ND

uc

gh the heart of Mystic Forest in my wolf

moon

been the bane

them as long as I was concer

found a way to drag me into the

ht was no

ing forced to flee my own pack's terri

Absolutely

ed up here, we'd have to go

olfed-out pups on their first run under the ful

eached me-through the mind link-that a pup from

't unhe

kless little things. They were drawn to anyth

ugh the forest without a shred of t

would find cracks and forgotten trails, slipping un

rly divided between two packs: Crescent Ridge-mine-ruled t

e of fog and poisonous miasma-remained a neutral

that invisible line. Crossing it without

ation dema

s always an excep

well when mercy would be gran

ant to remind and deter everyone that accide

I handed the young wolves over to my Beta, Jax

," Jaxon had said, his

tion-how, unlike other werewolves, full moons

stirred the cu

ess I'm dead or tied up with other matters,

confident. T

a good

akening, and that was if I bled beneath

e been a ro

. Effo

t it

be a fully grown wolf-stunted in s

n't bothered to guard against it-I didn't sense the ambush u

cause my blood was immune to it, perhaps becaus

t didn'

I was

hrough me as I jerked my gaze

e was aw

hrink into a helpless pup-sized form

ed to

dn't let t

ck members-and especially no

os that would follow if anyone

ut. The q

ll over, both inter

w who had sent that assassin

deliberate? Has the

on a test? To confi

ashed through my mind i

n to one conclusion-I coul

ssin wolf in one swift move, knocked it unc

disabled the attacker. Put him in a cell and w

ction before he

ssage, calm and author

ta Jaxon will arrive shortly to take the

pha," came thei

ngements, I allowed mys

ned and slipped deeper into the f

f the forest, I had a cabin-a hi

er made i

st-a deep, bone-twisting agony

ore from my throat

ng bones, the sickening pop and gri

tement, distortion a

sque re

-hot, the forest spinning as I cle

afford to

of how long

es? H

ldn't

d, leaving only the lasting a

ame shallow

matted

o look to know

nward confir

, paws too tiny to

had run

twitched

something

scent, but my senses yielded nothing

still far away, or because my senses w

matter who,

e this-not when my black fur and b

tely, doubt would take root. And doubt,

rdened wit

y one opt

despera

eft, I stood up and turned toward

a chance to rethink, I bo

ll leave it up to th