nna

raightened his shoulders, trying to

"I am punishing a traitor. She leaked

is second-in-command by the look of his armor, spoke up. His voice was firm. "Alpha Damien, any execution re

anger. "I am the future A

order was quiet, almost conversational,

admit his brother's superiority in front of

en repeated, his voice a

Dennison's Alpha presence, a physical force that buckled knees and stole breath. Damien st

ed on the gravel as he walked towards me, his black armor seeming to absor

is brother as if he were a piece of furniture.

" I whispered, my vo

ly, a flicker of surprise in their depths. He di

on my right hand, visualizing the anatomy. The carpometacarpal joint

d my han

y arm, but I bit back a scream. My thumb was dislocated. My hand

hrough the crowd. Roxann

d, with another grimace of pain, snapped the joint back into place

process on my other

against the stone. I did the same for my

r

a crouch. My legs trembled from weakness and pain, but I forced myself to

e shrieked, pointing a

torted in a mask of pure rage. The public humilia

weight, placing his body between me and his brother. Damien

on now," Dennison stated,

Roxanne. And on the ornate dagger she wore at her hip-a gift

nison's arm. I was a wraith, a blur of motion. Before Rox

e hilt of the dagger. I

but I was faster. I grabbed a fistful of her fiery red hair, yan

d, struggling uselessly against

t. Deadly. The blade was a silver flash in the sunlight. I drew it

a wet, tea

red, sprayed acros

ld went

caping her lips. Her eyes, wide with disbelief, s

b fingers. It clattered on the gr

stunned, horrified

said, my voice a dead, cold

had come. The world tilted on its axis. The pain in my back, the e

ees b

ed at the edge

as iron plate. The scent of pine, winter frost, and something else-something wild

, no