d st

olding

e vibr

ing the fourth

silk

tries

ings," she mutter

et go of Eln

it, Elnira. Whatever they say, whatev

handshak

mind keeping i

racked on t

stared

re sc

not s

e

aight over and over, lik

ough one night without peop

e wh

now somethin

ve, Elnira's

warm since t

rubbed it

n s

cloth, until she hissed

k didn'

es aroun

l th

e," Mir

breat

our teeth. I can h

a lau

ut short

I hat

ezed her shoulders.

hall had b

tab

eplaces

ed the walls, pretendi

rs stood bef

t, hands behind his

side him,

almost

mo

t, eyes on

the t

dark

e j

rinning at her li

like he was cou

Hask

ting of t

ed halfway d

ounds o

and to each heir. Each he

eiress would

Omega

id not

, Lady Wo

r stood b

aring at

't stop

ed down

ian f

er hand, finge

idn'

his hand a

of

t disap

was war

," he said, so quie

cold i

is

. Is that what yo

d at the corne

a bad thin

ved across h

n

ow

he le

us at how lon

ian

r fist in

kissed t

nd too

be

trust me?"

ven a

"That's the smartest thing anyon

didn'

t stoo

it

d out h

d his

fin

he said, ba

r w

dn't

ark f

e right thro

snapped

it would do tha

like he'd

to staring

a voice s

a

wait to

r hand in

rm like a

and

run out of hands," he said. "Yo

re lo

shoulder. "Kieran, did y

mplimenting yo

ittle compli

tug

sli

a step closer th

ettled at the sm

lance,"

fectly b

e y

id it

but his eyes h

ae

brot

ord from b

She's w

obbling,"

out weaker th

rin turn

ted to

ep his hand where it was,

low breath and stepp

hadn'

d very

until she

ay

y had

ne of

no

nd was

u

rs like he was afr

eane

h touched

He's like this w

is ner

, tired smile. "Don'

laug

eal

rised t

l she was the o

stepp

e h

erent tem

cing like she'd

owd, she to

s o

id Elder Hask

ll wen

e w

ys his palm upon it. One upon another. It

her fath

t optiona

oked at h

she thought he

him realize

said hoarsel

omach

ttoned t

pe

w

ers were

that they

re

o

lled i

out her b

ark s

ver

ght, like fr

he Alpha ben

eyes drop

tayed

" Hask sa

stepped

came down

a

Cassi

Dar

o

Kae

o

careful, cove

e h

ma

der her skin

a

o

ssed again

ped. "Ow, ow,

s fingers

he said. "Elnira, I can'

reathed. "Hell, h

ing this?"

, shu

had gon

cried. "Please, l

dy c

l wouldn't

room we

ough

stlin

reat

look

the hall was l

ndred

t the sa

ph

eg

g B

n B

d

ar

olding

of eyes had

y bli

hands burning against hers, tha