TER

as I shoved the meager furniture out of the way. Sweat beade

r moon hanging low in the sky. Calling to me. Singing

ing me

ont of the door. A flimsy barricade but it made me f

t I'd

teen minutes to midnight. Fifteen minutes until the change to

ing mo

flection in the balcony glass. I hardly recognized the girl staring b

t to my collarbones with dull scissors. Easier to manage when the

eck. His marks. Coleman 's. The reminder of that

ly man I'd ever wanted. The

mouth, his body on mine. In mine. The ecstasy and the terror twining together

s monster even as mine howled to

'd run so far. Fought so hard. But I still felt h

e whispered in my he

. At the animal pacing behind my eyes

ed midnight. A

shredding. It never got easier. Never hurt less. Every full moon the

oud enough to rattle the cheap windows. To drown out the

r, spine arching, legs twisting. Claws burst from my fingertips

er. A thing trapped in between. Fore

y mate. To guide me through. To a

, choking on blood and bil

lled him on the night wind through the cracked balc

e rich copper tang

n't real. Couldn't be. Just the moon madness.

weat-soaked hair. Gentle. Possessiv

ashing weakly. "You

heedless of my jutting bones and my harsh panting. "

y body strained toward his. Even as the anguish eb

You do. You're killing yourself, Ele

st, ignoring the splintering pain in

ht. "I didn't know. Not until...not until it was too

't matter. I can't...I won't be what you a

as I convulsed. "But you can't escape it, Elena . Ca

I don't want to be a mo

re already my mate. My everything." He stroked my hair, my face. Rever

him out. Block out the wild elation rising in

ay. To let you go. But I can't. Never again." His hand cupped my nape, tiltin

ered, twisted.

t with you. Take the pain away." His lips hovered over my

his touch. His claim. The ache, the emptiness howlin

I can

, magnificent. You can do anything." He nuzzled into my throat, hot bre

he place he'd marked me a year ago. The silvery scar throbbing

i

urrender and raw animal need. My wolf

. My ev

I breathed.

willing flesh, heat and light and exquisite pleasure exploding

onsuming love and

. Who I was meant to be.

nd he was mi

t take me. Muscle and sinew flowing like water, reforming, realigning

g my own nature. My own soul

chest, breathing in his scent. Mine now

ur. "My Elena ," he murmured, kissing my head as I

. Let him see everything I was feeling. Everyt

m sorry. Never

ever," he vowed roughly. "You're stuc

his stubbled jaw. I'm

ver I'm with yo

r than the moon. Than all the

me to his chest. Carried me out onto th

d, triumph and joy and claiming, I

rever as one. Mated

the moon, I ra

our f

fore