I spend the next day playing an elaborate game of avoidance. When I spot Danny's messy black hair in the hallway, I duck into the nearest bathroom. When he walks into the cafeteria, I suddenly remember I have urgent business in the library. By lunch, I'm practically a ninja, slipping through crowds and around corners like my life depends on it.
It doesn't work.
Every time I catch even a glimpse of him, that wild heat flares in my chest. My wolf paces restlessly, like it's trying to claw its way out of my skin. In third period, Danny sits four rows ahead of me in AP History, and I spend the entire class fighting the urge to walk over and run my fingers through his hair.
What the hell is wrong with me?
"Miss Jackson?" Mrs. Oscar's voice cuts through my spiral. "Perhaps you could enlighten us about the Treaty of Versailles?"
I blink, realizing the entire class is staring at me. "The treaty officially ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers. Signed June 28, 1919."
"And the consequences?"
"It crippled Germany economically and politically, setting the stage for World War II." I force my attention back to the front of the classroom, away from the back of Danny's neck.
Mrs. Oscar nods approvingly, but I catch Danny glancing back at me with those dark brown eyes. The heat in my chest intensifies, and I have to grip my desk to keep from making a scene.
This is insane. I'm Scarlett Jackson, future Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack. I don't get distracted by nerdy statisticians who probably can't even do a push-up.
After class, I practically sprint to my locker, desperate to put distance between us. But as I'm shoving books into my bag, I catch his scent again—pine forests and moonlight and something uniquely him. My wolf whines.
"Scarlett!"
I spin around to find Blake jogging toward me, his letterman jacket slung over his shoulder. Relief floods through me. Blake. Normal, perfect, Alpha-material Blake.
"Hey," I say, probably too enthusiastically. "How was practice?"
"Brutal. Coach is making us run extra drills because of the Lincoln game." He leans against the locker next to mine, close enough that I can smell his cologne. "You want to grab dinner? There's this place downtown that makes incredible burgers."
"Yes." The word comes out before I can think about it. "I mean, that sounds great."
Blake grins. "Pick you up at seven?"
"Perfect."
As he walks away, I take a deep breath and try to center myself. This is what I want.
So why does my wolf feel like it's dying?
The drive home takes forever.
Our house sits on five acres of forest land, far enough from town that we can shift without worrying about human witnesses.
I find Luna in her study, surrounded by ancient books and burning sage. She looks up as I enter, and her silver eyes immediately narrow.
"You look terrible."
"Thanks. Really what every girl wants to hear."
"Sit." She gestures to the leather chair across from her desk. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
I collapse into the chair, suddenly exhausted. "It's about the mate bond."
"Ah." Luna sets down her book and gives me her full attention. "You've found him."
"I think so. Maybe. I don't know." I run my hands through my hair, probably destroying the careful styling I spent an hour perfecting this morning. "It's not Blake."
"No?"
"It's... him. The scrawny stat guy."
Luna's expression doesn't change, but I catch the slight tightening around her eyes. "Tell me about him."
"His name is Danny Walter. He's on the basketball team, sort of. He keeps statistics and probably hasn't seen the inside of a gym outside of school requirements. He's awkward and nervous and..." I gesture helplessly. "He's everything I've been taught to avoid in a mate."
"And you're certain about the bond?"
"I don't want to be." The words come out sharper than I intended. "But every time I see him, I feel like I'm going to burst into flames. My wolf won't shut up about him. I can smell his emotions from across the room."
Luna leans back in her chair, her fingers drumming against the armrest. "That does sound like mate recognition."
"But it can't be right. The prophecy says I'm supposed to find a powerful mate, someone who can help me unite the clans. Danny Walter can barely hold onto his laptop, let alone help me lead a pack."
"The prophecy is... complex."
"What does that mean?"
Luna stands and walks to the bookshelf that dominates one wall of the study. She pulls out a leather-bound tome that looks older than the house itself, its pages yellow with age.
"The original prophecy was written in Old Celtic," she says, flipping through pages covered in symbols I can't read. "Translations can be... imprecise."
"You think something was lost in translation?"
"I think there are forces in this world that would benefit from keeping the werewolf clans divided and weak." She sets the book on her desk, open to a page covered in intricate drawings. "It's possible the prophecy has been manipulated. Or perhaps there's magical interference clouding your ability to recognize your true mate."
Hope flares in my chest. "So it might not be Danny?"
"There's one way to find out." Luna moves to a cabinet in the corner and pulls out a wooden box carved with moon phases. "A scrying ritual. It will reveal the truth of the mate bond without any outside influence."
"Let's do it."
"Are you certain? Once we know the truth, we can't unknow it."
I think about Blake's perfect smile, about the way other students look at us when we walk down the hallway together. Then I think about Danny's dark eyes and the way my wolf purrs whenever he's near.
"I'm certain."
Luna nods and begins pulling items from the box: white candles, crystals, a silver bowl, and a vial of something that shimmers like liquid moonlight.
"Stand in the center of the room," she instructs, arranging the candles in a circle around me. "Close your eyes and think about the mate bond. Feel it in your chest."
I do as she says, focusing on that warm, wild sensation that flares whenever Danny is near. It's still there, humming under my skin like a live wire.
Luna begins chanting in Old Celtic, her voice rising and falling in a rhythm that seems to match my heartbeat. The candles flicker despite the lack of wind, and the air grows thick with power.
"Show us the truth," Luna commands, pouring the liquid moonlight into the silver bowl. "Reveal the mate bond as the Moon Goddess intended."
The liquid begins to glow, casting dancing shadows on the walls. The light grows brighter and brighter until I have to squeeze my eyes shut. Power washes over me in waves, and my wolf howls in recognition.
Then, as suddenly as it began, everything stops.
I open my eyes to find Luna staring into the bowl, her face pale.
"What did you see?" I ask.
Luna looks up at me, and for the first time in my life, she looks old. Fragile. "The bond is real, Scarlett. Danny Walter is your mate."
The words hit me like a physical blow. "No. There has to be a mistake."
"The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."
"Then why does it feel so wrong?" I pace to the window, staring out at the forest where I've run as a wolf countless times. "I'm supposed to be a leader, Luna. I'm supposed to unite the clans and bring peace to our people. How can I do that with a mate who's afraid of his own shadow?"
"I don't know."
The admission hangs between us like a death sentence. Luna has always had answers, always known what to do. If she's as confused as I am, then we're truly lost.
"What if I reject the bond?" I ask quietly.
"Scarlett..."
"It's possible, right? I've read about it in the old stories. A werewolf can reject their mate if they choose."
"The process is... traumatic. For both parties."
"But it can be done."
Luna's silence is answer enough.
I turn back to face her, my decision crystallizing like ice in my chest. "I choose Blake."
"You can't simply choose..."
"Yes, I can." I straighten my shoulders, channeling every lesson in leadership she's ever taught me. "The Moon Goddess gave me free will. I'm using it."
"And if you're wrong? If rejecting Danny destroys everything the prophecy promised?"
"Then I'll deal with the consequences." I move toward the door, suddenly desperate to escape the suffocating weight of destiny. "I have a date with Blake tonight. A real date, with a real alpha."
"Scarlett, please..."
"No." I pause in the doorway, not trusting myself to look back. "I won't be a slave to fate. I'll forge my own path."