A soft knock on my door made me tense. "Who is it?"
"It's me," Cassidy's voice said. "Can I come in?"
I opened the door and she slipped inside, looking around nervously like she expected someone to have followed her.
"Okay," she said, sitting on my mattress beside me. "You promised you'd explain. What's going on with you, Nessa? And don't tell me it's nothing, because I've known you for too long to believe that."
I looked at my friend, this girl who'd been the only source of kindness in my life for years. I wanted to trust her. I needed to trust someone. But was it fair to burden her with this secret? If anyone found out she knew and didn't report it, she'd be punished too.
"Cass, if I tell you, you could be in danger," I said softly.
"I'm already in danger just from being your friend," she pointed out. "Everyone saw what happened at the gathering. They know I care about you. So whatever trouble you're in, I'm probably already in it too. You might as well tell me the truth."
She had a point. I took a deep breath and unwrapped the scarf from my head, letting the silver streaks show. Then I met her eyes, letting her see the gold swirling in them.
Cassidy's mouth fell open. "By the Moon Goddess," she breathed. "Nessa, what... how..."
"I don't fully understand it myself," I admitted. "But two nights ago, after I got back from the gathering, an old woman named Helena came to see me. She gave me tea and told me to drink it. When I woke up, I was... this."
I explained everything I could, the dreams, the silver light beneath my skin, the way my wolf was finally fully present, what she'd said about being Silver Moon. Cassidy listened with wide eyes, occasionally reaching out to touch the silver streaks in my hair like she needed to confirm they were real.
"Silver Moon," Cassidy repeated slowly. "I've heard that name before. There are old stories about them, an ancient bloodline of wolves that were supposed to be incredibly powerful. But they died out centuries ago. At least, that's what everyone thinks."
"Well, apparently at least one survived," I said, gesturing to myself. "The question is, what do I do now? I can't stay here, not looking like this. Someone will eventually notice, and when they do..."
"You need to leave," Cassidy said immediately. "Run away. Find another pack that will take you in, somewhere far from here."
I'd been thinking the same thing. But the idea of leaving terrified me almost as much as staying. I'd never been outside Silverwood Pack lands. I had no money, no supplies, no idea where to go.
"I don't know how," I admitted. "Where would I go? How would I survive out there alone?"
"I don't know," Cassidy said, her voice thick with tears. "But I know you can't stay here. The Thornes will destroy you if they find out what you are, Nessa. They'll see you as a threat, and they'll eliminate you."
She was right. I knew she was right. But the thought of running away, of becoming a lone wolf with no pack and no protection, was almost more terrifying than staying.
We sat in silence for a while, both of us trying to figure out what to do. Finally, Cassidy stood up.
"I need to get back before someone notices I'm gone too long," she said. "But Nessa? Start planning. Gather supplies, figure out where you could go. Because I have a bad feeling that you're running out of time."
After she left, I lay on my mattress and tried to think clearly. Cassidy was right. I need to leave and I need to be smart about it.
I started making a mental list of what I'd need: food, water, money if I could steal any, warm clothes, maybe a map if I could find one. I'd have to leave at night when everyone was sleeping. And I'd have to move fast, get as far from Silverwood as possible before they noticed I was gone.
The thought of never seeing Cassidy again made my heart ache. She was the only good thing in this place, the only person who'd ever cared about me. But I couldn't ask her to come with me. It was too dangerous, and she had a better chance at finding her mate and getting a better life if she stayed.
I was so lost in thought that I almost didn't hear the footsteps approaching my door. But my new enhanced hearing picked up the sound of boots on concrete, and I quickly wrapped the scarf back around my head just before someone knocked.
"Nessa Gray," a male voice called. "Alpha Thorne requests your presence immediately."
My blood ran cold. This was it. Marcus must have told his father something. They knew I'd changed, and now they were going to demand answers.
I opened the door to find two guards waiting. Not just Derek this time, but two heavily armed warriors who looked like they were expecting trouble.
"Let's go," one of them said. "The Alpha doesn't like to be kept waiting."
I followed them through the pack house, my mind racing. Should I run? Could I fight them off with my new strength? But no, running now would only confirm their suspicions that something was wrong. Better to play dumb, act innocent, and hope I could talk my way out of whatever this was.
They led me to Alpha Thorne's office and knocked sharply on the door.
"Enter."
The guards pushed open the door and gestured for me to go inside. My heart was pounding as I stepped into the office.
Alpha Thorne sat behind his desk as usual, but this time Marcus wasn't standing beside him. Instead, there was someone else in the room, man I didn't recognize. He was older, maybe in his fifties, with dark blonde hair streaked with grey and sharp green eyes that studied me with intense interest.