lia'

felt too sm

f was bowing under the weight of his authority. People had stopped at a distance without re

range knew exact

part of me

t ache but a living thing clawing for attention. My pulse raced, my skin fl

ever

the re

deliberate calm that did nothing to hide the storm barely contained beneath

e man beside me

refully, his tone respectful b

's lip

lving her belongs," he replied. His voice was

wa

his jaw clenched, to the tension coiled in his shoulders, to the fact that

ly, palms raised. "I was escort

't outrank me,"

mes to unbound asse

hit me li

se

en f

the insult before I even could. Heat surged through my

n gro

taphor

lly g

round beneath us, primal and raw

said, every word vibrating wit

sto

flicked

een us in that suspended moment.

, forcing myself

e shaking despite my effort.

ashed down

etween us, clearly re

s throa

ond b

" he said

eper than the re

open. "Then you don't get to show up like

ou shouldn't be stand

protection," I snapped.

er pressing against my skin. My body reacted instinctively, traitoro

tand what you are

ispered. "Instead of pushing

if he wanted to reach for me and w

a, the elders are waiting. If y

d. "I didn't say she

ed. "You're d

fied the

plied grimly. "

nt ice throu

g tormented flickering across his

ath hi

"Because the moment the bond locked in, you became

ting me would protect

es

aped me. "Congratu

"You should have st

away from me," I shot

s intensity. My vision blurred for a second as something ancien

felt

eath h

breath. "Alpha... th

sed softly

g to me?" I aske

e he was seeing me clea

waking your w

mach d

.. w

human," he admitte

orld

ble," I whispered

tually," he said. "Usually

at him.

ees buckled. His touch sent a jolt straight thro

raining," he said griml

ering to help n

"I'm saying you're n

es widened

snapped. "They want her

pounded p

t for me," I said, even as m

just a fraction. "I do

ake her to the estate, the elde

into a dangerous sm

fully now, his

y. "If you come with me,

hat?" I

om pretending you're ordinar

est a

I don't?

o the shadows, to the rooftops,

you," he said. "A

ped aroun

Rowan. "Is

hesi

l the answe

a who had rejected me, who terrified

shakily. "I'll

cross his face-r

, his arm wrapping arou

nd exp

nd I gasped as something deep inside me stirred

n sti

it?" I

widened

said slowly. "The

echoed in

od ran

hold on me. "They k