ra

with a brisk step toward the castle gates. My only aim

to an abrupt halt. I stumbled, my back colliding with a solid

ee from me?" K

around to

ome foul word back down his gullet. The veins on th

iding my scent all

Little Bird,' or 'El'.

he use of my full name reducing m

so carefully constructed. A single, hot te

t a great, fr

ished; my eardrums began to hum, and the scenery at the edge of my vision warped

e Alpha's

ut from a profound, supernatural exhau

ice a tremor in my bones. "My wolf tears itself asunder trying to p

traighten my spine against the

tor is gone," I said, my

furrowed, his

"You gave away my berries. You let them humiliate me under the guise of 's

his expression hardenin

ility because it is the unvarnished truth of our situation. You have been coddled, Elara. You expect me to fight

ad once faced down rogues for

tears from my fac

y voice dropping to a quie

ctly into his

f any longer, Alpha. I shall neve

ck on him and

voice called from the courtyard stairs. She

words would follow me. "She does not know what is goo

ot stop

t make out the words. But his reply was silence-a long, heavy silence that str

a frigid war se

ngs. He no longer brought me moon-berries,

small chamber, studying the ancient runes for

Kaelen c

afternoon sun was setting over the traini

ed. Kaelen stood in the center, wip

predatory confidence. She reached out and hook

ng across the silent field. "The month h

racks, a heavy stack o

owly over the crowd until it locked with mine. His

higher in my arms and waited, as one might