My jaw aches, but I force myself to stay put. My father’s words echo:They need to see her strength before they see yours beside her.But this isn’t a challenge where I can step in. This is a war of attrition, fought with whispers and sidelong glances. It’s meant to break her from the inside out.
Dax slides into the seat across from me, his tray clattering. “She’s good,” he says, not looking at me, but at Maya. “She’s not flinching.”
“Yet,” I correct, my voice tight. “Cassie’s playing a long game. She knows she can’t touch Maya physically now, not after the challenge. So she’s trying to isolate her, to make the pack—and the humans—doubt her place.”
“Andit’s working on some of them,” Dax concedes. “Saw Calder’s second-born giving Maya the stink eye. And old man Peterson’s been muttering about ‘unnatural bonds’ all morning.”
My hand clenches under the table. “He won’t try anything.”
“No,” Dax says. “But he’ll listen to Cassie. And she’s good at twisting things. Making a half-human Luna sound like a weakness instead of a strength.”
I push my uneaten food around my plate. “She’s trying to force my hand.”
“To what?”
“To finish the bond,” I say, the words tasting like ash. “To publicly mark me. To show them that no matter what they whisper, she’s mine and I’m hers. That our bond is absolute, and they have to accept it.”
Dax whistles softly. “That’s a bold move. It’ll either stop the dissent cold or ignite a full-blown civil war.”
“It’s time,” I decide, the words firming in my mind. “This can’t fester. The rogues are too close. We need the pack united. And they won’t unite behind a Luna they don’t trust.”
I push away from the table. “I’m talking to her.”
“Good luck,” Dax calls after me. “She’s been radiating ‘leave me alone’ vibes all day.”
But my wolf doesn’t care about vibes. My wolf demands action.
I cross the noisy cafeteria, ignoring the subtle shift in conversation as I approach Maya’s table. She looks up when I stop beside her, her eyes tired but resolute.
“Hey,” she says, her voice a little strained.
“We need to talk,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Somewhere private.”
Shenods, closing her book. “Thought so.”
We walk in silence, cutting through the throngs of students, her shoulder brushing mine. I feel the tension radiating off her, the tiny tremors in her hand as I lead her out of the main hall and down a seldom-used corridor near the back exit.
When we’re finally alone, hidden behind a stack of forgotten gym equipment, she turns to me, her arms wrapped around herself. “What’s up? Is it the rogues? Or Cassie?”
“Both,” I say. “Cassie’s stirring up trouble. Spreading rumors about your bloodline, about the bond. Making some of the older, more traditional wolves question your place.”
Her chin lifts. “I know. I heard some of them this morning.”
“It’s going to get worse,” I warn her. “Unless we stop it.”
She looks at me, waiting.
“We need to complete the bond,” I say, my voice steady. “You need to mark me. Publicly.”
Her eyes widen, just a fraction. “Publicly?” she whispers, the word tasting dangerous.
“At the next full moon ceremony,” I confirm. “It’s the only way to silence the whispers. It’s the only way to show them that this isn’t just my choice, it’s ours. That you’re not just accepting your place, you’re claiming it.”
She looks away, chewing on her lip, a habit I’ve noticed when she’s deep in thought. “Cassie will hate it.”
“Cassie will have no choice but to accept it,” I counter. “Once our bond is fully acknowledged by the moon and the pack, her words will be empty. Your loyalty, your strength—it will be undeniable.”
“And what if they still don’t accept me?” she asks, her voice thin. “What if they still see me as… tainted?”
