Chapter 20
Bolton
The scent of her fear is a raw, metallic tang in the air, sharper than any pine needle. It’s subtly layered beneath the vanilla and her own unique, earthy scent, but it’s there, a desperate undercurrent that makes my wolf snarl low in my chest. Cassie’s poison has started to spread.
I watch her from across the cafeteria. She’s at her table, head bent over a book, trying to disappear into the pages.
But the whispers follow her like a shadow.
I catch snippets: "half-blood," "tainted," "instability.
" The words are soft, just loud enough to be heard by those meant to hear them, just ambiguous enough to avoid direct confrontation. Cassie, queen of plausible deniability.
My jaw aches, but I force myself to stay put. My father’s words echo: They need to see her strength before they see yours beside her. But this isn’t a challenge where I can step in. This is a war of attrition, fought with whispers and sidelong glances. It’s meant to break her from the inside out.
Dax slides into the seat across from me, his tray clattering. “She’s good,” he says, not looking at me, but at Maya. “She’s not flinching.”
“Yet,” I correct, my voice tight. “Cassie’s playing a long game. She knows she can’t touch Maya physically now, not after the challenge. So she’s trying to isolate her, to make the pack—and the humans—doubt her place.”
“And it’s working on some of them,” Dax concedes. “Saw Calder’s second-born giving Maya the stink eye. And old man Peterson’s been muttering about ‘unnatural bonds’ all morning.”
My hand clenches under the table. “He won’t try anything.”
“No,” Dax says. “But he’ll listen to Cassie. And she’s good at twisting things. Making a half-human Luna sound like a weakness instead of a strength.”
I push my uneaten food around my plate. “She’s trying to force my hand.”
“To what?”
“To finish the bond,” I say, the words tasting like ash. “To publicly mark me. To show them that no matter what they whisper, she’s mine and I’m hers. That our bond is absolute, and they have to accept it.”
Dax whistles softly. “That’s a bold move. It’ll either stop the dissent cold or ignite a full-blown civil war.”
“It’s time,” I decide, the words firming in my mind. “This can’t fester. The rogues are too close. We need the pack united. And they won’t unite behind a Luna they don’t trust.”
I push away from the table. “I’m talking to her.”
“Good luck,” Dax calls after me. “She’s been radiating ‘leave me alone’ vibes all day.”
But my wolf doesn’t care about vibes. My wolf demands action.
I cross the noisy cafeteria, ignoring the subtle shift in conversation as I approach Maya’s table. She looks up when I stop beside her, her eyes tired but resolute.
“Hey,” she says, her voice a little strained.
“We need to talk,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Somewhere private.”
She nods, closing her book. “Thought so.”
We walk in silence, cutting through the throngs of students, her shoulder brushing mine. I feel the tension radiating off her, the tiny tremors in her hand as I lead her out of the main hall and down a seldom-used corridor near the back exit.
When we’re finally alone, hidden behind a stack of forgotten gym equipment, she turns to me, her arms wrapped around herself. “What’s up? Is it the rogues? Or Cassie?”
“Both,” I say. “Cassie’s stirring up trouble. Spreading rumors about your bloodline, about the bond. Making some of the older, more traditional wolves question your place.”
Her chin lifts. “I know. I heard some of them this morning.”
“It’s going to get worse,” I warn her. “Unless we stop it.”
She looks at me, waiting.
“We need to complete the bond,” I say, my voice steady. “You need to mark me. Publicly.”
Her eyes widen, just a fraction. “Publicly?” she whispers, the word tasting dangerous.
“At the next full moon ceremony,” I confirm. “It’s the only way to silence the whispers. It’s the only way to show them that this isn’t just my choice, it’s ours. That you’re not just accepting your place, you’re claiming it.”
She looks away, chewing on her lip, a habit I’ve noticed when she’s deep in thought. “Cassie will hate it.”
“Cassie will have no choice but to accept it,” I counter. “Once our bond is fully acknowledged by the moon and the pack, her words will be empty. Your loyalty, your strength—it will be undeniable.”
“And what if they still don’t accept me?” she asks, her voice thin. “What if they still see me as… tainted?”
I reach out, taking her hands in mine. Her skin is warm, but her fingers are cold. “Then they’ll be wrong. But they’ll have to reckon with an Alpha who’s chosen his Luna. And a Luna who’s chosen her Alpha. Together, we’re stronger than any dissent.”
She looks into my eyes, and I see the fear there, but also a flicker of something else—resolve. That fierce spark I saw in the ring.
“You’re asking a lot,” she says.
“I know,” I reply honestly. “But you’re the only one who can do this, Maya. You’re the bridge between worlds. You’re the future of this pack.”
She pulls her hands from mine, but her gaze remains fixed on my face. “What does it entail? The marking?”
“The reciprocal mark,” I explain, keeping my voice soft, calm. “Like mine on you, but in a different place. It seals the tie. It binds us completely.”
She closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them, a deep breath filling her lungs. “Okay,” she says, her voice firm. “I’ll do it.”
A wave of relief washes over me so strong it almost buckles my knees. My wolf howls in triumph.
“Thank you,” I say, the words raw with emotion.
She gives me a small, tired smile. “Don’t thank me yet. Cassie’s going to try something. I know it.”
I nod. “Let her. We’ll be ready.”
The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Students start streaming into the hallway.
As we walk out, I hear it. Cassie’s voice, sharp and clear from across the hall. She’s with a few of her friends, a triumphant smirk on her face.
“She’s going to mark him at the next full moon,” Cassie says, loud enough for us to hear.
Her eyes lock onto Maya’s, glinting with malice.
“But it won’t change anything. She’s still half-human.
She’s still weak. And by the next full moon, everyone will know it.
” Her voice drops, laced with venom. “I’ll make sure of it. ”
Maya stiffens beside me. I feel her hand clench at her side, her knuckles white. My wolf snarls, a low rumble beneath my skin.
But Maya doesn’t flinch. Instead, she meets Cassie’s gaze, her own eyes blazing with a quiet fury.
“We’ll see,” Maya calls back, her voice steady, unwavering. “Because by the next full moon, you’ll be the only one left standing alone.”
Cassie’s smirk falters, but only for a second. Then it hardens into something cold and determined.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Cassie mutters, but her eyes are fixed on Maya’s neck, on the faint mark that glows beneath her skin. “Not if I finish things first.”
The words hang in the air, a chilling promise. I feel Maya shiver beside me, but she doesn’t look away.
I slip my hand into hers, squeezing it reassuringly. Whatever Cassie is planning, whatever she means by “finish things,” she’s underestimating Maya. And that’s a mistake she won’t get to make twice.
We’re in this together. And by the next full moon, the entire pack will know it.