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“Are you uncertain?” I asked. “Is it common for wolves to ask other wolves to change in front of them?”
“Absolutely not. The change is painful. Why would we ask someone to go through it any more than we have to willingly?” Tristan answered.
“Sometimes we’ll change into wolf form in support, like we did when Alpha Cassian was grieving Luna Grace. But he would never have asked us to change with him as it’s rather taboo to ask such a thing.”
Tristan nodded in agreement. “Why are you asking?” He turned to Sonya. “What did you ask her, Sonya?”
Her face darkened to a deep red, and she stammered and stuttered coming up with a response. “Well, I—uh—you see, she… she said she was half-wolf, so I asked her to show me. I was curious how someone could be both a witch and a wolf, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Wait, you asked her to change into wolf form?” Tristan asked, his tone stern and his eyebrows creased.
“To prove that she wasn’t a wolf! I knew she couldn’t change, she’s not one of us. It’s not like I was asking her with the expectation that she’d do it. I just wanted—”
“But saying such a thing to your luna is out of line. Completely unacceptable. Alpha Cassian will be disappointed to hear how his educator-in-training has behaved. You’ll be punished, possibly demoted, for speaking so crudely. I doubt he’d want someone with such ignorant views to educate our future pups.”
“No, wait! I didn’t mean it! Please, don’t tell him, Tris. Please! I’ve worked so hard to be trained as pack educator,” she begged, but he stood firm. His large, muscular body towered over her, a daunting look on his face.
I sighed and stepped forward. “Let her go.”
Tristan cocked his head to the side, and I could almost hear the words, “Are you sure,” coming from his mouth, despite him not speaking. I’d realized he was a man who didn’t hide his expressions.
“She’s just a narrow-minded child who doesn’t understand yet how to speak with tact.” I turned to Sonya, a haughty grin on my face. “With time, you will learn proper etiquette and be able to present yourself accordingly. Until then, I’d suggest you watch who you speak to with such a tone.”
I mimicked the words my own mother—or should I say adoptive mother—always told me when I’d get rebellious before one of her decadent parties. It used to piss me off even more, so I knew the girl was seething inside. But I wasn’t done yet. All my stress, my resentment, and fears, were being bottled up and thrown at this girl.
I leaned in closer, and in a low, steady voice, I whispered, “But let me make one thing clear. You speak to me or anyone else in the pack like that again, you will have more to fear than your alpha’s wrath. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“Good, then go back to your friend and learn some manners.”
She scurried away, leaving everyone around us speechless. The room was a deafening quiet that made me uneasy once the euphoria of confidence and rage had settled. They praised my ability to handle that girl and didn’t think it was out of line or too harsh, but I felt otherwise.
I excused myself from Ember and Sam and headed to the office.
After the mess with that Sonya woman, I felt like the worst luna. I felt totally incapable of handling this whole luna thing. I mean, the girl was right—I couldn’t even change into a wolf. How am I supposed to lead a group of wolves when I’m not one? My genes may say one thing, but my abilities say another.
I couldn’t believe I’d blown up on her like that. It was as if a side of me—a side that was uncontrollable and wild—had taken over. Ember said it was my wolf side, but how could it be if I was a wolf only in blood but not in form?
Sitting in Cassian’s office, I rubbed my hands over my face, groaning to myself. I’d excused myself from their presence and rushed off to the one place I could be alone, to think over this being luna thing.
Cassian’s landline phone rang, making me jump from my seat as I knocked over things on the desk to answer it.
“Hello?” My voice was filled with uncertainty. Was I supposed to greet them with “Alpha Cassian’s office, Emily speaking?” That felt too formal, and I wasn’t a secretary. But was “hello” too casual? What were the protocols for answering a phone in an alpha’s office?
“Hello, is Alpha Cassian available?” A thick, Scottish accent said into the receiver. “I believe I have some information he may find useful.”
“I’m sorry, he’s unable to speak at the moment. Who may I ask is calling?”
Okay, now I was sounding like a secretary. Why was this so hard for me?
“Could you have him give me a call when he gets the chance? It’s Alpha Radolph, from the Ash Hounds Pack.”
In a panic, I hung up the phone.
Why? Why did I do that?
Of all the reactions, I chose to hang up on an alpha who could possibly be related to my father. That definitely wasn’t protocol.
