ted when I arrived in

ond las

t woul

before I told him I was a queen, and before every bone in my bo

didn

el Ryker-whether he liked it or

e night I tur

side bus, and the whisper of pine trees as the

he muttered. "And don't l

was crazy. Un

idnight. Low. Lonely. Th

g, I had

pped around my wrist. Glowing faintly in the dar

three n

ho shifted faster than shadows and spoke in growls mor

hadn't

e

ear the pack's edge. No chains. No cage. Just

s in the dust, pretending not

n't smell

what i

lenged th

uldn't b

eren't

th day, Kae

His presence sucked the air out of

u get the mar

m the window. "

he wolves who wo

ly. "So why

se I don't kill without k

rd him. "Maybe I'm

. "Then what ar

nswer. Not

can hear your wolves

pau

r name before I eve

t his a

d a knife from my back pocket

e?" he asked, v

pered. "I re

ed. A jolt of memory cra

am

olf chaine

reaming

ri

dar

beside me in seconds, steadying me,

ched, the mark on

era

like he'd

t human,"

r said

up. A long, distant howl

idn't belong t

ard i

e said unde

ou first, they'll rip you ap

en maybe you should d

nted to hate me, fear me,

ally, h

. Sundown. Yo

hy

think you're p

, da

to see who the

away, the door sw

thinking abou

ng about the

from the

red my name... bef