Sadie’s POV
The crows cawed loudly, a screechy sound that reverberated through the air. Their black bodies continued to circle around in the sky. People nodded, agreeing.
Yes. This was a sign.
It had to be.
All eyes turned back to Delphine. She looked as convinced as everyone else. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Everyone talked in hushed whispers.
“I knew it was her.”
“No one’s more worthy.”
“Just imagine, she’ll be Prince Griffin’s Luna now!”
I looked from the crowd to Delphine. Then I looked up at the crows. I didn’t want it to be her. But even I started to believe the crows were a sign.
Just then, though, as quickly as they’d come, the crows began to fly away. Their caws faded into the distance.
Delphine watched them go, a puzzled look on her face.
“Where are they going?” people whispered.
The square fell silent again.
Delphine still had her hand placed firmly on the slab. She looked uncertainly at the Beta, a fake smile plastered on her face.
A few moments passed.
Nothing happened.
A few more passed.
Still nothing.
And then…
“Step aside,” the Beta instructed.
“No wait. Just wait a minute more,” Delphine started to argue. But the Beta shot her a look that said this was not up for negotiation.
Delphine hadn’t passed. It was over. The crows had just been a coincidence. Delphine was not the Prince’s Luna.
Frustrated, Delphine stomped her foot.
“Hmph,” she said loudly, a scowl on her face.
But she did as she was told. She let go of the slab. She marched off the stage, her arms crossed, seething. Luna Emma watched her daughter leave the stage, dejected. She narrowed her eyes. They were both furious, but there was nothing she could do.
I suppressed a smile. It had been worth coming after all, just to see the look on Delphine’s face when she was told to step aside.
Prince Griffin sauntered up to the stage. He had such an authoritative presence that everyone immediately fell silent. He smiled charmingly at the crowd. All around me, she-wolves swooned.
He glanced at his Beta then out at the crowd. For a moment, he said nothing. Then…
“Is there anyone who hasn’t tried?” The Prince asked calmly. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching. Everyone shook their heads silently. “Anyone?” he asked again. “All she-wolves are welcome to enter the selection. Are there Any she-wolves who haven’t been given a chance?”
Of course, I hadn’t. Luna Emma had revoked my qualification to enter the selection by declaring me a harlot. However, I realized that my qualification wasn’t hers to revoke. It belonged to the Royal Lycan family. Only they could deem me unfit.
So technically…I was able to enter the selection.
I thought about it for a moment.
What was the harm in trying? My life had already gone to hell. Everything I’d ever loved had been ripped away from me. Everything I’d ever loved had been ripped away from me. I had no wolf, no mate, no family, no glory. I lost everything.
Even the maids hated me.
I stared at the slab on the stage. A glimmer of hope flickered in my heart.
Maybe this was my way out?
Yes, I realized with a smile. It was. In fact, it was my only way out. How else would I escape this awful life?
I had to enter the selection for the Lycan Prince’s Luna.
If I were chosen, then I could leave this pack. I could leave them all behind me: Luna Emma, Karter, Delphine. Even Beta Jay.
I knew it was a long shot. No one else had been chosen so I probably wouldn’t be either.
And I knew competing would make Luna Emma and Delphine furious. If I wasn’t selected, I’d feel their wrath for sure. They’d find the most horrific ways to punish me for entering the contest.
But…
If I were chosen…
It was a chance I was willing to take.
It was a chance I had to take.
“There are none left,” Luna Emma said, stepping forward. “All the she-wolves have tried, Your Highness.”
“I haven’t,” I stated loudly.
All eyes turned to me.
“No, Your Highness,” Luna said, trying to stop me. “She doesn’t…”
“Step up,” Prince Griffin commanded.
“You don’t understand. She…” Luna Emma stammered, her face aghast.
“Every she-wolf has the right to compete for Luna,” Prince Griffin declared, cutting off Luna Emma. He turned to her. “This is a right granted by the Lycan royal family. Do you wish to argue this right? And in doing so, become an enemy of the royal family, Luna Emma?”
It was a threat and it caught Luna Emma by surprise.
“No,” she conceded, her cheeks flushed red. “No. Of course not.” She bowed her head and had no choice but to step aside.
Prince Griffin turned back to me. “Come,” he said.
I swallowed, hard.
My heart raced as I walked through the crowd. I was painfully aware that everyone was staring at me.
Don’t be nervous, I told myself. You have nothing to lose.
I stepped up onto the stage. I stared at the blue slab of rock. So this was the magical rock that would determine someone’s future? It seemed surreal.
Well, here goes nothing, I thought to myself. I gingerly placed my hand on the slab.
Instantly, the slab changed. Runes appeared in intricate designs. I had no idea what they meant, but they were there for all to see.
What?
The runes began to glow. They emitted a bright, sparkling, golden light. A gush of wind ripped through the square. My long hair rose up around me and floated in the air. A trickle of warmth rushed through me.
The runes continued to glow.
Everyone’s jaw dropped.
“It’s you,” Prince Griffin said. He walked towards me, my hand still on the slab.
I stared in disbelief.
Me?
It was me?
I’d passed the ritual?
I looked in shock at Prince Griffin. He smiled. He gently took my hand from the slab and raised it high into the air.
Then he announced, loud and proud —
“She is my Luna!”
Sadie’s POV“Impossible!”Luna Emma and Delphine immediately stepped forward.“She’s not fit to be Luna!” Delphine objected. “She has no wolf! And she’s a harlot! She tried to seduce her father’s Beta!”“Is this true?” Prince Griffin asked with furrowed brows.“I don’t have a wolf,” I said sadly. “That is true. But I didn’t seduce my father’s Beta.”“You most certainly did!” Delphine hissed. “We have witnesses. Some of our maids saw you!”Delphine nodded to a few maids. They stepped forward. They were the maids that had come into the room when I was struggling with Beta Jay. Their contempt for me was written all over their faces.“We can testify,” one of them said smugly.“We saw her. She had her hands all over Beta Jay,” another one chimed in.“It’s true. She was seducing him,” the third one confirmed.My heart sank. Prince Griffin looked at me with a concerned expression. He was clearly taken aback by this.His Beta touched him on the arm and said in a low voice:“Your Highness, the
Saide’s POVI decided to seize my last chance. To leave the pack I had grown up in. My Alpha father was gone, and I couldn’t allow myself to live in this hell any longer.After I nodded, Arlo smiled slightly and promptly took me away. Emma didn’t dare to say a word in protest. Yeah, no werewolf would dare to defy a Lycan.The palace lights shone against the dark sky as we arrived. It was already late at night, but the entire palace was brightly lit. The palace was enormous and it sprawled out with different wings and quarters. I’d never seen anything with so much grandeur. The atmosphere was solemn, which only added to my nerves.I fidgeted with my hands as I followed closely behind Arlo and Prince Griffin.We approached the front door and a maid rushed out to meet us. I could tell by her demeanor that she was the head maid.“Prince Griffin, Arlo,” she said respectfully, bowing her head. I peeked out from behind Arlo and her eyes lit up when she saw me. She smiled and bowed her head a
Sadie’s POVWithout a word, Arlo removed his shirt and tossed it onto the smooth floor. I stared in disbelief.His chest was magnificent, chiseled and muscular. I swallowed hard.I’d never seen a man’s naked chest this clearly before. I’d never been this close to a half—naked man. A rush of emotions ripped through me: curiosity, shyness, fascination.“Why so shy?” he asked softly.“I’m not,” I snapped back. I didn’t want him to think I was some sort of innocent child. And I certainly didn’t want him to know I’d never seen a man’s chest like this before.He chuckled softly. His eyes flitted to the blanket that was practically wrapped up to my chin. “Let me see you,” he said in a sexy growl.I bit my lower lip. I was immobilized by fear of the unknown. I couldn’t just take off the blanket.He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.Then he walked around to the side of the bed. He held out his hand.“I won’t bite. I promise,” he said, his voice like liquid. I gingerly placed
Sadie’s POVBefore I could even react, I felt a warm, wet sensation on my chest. It took me by surprise. It was an unfamiliar sensation. I didn’t really understand what was happening. I glanced down and saw Arlo’s head at my chest, his mouth on my breast.He was sucking my nipple!My face turned bright red. Of course I’d heard about this. I wasn’t completely naïve. It had just never happened to me and it made me feel a little embarrassed. But as he continued kissing my nipple, the sensation intensified. I watched and was overwhelmed by both the sight of his mouth on my breast and the feeling of his lips on my nipple.I felt something warm and wet flowing between my legs. I couldn’t help. It trickled down my legs.Oh my moon goddess! Would it soak the sheets?What was that wetness? Why was it coming from…from down there?What was happening? His hand reached up and kneaded my other breast. I didn’t fully understand. But this feeling washed over me. It was a longing.I longed for somethi
Sadie’s POVI changed into a beautiful gown given to me by a maid. Then I smoothed my hair and put a bit of makeup on. I was going to meet the Lycan King, after all, and I wanted to look presentable.A warrior was waiting for me at my door. He escorted me into a luxurious office. The walls were lined with books and documents. I ascertained that it was an important place – a place where the Royal Family conducted important business.There was a fireplace with a cozy fire blazing in the corner. There was a long mahogany table in the center. And to my surprise, the Lycan King, the Lycan Queen and the Lycan Prince were all present.The Lycan King looked at me with authority. The Queen’s face, however, was full of disdain as she eyed me up and down.I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood at the end of the table.“This is her?” the Queen scoffed.“It is,” Prince Griffin nodded. “This is Sadie Ambrose, daughter of the late Night Shadow Pack Alpha, Abram Ambrose.”“She’s the one who pass
Sadie’s POVThe King dismissed Prince Griffin and I. As we left, I felt the Queen’s glare on my back. She was not happy that the king had declared me Luna. But there didn’t seem to be anything she could do about it.Prince Griffin and I left the room together. I didn’t know where we were going, but I fell into step beside him. He said nothing as we traversed the long halls of the palace.I felt a bit awkward as we walked down the palace hallway. I was confused. When I’d first connected with the stone at the Luna Selection, the Prince had declared me as his Luna. For a brief moment, my heart had soared! But Luna Emma had stepped forward and told him that I didn’t have a wolf. Perplexed, he’d rescinded and rejected me on the spot.But now?I was apparently going to be his Luna again? Why though? Nothing has changed? The reason he’d rejected me in the first place was still there. I didn’t have a wolf.I glanced at him as we walked. His face had an easy-going look to it. I couldn’t help b
Sadie’s POVThe two Lycans stayed like that, their eyes locked on one another.I didn’t understand! How had things escalated to this point? And so quickly? They looked like they were about to fight.But over what?Over me?Why though? They were giving me the false impression that I was somehow important. Important enough to fight over?Yet, at the same time, they were treating me like an object.No one had asked me what I wanted.They growled again.I couldn’t believe this! It was so ridiculous. There was no reason for them to fight. Even the thought of them locked in this standoff made me anxious. If they actually fought…My heart hammered in my chest. There was nothing I could do. If they were going to fight, I couldn’t stop them. I knew better than to get between two strong werewolves in a fight. Especially wolves with so much power and authority.Just then, though, Arlo smirked. He chuckled softly, as though he’d just heard a childish joke. A half-smile curled on his lips and he l
Arlo’s POVI sauntered into my brother’s office.“I need to talk to you, Cullen,” I said, fixing my eyes on my brother.“Of course, Arlo. Take a seat,” King Cullen said, waving at the table.Ferrara stood.“I’ll have a maid send in some coffee,” she said, her voice dry. Then she left the room without another word.I took a seat. There was a plate of sweets on the table and I helped myself to one.“To what do I owe the pleasure,” King Cullen asked, raising his eyebrows in an amused manner.“The girl is mine,” I declared firmly. I casually bit into the cookie, then I leaned back casually in my chair.“I had a feeling that’s why you came to see me,” King Cullen said. “That, or you caught word we were having sweets,” he teased.My brother knew me well so he knew my soft spot for sweets.“Please,” he said, gesturing at the sweets. I took another, then he sighed deeply. “I know you’ve claimed the girl, Arlo,” he said. “But I’m afraid it’s not that simple. There are bigger things at play her