Chapter 9
359words
A dead rabbit lies in the dirt, its throat torn out. Around it, someone has arranged small white flowers in a circle. My blood runs cold.
"What does it mean?" one of the younger wolves asks.
"It's a message," I say, my voice hollow. "For me."
Kieran looks at me sharply. "Explain."
"The flowers are moonflowers. They only bloom at night." I swallow hard.
"When Marcus first... when he forced the bond, he covered the bed with them. Said they represented my submission to the moon's will."
A low growl rumbles from Kieran's chest. "And the rabbit?"
"My first hunt after he turned me. I caught a rabbit. He said I was as helpless as prey." The memory makes me sick.
"This is his way of saying he hasn't forgotten. That I'm still prey to him."
Kieran's eyes flash gold with anger. "Take it away," he orders the wolves. "Burn it."
As they move to obey, he turns to me. "We do the ritual tonight."
"But the moon—"
"Isn't full, I know. But it's waxing gibbous, nearly there." His expression is grim. "This was a warning. The next message might not be so symbolic."
Back at the house, preparations begin immediately. Wolves move with purpose, securing the perimeter, gathering supplies. Thea finds me in the kitchen, her face pale.
"I heard," she says. "Are you okay?"
"I will be." I grip her hand. "Once this bond is broken."
Kieran spends the day planning security with his sentinels. By late afternoon, Nora leads me to a ritual bath filled with herb-scented water.
"Focus on your wolf,” she instructs.
I soak, connecting with my wolf who stretches eagerly after years under Marcus's dominance. When I emerge at dusk, I dress in the simple white shift Nora provided.
Downstairs, the pack parts silently as I enter, creating a path to Kieran who stands before the fireplace, dressed in black.
"Are you ready?" he asks as I approach.
"Yes." My voice doesn't waver.
