ced when I woke up was

mate bond. Even before I turned eighteen, I could feel Kael's presence, like a steady heartbeat ke

s only a cold

The smell of bleach and dried blood stung my nose. My chest felt hollowed out, like som

ering. She wasn't just sad. She was wounded. Dying. A rejecte

ve of dizziness pushed me b

nally decide

made my st

e linoleum floor. She was wearing a pristine white silk blouse and dark jeans, her hair per

face swollen from crying, the faint scent of

I croaked. My throat was

down at me. Her lips curved into a soft, pit

ou get rejected in front of the entire pack. I wanted to make sure you

ell," I

. She stepped closer, leaning over the bed until her face was only i

just a placeholder. A weak, pathetic little mouse. Did you really think the Moon Goddess woul

gs in a rush. "You.

as so easy. All I had to do was make him look at me a little longer, whisper a few things in his

sweet smile returning to her face. "Get better soon,

e door clicking shut behind h

let the tears wash away the crushing weight in my chest. But I couldn't. The tears

were probably toasting Lila right now. The entire pack had watched

omplete

stone floor of the great hall were already fading. The deep scratches

ut my body was already healing. The physical pain was vanis

of my mind. She wasn't whim

ing, she wh

e step, then another. I made it out of the infirmary and down the hall to my bedroom without seeing anyone.

nges of clothes. The money I had saved up from working at the pack store. The silver kni

of paper and a pen. My h

e. I'm not your

t on the

was a grey wolf, small and unremarkable. Nobody ever looked twice at me. But tonight, a

. I ran until my paws ached and my lungs burned. I ra

back into my human form and collapsed against a thick oak tree, gasping

as

, a twig

y feet, pulling the silver knife from my pocket. My hear

epped out from b

t clung to him. He wore a dark leather jacket and had dark hair that

is gaze sweeping over my face. He did

aid. His voice was deep, rough. "What's a lit

ife. My voice trembled, but my grip w

s flared. He took a deep breath, and his golden eyes widened. The casual

nd him seeme

Wolf," he

y mother had used a spell to hide my true nature, to mask my whi

t just guessing. He looked at

p forward, his eye

idea what you a

tree scraping my back. "I don't

ated power, the kind of power that made my wolf want to bare her neck. "The moon goddess has a twisted sen

d toward me, his eye

le in this world who would kill to own you

, my heart racing. He was a stra

ized the shadows behind him were

single step, a strong arm wrapped around my

spered in my ear.