Luna Greymane's Arc

Chapter 2 of 3

Luna climbed the last ridge on her hands and knees. Her father stood at the mouth of the den, one broad hand on the crystal arch. His white ears turned toward her before she made a sound. Inside, Astra sat very still against the far wall, the gold chest closed at her hip. Bone Greymane did not turn around. "Come out of the trees, pup. I smelled you a mile back." Luna stepped into the open. Her tunic was gone. Mud streaked her arms. She kept her body between him and the cave, though he was three times her weight and could throw her aside without breaking stride. "Move," he said. "No." "She is not pack. She brought riders to our door. You hand her to me, or I drag you both back and let the circle decide." The circle meant the pack ring. It meant Astra on her knees and Luna beside her while her father read the charges aloud. Luna had stood in that ring before, for smaller things. She remembered the smell of the torches. "You'd give her to the king," Luna said. "I'd give her to the pack. What the pack does after is not my business." "It's the same thing." He finally looked at her. His blue eyes were tired, not cruel. That was worse. "Bloodlines matter, Luna. I told you that when you were a cub. I am telling you now." Behind him, Astra rose to her feet. She did not run. She walked to the cave mouth and stopped at Bone's shoulder, the gold chest cradled in both arms. "Alpha," Astra said. Her voice was level. "I killed a man in my father's house. I have a letter that would end his reign if it reached the right hand. Take it. Give it to whichever lord you owe. Then let us go." She opened the chest. Coins caught the crystal light. The sealed letter sat on top, wax intact. Bone looked at the letter for a long moment. He did not touch it. "I don't sell my daughter's mate for paper." Luna's breath stopped. "But I don't shelter her either." He stepped back from the arch. "You have until sundown to be off my range. If the pack finds you after that, I did not see you leave. If the king's men find you, I did not see you at all." "Father—" "Go, Luna." His voice cracked once and settled. "Don't come back until she's not with you." He turned and walked down the slope. His white tail disappeared into the pines. Astra closed the chest. Her hands were shaking, which Luna had never seen. "Sundown," she said. "Four hours." Luna took her hand. "We go east. The river will kill our scent." Astra looked at the empty trees where Bone had stood. "He called me your mate." "I know." "You never asked." "I will," Luna said. "When we're alive."