Page 3 of Moon Claimed

I fisted my hands beneath the table.Focus.Sascha was far more experienced at swordplay. I couldn’t dance with this monster. Best get to the point. “We’ve made our choice for the next grid.”

We lost Sandstone by a few points but won the grid back as reparation for Herc’s murder, so the choice for Wednesday’s battle was all ours.

My choice was an unusual one.

The werewolf considered me.

What did he see? Hair that should have been washed three days ago, dark circles under my emerald eyes, and a gaunt expression because I was too heartsick and stressed to eat?

“What’s the decision of the head steward?” Gravel entered his voice.

My ire swelled for Greyson’s—my nickname for his wolf—presence in the meeting. Sascha and Greyson were one and the same, butGreysonled the capture meet. He’d been in charge when Herc ran to save me.Hewas the murderer.

Yes, I blamed Sascha.

I blamed Greyson more.

A smile graced my lips. “We’ll see your pack in Water.”

Nothing betrayed his surprise. I mean, the Luthers currently held three grids—Water, Clay, and Timber—so my choice wasn’t groundbreaking, but traditionally, we were weakest in Water closely followed by Clay. Therefore, the tribe usually chose Timber first.

I’d played the game in two grids so far—three if you counted my unlucky experience with the fake laser tag in the forest.

Water was our biggest weakness. I had to know it better.

“Very well,” Sascha replied. “The game will fall outside of the new moon this month. Three days after.”

The wolves’ power had everything to do with the sun. At the new moon, when sunlight wasn’t reflected off the moon, the Luthers became most volatile. “The game will obviously go ahead.”

“Obviously.” The gravel in his voice strengthened. I couldn’t glean a thing from his expression, but his eyes didn’t shift from mine. If he had a straw in his mouth, I’d say he was drinking me in.

“Unless there’s another obvious point you’d like to make, Luther, there are other places I’d like to be.”

Leroy’s eyes narrowed, but Hairy nudged him like a good little beta.

“Until Wednesday, Miss Booker.” Honey eyes bore into me.

My chest tightened. Never again. I’dneverlet myself fall for those eyes again. “I go by Miss Thana.”

I nodded at Roderick, and the screen blanked, cutting off Sascha’s reply.

Twisting, I eyed Rhona’s murderous grip on the armrests. “You alright?”

“I killed him ten times in my mind.”

“Therapeutic.”

Her mouth crooked in a smile. “It will tide me over until I can do the real thing.”

My stomach twisted, and I ignored the magic voodoo telling me Sascha’s death should be avoided at all costs, even with my own life.

“Now to win a grid we’ve never won,” my sister murmured.

I stood. “Win? No. Learn? Yes.”

Luck wouldn’t help me destroy Sascha Greyson. And I didn’twantto win with luck.No.

When the Luther pack went down, it would be because I controlled the puppet strings.

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