*Estelle*"Estelle? Where are you going?" I paused, despite myself. It was Val's voice. I should have pretended I hadn't heard him, but it was too late now. The smile fell from his face as he approached me. "What?" I asked hoarsely. I wiped uselessly at my eyes and tried to compose myself. "What happened?" he asked. I threw my hands up helplessly and let out a humorless laugh. "Gabe." "What happened now?" Val seemed equal parts concerned and annoyed. "He threatened to keep me locked in my room if I tried to leave," I sniffled and hated myself for how pathetic it sounded. "Why won't he just let me leave?" "Why did he say that?" Val asked. "He wouldn't make that threat unprompted.""According to Charles, the pack doesn't want me as their Luna. He told Gabe to reject me. I said if that was the case, I should just go home. If I'm not wanted here, then there's no reason for me to stay," I explained. "Charles said that? He used the word reject?" The tone of Val
*Estelle*The past few weeks had been better than I'd expected. Life in the village was slow-paced and peaceful. I loved walking along the streets in the evening. I could stargaze and breathe the cool, fresh forest air and never have to worry about who might be walking behind me or what would happen if I took a wrong turn. It was a peace I'd never felt in my life. Mama Iida was great company too. We'd started spending our evenings together playing Gin Rummy or Crazy Eights while she told me stories about the pack. I learned so much more about the intricacies of pack life from her than I could have from anyone else. She had stories about all of the families in the village, including Gabe's. She told me all about his father, the previous Alpha. By all accounts, he was a friendly, patient man. I felt bad for Gabe for having lost him so young. I couldn't help but wonder how much of his cold exterior was because of that loss. She also told me about Charles. He had been close frie
*Estelle* I was either paranoid, or people were still talking about me. It had been two days since Gabe returned from his trip. Since then, every time I stepped outside, I felt like I was being watched. I caught people whispering or pointing at me. Sometimes, they just glared as I walked by. I wracked my brain but couldn't think of anything I'd done that might have offended anyone or upset the pack like this. I wanted to talk to Gabe about it, but I was afraid he'd think I was being dramatic. Things hadn't exactly been sunshine and rainbows between us. Sure, we were getting along better, but that was because we had a tentative agreement about my staying. I had an out, at least in theory. He could always change his mind and refuse to let me leave. If it came to that, I'd find a way out, but it was pointless to dwell on it now. I tried to stay away from the main house during the day because Gabe was always working. He'd get irritated if I was underfoot. But he was also irrita
*Estelle*I was so happy to attend the craft fair. This was going to be my chance to get to know people in the pack and for them to get to know the real me. The rumors had spread so quickly, and I really didn't blame the pack for that. If they didn't know me, how could they trust me? This was going to be the best way to fight back against the rumors Isolde was spreading. After all, she wanted to be Luna, and she had already laid the groundwork for that. She had a head start, so the best option for me was getting out there and being with the people of the pack.I was a stranger. It was clear why people would choose her over me. I needed to change that. "Hello, miss," said the woman who had invited me. She looked much calmer than the last time I'd seen her. "Oh, please call me Estelle," I said. "Estelle," she repeated. "I'm Farah. I don't think I told you that before. Thank you for coming.""I'm happy to be here," I said. "This all looks fantastic." I motioned around us
*Estelle* I think that I had some kind of panic attack. Once I'd gotten free of the crowd, my rational mind had all but shut down. I ran and let my wolf guide me. By the time I started to calm down, I was hopelessly lost. I'd come to with my dress clutched in my hand and dragging in the dust. I'd dressed quickly and tried to make myself look somewhat presentable. I eventually found a trail, which I followed, to a road that led me to a town. It was a small, quiet place without much going on. The streets were so empty that at first, I thought the place was abandoned. Eventually, I came across a motel and was relieved to find a small, frail-looking man with a beard sitting behind the counter. I was sweaty and my face was splotchy from crying. I did my best to sound normal, but I could tell by the concerned look on his face that he wasn't buying it. It was obvious I had run from something. I swore he just took pity on me because he let me check in despite not having the mon
*Estelle* I didn't intend to fall asleep. The physical exhaustion and emotional turmoil were just too much for me. After Charles left, I cried until my eyes stung. I must have cried myself to sleep. I sat up on the cheap motel bed and stretched. My back ached and my head felt foggy. I rolled to my feet and went to the bathroom to clean myself up. I was a mess, but there wasn't much I could do about it. There were bags under my eyes and my face was red. My hair was a disaster, and no amount of water was resolving the problem. I had to get moving. I wasn't sure how much time had passed. I needed to figure out how I could get to the airport. I left the motel room and headed for the front desk. I'd had a bizarre dream and I couldn't quite shake it. In it, I was in wolf form running through a forest. It wasn't the forest around Gabe's village. The trees were closer together and barren of leaves. It was late autumn and the chill in the air was bitter. I could smell distant fires. I
*Gabe* My concern with finding my mate was warring with the anger I felt for those who had driven her away. The source of the rumor was still a mystery to me, but I was able to track down the person responsible for striking her–Aiden Barlow, a sixteen-year-old student. Val had asked me to take it easy on the boy. His father had made no such request. When he'd opened the door and found me standing there, a look of resignation had passed over his face. "I'll get him for you," he said. I stepped into the modest house and waited. I could hear hushed voices at the end of the hallway. The boy walked out slowly with his father close behind him. He was a tall, willowy boy with sandy hair and dark eyes. He'd be a strong man in just a few years. Now, he looked uncomfortable in his own skin. Aiden kept his chin raised, but the fear in his eyes was clear."You attacked my mate," I said. "I did." He looked away toward his father, but the older man simply shook his head. "She wants
*Estelle*It was nearly 3:00 a.m. when we finally made it back to the village. I was tired and I could tell that Gabe was too. We'd barely reached the cobblestone walkway before Val was running to greet us. The look of relief on his face made me feel guilty. "Thank the Goddess you found her," he said excitedly. "She was on her way back, actually," Gabe said. I might have imagined it, but he sounded pleased. Val smiled at me. "That's good to hear." "You can go home, Val. Get some rest. Tell Lucky I'm sorry for keeping you out all night again." Gabe reached his hand out and he and Val clasped arms. "She'll say the same thing she always does," Val said with a laugh. "She gets the bed to herself when I work late." Val nodded gratefully and smiled at me. "Welcome back, Estelle." I waved as he turned and hurried toward home. "Lucky is his mate?" I asked. "You haven't met her yet, have you?" Gabe asked. I shook my head. I hadn't met most of the pack yet. "I'll mak