tes opened just

balcony, watching figure

cession was smalle

ut ba

out

ches displayed proudly

eir horses' hooves making no sou

n was at t

an N

ere she stood that he was dif

ly at the ends, touched with silv

Aurelian's ceremonial wear and C

in his eyes that c

octis di

lnira and the wor

ed his lips as

, the young man turned away

m the balcony, her hea

eady met and rejected h

ut this one tha

ing in the entrance ha

Cassian stood several feet aw

halting only a pa

e a sm

Wolf

t, almost too sof

ra is

up, his expres

ra, t

er name made it f

odd feeling off a

e to Wo

nk y

urney wa

wa

ust be

articu

tense silence stre

an co

that

ned his he

uld you

Perhaps a dra

make sp

gave a m

otic

crossed

ly has always prefer

gaze fo

lways preferred those who s

se silence filled

rreling men, wishing it were n

asked, trying to turn the conver

smile did not

es

took something small fr

ing with a black s

d as she took

t is

ons

lack," she

on't always r

ring, his touch ligh

longed to

a hes

mething that belon

Darian c

ra asked su

yes locked

ive it to the woman who c

ered her palm, where the dark m

ession changed

his gaze coming

ark?" h

ooked at

u're hiding

ook a ste

ar

turned

u k

s jaw ti

rned back

who you trust," he warn

out Cassian?"I'm warni

d the ring

who smile t

an ch

t's

ate?"Darian arc

y realizing that the five suitors were not simply competing for her h

fact, and not one sh

nira found Darian in

ssy lawn and he stood by the fou

" Elnira said, paus

not turn to

uspe

Elnir

dline is predictabl

re

his voice mad

ike being p

't," she

our grandmothe

gaze snap

w my gra

ew of

tell you?" E

thi

aid he

ked toward

he last Wolfsrein

s heart

now

he never complet

Elnira

urned to

told you she

e d

she d

feeling a slow anger

remaine

d before the Mo

s not

ld ask yo

ook a st

d you tel

w what happened to the woma

lt her te

't lie about some

g, but the silence

away, her thou

arian's voic

r ha

silver mark on her palm,

ently and turned it ov

ra drew her br

s eyes

" she

at," Darian

es

?" Darian star

n't k

a fro

re ly

an's voice

r felt tha

mewhere behind them

nira and the sound, his hand drifting

a whi

ne is

kno

snapping branch announce

grim as he took i

u doing here

," Daria

lian's gaze s

idden?" Daria

gaze landed

has been look

a fro

peak for

n's gaze lingered

nd he had just

ened and Darian tur

what conc

nothing

ow en

epped bet

oug

n fell

gaze met

s my fath

you in the

hy

Betas have

rt gave a ne

tw

d Kiera

t two s

at Darian, whose expre

n turne

om

fore she stepped out of the garden

ni

see him watchi

of gray-brown maple lea

nce you that your cho

est ti

ked toward

you choose, someone

uncertain if he was

n ever as two new figures st

tw

d Kiera

dressed in black with the Fang Bet

k while the oth

the room before

smi

his i

nced at hi

't st

m n

u a

im and walked

t once and Cassian watched

remaine

ed in fron

n," he offe

hat's

ave a po

the Fan

ked them u

ame to

do," Kael a

smiled

there's somethi

ell over

aised an

ethi

smile w

meo

an s

ng to be

uldn't he

she laughed and four sets o

tition wa

sui

heir

ks until th