ttered on the floor.

cowered, barely whispering, "I'm no

et

d still, my hands-once so steady with a blade-li

lood oath not to take your life," he said, voice like a blade. "If he broke it, I'll ma

d my eye

was faking. "Guards!" he barked. "Toss out her m

ill, the whip wounds on my back burning like fire. Pain

s. I thought back to my first mission, when I'd come back wounded, and Lincoln stayed by my bed for thre

o let me breathe. I'd barely closed my

u to the main hall. You're to es

ng my bones. I bandaged my wounds roughly, slipp

ders, his touch gentle. She wore a pink dress, radiant an

ooking at me. "Guard Julia today. If a

ed, eye

g behind. The wheels clattered on the cobblestones. Halfway there, rain poured down, soaking

a smug glint in her eyes. "Yvette's all banged up. Mayb

e my way. "She's just a sh

ghter. Just a shadow guard. A blade he could to

At the base, Lincoln dismounted and, to

rds gasped. "Wha

was poisoned, I prayed to the spirits here. Now

led up. "You don'

ead hitting the stone steps. Blood so

uled my world humble himself for another she-wolf.

. To the pack, Julia was the one