For the longest moment, my heart stopped beating. Time slowed, and I could no longer hear the wolves barking in the distance, or the sound of Savannah's cries of agony from the kitchen. I was only aware of the blood pounding in my ear and the familiar blue eyes gazing back at me.

I hadn't seen those eyes-- Dominic's eyes-- since the night of Nolan's birthday party. Flashes of the night returned to my mind... The horrible heat slashing through my body in waves of pain. The shadows that consumed every inch of moonlight until I was blind. And Dominic's weight holding me down on the forest floor.

And now, just the sight of him crippled me. I couldn't move. I couldn't even run away from him.

Fear, anger, sadness. Every emotion waged a war in my head, fighting for dominance over one another, and I'd forgotten my surroundings. I'd forgotten the severed, bloody finger that I now clutched in the palm of my hand.

Dominic's wolf froze in place as well. His eyes, locked tightly with mine, swam with all of the thoughts that he couldn't say-- that I didn't want to hear. I'd never seen a wolf cry, but water glazed over the beautiful blue orbs, consumed with guilt and indescribable pain.

He looked thinner than usual, almost as if the memories of that night kept him from eating. I wondered if the memories plagued his every dream, tortured him when the sun fell.

Me too, I wanted to say to him. I wanted to scream to him. I wanted to make him realize what he had done-- to make him suffer the way that I have suffered.

"Charlie!"

Lizzie's shouting woke me from my catatonic state, and I scrambled backwards, back toward the door leading back to the pack house. Dominic whimpered, lowering his head in submission like he had done so long ago when we first met.

"What are you doing? Charlie!" Lizzie yelled again, this time reaching out to grab my hand. "Who is this?"

I shook my head, but never took my eyes off of the black wolf in front of me. My grip around Savannah's sticky finger tightened, and I focused on channeling all of my fear and anger into something else-- courage. "We need to find Nolan."

I didn't know who I spoke to, Lizzie or Dominic, but the massive wolf huffed a quick reply. Dominic jerked his head to the side, and I knew that he wanted Lizzie and I to start running in that direction. I didn't hesitate.

We ran alongside the edge of the house, toward the nearest road that could take us back to the SUV I'd arrived in. Maybe Nolan waited for us there?

I hadn't worn running shoes, so the tips of my feet occasionally scraped across the rocks and gravel that lined the path we ran on. Luckily, Lizzie kept me upright and I returned the favor. Our arms pumped viciously by our sides, an attempt to propel us forward before a Golden Walker warrior caught up. I didn't even know if we were being followed-- didn't want to risk looking backwards.

We reached the corner of the house just as a wolf from behind us let out a long, raspy howl. I couldn't stop myself from skidding to a halt, kicking up dirt and dust in the process, and turning back.

Dominic's black wolf stood in a face-off with three Golden Walker enemies. From where I stood, I could barely make out the golden-tan hues of Alpha Sehan's monstrous form. I knew that not even the rogue Alpha could fight against three warriors by himself.

Dominic threw his head back and another long howl ripped through the air. Was he begging for help? Did he know that his end was near?

My chest tightened as Sehan prowled closer, snapping his jaws at Dominic's feet. He took another step back, but soon he would have nowhere to retreat to. He needed to run, but he wouldn't. He was providing a distraction-- giving me the chance to escape.

"Come on, we have to go!" Lizzie whispered, tugging mercilessly at my hand.

I knew she was right. With one final glance at Dominic, I turned the corner and nearly let out a sob of relief when I saw the black SUV waiting, engine on. I dashed toward the vehicle, legs catapulting me forward at a rate faster than my body was used to.

I risked a glance toward the front entrance of the Golden Walker pack house, where at least two dozen wolves engaged in brutal combat. My eyes raked over the chaos, searching for the familiar pelt of one of my pack members... But I didn't recognize anyone.

Who are these wolves? I couldn't tear my gaze away as I studied the situation. The Golden Walker wolves were easily distinguished from their adversaries, with well-groomed fur and well-fed bellies. They fought in formation, maneuvering skillfully through the battle.

But their adversaries, the wolves that I did not recognize, did not fight in formation. In fact, they fought like they had never had a day of training in their lives. And yet... they were tenacious. They snarled and foamed at the mouth like wild beasts fighting to survive. In fact, it looked like they were winning... Rogues!

Dominic brought a band of rogues with him. He'd undoubtedly followed the Black Lupis vehicle straight into the heart of Golden Walker territory, knowing that a majority of the Golden Walker warriors would be preoccupied with our arrival. He and Nolan had probably arranged the whole thing...

I reached the vehicle before I could watch any more of the battle. Lizzie had already thrown the car door open, having arrived just a few seconds before, and I practically flew through the air and into the back seat.

Except, my body didn't make it far. I collided almost immediately with a firm chest, with far too-few muscles to cushion the blow. I might have complained, had I any oxygen left in my lungs. As soon as the door closed behind me, the SUV rocketed into gear.

Holy shit... I escaped.

"Charlie!"

"What the hell?"

"Moon Goddess, above!"

Several voices shouted, each one filled with a different emotion: relief, shock, annoyance, happiness.

I closed my eyes, half-aware that I laid extended upon the laps of at least two passengers. I fought to breathe, to quell the fire that flamed in my every muscle. With every ragged pant my mouth emitted, the panic of the entire situation slowly subsided, and the scent of my pack members wafted over me.

But a strange scent disrupted my calming thoughts, and I immediately sat up, eyes scanning the interior of the car. Sophia, Dylan, Raegan, Lizzie, and... We had two more passengers that I hadn't been expecting.

My eyes fell on the man who I'd first collided with, and my heart skipped a beat. "Dad!"

Before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around my dad's slight frame, thanking the Moon Goddess that he'd been spared from the wrath of the rogues, "Oh my gods, Dad! You're here!" I gasped in his ear, before my eyes fell on the other man in the backseat, "Jeremy!"

My father and brother sat in the Black Lupis war-vehicle? Rogues were fighting against the Golden Walker Pack? What had I missed?

My father laughed, the echoes of which reverberated in his chest, and I savored the sensation. I squeezed his shoulders for a moment longer before I finally sat back in my own seat.

Almost as soon as my back hit the leather, my eyes found his in the rearview mirror: beautiful, blue, and filled with a rage that I'd never seen before. My stomach twisted at the sight, and I fought the urge to squirm in my seat.

Nolan didn't speak. He didn't so much as move except to turn the steering wheel and press his foot on the gas a bit harder. Moon Goddess, I'm in trouble...

Thankfully, the rest of the car's occupants had enough to say in order to fill the silence.

"Where the hell did you go?" Sophia demanded with arms crossed defiantly against her chest. It seemed that Nolan was not the only one angry at me for disobeying orders.

"Yeah! What the hell, Charlie?" Dylan chimed in, although he pulled on my tousled braid in a display of playfulness. His words held no anger.

I swatted Dylan's hand away from my hair, "The kitchen. Lizzie was with me the entire time."

Raegan snorted, "That's reassuring. Considering, last we saw, she looked like she might like to rip your head off."

Lizzie, who still huffed to regain her breath, shot a glare at the Black Lupis Beta.

I let out a small, uneasy laugh, "Trust me, I had it all under control."

"Trust you?" Sophia countered, the corners of her mouth turned down in disapproval. "Trust goes two ways, Charlie."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I frowned, taken aback by the anger lacing her words. I found myself looking up to the rearview mirror, hoping to catch Nolan's gaze, but he kept his eyes frozen on the road.

To my surprise, Raegan spoke first, "You ignored our calls, Charlie. You're our Luna. Do you even understand how we would feel if something happened to you? You are supposed to trust us, your pack, and that means allowing us to protect you."

I opened my mouth to reply, but then closed it again. The disappointment in Raegan's words silenced me. I looked around the SUV, guilt creeping up my neck and clouding my cheeks in red shame. When I'd ignored their calls, I hadn't been thinking of the consequences...

I swallowed the lump that clogged my throat and turned my gaze downward. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't think of it like that."

No one spoke for several long moments, and I prepared to apologize again for ignoring their warnings, to provide some sort of excuse for my actions. But I knew my words could never convey my regrets, because I didn't have regrets.

I would only regret my actions if I didn't currently have my fingers curled around the talisman.

Before the silence could thicken any further, Jeremy's voice rose from the backseat of the vehicle, "Might I remind you all, that my sister is not to blame for Sehan's treachery."

The Black Lupis pack members stiffened at the reminder, and Dylan audibly growled, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand high. Even Nolan, who had been silent and unreadable throughout the conversation, displayed his anger in the whitening of his knuckles on the steering wheel. What had Sehan done?

I started to ask the question, but Lizzie spoke first, disbelief coating her words, "He called the hybrids?"

My red-haired friend looked between my father and brother, waiting for further explanation via their mindlink.

I didn't want to give them the chance to continue their silent conversation, "Sehan told the hybrids about me?"

My father nodded, "He told someone to make the call just minutes after you all showed him the immense power of the hybrid captive. He hid it from everybody, but I penetrated his mind barriers and got the word to Mr. Reagan."

My blood turned to ice. Sehan told the hybrids that the Black Lupis Alpha had a new mate. If they didn't know about my existence before, they surely did now. "B-but why?"

Jeremy chuckled, the sound much darker than I recognized, and a muscle in his jaw twitched, "He wanted to make a trade."

"What do you mean?" I demanded, looking between my father and brother for clarification. But neither answered my question.

Instead, Nolan's voice rumbled from the driver's seat for the first time since I'd entered the car, "He planned on offering you, Charlotte, to the hybrids in exchange for mercy."

The palpable anger in my mate's words sent a chill running down my spine, and the severity of the situation seeped into my bones. I had just become the sole target of an empire of power-hungry hybrids.

"Well then..." I chewed on my lower lip for a long moment, "I guess it's a good thing we have this."

I uncurled my fingers from around Savannah's severed finger, which had begun to grow cold to the touch. The silver ring curled around the base of the finger, just above where I'd cut through flesh and bone, and the emerald stone beckoned the widened eyes of every person in the car. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our talisman."