el joke played by fate. Her chest tightened, her wolf stirring restlessly beneath her

t be. She woul

hough she could physically push away the trut

gaze remained steady, unyielding.

, though she couldn't suppress the fain

k and a snarl, the kind of expression that sent a

s clenched. "

, his alpha presence pressing against her like a storm. "Yo

ene fought to suppress it, to fight against the natural pull toward Lucian. The bond-fa

at, each word deliberate and sl

rd her, and Selene inst

't have

s have a

a predator sizing up its prey. "You're smart en

his words, but her pride burned hotter

estured to the clearing behind them, where the hunters had nearly

t stung more than she cared to admit. She had been outnumbered, exhauste

ake my

"Stubborn." He turned his back to her, glancing at the li

d, caught off

es gleaming in the moonlight. "You're free to go

d the challenge lingered between them like smoke. Selene's instincts

uickly, the sounds of crickets and rustling leaves replacing Lucian's overwhelming presence.

't ne

mantra. She was strong enough to survive on

.. she didn't kn

and hunger clouded her focus. The forest around her was foreign,

he cold bit into her skin and her legs grew weak. She stumb

mov

cut through

From the darkness came two pinpricks of yellow light-eyes. They blinked once,

gue

had taken root. It looked feral, broken, and it locked its g

her limbs trembled. Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, clawing to ta

warned, though he

ept closer. Selene's mind raced. She could fight, but in

ogue

nstead of tearing into her throat. Pain exploded along her skin, but she forced herself t

thi

e rogue, slamming it to the ground with enough force to shake the earth. Selene stag

e its throat out in one savage movement. The rogue fell limp, its b

g. The black wolf turned its gol

" she wh

s full height in his human form. Lucian didn't bother to put on a s

asked, his voic

hand against her bleeding arm.

dn't ha

you?" she snapped, though her voice la

off his body. He looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "If I wer

h, but no words came.

here was something almost... gentle in h

keep fighting him and the bond. But her body was weak, h

this

sn't mean

hardened again as he took her uninjured arm and pulled

scooped her into his arms as though she weig

claimed her was the steady sound of his heartb