l's

search of a scent that had long since faded. My niece-my only living blood-had vanished

alert. He knew better than to interrupt me when

I hea

ic

familiar-Victo

eps s

rritation, cut through the air. I couldn't make out

The moment her scent hi

stir in a way it never had before. It wasn

hadows, leaning lazily a

on her wrist. Too

em to want your

before I could s

as he turned toward me. His expression was ti

e landing on me, and for a mo

... une

eyes holding a challenge most wouldn't dare aim in my direction. But

oman who shrank

she pinned me with a

ll asking for

rest

illing to start something, cut in

eemed pretty

thing in her eyes-something wary

," she said flatly, then turn

, my wolf pacing

nsettled me

ut

said nothing, choosing instead to

o. He wasn'

ved on. Contin

I di

n I should have, watching her disappear down the

n years, I had no damn c

't want to

tion as he stood outside the cabin w

, exhaling slowly

sho

, my patience already frayed

s crossed. "And then what? You

o

ve enough to

ibility. I wouldn't ju

n my expression, because he sig

was standing in the center of the room

's eyes-were cold.

ises on her knuckles, the cut on

umbled in

on and let out a sharp laugh. "No. You don

o remain calm. "C

N

er under my

otection," she snappe

t harder tha

ce stretched

omething I ne

sor

ht, but she mas

ust needed her to know that, for whateve

ll I could

it would have

n the work in front of me. The Blackridge Pack

thinking abou

inking abou

inking a

le

latched onto my though

t warning, I

sc

burning through my chest and igniting

ould think, my body acting on i

to fin

e walking alone at

e same fierce eyes narro

aga

pping toward h

you stalking me now, or i

, watching her

at spark-was

l. El

way she breathed. In the way she fought

I touched

tween us wa

it too," I

g the reaction. "You'

ed darkl

ething I shoul

lips near hers. Not kiss

eath h

murmured, my voice l

she shot back, but he

I've been ca

her further, a voice

lp

e sti

ation dawned i

moment she pu

e the

Oh, so you d

fists. "Why did

announcing my position to eve

I leaned in one last time-brushed my

pped br

away, leaving

He frowned. "What

ng," I

my fists, my wolf

i

rst time, I co