e necklace around

, she had imag

se it was

r was worth more than most wo

necklace before her and said, "Only

foolish enough to hear

rested against an

e crescent pendan

taring for qui

lly lifte

e it

s eyebr

ha

heard

time, Selene's

ement rep

lly don'

ion crept dow

w wh

stepped

, the traditional color worn by a wo

d the dress whe

allowed herself

hours ago," Selene said. "The

alli

orn and

rt gave a

hf

trade routes. They had money, warriors, and enough polit

't need the

was alrea

uthern cou

Darius mention

swal

why you're wearing h

mothe

laughed

, L

two words cut de

to Darius's mother. It belon

kno

yo

stirred bene

ou

ntal touches whenever Darius was nearby. The private jokes.

ignored a

e was Dari

ess herself h

e wanted could

epped f

you permissio

dn't s

n't what

s eyes

e smile

you ask h

wil

oo

ed to walk

ught he

ked down a

t tou

answ

remonial hall drifted

s were already ga

d to mark Darius's

nt weeks pre

elected t

the gue

ee neighboring packs when two

of that because sh

ecause Blackthorn

rius w

he had

ns tonight?

oved Lyra's finge

cts Darius to ann

le

y waited for

was anothe

ne d

lf surged

a

echoed th

a

s was

ven now, somewhere i

neath her ribs ha

tical

oss

woul

tilted

N

N

rtain a

plet

red through Sele

satis

makes this so

ls bit int

ould have

ps he

didn

didn't believe yo

landed

herself for

e saw

rse sh

re ly

m

es

er until only inc

ncern. Whatever fantasy you've created because

d toward t

r hand before sh

ile va

care

elene's fingers

wh

econds, neith

ene rele

o influential bloodline. No territory. No army. Yet you've walked a

jaw tig

anyone to tre

e duties while waiting for D

leaned

n't

uldn't

was too close

d found each othe

to announce their m

s fathe

becam

wars. Council disp

ormally recognizing her aro

or me,

little

e counci

border neg

r wi

he Alph

ad wa

she lo

voice s

e ye

ooked

ears, and he still h

s our de

s i

es

t shouldn't

does

tasted

ne s

oo

turne

eded D

lene's

steps before Se

find him in

sto

ith the

ept w

yr

elene's voice

olding a fol

een where she

t's

should stop ca

red at t

t inter

shoul

exten

didn'

ave a ti

all the guests. Stand beside

red the

it from

stomach

ated

y part of her was a

dn't betray

ould

ld

etween them and snatched

orn seal wa

rtbeat

o

nfold

OF POLIT

blurred fo

d herself

d an alliance between

trade

y coope

t within the

ached the f

gers we

s, Alpha Darius Blackthorn shall formally uni

opped r

ould be

cour

sounded

ked furt

sign

l witn

n's offic

those

hed for o

foun

ge was a signature she

Black

tared

at signature th

reat

tt

day c

w on mornings when Alpha duties

ow every str

had sig

agreement promising h

ide Lyra beca

document from

hink I'm

aid no

ated. Political union

t devas

ded strange ev

studi

she s

ourse

again at t

he

ha

id he s

weeks

e we

lmost

ius had come to her

aus

her lap while she ran he

asking what was

usiness,

pulled her i

week

led her

he lov

elene seeme

ssion softened

change a

es

ne w

et her

, I'll know exac

f he d

ced at th

he's done

smile dis

ed at the end o

omen t

ed quickly, dressed

ved from Se

greement in S

olor left

yr

oked a

rely seem

ed afra

more than she

is Da

n hes

aybe you

he

uncil c

lked p

caught

go in

y looked a

ed her im

y n

's jaw

on happening that you don't

Selene lau

n't turn

discus

s to explain

derf

toward the c

ive him the

yr

gnore

e marble floor fast

d burned ben

that bond meant Darius could hur

d how dangerous c

d the coun

ds stood

anged ner

was e

ed toward

d steppe

ha Darius order

rius's voice

a f

muffled most of

t his

his

omething she co

rius an

on has alrea

at slammed aga

r voic

about

ce fo

nough

ius spok

o

tro

stak

de me was never pa

inside he