l's

treating figure long after she

Even beneath the heavy fabric, the sharp lines of her sh

hooked her arm through mine. "She's only getting more imp

n Selena had thrown it at me earlier, all I'd cared about was what

p, almost black red. I reached out and brushed the stain with m

fingers sent a sharp wave of i

my desk phone sha

e exploded through the line. "Kael, that L

ehead. "What on earth

," Afar snapped. "But that woman didn't even flinch. She grabbed a knife

I realized I'd moved.

e all the justification you needed to declare war and take over the Shadow Fang Pack. Too bad for you. I'm not handing you that o

er, the line

r the office, thick

smear of blood staining my desk as Afar's

taking a silver bullet, she'd

anked out my phone and called her,

ough our mate bond, only to f

t thundered thro

as my assistant, Mason Brown, hurr

elena?" I

he guards at the exit said she rode off on a

d onto him. "

ly. "They said he was young, good-looking, and fa

ince when has Selena been a

ast trace of worry inside me vanishe

care if you have to search every inch of this pack's territory. Tea

.

na's

nstant I opened my eyes, so sharp it

attention. He was at my bedside in

nfamiliar surroundings before l

a pillow behind my back, carefully helping me into a sitting position despite the anger in his voice. "The only thing you sent me was a text saying, 'Come pick me u

agreement,"

responded, "I know. And you ne

uth shut, sa

ecognized him immediately. He was one of Damon's people-the same man who had

der control. But you already had silver poison in your body before this happened. Now that you've been wounded again, the toxin is spreading much

ight nod. I'd already

face, as though he was holding something back.

t on the bedside table. "Sorry

the words meant not

pregnant. Around seven weeks a

s a tiny pup, so small it hadn't even finished developing

ss that had plagued me for months-I had blamed every bit of i

n you arrived, there were

. Somehow, against all odds, I'd been given one. And be

y voice cracking as the words escap

another wave of grief. "Damon, I want to take him

ve you lost your mind? After everything t

o never received the pack's blessing must be laid to rest beneath the Moon Goddess Stone of the father's pack. If n

I tightened my hold on it. "I won't let my ba

ugh his hair, frustration

d into a secluded garden de

tions, every Brooks pup born with Alpha blood had been carried here, lifted beneath

myself. One handful of earth after another, I buried him beneath the sacred

ped an arm around my shoulders. "We have to leave