"What do you think you're doing?" Hudson demanded, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that vibrated in the air. "Return to the den with me."

Avery met his golden gaze, her eyes clouded. She had stood at his side through countless pack ceremonies, yet she always felt like a ghost among the living. Whether she stayed or vanished into the shadows, his biting critiques were as certain as the moon's phase.

Eventually, she had stopped attending the High Moon rituals altogether, and Madison Clarke had been all too eager to fill the void at his side.

Now, bracing for the sting of his words, Avery expected another lecture on her...