The silence that follows Sebastian's words is absolute.

Niece.

The word reverberates through my skull, a stone dropped into still water, sending ripples of shock cascading through every nerve. My breath catches. My heart stutters. Selene surges forward, pressing against my consciousness with an intensity that makes my vision blur at the edges.

'He called us—'

'I heard.'

Around me, the gathered wolves erupt. Gasps. Whispers. The sharp intake of breath from ...