CASSANDRA After I concluded that the pendant wasn’t in the backpack, I discarded it and looked around the room I’d been confined to. There was a stack of boxes in the far corner I hadn’t noticed when I’d first arrived. I rushed over to them and wasted no time. I rummaged through the closest one, and once I finished rooting through it, I moved on to the next. I continued this way for nearly an hour. In the process of searching my belongings, a pair of servants took turns delivering more boxes. With every one, I prayed to the Moon Goddess that the pendant had just gotten misplaced in a pocket or bag, and when it wasn’t in any of the spots, my frustration grew. Finally, the servants stopped arriving, and I began to give up. My mother’s necklace wasn’t here. Thankfully, one thing was certain- the pendant hadn’t been found by the Alpha King’s guards. If it had, things wouldn’t be nearly as quiet as they were now. If my true identity had been revealed, Asher Collins would have been cr

ASHER“You don’t understand!” Cassandra shouted, and then suddenly, she broke into a fit of heavy sobs. The healer’s knees buckled slightly as she cried, and her chest heaved as she fought to breathe. Her copper hair fell into her face and her cheeks flushed pink.I stood there, completely stunned and unsure of what to do.For the briefest of seconds, she reminded me of Cora.Cora had once said the exact same phrase to me once many years ago when she thought I’d lost a pendant she once gave me.It had been the first time I’d been allowed to join the Crescent Pack’s hunting group, and furthermore, the first time I’d been allowed to enter the hunting zone of the forest in Anemond. I’d admittedly been a little nervous, but Cora was absolutely terrified. She was always looking out for my well-being and cared so deeply for me, which meant the world.I remembered putting on a brave face, but that wasn’t enough for Cora. So, one day, she came over to my house and presented me with a pendant.

CASSANDRA The Alpha King’s tone told me all I needed to know. This was not a request, it was an order, and it was one I couldn’t refuse. “Oh,” I remarked quietly, and then I nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you.” Asher released his hold on my arm and then nodded back before gesturing to the luxury car. “Let’s go then, Mrs. Keller.” My name on his lips sounded so strange, but I couldn’t let myself freeze up now. I wanted nothing more than for him to call me by my true name, but that could never happen again. I followed the Alpha King to the car, and once we were there, a servant held the door open for us. Just as we were climbing in, I heard a familiar voice calling my name. “Cassy!” Marley yelled, and when I turned around, I saw her running toward me with great speed. Jasper wasn’t too far behind, and a smile broke out on my face. I met her halfway, and she threw her arms around me when we met. We hugged each other tightly, and once we parted, Jasper and I exchanged nods. “Oh,

CASSANDRAAdalyn’s eyes lingered on me for a while, and for a moment, I felt like prey. The royal family all seemed to have that effect. They were the predators while the rest of us were just lucky to survive.Asher’s wife was even more beautiful than I’d remembered her to be. She was tall, with deeply tanned skin, straight dark brown hair that fell to her middle back, and an angular face with high cheekbones. Her amber eyes were framed by long, dark eyelashes, and her full lips were painted a dark red to match her dress.Those cat-like eyes stared into mine and studied me carefully. She was smiling, but there was no kindness in her gaze. A shiver traveled down my spine. There was no way for Adalyn to know my true identity, and yet, I couldn’t help but fear her.“Yes,” Asher spoke finally. “This is Cassandra Keller and her son, Finnick. She is a healer from the Wild Crawler Pack.”“The Wild Crawler Pack,” Adalyn repeated back, and her tone dripped with disgust. She was still just as s

ASHERWhy did I trust Cassandra Keller?That was a great question. But I was completely surprised when the healer asked it, and even more surprised when I realized her question had a point.I hadn’t told anyone about my ailment apart from Lancel. My most trusted guard had been attempting to investigate the mark for me, but it hadn’t been going well. Besides him, no one else knew I had the disease. Not the royal healers or even Adalyn.So, why was I willing to entrust this secret to a healer from a mostly forgotten Pack on the border?In all honesty, I didn’t know why, but something in my gut told me she could be trusted. When I’d shown her my mark back in Alpha Gareth’s meeting room, I hadn’t thought about it twice. Trusting her felt natural as if she were someone I’d known for years.But in reality, it was unnatural, strange even.Why would I trust a village healer?So, I reached into my mind and crafted an answer for Cassandra Keller that seemed passable. I told her it was nothing,