h for Danny, leaving only Joshu

found herself growing uneasy. She turned away a

d been carefully reinforced with thick branches woven together with vi

n a thick bed of dried grass. Scattered across it were at least seve

had been arranged

home, but he had poured all his care

away, rough stone shelves had been filled with stored food. Rows of dried meat strips stretched acros

water. She leaned over the surface and froze for a mo

eatures so delicate that they seemed almost unreal. Her deep-set e

y beautiful. The contrast was almost impossible to reconci

her than the ruthless villains from the novel. Remaining by their side woul

he was already strong enough to protect her. If she could reach him before he ran into dan

sts ruled the wild. A female who lacked both combat strength and a beast form like her had no hope of

e. Because of that, it was common for one

iple powerful mates could keep a fem

shua's voice broke the quiet at that moment, his usu

across his face with one finger. The firelight flickered against

ression. The only sign of the emotions he was struggling to suppress was the way his hands had curled into

signed. "You'll unde

more, the sound of heavy foo

reached nearly to their waists. The container was filled with clear cre

caught at the sc

tered against his cheeks and neck. The wet strands only made h

s weighed down by tiny beads of water.

cate, shimmering scales. Instead, all that remained was torn, exposed flesh s

refined. The sharp bridge of his nose, the full curve of his lips, and the el

owed by a sense of emptiness-the kind left behi

ah like a blade strai

amble their lives against the backlash of breaking their bonds t

mented their bodies day after day; she

ty of any trace of emotion. "Are you satisfied now? Does watching him suffer lik

with rage, yet the bond's restraint made him

sharp crack. The force of his grip tore open the old wound along his

Devin's lashes trembled. For the first time, h

he five. They were also the ones who had suffere

ngers moved on instinct, brushing over the scar on his cheek as he stare

elf to take a steadying breath. "I know you all despise me. I never wanted to

eyes never leaving hers. "You actually thi

to find my father before the rainy season arrives. Until then, you'll have to protect

force of a sudden storm. Shock flashed across

of disbelief slipped into Asher's voic

ng to press against the scorpion beast mark

re compared to males, females held unquestionably high status. A m

the male's forehead. With that, a beast mark carrying the symbol of the female's bloo

rpion beast, her beast mark had

fter the two had had sex would the male's mate beast mark appear

her father had selected for her, so sh

r own blood to the male's mate beast mark. After repeating

rucial condition-the act had to come entirely from her own will. Because of that

ark appeared on a male, he was forbidden from harming her. Any attempt to do so would c

, had chosen to cut the beast mark from their own flesh. Yet

riods, if no female was present to soothe the turmoil within their bodies, their disordered pheromones would spiral out of control and drive th