As soon as Nicole was better and discharged, she was swarmed with congratulatory messages from pack members. It was exhilarating because they celebrated her like she was one of them. The kinship in Dark Moon wasn’t something she experienced in any other place. Crimson didn’t have it, and neither did her parents.

“Congratulations, Nicole,” one of the pack members said, giving her a gentle tap on the back. “You’ve made history.”

“I couldn’t have done it without the training and ...