Warrior Nickolas’ voice echoes in my mind as we leave the training grounds.

"I’d really like to train you all separately from the others; you’re too much of a distraction," he’d said with a laugh. "But I have to help the other trainers keep an eye on your pack members."

The weight of his words still lingers. He’d drilled into us that the most dangerous attack would come when we’re human—our weakest form. He warned us that enemies wouldn’t care about fairness. They would target us to weaken the pack, especially during leadership transitions, when bonds are fragile. "An alpha’s mate will always be the greatest target," he’d added, locking eyes with each of us, his expression deadly serious. "Because if they take her out, they break the alpha too."

His words send a shiver down my spine even now.

We’d trained hard under his relentless supervision, shifting forms over and over, testing ambush strategies, and learning how to fight while exhausted. My wolf had grumbled the entire time, irritated by the idea of running from a fight. "We don’t run," she kept growling in my head, frustrated that Nickolas kept hammering home survival tactics over brute strength.

"Relax," I had mentally told her. "It’s about knowing when to fight and when to escape."

Leo had muttered something similar when his wolf started grumbling too, earning a smile from me. Even after years of friction, we could still share those small moments of understanding.

By the time Delta Kyle arrived to check on our group, the rest of the arena had emptied. I hadn’t even noticed how late it had gotten.

"You all missed your meals and school today," Delta Kyle announced with a wry grin. "You’re excused from anything due or assigned. Head back to the pack house—the Alpha wants to talk about today’s training over dinner."

The mere mention of dinner set my stomach off with a loud growl, loud enough to echo awkwardly in the clearing. My eyes widened in embarrassment as the guys burst into laughter.

"Let’s get the gremlin fed before she eats one of us," Ryan teased.

I scowled playfully and darted off, zig-zagging through the grounds to stay out of his reach.

"You know I’ll catch you eventually, Smalls!" Ryan yelled after me, grinning as he gave chase.

"Or we’ll just herd you in!" Devin added with a wicked laugh.

I glanced back over my shoulder—rookie mistake. I slammed into something solid. Before I could react, strong hands caught me before I hit the ground. I looked up to see Aaron’s smirking face.

"Gotcha," he said, tossing me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"You guys do realize I’m not a doll, right?" I huffed, trying not to laugh as the others joined in, cheering Aaron on.

"Yeah, but it’s fun," Ryan said with a devilish grin, walking alongside us.

Aaron adjusted me on his shoulder as he headed toward the trucks. "You’re riding back with us, Tiny. No arguments." His low growl made my stomach flutter in a way I didn’t want to analyze.

He paused briefly and, without warning, tossed me through the air. I barely had time to yelp before I landed in another pair of arms—Ryan’s, of course.

"Seriously?" I shot him an incredulous look, wrapping my arms instinctively around his neck to keep from falling.

"Too fun to resist," Ryan said, flashing that same mischievous grin.

They kept passing me back and forth until we reached the truck. As usual, I ended up squeezed between Ryan and Aaron in the back seat.

"One day, I’ll get you all back for this," I muttered under my breath, earning chuckles from the guys.

As we pulled into the pack house driveway, I braced myself to be tossed over someone’s shoulder again—but this time, Ethan gently helped me down from the truck. I gave him a quick, grateful smile before we all headed toward the pack house doors.

And that’s when she appeared.

"I’m here!" Stacey’s singsong voice echoed from across the driveway, grating on my last nerve.

The guys instantly stiffened, and Ethan shifted slightly, placing himself between Stacey and me.

She pranced toward us, wearing a skimpy black-and-purple dress with a plunging neckline that barely covered anything. "I heard there was dinner with the Alpha and Luna, so I thought I’d join. Doesn’t this dress just scream Luna material?" she giggled, twirling like she was on a runway.

Aaron groaned quietly beside me. "Here we go again."

"You guys need to get changed!" Stacey scolded, as if she had any authority. "Aaron, wear that black button-down I like. And Ryan, I brought ties for both of you to match my dress perfectly!"

Aaron shot her an unimpressed look. "Stacey, this dinner isn’t formal, and no one invited you. We’re meeting with the Alpha King’s warriors—not hosting a fashion show."

"But I’m supposed to be here!" she whined. "Daddy said I should support you two since I’ll be Luna soon. What better way to learn my duties than by watching the current Luna?"

Ryan—always the easygoing one—dropped his carefree demeanor. His voice came out cold, sharp as a blade. "We’ve told you before, Stacey. We don’t know who our Luna will be, and it’s not going to be you. We’ll only accept our goddess-given mate. Stop pushing this."

Stacey’s face contorted into something ugly, but before she could argue, Luna Ava’s warm voice rang out from the front door.

"There you all are! Just in time!"

Stacey’s fake smile snapped back into place as she turned to the Luna. "Luna Ava! The boys were just telling me about dinner. I hope it’s not a problem if I join?"

Luna Ava gave her a polite but dismissive smile. "Oh, I’m so sorry, Stacey. I only made enough for the usual group. Maybe next time."

Stacey’s smile faltered, her eyes narrowing, but Luna Ava didn’t give her a chance to respond. "Selene, Kylie—come on. You two can use my bathroom to freshen up before dinner."

Ethan’s hand pressed gently against my lower back, guiding me toward the door. Devin and Kylie followed close behind, the twins bringing up the rear. None of the guys so much as glanced back at Stacey.

Her furious huff was the last thing I heard before the door closed behind us.

Inside, Luna Ava let out a laugh, clutching her stomach. "You should’ve seen your faces! And Stacey’s when I said no? Priceless!"

Kylie giggled beside me, and even I cracked a smile.

"The Cunninghams have been pushing this nonsense for years," Luna Ava added. "Trying to arrange a match between her and the boys. It’s getting absurd."

As we followed Luna Ava toward the staircase, I felt a strange sense of relief settle over me.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt… safe. Not just from Stacey’s petty antics, but from the crushing weight of being alone.

And, as much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t ready to let go of that feeling just yet.