The Alpha's Forgotten Twins

so loud. I can

ara's bare stomach. The edge of the kit

y breathin

p thinkin

someone was testing the ceremony d

flat beside her navel. H

ra

us

n. The kettle ti

er head, and her mo

omething wr

wo

stared

cracked down the middle. "One fast. O

ach. The skin was still warm

in

across the floorboards. Her eyes st

out loud, testing

shook as she tugged Elara's shirt back down.

he k

ied in Elar

t y

la

ll tell him right after." She swallowed. "I slipped a note u

pressed into the hinge of Elara's jaw,

ing out to the fall

prom

Dorian's been pushing Crimson Ri

chin free. "He wants me. He felt it, Gran.

out thinking. The thin silver sca

scar for a long mom

in. Not testing this

late," M

kno

ss.

, let out at the seams twice, smelling

h the last hook when Maeve c

en to

the d

goes wrong tonight-anything-you come straight back here.

hudded against

going to

didn't

mise

y cheek. "Stop looking at me like t

e

es, maybe more, shoulder to shoulder under

at the back. He

t the h

th

e and leave her

s. Bree Hollis, all glossy hair and borrowe

Elara's neck.

of the crowd a

arrior blacks, braid pinned tight to her sku

m n

e you swallow

lara squeezed her fingers. Her

her chin tow

aring, bare-armed in the cold, the Ironfang sigil inked dark

full arm's length of

s head

dred bodies, like he'd known exa

ht under her ribs.

owly, he touched two fingers to t

. I see you.

lat against her stomach

ers. S

. Silver at his temples, warm smile, arms

ums cu

his father did. As his father's father did." He le

eft of the altar. El

Vale of Crimson Ridge, broad and grey

oe. Her platinum hair was pinned up

muttered. "White? At s

answer. Her mou

ra was loo

oss the whole clearing, those ice-bl

flared, once.

h. To the hand st

hed it away

curved. Sl

. "Why is Vale's daughter star

n't k

Your ears go re

ir

led, "from Crimson R

hands. The ceremonial moonwine. The cup only t

rowd. That cup was always carr

wa

right," Elar

hen does

ot righ

Too close. She raised the cup to Kaelen w

or one heartbeat, Elara

on his shoulder and

took

f the altar stone, carrying torch

he wine, so

ightshade stems left

. She had smelled that rot once before, in th

ele

s a croak. No

cup back and

. Mira caught her arm

? You can't int

it. Mira, I sm

But Mira's voice had dropped.

lowered

nded on the altar stone, like

onto her toes, her lips almost t

rds. She could only watch

ira said. "Loo

n't lo

oked

over the silent clearing. "

lifted

ra Q

dropped tray. Gasps. Someone l

hea

s jo

ward," Ka

lara's knees a

wa

. Bree Hollis with her mouth hanging open. Old Tobias the bl

ld hear her own heartbeat. And under it, so

g. I'm ri

steps and stopped an

d smell him. Pine an

r, rotten gree

e whispered.

d

numb around the

n them, no gold rising, no flicker of the man who had kissed h

stranger who had wande

r voice shoo

ra folded her

smile did

d second, Elara thought he would c

old. Impersonal. He tilted her face up toward

yes never

lpha of Ironfang," h

it. Then th

ged through meat. Her knees cracked against the altar

, three hundred wo

chin. He bent down, close enough that his

nd, his eyes

word, scraped out of him so

un