The air in the Blood Moon Pack was thick with the scent of pine, roasted venison, and the electric anticipation of the Full Moon Ceremony. Tonight was supposed to be my night. The culmination of two years of silent suffering, of enduring the whispers, the sideways glances, and the blatant disrespect from pack members who deemed me—a rare, supposedly "defective" white wolf—unworthy of their formidable Alpha. But tonight, Alpha Caleb was supposed to officially mark me, sealing our fated mate bond, and crown me his Luna.
I stood at the edge of the ceremonial clearing, my fingers nervously smoothing down the sheer white fabric of my silk gown. My heart fluttered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I could feel him through the faint, unconsummated hum of our mate bond—a delicate tether of gol
