Daphne
I hated balls. Not the music, not the dresses, but the whole “find your mate” charade forced on me by my parents. The Ember Forest Pack Alpha and Luna had decided long ago that it was time I stopped hiding behind pack duties and started finding my destined other half. And so, here I was—swirling skirts and polished smiles—trying to ignore the tight coil of frustration in my chest.
Cassidy, my wolf, was just as annoyed. I felt her restless energy, her sharp instincts twitching beneath my skin like wildfire waiting to be unleashed.
“Seriously, Daphne? Again with the stuffy rooms and fake pleasantries?” she growled softly in my mind.
“I know, Cass. But we have to play nice.”
As we drifted through the crowd, I let my senses stretch beyond the human noise, the glittering lights, and
