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I didn’t hear Jesse’s approach, but suddenly he was standing behind me, translating the spell’s results on Orion’s behalf.

Tears filled my eyes. “Orion, I’m so—”

Jesse brushed past me. “We should discuss what this means for the pack, for you.”

Orion shook his head, “Not now.”

For once, Jesse didn’t bristle at the disagreement. He understood the gravity of the news. But his stance was firm. “Yes, the mantle must be passed for the pack to survive.”

Orion looked numbly at the ground, and I couldn’t bear it any longer. I raised my voice to Jesse. “It’s the middle of the night; nothing needs to be done right now. Orion just needs a few minutes to process—”

“And what do you know about what Orion needs?” Jesse snarled. “If you and Cersey are such dearfriends, how long did you know about her plan to get rid of Nathaniel?”

The truth should have been easy to argue, to throw back at him. But my breath hitched and my tongue swelled.

“Do not speak to my mate that way,” Orion warned in a low voice.

I wasn’t sure who was more surprised, me or Jesse, but both of our mouths hung slack as Orion came roaring back to us. Jesse recovered first, “Orion–”

“Life carries on,” he said, alive and fully present. “The anointing ceremony must happen soon. The pack won’t survive without an alpha.”

Orion took a step toward Jesse, dropping a heavy hand on his shoulder. “But you will not speak to your alpha’s mate in such a way.”

Jesse scowled, but he didn’t argue. He shrugged out of Orion’s grasp. “I will start preparing at sunrise, and we will have the ceremony at sunset,” he said gruffly.

Orion nodded at this, a clear dismissal as Jesse took off in wolf-form. Then he turned to me, reaching for my hands. “I am sorry, Diana. You do not deserve his abuse.”

The little circles he rubbed onto the back of my hands felt like coarse sandpaper. What if Ididdeserve those abuses? My mouth went dry.

Orion kissed my knuckles, but the gesture felt disconnected. I felt no warmth in that gentle touch. “He should respect you as our future luna.”

Our future luna.

My stomach twisted, threatening to hurl the remainder of my last meal. I backed away from Orion, took a deep breath, and decided, foolishly, that it was a good time to tell him everything.

“Orion, I…” The words that felt like a betrayal died on my lips.

He frowned, “What is it?”

He needed to know everything. He deserved that.

“I would never hurt you or the pack.”

Orion stood stock still, eyes clear and listening with a furrowed brow.

“Cersey. Of course she is not I, would never consider myself,” I fumbled my words. Orion did not move a muscle. “Friends. No, I am not afriendto Cersey.”

“Of course, Diana–”

“But,” I stopped him, having to get the rest of it out, “but there was a time… I did see her. Right before the coupling ceremony.” The words seemed to trip on their way past my tongue.

Something in his face cracked. “What are you talking about?” His eyes were suddenly colder, narrowing, like he was working something out.

“I never meant to, I mean, I was desperate, and I couldn’t very well talk to Mom about it and Selena and we were fighting all the time and I couldn’t sleep, I wasn’t able to concentrate, and I wanted to help–” No. That was a lie. “I needed help, okay? Ineeded helpand I didn’t know what else to do. So I went to the witch and asked her to take my feelings away.”

He just stared at me.

“My feelings for you.”