trous wo

scr

ont of her, the next he shifted mid-air in a swirl of shadows, his mass

ound t

d, heart racing, breath shaking. The forest exploded with movement as more red-

ed eight.

ma

an any she had ever seen. Her fur was white

her head as if

ce echoed in

ak. Are you sure

These weren't rogues.

wered, its voice

he weakest at first. But I

bl

he

olently. "N-No. You're

d in the way wolves

You are the rea

ripping chunks of stone with his claws as he twisted to pin the beast.

r

ng Kael off. Kael hit a

a cried with

leapt back into the fight,

ed wolves didn

ked towa

st

ot

barely breathe. Her legs felt like water. Her chest sti

't outrun

ldn't f

Nara.

o

rv

mind w

f stopped jus

eighteen years,"

night your

a f

my mo

know," the wh

makes th

h. She fell hard. Pain shot up her elbow, but she pushed her

know what you want.

t your

e blinked. "I don

cruel, echoing laug

t child of the S

again. "No. I'm just

od that can break

eath s

's c

el

curling around him like living blades. The beast roared a

yed wolf stepped

r hid you f

r died prot

l fulfill what yo

tears running down her cheeks. "I do

olf leane

cold breath ag

u w

l's snarl spl

lf injured and gasping behind him. Shadows wrapped

Nara and the red-eyed wol

d in her mind, sha

BEHIN

ouched his fur, something inside her chest eased-the burn

t o

nd so deep it vibrate

wolf stepp

ael," sh

ting what you

red his

will slaughter

wolf blink

rejecting her. Why

stiff

n through the bond-r

dn't

hite wol

he bond wo

to wonder why fate tied yo

ed, low an

nored it and look

child. If you

ael's muscl

y," the wol

di

d. "No. No, I'm no

te wolf

take you

aled the

lves lunge

t them

l fought like he was born in darkness itself. For every wolf that attacked, he threw two

e were t

as fight

urst from her chest. He was stronger than any wolf she'd ever seen, b

slipped p

ano

ried, scramb

lves p

of heat exploded

air

ound t

jump, suspended for a

d sharply,

d done

e her burned-bright and wild. A strange mist cir

ves crashed to t

as if seeing her

what di

himpered, terrified. "I

n stabbed her head. Her visi

t her befo

g-held her shoulders.

leased

her head weakly. "Wol

wblood

ood ra

aid urgently, looking at th

e cried. "I've

u c

s if his will alone could

u m

wolves were regai

wolf snarl

games. T

harged

Nara behin

A, R

tr

buckled. He

lves. Blood sprayed. Bodies flew. Shadows wrapped around him like

shed acros

tumb

cried, reac

peared behind her and gr

l s

asn't a growl-it wa

, but he w

anked Nara

ll, sc

apt tow

d between them, ramming

the ground, pinned

Nara s

t the white wolf was stronger than she looked.

. Tears blurred her vision. She clawed at the dir

he sobbed.

e exploded

AR

ones crack as h

ard hi

ond pulling, bur

th

oke in her ear,

sh the ritu

ed her na

round the wolves, swirling lik

in her chest, sh

hers-full of fury, fear

ppeared into