I cradled my bloody hand while Sehan led us into the Golden Walker's pack house. Nolan explained our mission to him: We needed the talisman-- the silver, emerald-stone ring that once belonged to Zephora's grandmother. The key to solving all of our problems. Or, at least most of them...

"You're welcome to search the pack house, but I think I'd know if I possessed such a power-filled ring," Sehan gestured to the expansive mansion that I'd grown up in.

As soon as we crossed over the threshold, a young woman approached with gauze and bandages in her arms. Sehan had wasted no time in calling for a medic to tend to my hand.

Nolan watched the nurse for a long moment, as if inspecting her every move. Eventually, he must have considered the girl harmless, for he turned back to Sehan, something like grim worry clouding his eyes, "Thank you. We'll be quick in our search."

I understood why Nolan worried. The ring could be anywhere, and it certainly did not help that Sehan claimed that he hadn't the faintest idea where such a magical object could be. Our task had just become immeasurably more difficult.

"Do you mind if I search your bedroom?" I asked the rival Alpha, peeking over the shoulder of his nurse. "I think I remember seeing it there when I was younger, while Lizzie and I played a game."

Sehan blinked, opened his mouth like he might question why I had been in his personal bedroom during a game of hide-and-seek, but closed it again when he nodded. "Of course. You still remember the way, I assume?"

Savannah, who still had both hands wrapped around her mate's bicep, rolled her eyes, "Please, my sweet. Charlotte has been gone for a few months, not a few decades. I'm sure our pack house still feels like home to her!"

I swallowed the bile that threatened to creep up my throat at the sight of the odd couple. At least Savannah did not seem to notice the astronomical age difference between them... Or, if she did, she ignored it for the sake of becoming a Luna.

Regardless, I bit back a snarky response and ground my teeth into a smile, "I think I can manage."

The nurse finished wrapping my hand in gauze and I muttered a quick 'thank you.' She bowed her head and hurried away, and I narrowed my eyes at her strange behavior. Perhaps Nolan's piercing stare had jumbled her nerves?

"I'll send you with an escort, just in case," Sehan smiled as I flexed my bandaged hand, growing accustomed to the weight of the cotton surrounding my wrist. Before I could protest, the front door to the pack house opened, and a mop of familiar red-hair entered.

"Lizzie!" I exclaimed, as my childhood best friend hesitantly entered the crowded living room.

Her hazel eyes shifted between my Black Lupis friends, one perfectly manicured brow cocked in confusion. She stopped several feet away from me and refused to acknowledge anyone besides Sehan. "You called me, Alpha?"

"I thought you might like to spend some time with your friend," Sehan explained, although something like mischief sparkled in his eyes.

Lizzie's face became unreadable, but a muscle in her jaw twitched in frustration. "Is this an order?"

Dylan coughed from behind me, a poor attempt at concealing a laugh, and I might have jabbed my elbow into his side if I wasn't so shocked by the blatant distaste dripping from Lizzie's lips. The rest of my party shifted on their feet. Moon Goddess, did she really hate me so much?!

"Yes," Sehan replied, clearly displeased by Lizzie's initial refusal. "I'd like each of our Black Lupis guests to have an escort while searching our home."

Lizzie huffed her acknowledgement, and I fought to conceal the hurt and anger that must have been written plainly across my face. I'd never been on the receiving end of the diva's spit-fire tongue. What a bitch! I glared in her direction.

Nolan chuckled as if he could read my thoughts through the sour expression I now wore, but he turned his attention back to Sehan, "While my pack members search, I'd like to speak to you further about the hybrids."

"Of course," Sophia muttered in my ear, "Leave the hard work to us."

I smiled at my friend, happy to have her company, but Nolan ignored his sister's teasing. Sehan nodded and gestured toward a pair of nearby, mahogany doors, "Of course. We'll meet in my office."

Sehan and Savannah walked towards the little side room where he conducted business, but Nolan turned back towards Sophia, Dylan, Raegan, and me.

"The four of you should split up. We don't want to waste any more of Sehan's time," Nolan commanded in a voice I'd never heard before. His blue eyes lingered on each of us for a moment longer than expected, and I couldn't help noticing a strange shift in the room. Was he trying to tell us something?

"Aye, aye Captain," Dylan flicked two of his fingers to his forehead in a salute, and the moment ended.

Raegan, Sophia, and Dylan found their respective escorts, each Golden Walker warriors who looked like they might snarl if one of my pack members got too close. I prepared to turn towards Lizzie, but Nolan's voice stopped me in my tracks, "Charlotte?"

I turned back towards my mate, eyebrows raised expectantly, "Yeah?"

He took a step forward and closed the space between us, placing his hands on my hip bones in order to pull me into his chest. He pressed his lips to the top of my head, an affectionate, utterly normal gesture to any onlookers. But I felt a sudden weight in my front pocket as he slipped his cellphone into the little pouch. Sly bastard.

Nolan pulled away a moment later, flashed a handsome half-smirk, and murmured, "I'll be seeing you soon."

I blinked, but before I could figure out an equally slick response, he turned toward Sehan's office. My fingers crept inside of my leather jacket's pocket, tracing the smooth lines of Nolan's phone. My personal hotline in case something bad were to happen...

I watched my mate's broad back head toward the mahogany doors, where Sehan now stood in the doorway prying Savannah's hands off of his arm. "Sweetheart, why don't you go to the kitchen and prepare an early dinner for our guests? Alpha Nolan and I should really discuss things in private..."

I rolled my eyes. Misogyny at its finest.

With Savannah retreating towards the kitchen and my Black Lupis partners scattered in search of the ring, I now had no choice but to turn to Lizzie. We mirrored each other's posture: arms crossed in defiance, one hip cocked to the side, and a poisonous glare painted on our faces. Neither of us was willing to budge first.

I gave up the fight with a scoff and turned my back to the red-haired beauty, heading toward the staircase that would lead to Sehan's bedroom. "You know, I don't need an escort. You can go back to painting your nails or swiping on Tinder or whatever it is you waste your time doing these days."

Lizzie faked a laugh, "Not a chance in hell. You know, Sehan actually respects me now that you're not weighing me down."

"Weighing you down?" I challenged, daring a glance over my shoulder as I ascended the stairs. "That's funny, considering which one of us is actually a Luna."

I knew that it was a low blow. I shouldn't have used my elevated status as a weapon in our petty fight. But Lizzie's words had gotten under my skin, and, truthfully, it hurt. Selfishly, I wanted her to feel the same way...

"You're right. I suppose I should be jealous of the werewolf who can't even shift!" Lizzie hissed, words laced in venomous sarcasm.

I paused at the top of the stairs, her words seeping into my veins. She'd never used my inability to shift against me. In fact, she had always been the one to stick up for me when bullies attack throughout school. And now... Things really had changed.

"I don't need to shift," I took a deep breath, mustering an aura of cool indifference. "Not when my mate could rip apart you and every other Golden Walker without so much as breaking a sweat."

The threat silenced Lizzie, and I refused to look back at my old friend as I stormed down the hallway, toward Sehan's bedroom.

☾☾☾

"Where the hell is it?" I growled from where I sat in Sehan's closet, surrounded by clothes that I knew he never even wore.

"What are you even looking for?" Lizzie grumbled, speaking for the first time since our spat in the hallway.

She'd been watching me with hate-filled eyes since we entered Sehan's bedroom, not bothering to offer any assistance as I tore through his drawers and cabinets. It seemed that Savannah had moved into the master suit as well, for I spent the better part of half-an-hour sorting through her various jewelry boxes.

"A ring," I huffed, painfully aware of the sweat dripping down my spine. "Silver, with an emerald?"

"Well, I don't think you'll find it on Sehan's shoe rack."

"Thank you for your insight," My teeth ground together in annoyance.

She laughed and appeared in the closet doorway, clearly amused by the entire situation. "Hmm, if only you hadn't abandoned your friends and family. Then some of us might actually be willing to help you..."

"Lizzie," I pleaded, "If you know anything about this talisman, please tell me."

She frowned, "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" I sighed, tossing my hands in defeat.

"It really sucks to lose your best friend, doesn't it?" The girl smirked, even while pain shone in her hazel orbs.

I paused, taken aback by the emotion surfacing on Lizzie's features as she continued, "On the night of the Summer Solstice, you just disappeared! You didn't even say goodbye!"

"I-I'm sorry about that--" She held up a hand to silence my apologies.

"And then, you didn't bother calling. Not once!" She snarled, but tears swam on the surface of her gaze. "Now you show up again, asking for favors, and-and... It really feels like shit, Charlie."

Silence settled over us, and I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. Her words had stripped me bare, and I could physically feel the guilt that tugged relentlessly at my heartstrings.

"Lizzie, I am so sorry." My bottom lip quivered. "I wanted to call. I really did! But I was ashamed and scared, and... You don't understand how many times I wished that I had my best friend over these past few months."

"Yeah, well, I needed you, too," Lizzie sniffled, refusing to meet my gaze.

I could feel the icy exterior surrounding my best friend starting to melt, and I took the opportunity to reach out with a tentative hand. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

She narrowed her eyes at my extended palm, as if contemplating her forgiveness. Eventually, she sighed, "After what happened today, with that hybrid, I reckon you've had a hellish few months."

"You have no idea," I admitted and risked a smile in Lizzie's direction.

"And there's a whole army of hybrids hellbent on killing you?"

"Yep," I popped the 'p' at the end.

"But you also get to bang that hot-devil of an Alpha downstairs?" She continued her questioning, eyes narrowing even further.

I paused, "Well--"

She didn't give me a chance to explain the situation, as she finally came to her decision. "Between bedding your sexy-ass Alpha and fighting an army of blood-thirsty hybrids, I'm starting to understand why you didn't have time to call."

"Really?" I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"Yeah... Plus, I've never liked fighting with you," Lizzie smirked, and tears started to prickle the surface of my eyes.

I laughed and climbed to my feet so that my childhood friend and I were now eye-level. We stared at each other for a long moment before she opened up her arms, and I practically ran into them. "I really hate fighting with you, too!"

We hugged for an entire minute. I savored the overpowering scent of her Victoria's Secret perfume, and the way her mane of red curls nearly made it impossible to breathe in our embrace. Her lanky arms could have wrapped twice around my waist, and a hook from one of her bracelets caught in my hair, but I didn't mind. I had my best friend back.

"There's so much I need to tell you," I announced when we finally broke free.

"And I want to hear everything," Lizzie smiled. "But don't you have more pressing matters to think about?"

"The ring?" I frowned, "It's not here. I doubt we'll be able to find it."

The smile on Lizzie's face grew into a smirk-- a devilish expression that I'd seen before, when she snuck a bottle of vodka past our parents and into my bedroom during a sleepover. "I wouldn't be so sure..."

My chest tightened around my heart in momentary shock. "Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, and so does Sehan. He's lying to you."

"Lizzie, where is it?" I demanded, although I could hardly breath.

Lizzie chuckled, "Well, I think she's cooking us dinner as we speak."

Savannah.