Chapter 7: The Host Table

On the first night of the Hollow Moon Gathering I stood at the head of the welcome table at Mesa Lodge.

I wore a red Crimson Sand sash and held the guest list in my hand.

Ten weeks had passed since the night on the ridge.

Cedar Pass's council had said yes in front of its own people, and Crimson Sand's wardens had held the border ever since.

The two raiders we caught had not spoken a word.

Pack after pack came up the lodge steps.

I checked each name against the list and sent each Alpha to a table that did not start a fight.

Ashfork's Alpha, a woman with iron-gray braids, paused at the head of the table.

"Whitaker," she said. "I've been looking at your seating plan for ten minutes."

"Is it wrong?"

"It's the first one in years that doesn't make me want to leave." She walked on.

At eight o'clock the Nightfall convoy came up the drive.

I saw the black cars through the doors first, and my wolf went quiet.

Vittorio Santoro came in first, a heavy man in a black wool coat, with a face that gave away nothing.

Behind him came the Beta, then Gianna, then Luca.

Luca had lost weight. His jaw looked sharper, and there was a gray line under each eye.

He stopped when he saw me.

I had pinned my hair up.

Every other pack's Alpha was looking at me for directions.

His eyes went from my face to the sash.

Keep reading free with an account. Start He Scorned My Love, Now He Watches My Rise from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.