*Xamara*

The blood moon rises bright and scarlet over the treetops, staining the sky with a deep crimson glow. Its light washes over me as if it knows my name, as if it recognizes that this is the moment I have been preparing for since the day I was born. Tonight is my twenty-first birthday. Tonight, I take the oath that will bind me to the Moonfang Pack forever–as the only living blood heir in my father’s lineage.

I stand at the center of the stone courtyard, surrounded by torches that light up the winter night. Pack members crowd around the outer circle, their faces lifted toward me with expectation...