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Diana paused before answering, eyes still downcast. “Fine. Cara took us mountain climbing.” Then a brief, shy smile flitted across her lips. “I have an assignment. I’m going on patrol in the morning.”

Selena frowned beside me. “What are you patrolling for?”

Diana did not immediately answer, her fork freezing halfway skewered through her chicken. “We are just securing the borders.” I was impressed with her discreet answer, but Selena would not be put off. She crossed her arms. “Securing it from what?” she asked in a flat voice.

Diana’s eyes finally flickered up to meet her twin's. Her voice was soft, but her answer was firm. “Humans, Selena.”

It was enough to trigger a reaction. Selena’s voice increased in volume. “Humans live here. Why do we need tosecure our borderfrom them?”

Diana strained beneath Selena’s intensifying gaze, but she remained calm. “Because they are on our land.”

“Do we not go to Half Moon Bay sometimes to trade with humans? To get things we need?” Selena challenged.

I tried to reach for Selena’s hand under the table. She twisted her fingers away, so I tried a calming hand on her knee instead. “That’s different. We don’t go without permission from Alpha Nathaniel.”

Selena turned her wild eyes on me. “Must we ask the alpha’s permission for everything? Just to walk into town? Or to trade with humans who, by the way, wouldn’t stand a rabbit’s chance in a fight against any one of us?”

Shadows of an old argument loomed inside her accusation. Heat began to rise in my cheeks, but I did not want to have this argument in front of her family. “Please, Selena. We’re not attacking anyone. We just want to make sure they mean no harm.”

“Until Jesse sees something he doesn’t like? Until Noah makes a stupid stumble into a bush? Howblind…” She stood up suddenly, scrapping the chair back. She took a heated breath and started again, “Humans aren’t dangerous. In fact, they are busy creating extraordinary things while we stay stuck in the dark ages. Why aren’t we spendingmoretime with them?Learningfrom them?” Her eyes gave a dark flicker across the table to their mother. “Maybe Father would still be alive…”

Diana stood up smoothly, crossing her arms. Unlike Selena’s wild rage, the elder twin remained calm but steady, like a mountain against a storm. “Selena, that’s unfair.”

“Is it?” Selena continued, her face turning bright pink. “Or is it unfair to Father that we did not do everything in our power to save him–human healers at the town hospital, for example?” I stayed seated. Tears welled in Terra’s eyes. Diana didn’t move.

Selena looked directly at Diana. “Do you even care? You’ve hardly said anything since he’s been gone.”

That was it. A visible change descended upon Diana. Her arms fell to her sides, and her lips twisted in disgust. She took one look at their mother, who turned away from the outburst, and marched out of the house, the front door slamming behind her.

In turn, Selena fled, racing up the stairs. I followed her, catching her bedroom door before it slammed in my face.

“Selena, you can’t keep blaming his death on them. I’m sorry, I know you’re in pain—”

Suddenly, Selena’s mouth crashed into mine. Stunned, my body responded instantly, matching her deep intensity. My wolf growled as Selena clawed at my hair and raked her nails across my neck.

I wanted her–I always wanted her. But her familiar, intoxicating taste mixed with a sour scent of desperation. It woke me up and stopped me cold. I pulled away, untangling myself from her.

“We can leave,” she said breathlessly, pressing her body forward to mine, holding me close as if worried I’d try to escape.

But I couldn’t make sense of her words. “Leave?”

“Yes, we should leave. Start a new life. Before the Blue Flower Moon. We don’t have to go through the coupling ceremony. We can stay together.”

I blinked, struggling to understand what she was suggesting. “Where would we go?”

“Anywhere. Actually…” She stepped back, and that wild fury morphed into a new excitement that vibrated her hands as she reached again for those papers.

“UC Berkeley is having an open enrollment night for rural-based students. I’ve been preparing for a long time, Orion. We can totally do this. We’ll go there, we’ll study, we’ll make a new life. Together. I’ve arranged everything. They have this admission process for, what’d they call it…” She was scanning the pages in her hand, “nontraditionalstudents.” She looked up and beamed, drawing a quick inhale and continuing, “And we will meet with advisors who–”

She did not see me shaking my head until I interrupted, “No, Selena.”

Mid-sentence, she went still.

“You know I can’t do that.” This was insane.

“You can’t do that either. What would I tell my father? I am the pack’s future alpha, for Goddess’ sake. You’re our future seer.” I took another breath and said finally, “We have a responsibility to the pack.”

She was frozen, and I did not regret the edge in my response. She’d gone too far. But I was sorry that I’d extinguished the first light I’d seen in her since her father’s illness. The university papers fluttered to the floor. I felt like a jerk.