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Chapter One
How did the werewolf find herself in a gilded cage?
She put herself there.
Charlie
Three a.m. was the witching hour for werewolves. The darkest moments of the day, when predators prowled and prey scurried.
I had no business being out here, stalking like the land belonged to my wolf. But the moon had called to me, loudly, relentless, and I’d been restless, unable to sleep through the nightmares from my past that haunted me—the truths of what my werebeast had cost me.
Again and again.
Her presence in my life had led to murder. It had led to misunderstandings so grave that wolves under my leadership had died.
For me. Because of me.
It had led to my latest mistake, trying to invade the minds of the Duke clan wolves.
Bad judgment was becoming a part of who I was, apparently. That…and following instincts that took me down the wrong path.
“You’re a bad girl, Charlotte.” Kane’s voice ricocheted through my mind. “Careless with your actions.”
I shook off the shame, literally, tossing my fur from nape to tail. My wolf had no time for dwelling on Kane’s words. That was the past. No matter how recent, she didn’t care. She wanted to hunt, to lose ourselves in the smell of grass and bark, dirt, wild furry bunnies and long-legged deer.
I’d melded with her a long time ago, unlike my werebeast—the other side of me who ruled my anger—so I didn’t fear losing myself in her predatory thoughts. I welcomed the distraction.
Movement to my left, a rustling of leaves, not the wind, had me turning on instinct. I lifted my nose in the direction of the sound, narrowed my eyes, piercing through the darkness. There, just in the shadows, was a warm-blooded snack.
I sculked, moving slowly, my belly close to the ground, careful not to snap twigs or disturb leaves. The doe’s long legs trembled as if sensing my approach. I raised my gaze, scanning the slick body, all the way up along its neck to those big, bulbous eyes. It twitched its ears, swiveling in my direction. I was fight. She was flight. One wrong twitch and she’d be gone. I moved stealthily, my breath held, my paw pads barely making a sound. I could be a shadow, silent and looming.
A heartbeat later, the doe bolted, startled by some unknown thing. Didn’t matter… Joy surged and hunger coursed through me, propelling me as I shoved off my hind legs and gave chase.
The doe crashed through thickets and leapt over fallen logs, zigzagging her way through the forest. I got close enough to nip at her hind, my canines barely scratching her skin. I raced to the side, the temptation of blood, of ripping hot meat from her throat, filled me with power. I leapt, ready to take her down, snap her neck and have my meal, soaring toward her, teeth bared, claws ready…and I missed.
The doe swerved left, and I flew right past her, landing in a heap against the thick trunk of a nearby tree. I lay panting, heaving giant breaths of disappointment. It felt good to run, to chase, to get so close. It didn’t feel good to lose my reward.
The doe moved like lightning right at the exact moment it needed to, so my claws and fangs had missed their mark. Lucky deer. Or, more likely, a deer with an accomplice.
The wind shifted, and I got my answer. I’d never mistake that wolfie scent anywhere. Levi’s deep-brown fur and soulful blue eyes came into my line of sight right where the doe had exited.
I huffed out a sigh, letting him know my annoyance. He’d stolen my kill. I shook myself off as I got up, taking the time to stretch my legs and pop the joints along my spine.
He yipped at me, his impatience clear, then, not waiting for a response, he bolted through the bushes, in the opposite direction from where the doe had gone.
I didn’t want to follow him. I wasn’t looking for company or a lecture about how I’d misused my power on the pack. I’d heard enough from Kane. His disappointment carried the weight of all three brothers.
Just as I was about to turn, run in the other direction and reject Levi’s invitation, I caught a whiff of fire and ash and smoke, then of roasted meat. I swiveled my ears, hunting for the sound of Levi. There, not far ahead, was the crackling welcome I couldn’t resist. It called me, one paw forward at a time, until I was pushing through leaves and branches.
“I already hunted,” Levi said from his seat across the fire, knowing I was there before I’d even decided to show myself.
He didn’t look up as I stepped through the underbrush, still in my wolf form.
“Felt like some wild meat cooked over a fire. Comfort food.” He moved some logs with a stick, shifting them under the grate that held the steaming meat. “Wouldn’t mind the company if you decide to stay.”
I tilted my head, taking in the smells, the sounds, the way the fire moved, snapping up and reaching for the stars, licking the edges of the meat, sending smoke drifting toward the moon.
To my wolf, cooked meat was a poor substitute for a fresh, blood-soaked kill, but to my human side, Levi was right. This was comfort, not only the smell of food being cooked on an open fire but the memories it conjured—me with my uncle’s ferals, a group of wolves I’d trained, sitting by a similar fire, cooking, drinking, laughing, bonding…sharing the wonders of the night.
