The Last Wolf of Frostfang

The council hall smelled like wet cedar and old smoke. I pulled off my cloak and hung it on the hook by the door. My fingers touched the moon pendant at my throat—the one my mother gave me before she died. The big chair next to mine was empty. That was where Alpha Ulrik was supposed to sit. But he had been gone for a whole year. I heard boots on the stone steps outside. Then the door opened hard, and cold air rushed in. Ulrik walked inside, still wearing his armor. He smelled like pine trees and snow. I stood up fast, knocking over my cup. The drink spilled across the table. "You're back," I said. My voice sounded strange. One year ago, we promised to be mates in front of everyone. Then the Lycan King told Ulrik to go fight in the north. Ulrik left before he could give me a real mate mark. He only gave me a small bite that would fade away. Now he was home. I thought he would be happy to see me. I thought wrong. Ulrik walked past me toward his chair. His sword made a scraping sound on the floor. "Adelaide, the Lycan King says Velda will come to Bloodmoon Pack. I'm going to mark her as my mate." My wolf inside me growled. I could smell another female on Ulrik's clothes. "The Lycan King's wife said Velda was a fighter," I said. "Will she be a Luna who stays home and has babies?" Ulrik's scent got stronger and filled the room. It made me want to step back, but I didn't. "I'm making her my mate," he said. His voice was angry. "She'll be my second Luna, just like you. You'll both be equal in Bloodmoon Pack." The chain around my neck broke in my hand. The moon pendant fell on the floor. "Two Lunas?" I said. "The Moon Goddess would be angry. The pack would get weaker." I stepped on the broken pendant. The rain outside got louder. "Last year, right here, you said my eyes were brighter than summer," I said. "That was just feelings talking," Ulrik yelled. Lightning flashed outside. "Look at your neck. Even the small mark is almost gone." He pulled out his sword a little bit. The tip touched my collar. "Velda and I fought together in the north. I respect her. I used my war rewards to ask the Lycan King if she could come here. To be my mate. I didn't need to ask you first." I looked at my reflection in his sword. I remembered when the east building fell down during the hot season. I spent those terrible nights carrying heavy rocks in the heat. Ulrik sent messages from the war, but they always said he was too busy to write back. The flower seeds in his war letters weren't for me. They were for her. I laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "So you respect her?" I said. "What about what you promised before you left? You said if I was a good Luna, you would use your war rewards to help save Frostfang Pack." Ulrik looked away. His face looked uncomfortable. "Forget those words," he said. "When we became mates, I hadn't met Velda yet. You were always good at being a Luna. But now I need something real." I watched him. His eyes looked soft when he talked about Velda. "I love her," he said. My stomach felt sick. But I kept talking. "Do your parents agree with this?" I asked. "Yes. It's the Lycan King's order. My father understands. And they really like Velda." His parents agreed? After everything I did for this pack? "Is she already here? I can't smell her," I said. My wolf was angry inside me. "No strangers," my wolf said in my head. Ulrik's eyes moved away from mine. "She'll be my mate soon. I already gave her a small mark," he said. My wolf roared with anger inside me. Even though Ulrik never gave me a full mark, we made promises in front of the Moon Goddess. That created a bond between us. Giving another female a mark was betraying me. Ulrik must have felt my anger. He hit his armor against me, and I fell back into the candle holder behind me. "I know this is unfair to you," he said. He stood with the light behind him so I couldn't see his face. "But it's the Lycan King's command." He walked to the door. "You're still the Luna—until everyone gets used to Velda." I made myself smile. "Then let Velda come see me. I have questions for her," I said. Ulrik shook his head. "No. She's not like the weak she-wolves you know. She's a real warrior. Too proud for jealous talk." "What does that make me?" I asked. "What do you think I am?" "Alpha Ulrik, you seem to forget something," I said. "I'm the daughter of Frostfang's Alpha. Alpha blood runs in me too." Ulrik made an annoyed sound. "You grew up protected by your parents and pack. You never saw real war. You never fought in a real battle. Velda doesn't like soft wolves like you. I'm saving you from her mean words." I lifted my chin. "If she insults me, I'll ignore it. A Luna thinks about the big picture first. You said I'm perfect at being a Luna, remember?" He ran his hand through his wet hair. "Why look for trouble? The Lycan King's orders stand. Even as my Luna, Velda won't help manage the pack. She doesn't care about the things you do." "Do you think I'm desperate to be Bloodmoon's Luna?" I asked. My fingers squeezed the comb I was holding. Ulrik was brave in battle. But running a pack? He wasn't good at that. His mother's wolf was dying. The medicine to keep her alive was very expensive. Running the pack cost so much money—food, medicine, everything. Bloodmoon's savings were almost empty. For the whole year, my Frostfang money kept them going. And this was my reward? Ulrik lost his patience. "Fine. I'm done talking. I came to tell you what's happening. You can agree or not, but nothing will change." He turned and left without looking back. Bitterness filled my chest. I walked back to my cottage in the rain. The small house was near the main packhouse, but I always felt alone there. I used to wonder why Ulrik never invited me to live with him in the big house. Now I understood.