ia's

. My heart is pounding, keeping time with the storm brewing outside. Rowan's right here, and it's

tle thing about my face. But I can't make myself move. I'm stuck, pinned by a force way stronger than just him grabbing me, which he's no

witching. You hesitate, he says quie

you think you'd actually kno

ght now, I see someone stuck, like they're standing at the edge wond

ike I have

orus, muttering from my cerebral cortex. I can't mess up because everyone's watching, waiting for me

little space was left. His scent hits me-smoke and wildness-and it's intoxica

says, his voice rough. S

nothing comes out. I

I do something I'll regret. I hear Rowan breathe out; I sense not just f

I whisper, more

after me. He just lets me go. And tha

il room is so thick you

statues. Their silence speaks loudly, worse than if they yel

ble, staring straight ahead. The attacks on

p my face blank. I k

ne about it, Lady Merivale a

into it. We will do something

re waiting for answers, Alpha Queen, more of our p

ur warriors out without a plan

falls.

losing tr

but I keep it together. Then I'll just

hat feels like a long time

g to stand under the weight of their w

skin. I'm not sure if I'm mad or scared, but eith

gh

ning against the wall, arms crossed

ugh. You cou

hen tips his head.

es. You alwa

se yo

nything becau

king to get away, bu

e this alone, h

m. I don't h

ist. His touch burns thr

voice is softer now, almost pleadin

s my throat feel tight. Before I can an

umbling towards us, covered in b

e, he gasps

art p

face i

barely held onto has left to vacat

spoken thoughts pressing down. Rowan's eyes held min

urmured, his voice a low rasp

rust was a dangerous game. It was a razor's edge, wai

red, the sound

nough that I could feel his heat radiating toward my core. "Because e

way through me. "

ething. In the old records and archives-something the Alpha Council

ad been living in their shadows, or they had followed my shadow, stalked it like prey for far too long, but this had a weird to

sounded from not far away from the treeline. Every system in my

right here, but we aren't the only o

The hair on my arms stood straight up as my wolf inside me stirred and awoke from a slu

shadows, came a de

r grounds, only to get in