y's

oices dragged me ba

is

r-Goddess, it

Beta? What is she d

en and discarded in the woods the morning after a Matching Ceremony u

o pairs of arms lifted me. I kept my eyes tightly shu

n a cot, the scent of crushed h

tend to pretend to be asleep,"

wly, forcing

len

erson I had to a mother, sat beside me. Her worn

What happene

ace away, my

can

d... weren't you?

hysical injuries. I swallowed the lump

.Ye

tilled on

s he,

wn my cheek. "His wolf was a massive grey. And

ne f

the tent made my chest constri

whispered, her voi

despite the pain wracking my

sively, standing up and refusing to

ine through my heart. For fuck's sake,

the blanket, found a heavy tunic and leather c

ly as I walked past. I was their formidable Beta. But if they saw t

Alpha's lodge to account for m

e Gamma intercepted

nce last night, Ivory," Zane said cautious

ws fur

hy

toward the private, heavil

.. if it's urgent, y

wait for

. But as I neared the heavy oak door of the Alpha's private quarters,

ath hi

was in t

door swung open. The air in the hallway insta

hested, muscular, and

his collarbone was t

nearly

... it'

ck. My childhood fr

could th

the hard contours of his chest. The mate bond

rward, compl

ave

he warned, his voice

ein throbbed in his temple. His knu

hting it,

narled in

ot refuse

coming

ulder, slipping into his roo

, dragging a hand through his dark hair

ace me, his da

this is

it me like

as r

le Beta mating was considered a taboo-a disruption of the hierarchy

her until I could feel the heat radiating from his

t help it, can we?" I whispered, my body b

aven lost his gr

hands gripping my waist as

ed against his mouth, wrapping my legs around his waist an

in the back of

ns that door,

hed th

ed but the fir

l heat before burying itself in the crook of my neck. I

pot ached fo

my fingers tangling in his h

fro

y sensitive skin

cefully sho

ut, staggering back

mmeted into

ave

out,

. His eyes had flared a dangerous, unnatural red, green veins

ew a blinding headache

y make this hell!" I shouted

ushing deep red. "A century ago, when an Alpha and a female

them! We can show everyone that thi

e the one to destroy

he formed i

rs hot on my face. "We are bleeding out from the sam

he groaned, gripping his

! You're the Alpha!" I sc

ehind me so hard the sound ech

he lodge, aggressi

ollided with a yo

ou're crying," he said, h

head down. "I just... hit my fac

garding the Alpha," th

ped with a terr

pe

has just been scheduled. It

fr

ha