Lily POV
I realized too late that I'd revealed more than I intended. The bruises on my neck suddenly felt like they were burning, and I instinctively raised my hand to cover them.
"What happened, Lily?" Luna Helen's voice had dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Tell me exactly what occurred."
"Nothing serious," I lied, my voice barely audible. "Just a brief moment where he seemed... different. But I handled it."
"You handled it," she repeated, her tone making it clear what she thought of that claim. "A young woman with no training in self-defense, who just got her wolf a while ago, handled a violent episode from a cursed Alpha werewolf."
"I used the mindlink," I admitted, hoping the truth might appease her anger. "I was able to reach him, to bring him back."
Luna Helen closed her eyes a
