how come fate didn’t pick someone who would’ve been a perfect match for Jonah? Why pick me when he was going to reject me?”
Ms. Ebon’s brow furrows. She regards me for a long while before answering. “Your question is like asking why the moon dictates the tides. It just is.”
Will I get smited if I think fate was wrong in this case? Because…hello, the proof is in the Mate Rejection Slip.
My wolf yips at me. Looks like there’s one being in this body that doesn’t think the universe played the wrong hand. Even so, the advisor’s reasoning sounds like one of those “there, there” shoulder-rubbing scenarios, as if she’s trying to talk down to me while also not having the real answer herself.
Or maybe I’m really not cut out for pack dynamics. My whole life I’ve been watching from the perimeter. I’m not sure if I was born that way or circumstances dictated that I put up a barrier between me and my pack, but from my position, I’ve been an outsider since I was too little to comprehend what the word meant.
“Why don’t you turn to the Lunar Pack Council form?”
“The Council?” I hesitate, losing some of my nerve.
“Yes, every mate pairing gets a write-up. Most of the time, their forms are blank, but in your case, Kinsey, they have concerns about the pairing as well.”
I tamp down a growl that threatens to burst free. I’ve never met anyone on the Pack Council, but I already know what this is going to be about. And if it is—
My stomach clenches.
Was everyone else right? All those times I fought against the lie, what if it was true?
I flip to the next page. The Lunar Pack quarter moon rests in the top center. This form is much like the one Jonah filled out, except for the letterhead, distinguishing the importance.
“Out loud,” Ms. Ebon demands again.
I push my shoulders back and trudge on. I won’t let anyone see me weak. When I scan the page for the box, it holds less information than Jonah’s. The single statement says everything, though.
“Concerns about Miss Walker’s lineage.”
My wolf scratches to come out. This is the one thing she and I have always agreed on. A buzz starts at the surface of my skin. It turns into a prickling, as if I’m being tattooed over every inch all at once. I breathe through my nose, trying to calm myself as fur ripples down my arms and my back arches against the chair.
Ms. Ebon’s authoritative voice rings out. “Calm yourself, pup.”
The thing is, since my first shift was mere hours ago, it’s hard for me to control her. I stand, the contents of the file spilling onto the floor, and my advisor gets to her feet with me, reaching out a steady hand.
I’m too far gone, though. I turn, running toward her office door and whipping it open so I don’t wreck her room. I’m sure I’ll already be written up if I shift within the very first hour of being here, but the punishment will probably be worse if I also destroy academy property in the process.
My ragged breaths deepen as I step beyond the threshold. I no longer hear voices in the halls, which is perfect because I don’t need to look like a freak in front of my new wolfpeers.
My back arches again, bones cracking in place. When we were told transforming into our wolf hurt, they weren’t fucking kidding. I yell, my human voice giving way to a long howl as claws slice through my fingertips. My body throws itself on all fours, and for a split second, I’m still fully human before my wolf takes over.
She shakes her head, copper fur billowing like a halo around her neck. Ms. Ebon yells, but my wolf is entranced by the most familiar scent filling her nostrils. Her head perks, ears driving up and forward. It’s as if she’s been acquainted with this aroma her whole life, could roll and play in it—
She takes off, claws digging into the slippery floor, skidding before regaining her balance. Her focus homes in on the figure rounding the corner ahead.
Mate.
Jonah’s deep brown eyes widen as she careens toward him. Her keen wolf vision glimpses the emerald greens sparking through his irises. She sniffs the air. Instead of the beautiful scent she chased after, potent fear fills the air. She put the brakes on and careens across the floor, scrambling to stop her momentum.
Recognition flashes in Jonah’s eyes and