Rue’s POV

The fifteenth arrived without ceremony in my heart, yet the world seemed determined to make it unforgettable.

I woke before dawn. For a long moment, I lay still, listening to the distant footsteps in the corridor, to the low hum of servants already at work, to my own breathing.

Today was the engagement banquet. Blood Claw’s engagement banquet. One that my father had originally organized with Red Moon Pack before I had run from Blood Claw Pack. This time, it was confirmed.

I rose ...