for months, and she stil

went

ose worst fear just walked through the

that

the forest. Two hundred yar

at Kael. Kael

ssed both hands over his face.

er

y outside the compound, sh

es

not po

d y

. His eyes were doin

he Howl completely," he said

the doorway. Merek looked at him. Somethi

aid quietly. "Routes. Rotations. Weaknesses. It's been too precise. I thoug

chen we

enough to feed information out." I felt the sh

er an

vate. She was in the forest this morning." My v

he table. Kael lo

hy

nd they don't know it yet, she has an advantage. Inside their walls, with capabilities

s in a compound. Free

trap

tic

st cracked open and

n operation from

es

s bright and ordinary. Twenty minut

"This morning. She wanted to feel

ly," Ka

iming so

es

eaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching me work throu

my chest pull

oked

e moves," I said. "How long until

rrent pace?

it s

ia.

you're going to tell me everything. Pack structure. Compound layout.

pened h

hing,"

lose

d for tw

side me. Kael stayed. Leaning against the counter now, close

ral. Eleven are quietly dissatisfied. Seven were

nd. Held in the lower east wing. Every

racticing

linked.

ped the map. "She was the prototype. The twenty-three were

chen we

w had tightened. Those amber eyes were on

I said. "Has any

," Kael said. "

led the map toward me. "All tw

de me, close enough that our shoulders almost touched. Close e

ue," he said quiet

oo

ng moment. His knee brus

of us

you're think

ed unti

he silver compound's chemistry.

er the map. His hand was inches from my hand. The ma

y eyes o

I said. "In the

nted. His finger b

st corridor.

een twenty-three w

were close enough now that I cou

uietly. "We need Voss's seven. We need

u get t

od

"Come back tonight

t he didn't move

ri

ked a

e reached out slowly and touched my wrist. Not the mark. The sk

as r

You held the Howl at range for thirty sec

thought I couldn't h

ou have a reason, t

ked again. My

d up the maps. W

thout turning. "I think

l

t burning and my heart slamming and

, he'd

wasn't just talki

s journals until

art. The Howl sits at the bottom of me as something d

suppresses.

nking about t

al. Pressed my pal

d found the door in a single word. And

me was warm and

hat that said abo

t meant abou

k c

the back door. Waiting. The low sun ca

ust turned and wal

oll

om this morning. Everything looked differen

tired,"

n't c

art about this. Pu

t care,

nough that I could feel th

't use it at all." His voice was low. "I'm not goi

not a

es held mine. "I can fee

wrists. At the twin

feel what

ve been furious all day. At your mother for staying. At

my mouth.

as r

s," he said quietly. "When the

ath st

t el

with those amber eyes, the scar on h

steppe

the Howl. Don't fight it

. Found the warm

e. Smoother. Forty-five

was watching me with an

r," he

ist p

seemed

ntil the sta

His shoulder brushed mine in the dark.

tage door,

," I said

d. Didn'

ri

ha

econd, just long enough for me to feel the calluses o

e drop

said. And walke

My face was still warm

my back against the wood and pressed my

t was burning now.

h w

ound. Paper slidi

Picked

idn't recognize. Small and p

awake. The tim

en days. N

on rises ear

imes. Turned it o

da

oor. At the dark

t there. Someone wh

e counting d