ng the city's distant hum until only the fain

e stranger was there-no dream, no drunken haze this time. His pale hair gleamed faintly in

er to turn back toward the streets, toward people, toward safety. But her body refused to ob

her voice brittle, b

the damp earth. "You followed the whispers." His voice was deep, quiet,

n flickering across her

gaze never wavering. "You wouldn

e knew. Which meant he was part of it, this sa

ling her voice steady

jaw tightened before

y, past and present c

ickling her skin. "Then what are

omething darker. "Making sure you survi

id it, low and deliberate, sent a chill thro

left. "I don't need a guard dog. I came here because-because I have

ple across still water. "Then you're

the air between them. She tracked his every step, pul

ound of it hanging in the mi

at much. But something about his stare-unyielding ye

mething to him. He repeated her

d have demanded answers, should have run. Instead, she found herself askin

ow flickering in his eyes. "Becaus

here was something heavier in his voice-an old wound carried too long. She opened her m

stantly, his entire body taut, aler

r clawing up her

cut in, his tone br

he didn't underst

s crunching against the damp earth. She hated herself for listening, hated how qui

is time. A low shuffle, like f

sture, the way he braced himself. It was the stance of a man who expe

man, not natural. Adanna's stomach clench

of the mist, f

k, the scent that clung to them-feral, desperate, unbound by pack law. They grinn

ice thick with mockery. "What

ok at that-guarded by the white wolf himself. Di

the words sinkin

he insult. If anything, his jaw set tighter, his

nder said evenly, his voice lo

"Two on one," the first sneered. "Not mu

g down. And she-she had no wolf, no strengt

sides. She hated it. Hated

. He shifted slightly, placing himself betwee

st man

p, catching the rogue mid-strike, his body twisting with lethal

clawing at her chest, but Leander was already moving. His fist co

t the fight was already over. Le

before, seen dominance displayed at Alpha gatherings. But this-this w

rey eyes locking on her. Fo

lk into Heath territory without expecting wolves to find you. Cre

s and politics, wars and betrayals. She was too tired to untangle

hen danger closed in, h

er voice to work. "You... you

but his answer was immediate. "I

aped her, bitter a

long and heavy, as though he saw th

es thrown over their shoulders. Leander didn't chase them. He stood s

lose she stood to him, her breath

s. "So... what now? Do I just wander until Crescen

her, unreadable. "You

were harsh, but not cruel. A simple fact

she said, her voice s

est edge of something like amuseme

ople who want saving. They take

throat. She didn't know whether to hate him

eeper into the fog, then back to he

her answer, he started

her heart warrin

he stepped

. Then a

she trusted

me since Hyde Park, she wasn'