Page 13 of Moon Kissed

I rolled my eyes. “Give it a fucking rest. You’ll never be rid of me. I’m going to haunt you long after I die.”

She scoffed. “Knowing my luck, you fucking would. So, what? What do you want?”

“To tell you that it worked. I’m in.”

Lucia sobered, dropping her pitying whine over my continued beating heart. “This is it, wolf. There’s no going back now. Are you sure you’re up for this? You’re crazy as hell, but that can only get you so far. At some point, you’re going to need skill, and I can’t bust in there to save you.

“I also wouldn’t if I could,” she muttered—adding that last bit for no damn reason.

“I won’t need you to bust in here and save me. You just do your part, and I’ll do mine. Everything will come together in the end.”

“The end,” she repeated. “We both know how this ends. Are you sure you can do it?”

I gazed over the darkened wood. “Am I sure I can take over Corvin Academy, subjugate an army of wolves that’ll raze Wolf Nation to the ground and crown me its first and undisputed queen?” The mirror reflected my smirk. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

“Wolf Nation has existed for a millennium without a single civil war, and that ends to-fucking-day.” My nails pierced my palm. “They’re in a war, and it’s one they’re going to lose. What started with Castor ends with me. And I can promise you this, I’ll be the last one standing.”

She laughed, and I joined in—louder, freer, and truer than I have in months.

“Finally,” Lucia said. “It’s about to get interesting.”

Chapter Two

Aknock sounded at my door bright and early the following morning. I threw it open for Nia.

She took one look inside and her jaw dropped.

“But— But— How!?”

“How do you think?” Grinning, I swept my new and improved room.

The curtain and curtain rods were back. The boards were off the roaring fireplace, and said fireplace now had two plush, upholstered chairs set before them—perfect for a relaxing evening in. My bed I decked out with silk sheets, a fluffy duvet, and pillows the length of my body. Topping it all off were band posters and half-naked male models posted all over the walls.

I also stole a shower curtain—thank you very much.

“But didn’t you read your handbook?” Nia cried. “It said at the top in big, bold, underlined letters that you’re not allowed to phase.”

“Oh, please. You’re also not allowed to fuck around with people’s boyfriends and use your omega pup magic to get away with it, but you do that.”

“No I don’t!”

I laughed. “Chill out. What the headmistress doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” I advanced on her, losing my smile quick. “Isn’t that right?” I gritted.

Nia backed up so fast she almost tripped. “Right,” she said quickly. “Of course. I was told to help you, not spy on you. I’m no snitch.”

I just grunted something in her direction, then turned back to finish getting ready.

It was a full moon three nights before, so my wolf was at her strongest, but my powers were at their weakest. Still, that didn’t stop me from helping myself to the cutest blush-pink off-the-shoulder dress I found in one of my dormmates’ closets. After I went a couple doors down from her to five-finger-discount shop my bookbag.

“I did, however, ask Headmistress Dagem for permission to guide you around the alpha wing,” she said. “She’s allowing it just this once.”

“Couldn’t stomach breaking the rules, could ya.”

“Rules aren’t meant to be broken. They’re there to keep us safe.”

I gagged. “Ugh, Nia, no. If we’re going to be friends, you cannot go around saying goody-two-paws things like that.”

“We’re not going to be friends.” Chill bled into her voice. “I’m not friends with killers.”

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