o scream and blue f

was light, but it

t. The black furs on his bed started to glow where I

me. "Mara!

led back, blue face tattoos glowing. She threw

g! First shift!

e my head, body over mine. He was heavy, hot. Wolf ful

ried. Teeth sharpening,

d, forehead to mine. "Ari

ber. Only co

what yo

! Every bon

. I felt same at thirteen when I f

ster?" I sobbe

"You will be wolf.

ing like mud and moonflowers onto

me from eyes, nose, mouth at

sil

ck into me, lik

aked in sweat g

slowly. Big

ri

ened

, luminous, like secon

ld hear e

f twenty men outside door. Kael's heart poundin

methin

beat insi

ne fast, human. One slow, pow

hing face. "She did it. Survived f

ithout shifting?" K

to fur, man to beast. Hers shifts inside. Kept human

and on chest, over

hea

h awake. That is why bite didn't kill

e cracks in stone across room. Could smell Kael clearly -

spered, voice echo

ause I commanded. B

s. First moon Alphas like Kael feared them. Luna obeys Alpha, but Queen makes Alphas obey. So first Alphas hunted them, killed every female second wolf - mothers, daughters, babies - until only m

"I can tur

month without knowing, didn't

"That was accid

to his blood at river. Now ey

t answer,

mal, but faint blue ve

one like me?

l any yet. That is why six are coming. Not just because you smell like sister, like blood. They want you because you can give them sons

. She just shifted five minutes ag

adness. Second moon bond makes Alphas obsessed, more than normal mate bond. You marked

, but hand went to neck, gentle. "So oth

it," Mara said. "Wolf calls it clai

dow rattled with blue light. My new wolf e

dow, back tense,

ver. Twenty min

I asked, pullin

"Blackthorn never fallen. We never

ng for her. Keep her locked like prisoner, they will burn m

faintly, blue eyes wide, dark hair messy, lips

ss Alpha. I saw boy. Boy who was Alpha since sixteen. Boy who neve

go to them?" h

w them! I do

They will understand what is happening inside you better than I d

u?" I w

slowly, giving submission as gift,

r take Luna and you are not Luna. You are Queen. And my wolf has waited for Queen t

inst glowing mouth, not

permission to fight six Alphas for you. If I do without command, pack thinks I

uth, amber eye

hed forward, hard. She didn't want whi

lue word came out, cl

ust kneel. It was prote

kai

ed black then amber then black. Claws shot out. Ta

d, voice two voices - his a

, roared to entire fortress, wh

COME TO STEAL OUR LIGHT! WE HOLD

ls. Not scared. Battle howls. Hundre

blind eyes wide wi

started first war

united howl louder than all Blackthorn combi

two hearts beating wild - realized I

gry. Wol

to someone. To Kael. To

ged to

hunted to extin

melled like pine and battle and blood and destiny. Kael's hand tightened on mine like his w

t weapon I would learn to wield ruthless

em all kneel, one by one,