him, stil

ken." I said, not

ng you Moriah, or w

a sharp blow from behind steals my w

I've had ever since I was younger.The smell of smok

ria

ht hits me. I'm lying on a com

you're

k Caden, who was hi

ut the movement m

aden comes into focus just as he sinks do

t tou

lf. "It's okay

uy that kid

rying to help you. You we

ou

bout my normal life? The

e lowers an octave and he leans over the m

d still?" He l

t I see the bag of

the ribs. You're bruised pretty badl

y torso where Erik kicked

o get up again bu

here. Let me

help." I said, push

n't. But this

ustration with himself for causing me pain.

Caden eases me back unto t

radiate off of him

ugh to expose my bruised ribs.

y st

tact, but Caden holds the ice stead

s, low and serious, his eyes m

top." I nervously take the

ing Caden's reflection in a nearb

exactly?" I say peer

, far from town. Far from dang

t him. "The most dangerous thing I've com

n't a com

as a... surprise. But if I ha

ho

r fa

unch to the gut. I shift

ver known my father. He would

me, I get a sense of how tall he is. "Tel

s of a cult. I landed in f

m home to home, abused, constantly afraid

ifice. The whole cult thing was bullshit. Your father is a shifter,

rangely in the back of my min

s wh

lf inside of them. A person who can

ng me. I get up off the bed and bac

t under

kes a step towards me, his gaze razor-sharp. "You're a shifter. On your

e? None of this

nce bearing down on me like a

rong. And the last thing your fathe

g how many steps it wou

Shoving past Caden, I make a break f

ets from Caden's touch. Everyth

g for breath as his fin

is t

..and

ach other, our bodies pulsing as t

flexes his fingers and loo

are I thought it

true mate

do you

for myself. You're bonded to my soul.

hat doesn't mean I'm

ce you understan

l. The heat of his body, of his touch, is like gravit

don't feel this. Th

den

ll melt like honey beneath my

is? What's

nd together our power could be

ent of his touch turns electric, and I feel my skin hum with charged

me, Mo

th his shirt, my fingers brushin

t down to hi

I ca

ay from him, my body s

denly widen, glowing brighter, turni

n on itself. His skin ripples like boiling water, d

t th

thes rip. In place of his handsome face

e stood, a powerful blac

ke liquid night. His eye glint a bright

t's true. He

g, and I'm not sure if I s

ormous wolf, I move until th

ad

en, fully human, takes the wolf's place

ing laboured as he stares at

transformed against my will

d I do?

chorus of eerie, distan

was

Caden struggles to his feet

pha

den quickly throws on some sp

id you and her just..." it was B

d he must have felt

s a short no

s goin

isn't just any

the window, his

ver seen. He lives to torture and kill. And now his daughte

oes tha

me, eyes burning a

e's coming