ica'

ya

s swallowed by the deafening silence

dn't

e dirt beneath him, stai

wild, erratic like it was tryi

dn't be h

. Not m

ng and falling steadily like he hadn'

ed on his lips, but

were

es of the Darius

Darius's voice wa

itched, but he

murmur. They coul

power the moment the pack s

sts, nails bitin

a fair fight

at Darius

ath his skin. The u

dark magic. A

ust have given Darius

it. No one would bel

d wolf who barely had an

I pushed through the crowd, f

old, bitter councilman, glanced at me like

. The challeng

ard him, my b

s cold eyes flicked to Darius, th

fend his position, then

ted. They wante

he throne and this whole fight

face pale, his chest risin

t going to let

d, falling to my

ling hands against his bloody chest. "You prom

, his hazel eyes

ng." My hear

urred my

ut he couldn't

f still weakened

hatever dark power was r

steps slow,

beside me, his breath b

now, little wol

e body l

Low. Cruel.

o laugh with Ryan by the r

omething..

whispered, his fingers brushing

mach t

o slap his

him apart with

ody was

was stronger tha

I spat through

kled low in

's weak fingers curl around my

e was still tryin

let him d

Not without f

ooked up at Darius, for

me?" I w

rk grew

han any

ammed again

se enough that only

reject

flickere

ng the words out throug

... if I disgust you like you

es dar

t he realized w

e would sev

et both of

idn't wa

ted me bou

puppet in

along my cheek slo

you hate me than no

ran down

never l

ius stood, turning b

ed. "But out of the goodness of my heart" his v

od ran

o, no

s Alpha," Darius said smoo

dark eyes lock

comes w

ed through

rld spin bene

rs clenched harde

" he c

dn't b

n't be s

dened like he cou

yway," he said softly. "Let me

ca's

ed to me. The

wanted

the pack pressing down on m

o save Ryan the

ificing

mmered agai

es locked onto

ut what other ch

d save

ld watch

ck in my thro

oward Graves, who was watchin

clamped down

e, desperate cut t

ot going

tung my

fingers dug into my

rked. "Not

the air loud, furiou

od at the edge of the circle, her g

the sacred laws

d shook b

ess does not f

lly vanished. And f

licker in hi