ra

dden, shocking warmth, thick with th

rug, my worn boots an ugly s

y grandmother'

tory of my own making, and to pl

p at the P

chair, looking at me like a

breaking the silenc

sed an

t belong here,"

ention the Mate

profound relief, washed over

sleep and food to eat until

e when every wolf e

uld break and reform, the agony th

true comi

ge, I will leave you

d, but her eyes

he Elder said. "We will l

was a carefully

t room on the second f

andson, who was lean

hostile aura," th

ned, his

tairs," she ordered. "And apolo

d his mout

tepped close to him

whispered someth

e words, but I saw

dissolved into a

ndmother," Kael

and my stomach

in the harsh southern woo

, Omega,"

rted walking up t

d right behind hi

oice but to

as if we were ascending into a pock

mother's ashes an

could feel it in the heavy air-this staircase was not leading me