"Let me get this straight," Elena chirped in between fits of giggles, dragging the tips of her fingers over her glossy eyes. "You punched each other? Getting inspiration from Raina?"

"You know I'm sitting right here," was the dry response from across the table.

"I think it's romantic." Rose sighed, cupped her cheek with her palm, then propped her elbow up on the breakfast table between us.

"A punch in the face is romantic to this one." I pointed my egg-stuffed fork at Raina.

"Still sitting here." Her dark eyes peered over her cup of coffee, crinkling at the corners.

"Not the face punch." Rose offered me a soft smile, a soft glow highlighting her skin. "The part where he came to see if you were okay."

The four of us sat around a table in the packhouse kitchen for an early breakfast. The informal space served up food all day, where people came in and ate around shifts. This morning the kitchen was crowded with all the additional warriors, whose impressive appetites kept the staff scurrying to keep the family-style plates filled.

"And you expect me to believe those -" My fork trailed a line in the air down the side of Raina's neck. Her darker skin was littered with fresh, purple and green bruises. "- are from training?"

"I don't ask what goes on in the confines of your bedroom, so don't ask about mine," she grumbled but I caught a twinkle in her eye.

"Are you even in your own bedroom here, or Theo's?" My eyebrows lifted, my lips curling up when her cheeks turned pink.

"Terrible, coming from someone who -" Rose clapped her hand over her mouth before she finished that 'doesn't have a mate' thought.

By the silence that spread through us and eyes dropping to plates, we all knew what she meant. I set down my fork with a sigh, my shoulders slumping.

Great, they all feel sorry for me.

"I'm not giving up hope." Elena reached over and patted my empty hand. "We'll have to remind him what he's being stupid over at the ball."

"Ball." I snorted at the word. "Is that what the poofy pile of white lace and sequins bagged in my closet is for?"

Her head nodded but before anyone spoke, all three of them paused and stiffened. My lips parted at the synchronized way they sat higher, eyes glossy. Rose and Elena turned their eyes toRaina, whose skin paled. Her lower lip trembled, she pushed her chair back with a screech, and tipped her chair as she stood up. The clattering sound was muffled by the kitchen noise but her dark eyes glistened with tears and she ran out of the kitchen.

My neck craned and watched as her small frame left. In her absence, silence fell over the animated kitchen. Casual conversations were replaced with hushed whispers, then quiet noises like silverware and glasses set down and discarded. With hurried cleanups, people emptied out until Rose, Elena, and I were left alone.

A frown creased my forehead as my eyes shifted between the two of them, both with tears spilling over their cheeks. As they sniffled and choked back sobs, an unsettled feeling squeezed in my chest. Reaching over, I took one of their hands in each of mine.

"What?" I whispered as my heartbeat quickened.

'The Northern pack lost against your father,' Elena linked me and squeezed my hand. 'They lost two-thirds of their warriors, including Alpha Faelon and Beta Anders.'

'Lost, as in... captured?' My eyebrows squeezed together.

The sadness that soaked her hazel eyes as much as her tears answered my question before the shake of her head confirmed the worst.

No, they can't... They... they're all... gone!?

Raina. Oh gosh, poor Raina. And Idris.

The last bite of eggs in my mouth lost its taste and my fingers trembled when I set down my fork. Nothing compared to the hole that burned right into my chest for those that were lost and those left behind to mourn and miss them. Not even the torture from my monstrous father compared to how I felt, like the boundaries of my world had shrunk with a sobering cruelty that part of it would never come back.

'Oh no! Lucus?'

Elena paused for a moment, linking Cole I assumed, then replied, 'Lucus is now the Alpha, with Gamma Jameson as his Beta.'

Solomon.

'And...' I couldn't even link his name to Elena.

Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, then she shook her head. Right when my lips parted with a silent gasp, she grabbed my hand.

'No one knows. He disappeared after the battle.'

I exhaled a breath that burned in my lungs. Knowing his body hadn't been found or someone witnessing his capture wasn't much comfort but a disappearing act was better than his death confirmed.

Especially with my brother.

Tears blurring my own eyes, I clasped my hands and bowed my head. Mentally, I pleaded, made ridiculous promises, and prayed for Solomon to be okay.

'You've said you could always hear me, Solomon. I... Please be out there. Please come back to me.'

A gentle tickling sensation down my cheeks brought my attention to my tears streaming over the rims of my eyes, clumping my lashes damp. Like Elena and Rose, I stood up from the table and excused myself to the respite of my room.

The Southern packhouse environment changed within an hour of the news spreading about the Northern Territory. After the initial shock, different reactions erupted but people mourned their lost allies in their own way. Raina and Idris shifted into their wolves, left, and released heart-wrenching howls of sorrow. The tandem sound rolled over the expansive grassy areas around the packhouse throughout the night.

"It's tradition," Elena whispered to me, standing in the doorway where she checked up on me. "The Silverbacks have a tradition where they mourn in solitude for forty-eight hours after the death of their Alpha."

"I get it," I dipped my head down, hugging my elbows into my stomach.

That explains Raina and Idris' absences.

Theo took the news with a hardened resolve for revenge. His vocabulary dropped to single word acknowledgements and he projected an aura of burning rage. The uptick in intensity he approached training approached a punishing level.

Alone without Idris, Rose was beyond herself with frayed nerves. I slept the first night in her bed, neither of us sleeping through the shakes that wracked her body.

The more time passed, a greater sense of urgency spread throughout the Red Valley pack. Faces were serious to the point of somber, warrior training intensified into bloodier battling, provisions were stockpiled, and those unable to fight set their personal affairs in order. The pack lost the casual spark for life I appreciated within the days we'd been here.

Since our previous discussion now felt petty, I also avoided Caleb as much as possible. We saw each other in passing but in Raina's absence, he took over her warrior training sessions.

Being nothing but a distraction to him, I stayed confined in my room and kept to myself. I had few personal belongings but packed them into the vehicle Rose, Elena, and I planned to take East. One day's worth of clothing, my bathroom supplies, and a silly, poofy white dress with matching shoes were all that remained in my room.

By the morning of the third day, Raina and Idris returned. Their pale, dirty skin sagged over their bones, looking dehydrated, starving, and exhausted. The slow, awkward movements of their arms and legs suggested their muscles were fatigued but the dark circles under their puffy eyes implied neither slept much.

Despite their physical condition, both their dark irises burned with intentions for revenge and redemption.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered to Raina when she passed me in the hallway with her shoulders tucked under Theo's large, muscular arm.

She said nothing, nodding at my presence and stepping into the confines of Theo's room. Idris buried his nose in the crook of Rose's neck while she whispered over and over in his ear, then led him to their room.

Elena's shoulder brushed against mine. 'Faelen sent them away to preserve their family lines.'

My heart clenched in my chest and my mouth dried while I watched the two separate couples until they disappeared.

'That's -' I started to Elena when I was interrupted.

'Zara.' Cole's voice in my head about jumped me out of my skin.

When I whirled around, his brown eyes were dark and heavy, carrying the burden of his pack's future in them. His voice was also deeper and the most serious I'd ever heard him when he linked, 'We need to discuss some things for tonight.'

'Of course.' I nodded. 'The kitchen staff will load us up with some food tonight before the ball starts and we'll leave after.''

'Not tomorrow morning?' His eyebrows lifted.

''Figured we'd get an earlier start on anyone who suspected anything.' Even in thought, my words felt like a weak excuse.

The truth was, I was tired of being useless, hidden away on the sidelines and made no tangible contribution here. My fingers twitched, feet twitched to be doing something, anything. Making sure Elena and Rose got to the Eastern Territory seemed like a small task in the grand scheme of things but it was still important and I wanted Cole to know I took the responsibility seriously.

"This is... ridiculous." My eyes roamed up and down the white dress Elena laid out on my bed. The skirt got poofier the more I looked at it. "I'm going to look like a vanilla cupcake."

"I think it's beautiful." She huffed from behind me while her hands set one more curl into my hair, then set aside the curler. "They want princess, they're getting princess."

I don't ever remember wanting... Never mind.

With a pat on the top of my head, Elena nodded at the simple style she'd given my hair. Since the strapless dress exposed my shoulders and upper back, I appreciated the long, loose curls to my lower back. She twisted the top strands back from my face, clipping them with silver laurel clips that reminded me of baby's breath.

The dress itself looked more like a dress I'd wear if I got married, not attended an outdoor ball. My fingers trailed one of the embedded crystals and hoped I didn't ruin its beautiful, full lace skirt with flowered shapes. The rouged bodice had a heart shaped bustline. Rhinestones put in flower shape sat in the valley between my breasts.

After I slipped on the dress, which was more comfortable than I expected, a rhinestone belt that Elena tied behind me added enough sparkle. The sole piece of jewelry I needed was my mother's necklace.

Which I don't have.

"It's missing this..." As if by magic, Elena extended her palm, fingers curled inward. She opened them, revealing my necklace.

"Oh!" I gasped, my fingers trembling as they threaded into the platinum chain. "How did you -"

"Not me," she offered a sad smile. "Simon."

"I'll have to thank him." Looking down, I clipped the clasp and slid the necklace into place. After so many days' absence, the cold metal felt foreign against my skin.

"You look breathtaking." Elena stepped back and nodded.

"Thanks." My lips pulled into a smile at her appearance and I stepped into my shoes. "You too."

Elena wore a fitted A-line dress with a scoop neck, made of lace with capped sleeves. The light sage green color contrasted her hazel eyes, which sparkled as she pinned her brown curls into a messy pile on the top of her head. Her flowy skirt also concealed the tiny 'baby bloat,' as she called it, that the entire Red Valley pack was excited about.

I returned her hairstyle favor and gave her a neutral-based, simple makeup application with golden brown eyeshadow, pink blush, and pale pink lip gloss. I kept my own makeup light and fresh, using light blue eyeshadow with a slate blue liner and mascara to feature my eyes, spreading a nude balm over my lips. My bruised cheek faded enough that a light amount of concealer was sufficient for an even skin tone.

I should wear lipstick because it's not like I'm kissing anyone tonight, but it's not worth the effort.

Seriously, Cole and Elena, Idris and Rose, Raina and Theo... I'm like the seventh wheel.

"You two ready yet?" Rose's soft voice called from my doorway.

My head swiveled in her direction and a soft gasp escaped my lips. She looked stunning in a soft, pale lilac dress with thin spaghetti straps that criss-crossed over the backless back like a corset. The gradient floral appliques over the bodice spread out over the long skirt in a gradient pattern that looked subtle yet elegant. Head to toe, she glowed like her skin was lit up with inner sunlight.

I didn't know how long her hair was until she straightened her brown waves. She side-swept the top half up and left the other straight and long to the bottom of her shoulder blades.

Almost as long as mine.

"Oh Zara..." Rose's yellow-hazel eyes scanned over my appearance. "You look breathtaking."

"That's what I said." Elena smiled.

My eyes shifted to her. 'Not that there's anyone's breath to take.'

''Going for a look to make someone regret their recent decisions lately, we nailed it.' She hooked her elbow in mine and guided me out into the hallway.

"Thanks." My lips pulled into a tight smile at Rose's kind eyes as we passed her, our heels click in sync. "Not sure how I'll blend in like this but going unnoticed is my plan tonight."

"No way you won't be noticed looking like that." One of Elena's eyes winked suggestively at me. "There's a few unmated warriors here tonight, so you'll have more dance partners than you'll know what to do with."

If I was presented with that opportunity three months ago, I couldn't have contained my excitement. Yet tonight, with the incoming threat of war hanging thick in my mind like approaching storm clouds, my own relationship status felt...

Petty? Insignificant? I don't know.

"Great," I choked out the word, not wanting to dampen their smiling spirits, then looked at Rose. "Where's Raina?"

"We'll see her later," was all she offered with a smile.

Despite the fact that tonight's event was for show, the Red Valley Pack sure showed up. Ladies in multi-colored, elegant dresses stood out against their accompanied true gentlemen in black tuxedos. Cole and Idris cleaned up in black suits, even with both pulling at their collars when we met them in the hallway.

After I flashed what I hoped were polite smiles at each of them, I dropped Elena's elbow and followed a few steps behind the happy couples.

I will not pity myself tonight.

'Too late.'

My cheeks puffed as I exhaled.

Lumi... For one night, can you be on my side? Please?

As usual, she snuffed, retreating her snarky comments and choosing to watch from the sidelines. I wasn't much more present. In my white sequined heels, I trailed behind Idris and Rose, my eyes drifting aimlessly and unfocused. Conversations hummed around me but I tuned out the words. We walked down the hallway and the grand staircase, where a trail of attendees walked under. Collectively, the group headed in the direction of the informal gathering space.

I paused at the top of the steps, watching the backs of my friends' heads while they stepped down into the flow of formally dressed foot traffic. In a sea of black tuxes, a lone male stood out in a crisp, tailored gray suit. His back faced me but by his feet spaced wide and shoulders drawn down, he projected a relaxed, confident vibe. With his toned but not meathead-muscular body frame and styled brown hair, the one person I hoped to avoid stood like an impassive roadblock.

Caleb must have felt the weight of my gaze on him because he shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced over his shoulder. Slowly, he turned, dragging his brown eyes up to mine.

Once our gazes met, my breathing elevated. My heart flipped somersaults into my stomach and one single thought registered as he looked at me like I was the only person he saw.

So much for going unnoticed.