ss in the hours before dawn- when the darkness seemed to breathe and the

on

curled around her ankles, thick and unnatural. Her senses, sharp as they wer

utermost ward jus

etched in ash and wolf's blood. Carley's wards were weakening. She

e sigils, placing her palm

spered, calling on the oldest parts of he

ire. The symbols hissed as they brightened, glowing just enough to reesta

ough f

she caught the

blood.

fami

r into the woods. Her wolf stirred

nctively, her breath sharp in the cold. The

she s

covered in frost. Male. Young. One of the outer sentries

asn't the

carved into his chest. Not

ked like a pr

of the Ho

hissed, kneeli

h, no heartbeat. But his lips-stained

leaned

croaked.

before the shadows exploded outwa

e staggered, stumbling back toward the ward, trying t

ehind her-a sound tha

ees tr

ungs

t. *Not here. Not w

rd line just as th

reamed the banishment rite, her

er this thread-return to

roar like tearing flesh, the shadow was

nce

t hers. Not the Hollowborn's

d spells without backup.

rl

e boundary line. His shirt was unbuttoned at the throat, damp with swe

ollowe

urse I

hroat. "I told you to st

ow. "And I told you I wasn't go

t strong e

a

n him and the bounda

d them. "That mark-it was on a body last night. O

e sp

nod

's not random. They're tar

e testi

rmured. "So there's no one left

ent

him fully. "We have t

rrowed. "You mea

ce dropped. "

widened.

what i

orging the bon

*kn

e've been through, you'd still choose to

ly. "Left me bleeding on the t

closer, he

n't forge a new bond, the old one will remai

silent for

we do this-if we bind aga

said. "You just have

wind rising around them, carr

arley gave

do it t

-

d, preparations wer

d precision-and pain. Especially ones done outside of a mating cla

nctuary. Dozens of candles flickered along the outer ring, their flames dancing

side of the circle

hem, a si

ld be at its peak

m. His face was stoic

rned. "Once this starts

er gaze.

ed up th

d her

nded it

d the

l at the center of the circle. The moment the

ped back,

ir vi

me the

whispers in a language neither of th

each for her, clawing at

s body convulsing as the

d him, seizing his

" she co

, "bind my blood and soul to Le

Guard, accept this vow-a

ght exploded

s screamed

sping for air, his body trembling. Leila c

he bo

nd was

ctured. No lo

ke a second heartbeat-anc

tter o

-

d lay in uneasy silence, Carley found her alone

t speak

ood bes

ery day since I rejected you. The

t him. "Then why di

dn't think I

Her face was hard-b

ve you," she s

asking

er hand. Just ba

arn it. If there

away. And above them, the Bloodmoon fad

-

ut a tremor remained under Leila's skin-a pulse sh

as c

anchor her to Carley; it magnified her senses. She could feel his heartbeat even now, steady but c

flicker of somethi

tr

t

methin

voice soft, pulling her from her thought

needles from her legs. "Then don't waste

the Hollowborn. We need to move on them-now that t

itterly. "But attacking them ou

e lure th

glance. "Are you sugg

hink the bond left us vulnerable. The

her arms. "Th

"And you didn't pick a co

lf. "You weren't my choice," sh

y. "And I spent too

between them

We'll bring the council into this. You might not be a

woods, a low howl rose in the

As though something hollow tried to

ed dead in

d it too. "

e," she w

than most, barely shifted into his full wolf, his eyes wild

! Comm

him as he fell

west. Past the blackwater river. At least twent

ed. "They've breache

idn't chase me. Just...

him. "Did they

lled with tears.

grim look with Le

That

sanctuary blazed with torchlight

ey at her side. The elders of the Nightpaw Pack watc

stood behind them both-his prese

s to believe a second binding has erased the Hollowborn corruption? T

en us a weapon we didn't have before. The darkness used the bro

ed forward. "But can you control i

d that gives us an advantage. We know when they're near. We can se

t need to fight them

led through

ost-Elder Vaughn. His hatred had al

piercing Leila. "After years gone. After breaking rank

low and guttural.

a held u

lse left who knows what the Hollowborn truly are. You've seen their whispers in th

silence w

ontinued. "But this bond-this war-forges us as one. Y

lly spoke again. "Then

scent trail that leads them to believe Leila is breaking aga

ey arrive?"

bind them in ash and blood. And

ence follow

ne by one, the

ad b

dn

rap w

meared across her shoulders. The scent of sickness had been carefully brewed

would smell it

wly, as the mist returned. Her ha

couldn't

aked in shadow and runes. Rowan and the other

emained wa

-whi

ees gr

g stepped in

a

rea

outh. Just a spiral carved across it

ld not have

her fear. "Nei

s they reached the circle's edge- Carley burst forth with a howl that cracked the air like