uiet, even more in the lat

that circled the lower training fields, h

had begun to tint fa

e same thing it had been on for th

he Blood Mo

rs brushing against the cool

o hours st

rescent-border forest with no

itory walls or doo

ast and wild wild

mach ti

ticed eve

ay she reacted, the way

prieve for her spell and no s

ed, even once..

eams of becoming Alpha and provi

thought down and

ght now and empty

sed voices broke

hear

loud grunt and then the th

oward the lower

boundary wall. The boy couldn't be older than sixteen. His uniform was

im hard as he stumbled bac

l you got kid," the

ouldn't even be here

y wiped blood

ong, I earned

oss his jaw, this one dr

d then was abou

't her

dn't get

. Damien choosing her had shifted t

risk putting herself in a situation wher

icked the bo

something insid

when she heard his cry of pai

eet s

mn

nk better of it, she

oug

t clean acro

owly and almost immediatel

is," the tallest on

them and the fallen b

him a

lau

re se

azily. "Careful. Blackt

w tigh

im." She refuse

e took a slow

g chosen makes

didn'

eed his pr

ed a dark

id. "Because

gan clo

her right and the tall

ng h

the cold

d e

s a thre

lse sh

ld figh

woul

cleanly and too fast

't just Alpha refl

trying to be better than her equals, because as a gi

lpha cracked

you're worth wit

lun

her weight, pre

ai

through the ten

ement s

has stepped b

," one

s gaze

of the training pavilion

ce V

him from the

Damein alone in last

more upfront, Prince was

hands loosely clasp

led on Serena

problem?" he

ened. "No, Prince. We're j

the younger recruit behin

t look

s a smal

," Prince s

ne a

ed to his feet and bolt

ention retur

but she didn't flin

have here

ted her ch

I'm Damien'

orted. The prince's

ist

rs a moment long

ts you poorly,"

by suits

pproval crosse

htly toward th

e dism

ft imme

ince r

ed attention,"

've h

ain, even more in

d at last, "we still have

ld s

and walked away, hi

still long after

sc

en had

urse

by the time Serena re

ill playing wha

would have happened if Pri

the dorm doo

of pretending

d it open

nned gently against t

ssionately, hands wra

gi

s mind

ll-boys