yah

flush on his neck. The pain of my declaration was a vis

uttural sound of disbelief. "The Moon Godde

replied, my voice eerily calm. "A bond without trus

e. The Alpha in him was rising to the surface, all primal rage and wou

us. She was trembling like a leaf, but her small chi

ch her. A wave of his Alpha aura washed over the room, and Faye ch

g her with my own body. I met hi

efect of Veridia will be here in minutes. I'm sure he would be very intereste

tely. It was the only weapon I ha

wor

t foolish enough to openly challenge a Lycan Prince in a neutra

unfamiliar softness. "Aaliyah, listen to me. This is all just a misunderstanding

argain, to negotia

e added, as if that was the ultimate priz

et it. He thought this was about st

wanted respect. I wanted trust. I wanted you to walk down a

could not refute. He stood there, speech

t wasn't anger or pride. It was panic-a raw, genuine f

ice dropping to a near-plea. "We

d. The time for fixin

le, but my words were final. "It was over

d it open, holding it for him. The cold ai

I said. "You'r

n any shouting match could have. He stared at me, his face

mething I had never seen before. The great Alpha heir, brought low not by an enemy's claws but by the quiet words of the woman he had discarded. His mouth opened, then closed. For the f

the hallway without another w

corner, I shut the door an

my defiance, drained away all at once. My legs gave out, and I sl

cried, rushin

a deep, shuddering breat

re than

had ever done. It had scraped me raw, exhausted me to my very soul. But

broken. The

as

ing down at Ellum's sleeping face. A fierce, protectiv

right choice. F