wok

e shar

fleeti

elt like something inside her was being r

ng as though she'd been underwater for too long. Cold stone walls surrounded her. I

ison

est ti

down on her i

wa

or

nnoun

reje

d inside her,

m, trying to breathe through the agony. Every beat

ed her away l

ck ec

d respond, the

d, their expressi

ng summons yo

art st

mm

before she c

a

o

thought before

ey went into the royal wing, the heavier the air became, thick with dominance and autho

e turned

cur

hos

nly cont

dared claim

o the Great

d back into h

ives from surrounding packs had arrived, their scents f

od upon the raised dais

besi

or

n's arm, possessive. Her postur

uture

teps fa

inside he

eyes f

e conflict, tension, somethin

face h

o

tro

ya

d to the cent

on

po

oing. "Ivy Hale, you stand accused of claim

rs er

ned up he

r voice shaking but loud. "I

in Rowan's

sist?" Elder

the truth,"

ming embarrassing," she said gently. "Poor thing. The

ppled throu

flin

said n

King Rowan Blackthorn. Do you acknow

went de

breath

e locked

violently she thought i

oked

, unbearab

wildly, screaming,

d feel h

fli

ri

tra

s jaw t

Rowa

truck like a blad

ldly. "There is no mating b

sp

tr

oc

sw

orld

she wh

d, his gaze hard as

all e

heard

nd exp

her veins, searing,

scre

ver known worse than broken bones, wor

r soul was bein

tching her chest as white-hot l

howled

art fr

sion b

ered Rowan's shar

him stagger

d the elder

n inten

kin b

nes vi

inside h

r su

mega

eta p

ing an

ing fo

ng the walls fli

ded throug

or cracked ben

dominance flo

Rowa

e

rowing warriors back several feet. Noble w

out, droppin

gasp tore fr

ra fli

tte

ead sna

d at him

King on

r dr

nance cr

ening?" Elder

uld fe

ing somethin

ning

his Alpha

ered, terrified

y no longer

rged unco

aced against the floor, his breath r

escended i

ll

op

d the

surged

began chanti

wer only i

to life benea

flashed m

olf r

d

le

apped back i

went deat

, collapsing onto t

ay, pale, trembling, his

pers swept thr

rained

his Alpha

a mon

ied to

to b

kness c

saw was Rowan strug

a screami