The morning after the attack, the packhouse was unusually busy. Everyone moved with a purpose, their faces set in lines of focus. I followed Jax through the halls, trying to keep my own worry under control. Crescent Vale hadn’t attacked again, but their presence was constant. It felt like the forest itself was alive, watching us, waiting for something.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the contract. I still didn’t know exactly what it said. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, or why I had been sent to Moonfire in the first place. The thought gnawed at me constantly. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured strangers handing me over, Alpha Joseph’s serious face, Luna Elsie’s quiet determination — and now Crescent Vale watching us, too.
Jax walked beside me, his hand brushing against mine
