nes on the wall brightened, rev

nding between two wolves-one silver, on

onblood. One ruled with order. The other with wildness. When war came, the Sunfangs

l. The woman in the midd

t the table said. "Your mother s

sked. "Why are the

heir laws. You do not bind to a mate by decree. You do not serve under a

rely a whisper. "The

grim. "Now the Circl

ward. "Then we mak

war?" the

eedom," Fe

been part of a pack, let alone led one. But now she was standing on t

een silen

shaking but firm, "then teach me what it means.

d for the first time, h

ou're not just a girl anymore. You're not just a wolf

nodded solemnly. T

egun to fade. But the d

he promise o