Chapter 1
“Lyra, remember
–
if you smell someone and they’re foul, don’t tell anyone right away. Come home and tell us quietly,” my father reminded me over and over whenever we went out.
I’m the only daughter of the Alpha of the Bluemoon Pack. Since I was little, I’ve had a strange gift the ability to sense whether someone is good or bad.
My nose isn’t like a normal person’s; I can actually smell the scent people carry.
Good people smell sweet. Bad people smell foul.
My father once warned me that if anyone found out about this ability, it would bring great trouble.
So, I rarely left the pack house, and I never spoke much to others.
It wasn’t until I came of age that my parents realized something even stranger not only was my sense of smell different, but my wolf was unlike any other.
Because I had no wolf.
I thought my parents would lock me away forever for that, but instead, they stopped keeping me
inside the pack house. They even personally trained me and took me out for fun.
Of course, I was over the moon.
Today was no different.
But today was also different.
Mom said today was the Alpha King’s birthday, and all the pack Alphas could bring their families to
celebrate at the werewolf castle.
I knew about the Alpha King.
Not long ago, when I went to a mate gathering with Mom, I overheard people talking about him.
I couldn’t remember most of what they said, only that the Alpha King was supposed to be a very, very bad man – which meant, of course, he must smell especially, especially foul.
To test this, while everyone else bowed their heads low in respect, I deliberately looked up and took a sniff.
Maybe because no one else dared raise their head, my gaze easily met his across the crowd.
He looked back at me calmly, like a still pool of water.
Unlike what I expected, he didn’t smell bad at all. In fact, he was incredibly handsome.
So handsome, like one of those Greek god statues.
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“Keep your head down. Don’t look at the Alpha King.”
Before I could think further, my father hurriedly pulled me down and bowed low, terrified.
I knew then I’d made a mistake again.
Before leaving, Dad had told me never to look the Alpha King in the eye.
Though I didn’t understand why, I was drawn to him and couldn’t look away.
The Alpha King didn’t scold me or punish my father.
What those people said was all lies.
He’s not a bad man
–
but not exactly a good one either.
I couldn’t smell either sweetness or foulness on him.
It was strange.
But my father wouldn’t let me sniff anymore. He stuffed a bunch of snacks and chocolates into my
arms and told Mom to take me for a walk in the garden.
The garden at the werewolf castle was much bigger than the one in our pack.
There were many flowers I’d never seen before, towering trees, and even a hedge maze perfect for
hide-and-seek.
So while Mom chatted with the other pack Lunas, I slipped into the maze with my chocolates.
Maybe I was just too good at hide-and-seek- or maybe Mom was too clumsy – but she couldn’t
find me for a long time.
That’s when I bumped into the Alpha King.
He stood at the center of the maze, bathed in the cool moonlight, which made him look even more
stunning.
If any of those Greek gods were still alive, he would be just like this.
Across from him stood a delicate she-wolf, her voice trembling: “Whatever the Alpha King wants,
I’m willing to give it to you.”
“And what do you think I want?” The Alpha King chuckled.
She answered, “If the Alpha King agrees to make me your Luna Queen, our pack, the Riverrun Pack,
will always put the Alpha King first.”
They spoke for a while longer, but I couldn’t quite catch or understand everything.
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After the she-wolf turned to leave, the Alpha King suddenly turned and looked straight at me.
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