sey

rritory forever, I h

the bumps, a sound that echoed the tightening vice in my chest. This was where Bennett an

of damp earth and pine needles usually calmed my wolf,

fr

e standing by t

tt an

is movements were gentle, careful-a tenderness

he sound grated on my sensitive h

, her voice dripping with artificial swee

r. He didn't defend me. H

he murmured, his voice l

d back into the shadows of the tree lin

nity

the mating ceremony. It was sacred. Bennett and I had carved "B + K" there five ye

, my eyes locki

ving wa

"K", had been aggressively scraped out with a knife.

+

a crude draw

meone had reached into my chest an

.* He let a strange

d of pure, shattering grief.

you?" I asked, my voic

nd. Bennett looked surpris

ng away from Bennett with a smirk. "Com

," I spat, walkin

ed. "I am carrying his heir. You a

that "A" next to his "B" was an i

sharp rock f

?" Bennett demanded

fresh carving. I wanted it gone. I wanted *him* gone. I drove the stone int

eras

a shrieked. "A

d, using his Alpha voice. The command vibr

n, but I didn't stop. I scraped until my

me. "That's m

ls into my fresh wounds from the pa

o!" I

given her. "Take it! Look at it! He gave me the ple

ed the last thre

y wolf reacted. I

way fr

arms flailed, and with a high-pitched scream, she fe

las

Bennet

kay. He dove into the water, ruining his expen

ing, the bloody roc

r the same root. My head slammed

in my vision. Pain

a coughing, sputtering Aria onto the bank

with the fury of a wolf protecting its m

ir, his voice carrying over the t

e, his lip cur

aking finger at me. "I don't want to see her face. S

rom the woods. They gr

ickled down my forehe

k on me, focusing enti

saw was his back. The back I used to wash

n't lo