enne

kitchen in the Alpha's w

flower extract; the broth came out clear and golden, its smell faint, the kind t

liquid and poured it into

a lieutenant at the courtyard g

Arena before dawn, watching the elit

rrior'

le Pack. Live steel, and weak

k and headed for t

our Gamma guards crossed

ts are not re

and held it up in front of him. Eleanor's si

to deliver medicinal br

He scanned the Alpha scent lingering on me, then glanced down at th

o

rs, the elevated wal

f metal on metal below rattled my ears, with beast-like roars mixed

my gaze stopped on the octag

n was u

, gleaming in the morning light. A double-edged alloy broadsword mov

rs lunged at him from f

of them. The lead one flew over the sa

a

and fell to the ground. T

eyes cut through the dust, pinning me

n the sword, and walk

tched. The impact had snapped his belt, and a silver-tipped throwin

too slow. I could n

side me shouted, but t

ross the arena, comi

wa

oing into flesh was

nt of me. Dark red blood spray

d between me

ow head-on. The silver-tipped tactical knife went clean

met his blood, the wound

lesh around the blade went black at once. T

s in his neck all standing out. His feet stayed pla

ingers went to my face an

ad ever used their own fle

his mind had not been involved at all, a

te smoke still rising. He did not look at the wound. He wa