ch's words echoed relentlessly: Her love-and her blood-are t

ed, his voice reverber

later, his face tens

ant her back. Find the buyer and

voiding Cypress's intense gaz

can't?" Cypress's to

ly met his alpha's gaze. "

of Cypress's sharp inhale. His eyes darke

Cypress said, his voice

t," Finn admitte

p forward, his towering frame radiating

e tension. "You rejected her, yes. But selling her like she was

seemed like he might strike Finn. But he stopp

ar from here," Finn said.

y. "Because if anything happened to h

ned but did

jaw clenched and his eyes scanning the horizon as if Octavia might sudden

is horse and strode forward without hesitation. The settlement was q

ypress ordered Fi

ress interrogated a merchant. The responses were vague an

Octavia?" she asked,

er, his gaze pierci

id, wiping her hands.

ss's voice wa

e woman whispered, her

ess demanded,

. "They killed her. The

w. For a moment, he was frozen, his mind

e said, his voice

man said, tears in her

s's tone was icy, each w

n stepped forward, his own e

es north of here," th

information. He turned and be

Finn called

press snapped, mounting hi

said, mounting his own hor

entrances like gaping maws. Cypress dismounted

re," Finn said,

eady moving toward the entrance, h

ing eerie shadows on the walls. Voices echoed from deeper within,

. The first bandit didn't even see him coming. Cypress grabbed him by th

?" he growled, h

eyes wide with fear.

rough Cypress. He tightened his grip, snap

ith weapons drawn. Finn stepped in, his own blad

ws elongating and his eyes glowing with unbridled rage. He tore through th

to fight, others attempting to f

tood amidst the carnage, his chest sh

sly, his own weapon sti

ypress said, hi

was nothing he could say

of something glinting in the dim light. He moved toward it,

d quietly, his grip ti

shoulder. "We'll make them

press said coldly, his

ck to the packh

his soul, tightening with every breath. He couldn't shak

table hand without a word. Finn followed close behind but kept h

e walls closing in as the memories of the past days replayed in his mind. He threw the pe

d, his voice low and f

through his hair. "How long am I s

: Her love-and her blood-are t

love w

with his head in his hands. The room was silen

anything thrown his way. But this curse-this unbearable, unrelenting

e in years, Cypre

o the desk, the impact making the pendant jump. "I'll fi

f there was no fixing it? What if this curse wa

ypress remained in his quarters, lo