imagined heartbr

cre

tered

r wolf when the man fate had

t expecte

e her as she stood before the mirror an

falling around her ankles. Darius had c

eremony," he'd told her. "It m

t she could rememb

until an hour ago, she'd th

d at her r

ren't brigh

ooked

h the halls. Servants hurried downstairs carrying wine and silver trays. Pack representa

nnoun

htened around the

oice retur

lly didn

lace around Se

thorn Lun

s voice from behind

de me was never p

lf whi

hut he

oug

f didn'

a

kno

is co

ayed her with

seconds before

slow k

ri

he had never n

me

oor o

thorn filled

y dressed for

l jacket embroidered at the collar with silver

m his forehead, though one stubbor

tease him abo

o reach up

ept her hands

s sto

traveled

unmistakable fla

aged bond

ok beau

rds from him could have carried he

y almost ma

nk y

ows drew

ha

thi

red and clo

re qu

m

ly spoken to

at him throu

morning I still thoug

had only been filling someone's place

ed, "Shouldn't y

esn't begin for

our co

twenty minute

d the same consideration when

away from

tudied h

ion became

happ

e it

ect oppo

ask him ab

mand to see

e'd been standing out

wearing the necklace he'd once pla

thing st

e pr

be

whether Darius would tell her the t

ng hap

es nar

yr

er name would have made mos

never f

that had changed i

us

d I'm

re ly

escaped before

xpression

oes tha

thi

ep sayi

s you should

you to

y

hough

walked

mediately push

a

cent: cedar, winter air, and that darker

o

wolf had associated

e would probably sme

epped b

us f

een halfway to

he low

happ

ere was no A

Dar

ous second, Ly

ell him everyth

laugh and tell h

say the necklace

ement meant s

tood the words outsi

ad never bee

d seen his

ecoming hu

uestion that had been h

riu

es

ever reg

expressio

ramat

eno

had spent five years me

w tigh

rom hers for a fra

s enough to make

ooked ba

this com

ues

an a

miled

s si

it is

, it

erself to ho

egretted finding

reacted i

vibrated ins

t say

hy

know what y

d

she would h

't sure she'

n an

s exh

ent throug

re it w

ita

mething insi

t wished

o

ve

ould have

lie, perhaps, but at least he'

us looked tow

I inherited a pack s

hroat ti

n't what

en't only abou

er

ent strang

y unaware that every word w

lines the council considers important. Respons

riu

sto

d barely risen

ether you r

returne

seconds, n

ndered whether everything would have b

uldn't

closer im

doesn't me

la

yr

's en

sting what

N

emained rem

you per

ow fur

say I re

dn't say

le

ai

rrible

reached

moved

osed around

erous flashed

ou acting

he question almost

e downstairs wearing another w

y she felt

cting like

ening. Now you're asking

ared

what's

to ask him t

ou stop ch

t gra

u woke beside me and realiz

temporary and simply to

ed an invisible wri

shoul

t leavin

ck so

lp

Darius'

ing. The ceremony be

t take his e

them

rds would have fil

couldn't re

d go," she

w tigh

s conversation af

te

ooked

ade his an

lene bec

d somewhere in the crowd and pr

inside her

N

s fro

N

nything left to d

f growl

yr

st him and op

nds, Darius rema

e appr

ay, he stopp

ers brus

nd sparked

in

uti

for the f

ice dr

ning tonight, don't make a d

at their almost

't angry

he frighte

ed her h

worry,

aze m

won

though he wanted t

did

walked toward the ceremony th

til his footst

id she clos

nally broke

a

d down Lyr

ay before anoth

N

r and looked at the wom

e had chosen Darius

apparently going to

y w

p her ceremon

anted a future without his m

ietly at the edge of his

uld ask him one

ld have to answer it