rick

first-salt and

skin. Some

cream tore thr

he pitch was wrong-olde

. A rogue scream.

lse was hun

inking twi

d-stride, wolf surging forward with a snarl. My paws tor

She is

irst encounter in these woods. I'd convinced myself it was bette

not so eas

nto a moonlit clearing just

r

y chest ache. Blood streaked her arm, hai

ed with panic. " It wasn't supposed to happen yet! Alp

e words. My wolf

claws tore through flesh

lumped to

ng backward , her in

Now we'll never know w

tracting , the air thick wit

at's what matters," I

once we're back in m

wide with disbelief. "Why.

couldn't d

gers pressed to my wounds, something ancient had aw

mine," I s

er head, tears br

tepped closer. "Th

away, legs givin

e contact was electric-fire racing through

tect her.

s," she muttered,

grip tightened. "You can die

caught between

rathe

, she didn't even know

olf , shining in the moonlight. It didn't look at me, it looked at her. A Shadow Born. It cocked its head, lo

rogue's words echoed back-it

hell was

answers

leave her vulne

over my shoulders. She struggled weak

down," s

coming w

*

a blur. My wolf paced beneath my skin t

rose before us, the

talk. They

didn't

whispers as I carried her through. C

d with a mate. A rog

isper. Let

tered little. Only

chambers and laid h

ious , lips drained,

brushing a clump of blood-c

to be safe her

e?" A bitter laugh escaping h

oat ti

ut from everythin

ace away. "I don

n't bla

d quickly , tending her wounds as I watched fro

, I dismissed him

lone with he

, casting silver light

of whiskey, hand

golden eyes, dark hair tousled from the night'

h it, doub

could desire-armies, wealth, dominion. The cou

ing eluded me-

s whispered. My gamma questioned my authority mo

ueen is a king wit

d her to me. The one wolf wh

yet when I touched her , the bo

e whiskey i

*

ck broke th

," I b

n eyes gleaming with t

her here," he

d

ertain tha

voice low. "She's mine

's Crescent Moon's outcast.

him

he cou

l fall

"Or will they see a king grow

g beneath my skin. "Sp

. Then he incl

you know this pa

o, and send scouts to guard t

ew this woul

elp me-I d

ed by her side , unabl

ow furrowed, soft whim

ered once, voice cr

sted thr

one anymore, I

the promise, unea

adow Born appe

hell was Th

*

a scout arrived at

und this-at the

a scrap of bl

le, delicate silver chain

ad seen

Aria'

fr

come to be out

don't know. There were no t

ghtened on

lready breach

anted me t

o her bedside,

d, eyes flu

ut to her. "Do you

on it-and went w

voice shaking as her hands searched for the

ed," I said quietly. "They'

came fast,

hy woul

aze, voice

we're going