had gone si

ure resting-but the

s scanning the shadows, body

er fingers tight around the bro

. "You wan

e met his eyes. "But apparently,

ackled bet

One day I'm trying to keep my pack from falling apart-next thing I know, I'm bleed

sharply. "What

called her. Born with two kinds of magic, but ca

old. "They knew

once. "The

r shard falling from

you'd become." His tone softened

ed away

nd this is about me. You didn't

ooked

I chased you because

she hadn't ex

spond, a tremor shook t

ma

tst

. Heavy.

snapped towa

s," he

You mean werew

aid grimly

d into the tre

hste

idened. "They'

ed her arm

y r

rbeds. The pack territory was twisting-warded wrong, manipulate

somethin

n't make

ad. Their faces were masked, their voices chanting i

ther's

weren't

were K

of the O

ard and pulled d

oma

heart

the

hair streaked with fros

moth

iv

side her. "That's

d gently. "The price she paid to keep

trembled. "You

piece of her t

oman lifte

ero dr

om her nose. Her mark blazed wh

g, but he hit a barrier. One of the K

an said calmly. "Too fast.

" Kael spat, craw

contain

o.

dropped. Dang

not a w

he woman said, eyes g

en

body a

ened in a si

sky turn

The mark on her ribs flared, exp

beat, everyth

she r

tumbl

conf

lin

glowed

ero's

ared. "

thing in her body studi

, in a voice that

aslee

ound was the faint hum in the air, like something anc

ade a fist. "W

der. "Not what. Who. You should remember

mmed in his ears.

dn't burn. The mark on her side was gone, but something darker pul

brushing her fingers through Kael's hair.

linc

d, "But I ne

ward, raising a staff. "You we

head slowly. "And yet, here I am

itate. He launched a

ght it

ushed it in

but with instinct. Tackled he

nd, her ma

aint, reached th

ung t

eathed. "You're st

fury. Power blasted outward,

d shadow whipped around her, and th

rn

n't gon

I'm not leaving you, Alero. Do you hear me?

The forest groaned. And fi

low d

eno

gold fighting red. S

here," she

ght he

w," he

e woods, somet

rm wasn

only ju