(Still two weeks earlier...)

Marissa POV

The grand gardens of the River Howl shimmer beneath hundreds of lanterns even from a distance. Music drifts through the crisp February air.

Highborn girls laugh while young males gather in groups pretending not to stare.

The Choosing Full Moon feast happens regularly. But for those who have just come of age, tonight matters more than anything.

Some will publicly choose the she-wolves they wish to court. Others?

The Moon Goddess will choose for them.

I reach the gardens and remain close to the edges of the crowd. It's where I belong. Among servers, landscapers, clerks and other pack workers. The lower class.

My...