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Adrian looked out over the crowd, watching the children sparring. Gregory was still seated off in the distance by himself.
“You’ve heard the stories,” Adrian said. “When you’re hit by the bond, you just know. It’s not like love, but the pull is unmistakable.”
“But this stranger, she doesn’t seem kind.”
Adrian glanced at the woman on the log, who watched the fire’s chaotic dance.
“She doesn’t seem kind, no,” Adrian said. “But those who’ve lost the most rarely do. I’m sure she’ll lower her guard soon enough.”
With that, Adrian was ready to head back to Luna, but Herald called to him once more.
“You do realize what this means, though?” Herald said.
“I’m well aware,” Adrian replied. “Whether we know her or not, fate has decided she’s to help lead the pack.”
Herald nodded in response.
“We can’t force her to take on the duty, and we should still watch her carefully,” Adrian said. “So help me keep an eye on her until I know more.”
They walked back toward the clearing. Luna’s eyes searched the area as if looking for someone. Did she know someone from the pack? As Adrian seated himself beside her on an adjacent log, he could see her smelling the air at regular intervals.
He couldn’t help but wonder what mysterious purpose had brought her into his world. She was clearly up to something, but what?
THREE
LUNA
“We can’t force her to take on the duty, and we should still watch her carefully,” Adrian said to the guard. “So help me keep an eye on her until I know more.”
She heard them talking about her, but she didn’t care. She chose to ignore the men while she watched the sparring children. It was the only thing to watch in the otherwise empty forest.
Victor’s smell had led her to this place. Was this pack where he called home? If so, she would find and kill him before he knew what stabbed him. He wasn’t anywhere in sight. She made sure of that before coming out of the cover of the trees.
The alpha and his enforcer had to know she’d be listening to them since they had the same super-hearing she did. All shifters had enhanced senses, and they would know that as well as anyone. Though she supposed it really wasn’t a secret that they distrusted her.
Their trust is not my concern, Luna thought to herself.I’m not here for them.
She just needed to keep up the ruse that she was there to be his mate. Not to hunt down and kill a member of his pack.
On the other hand, she hated to admit it, but Adrian’s rejection of her did hurt.
But that’s not you. That’s your biology. A pointless social convention, running your life because of tradition.
She rubbed her hands together over the fire. She was chilled from running naked in the cool autumn air.
She wished her pack had trained her to fight like these children were learning. She had never really needed it because she’d always found herself so much stronger than her peers. But she wondered if, with better training from a young age, she might have been able to protect Darius.
Luna heard Adrian’s footsteps approaching. She watched the small child in the corner who was afraid to take up the sword, and she felt sorry for him. He looked utterly terrified.
He had nothing to lose yet. The world hadn’t stepped up and shown him what loss truly was.
“Sorry about that,” Adrian said as he sat across from her, his unwavering gaze unnervingly fixated on her. “I just had to talk something over with my subordinate.”
“You’re not very smart, are you?” Luna asked.
She was trying to goad him, but he refused to rise to the occasion. “What do you mean?”
“I heard the entire conversation.”
