th every agonizing step Ronan took. Each heavy strike of his boots

os

at the ledge behind me, searching for anything: a heavy iron poker, a wooden stake, a weapon, anything to keep him away. Bu

lustered hen, bowing low so her forehead nearly touched the dirt. "Forgive t

om the far tub, her hands white-knuckled around her

out breaking her posture, her forehead still pressed to the floo

even look at

The scent of frost, pine, and dark, smoldering wood rushed over me in a suffocating wave. It was an intoxicating, ancien

asked, stepping up behind Ronan, his golden eyes s

squeaked, still bowing. "Only low-r

pressed, his gaze flicking directly toward me where I stood pinned against t

ha babbled frantically. "A drop

e me, screaming to yie

inside of my cheek until I tasted the sharp, metallic

from me, ignoring his se

ugh his left eyebrow, and the violent, swirling storm inside his silver-gray eyes. He looke

e a man who had just b

overwhelming, agonizing urge to reach out and touch my cheek, to verify that I was real,

red rumble that barely sounded human. It scraped aga

words were a knife tw

timeline bleed into his mind too? Did he remember the gallows? Did

wning at Ronan's uncharacteristic h

ledge his beta. "No, I've never seen her. And yet..." He swallowed hard, his

re it out. If he knew I was from the future, if he knew what he was going

d, my voice cutting through th

, her eyes darting between us in sheer horror. "S

aze narrowing as a dangerous, magnetic intensit

hose terrifying, mesmerizing eyes, letting every ounce of the col

olent trembling of my hands. "Unless the Royal Capital's delegation

he dirty floor. "She's feverish, Alpha! She doesn't know protocol! I

his voice, yet the authority in it forced the h

oad chest warmed my cold skin. "You aren't shaking from fear," Ronan observed, his tone dangerously l

my own pulse betrayed me by racing faster. "I have w

er breath, wringing her hands so hard her knuckles turned

er. His eyes flashed with a sudden, dark intelligence. "That's the second time today so

ard the open doorway where the pale sky offered a mockery of freedom. "Words slip out when

flashing with warning. "Alpha, give the word. Insolence lik

d onto mine, searching every micro-expr

e evaporated, replaced by a devastating, hollow confusion. He stared at the open hostility

ison as his gaze locked onto mine. "You look at me.