The heir of the Alpha

As the aftermath of the ceremony calmed down, the pack started to split out and resume their responsibilities. Aria remained behind; her ideas whirled like a tempest.

Her thinking mimicked her mother's voice, frigid and exact. Aria, you were never supposed to be in charge. You will only bring disaster to those who go after you.

She closed her hands; the mark on her wrist glowed faintly. "I refuse to let her be right."

But her new reality seemed as weighty as an iron shroud. How could she simultaneously guard a kid, run a pack, and battle the last traces of the curse?

Ethan came back with a little vial of brilliant liquid as the evening darkened. "This will enable you to straighten the relationship with the heir. Though erratic, the blessings of the Moon Goddess are quite strong.

Aria paused before picking it. "What happens without me?"("")