The moon was low in the sky, casting long shadows across the pack area. In a peaceful clearing, Ema strolled away from prying eyes and perceptive werewolf ears. Her blonde hair glittered silver in the moonlight, her eyes flashing with barely controllable wrath.

She snarled. "This is taking far too long," the nearby shrouded figure said. "It is an insult to our kind every day that a human being like Luna exists." The apparition stepped forward, and under its hood emerged a man with sharp features and icy, analytical eyes. He said, "Ema, please be patient," in a quiet, smooth voice.

"Everything we have worked for could be ruined by...