ia'

the front

d been carved from something harder than stone. His hair was

is eyes that

d silver. A hard gray. Like steel. Like ice. Like something tha

. The Alpha

hing inside my chest pulled-a tug, a string, a hook buried somewhere behind my

t unders

yes locked

moment-so brief I might have imagined it. A wide

sealed shut again,

that had no business existing between two

not want to draw attention to myself, and I

stured for m

ck marble-smooth, dark, like a piece of the night sky had been carved into a

d in fro

e began

raise my hand to shield my eyes. The light filled the hall, washing over every face, every wall, every shadow. Wolves ga

e light

at followed was lo

s had already been made to stand before the bonding stone. Nothing happened. Celeste had stood before it. Nothing happened.

not

left

stone. His mouth opene

s barely a whisper. "This woman... Talia

ind that swall

wo year

rld st

idly-the year Piper snuck me a book about the outside world. The year Celeste broke my fa

ember leaving Cresswood. I did not remember meetin

onded to someone

se. None of th

der said so himself-the bond was

ed Alpha who looked at me like I was a problem he

aid again, louder this time, for the hall to hear. "Tw

ble. I have never met him. I have n

ne was l

-stood frozen, saying nothing, his hands hanging limp at his side

his cannot be happening!" she shrieked. "She is nobody. She is

ale with fury. Her eyes found mine across the hall. And I saw it there-pure, bu

d, turning to the elder. "There must b

head. "The stone doe

nothing. He just s

ost was still

hange. But I knew he felt the pull too. He just did not show

, staying invisible, surviving. And now this-a bond I did not remember, to a

ot ask

g there in my too-big gray dress w

coming, I wou

ed fifteen y

had a list