The whispers in the crowd didn’t quiet right away. Some seemed intrigued, some wary and others downright skeptical, but none challenged me openly. I’d anticipated resistance, had steeled myself for that, but I felt like I faced something worse with the weight of their silence. It was the silence of a pack that didn’t know whether to welcome me or rip me to shreds. These wolves had followed Lucian for years, had fought for him, had trusted him with their lives. And now, just like that, I had been drawn into their universe as their Luna.
Lucian was by my side, steady and unyielding, the glimmer of humor still dancing behind those keen blue eyes. He had at least opened up the space for me to talk, although I knew better than to be under any illusions that that meant I had any real agency. He
