The moon-naming ceremony was held beneath the oldest cedar in the North.
Silver lanterns hung from every branch, and hundreds of werewolves surrounded the clearing. Rowan left the front row empty, so Theo wouldn't feel crowded.
Theo wore a dark gray formal suit with the silver ribbon he had chosen pinned to his chest.
Around his neck hung a moonstone carved by Rowan himself.
It bore neither the crest of the Vale royal family nor any surname meant to claim him.
There was only a tiny comet streaking across the night sky.
It was one of a kind.
Damian stood beyond the last ring of lanterns.
He had come alone, without his Alpha crown, and made no attempt to approach.
The council elder summoned Theo beneath the cedar.
"You stand here in the name of Bennett, with no paternal pack. Do yo
