ething that made her wolf stir restlessly in her chest. It took her a

ci

lit room with walls made of thick, dark timber. A fire crackled in a stone hearth across from her, casting long shadows along the w

ed. Her body protested, her arm wrapped tightly in clean linen b

before she cou

ci

black shirt that clung to his broad chest and dark pants that gave him an air of effor

e said, voice low

owled. "W

his movements measured, like a predator who kn

he room, looking for an exit.

olly, crossing his arms. "You were bleeding out in the middl

voice rising. "You can't just claim me, drag me ba

ckered in his eyes-something sharp and dangerous. "Y

idn't let it show. Instead, she squared her shoulders, fixing him with

amusement ghosting acros

as in front of her. He hadn't even made a sound. One moment he was across the

hissed, glar

t still firm. His gaze dropped to her injured arm, and Selene hated

was weak, dizzy, and her legs trembled beneath her weight. Bu

me here forever?" she ch

I think you're going to stay until you're strong enough to

re?" she demanded.

beat, he didn't answer. The silence was

e said finally, his

new he would say it, but hearing the wo

for certain," she sai

thing. Selene's instincts screamed at her to move, but her bod

a deep rumble that sent heat curling

e to close the space between them. She clenched her fists, wil

aw tighten

look at him-at the way his golden eyes burned with a m

en," she whispered. "

lp me un

uld she explain the truth? That the bond between them shouldn'

ally, her voice barely above a wh

long moment before he

felt like poison on her ton

pened, but he didn

ce him, her chest tightenin

ian cut her off, his voice steady. "I know what you

understand the blood that stained her past, the weight of

said again, shaking her head

his gaze locking onto

oesn't matter. What matters is that I can't stay

tudied her-really studied her-until she felt li

ou're not the monste

rds hit too close, like he'd looked inside her an

now that," s

on softened, just

nside her, something she wasn't ready to face. Sh

en them, broken only by

n said quietly. "You can fight the b

ight about one thing-she felt the bond just as strongly as he did. It p

terrifi

said finally, her v

, as though he understood more th

ised by his willingne

ucian added, his voice firm again. "You're not

d her down like stones. For now, she would st

Lucian turned and walked out of the roo

bond she co

-