Chapter 112
Chapter 112
FAYE
The night of the full moon in Blood Crescent was supposed to be a night of joy, unity, and
tradition.
Laughter rang through the clearing, wild and free, rising with the sparks of bonfires that lit up the woods in shades of orange and gold.
Wolves darted between trees in their shifted forms, pelts catching the glow of the moon as they chased one another in playful bursts. Others danced in human form around the fire, their feet pounding in rhythm with the drums, their cups raised high, their voices carrying songs of strength.
I tried to let myself get lost in it. For a little while, I even managed. Irene had grabbed my hand earlier and spun me into the circle of dancers, her eyes bright as though she carried the moon inside her. I let her laughter fill the empty places in me, let my body move to the beat.
But even as I moved with them, I felt it. His absence. Alexander.
I told myself maybe he’d join us later. But when the music slowed and Irene and I slipped out of the circle, I couldn’t help but ask.
“Where’s your brother?”
Her smile reduced, just slightly, but enough for me to catch it. “He’s not coming,” she said
casually.
“What do you mean he’s not coming? This is a full moon gathering, he’s the Alpha. He should be here with his pack.”
Irene’s gaze flickered away. She brushed at her sleeve like she needed something to do with her hands. “He doesn’t participate all the time…sometimes, he watches from a distance. You
know how he is.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t he be present, right here?”
She hesitated, then looked back at me with eyes that carried something like warning. “It’s better this way. Just let it go.”
Better this way.
Her tone told me more than her words. This wasn’t about work, or disinterest. Something else was being kept from me. Something everyone knew, but no one dared say out loud.
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