ne

y body trembling not from cold, but from the sheer effort of keeping my heart beating. Kaden loomed

ormance is becoming tedious, Aline. Do you really think vomiting a

lled through my chest. The necrosis. It felt as if black vines w

en," I rasped, my v

of any warmth. He crouched down, grabbing my chin

y jaw. "Let me make something clear to you, since you seem to rely on this 'fated bond' a

precise strikes

. "By the woman who dragged my broken body out of the Rogue territory when I was left for dead. Cori

gs. *Cori?* He thou

ht of a wounded wolf on my small shoulders, the hours I spent dragging a stranger to safety while h

med the credit. A

a cold, hard realization. He would never see me. As long as this bond existed, I was jus

uld be dead by th

a shove. "Clean this mess. I won't have the s

ounded like a slur

reamed in protest, my bones felt like brittle glass, but I pushed. I forced my trembling le

r the first time in months,

Pack," I said. My voice was

e a smirk curled his lip. "Is that a threat? Are you go

, gathering the last shreds of my

ne, ignoring the sear

t words tasting like ash on my tongue,

The air in the small room grew heavy,

, unadulterated shock. An Omega rejecting an Alpha? It was unheard o

ing hot and suffocating. "You think you can reject *me*? This

ught he would strike me. I didn't flinch. I

glazed over. His ha

Someone was mi

eplaced instantly by a look of frantic co

getting I was there. "Calm

l for him. He didn't see the blood on my gown or the death in my eyes. He look

ace. "Do not think this little stunt gets you off the

stone floor as he rushed out the door, chasing the phantom

r slamm

bond in my chest gave a final, agonizing throb, then went silent. It was

ndow. The moon was hidden behind

spered to the empty