Chapter 18: The Night Before

The night before the full moon, I sat on the edge of Conall's bed with my hair down.

He was pacing, and I waited for him to stop.

Six weeks had gone by in library shifts and Hattie's pie and runs on the ridge.

Tomorrow at moonrise he turned thirty.

He stopped at the window and looked at the dark pines.

"You could still say no," he said. "Tomorrow, in the Hall. Nobody would blame you."

"I know."

"I would stand down, Cassandra. I meant it in front of the council."

"I know you did. That's why I'm going to do it."

He turned around.

I stood up and crossed the floor, and I put my hands flat on his chest where his heart was going hard.

"I want to be named," I said. "I want you to bite me in front of every wolf in Pine Ledge."

"I want to bite you back."

"I want the Beta to stand there with his challenge in his mouth and nowhere to put it."

"Tonight isn't any of that."

His hands came up to my face.

"What is tonight?"

"Term two," I said. "No pack business in my bed."

"Tonight I'm only mine, and you're only yours, and then tomorrow we're everyone's."

He kissed me.

It was slow, and it went on.

I knew from his mouth that he had decided to take his time with me.

I had asked him once not to.

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