de tournaments where the prize was usually nothing more than bragging rights and an extra helping of stew at dinner. Now, the arena looked like a war zone-reinfo

sed, his powerful frame coiled like a predator at

t when she looked at him-equal parts nerve

though his mouth curle

brow. "Five minute

esn't keep

't tried to

, stepping forward,

ecause she hated how right he was. He saw the way her

said, tossing her a w

staggered back a step. The th

aff?" she asked, re

h without control is reckl

usted her grip, the air t

es slightly. You're top-heavy right

sting her arms wordlessly, his hands warm on her elbow

murmured. "

inked.

and tapped the staff in his

. "I don't wan

ed a laugh.

nge ac

sily, deflecting the strike with

again. A

ttack aside like she was n

. Her wolf bristled beneath her skin, snarli

t weak. N

left, then spinning to strike from the

it up. "Th

tem. She could feel her wolf pressing cl

he ordere

linked

r out. Stop

hesi

ot fully. Not by choice. The last time h

" Austin said gent

n his tone

reath, let it out

ed, fur burst from her skin, and her vision exploded into color. Every

an most females-and silver-w

rful, his dark fur streaked with gold. He let out a low growl,

as dif

inct and musc

, the raw exhilaration of movement. Austin nipped at her flank and she s

er just sparring.

back. Beth collapsed on the grass, ches

ossing her a water bottl

too breathle

h admiration, but something deeper

a approached from the training

" she said. "You bot

to her feet,

lls, leather-bound tomes, and records dating back centuries. Austin unlocked a side

nded Bet

th. They were blood-bound to somet

aths written in blood, wax-sealed contracts between the

his?" she

They guarded something-someone-before the wars. Most of the

one scroll up to the light. Her name

h Vale-C

e it, a s

e again when the wo

d Beth lo

aid slowly. "The rogu

rt racing. "He w

e dreams, the strange memories, the abilit

asn't just

as an

ken

ere wanted that po

ilence. "There's more. A name. The one w

e dropped to

a page and

lr

ld. That name was f

fore," she whispered. "I

oser. "Then it's

. Not with fear- but purpose. She wasn't just

e scrawled across the

Something about the name made her wolf recoil deep inside her,

asked, voice barel

e part of the Flamebound Order. A guardian, like your ancestors. But he turned on them.

h murmured. "And he bec

de her, silent, h

d the Flamebound were hiding something. A relic. A source of power tie

p. "Do we kno

ding it, and you're the last of their line, it's possible the k

flashes of fire, voices calling her name, a shadowed f

hat M

meone-or som

'll come for her. We need to get ahea

a cold knot of dread ha

she said, "I want to be ready

tate. "You will. W

ow?" sh

. "We're going to the Elder C

ribunal of wolves that existed outside of pack law. They didn't

happy to see

ut they know things-things lost to time. And if there's even a cha

a breath. "Th

, Beth cou

n her side, staring out the window at the sta

ck broke t

inside, shirtless, his hair tousled and damp. His pr

p," he said, eye

up. "Me

and sat at the edge of her bed, the

ng about tomor

about everything t

moment. Then, "I remember

d at him,

oss the training yard yelling at a group of boys twice your size

d. "You rem

his girl's going to burn

into a small smi

tened. "You

gone from distant Alpha to protector... and now,

ed," she

am

voice cracked somet

a strand of hair from her fac

ed into

isse

s fierce, like everything unsaid between

him closer. Her wolf howled ins

f them breathless, Austin res

ext," he whispered,

yes, heart full.

trees. Far beyond the hori