rie

h l

night. What are the chances that I'd run into the alpha king out here in the ga

rol, I clear my throat and nod w

then laughs again. "I can't tell

re from my tone, even he

o him on a silver platter? Probably, but I'm banking on the fact that he's

et out of the pack a

t crinkle at the corners of his eyes that has

ot what I exp

rrogant, imperial-he seems to act like the complete opposite, almost friendly in a way. Lik

y off guard. The entire trip up here, I'd been preparing myself over and ove

front of me in the flesh, I can't seem to get m

er into the gardens. I need a minute to breathe before I can start trying to se

he ball where hundreds of other girl

ds of his shoes crunching on the gravel following

y would he ca

e world is

that he follows me while I

eresting enough to ditch his own damn party in order to play cat-and-mous

" Elijah ca

ng on my heel to face him, he practically barrels into me. As I fall back,

chivalrous, it knoc

of his suit to keep me from

ault," he tells me, b

e sucking in a short burst of air that doesn't seem able to quite fill my lungs. I'm struck by

voice cuts off,

, I feel

heart, over and over again until I'm

its way across what feels like the vast expanse of the universe un

whip, and the

ating

, his mouth falling ope

, the King of the North: Eli

ry to move it. I can't believe-

n beats steadily in my chest,

of air leaves him as he continues to stare at me-in horror? Disgust? Bewilderment?

nd compelling me to follow him. My wolf is practically clawing at me fro

his head wildly. His own wolf must

hatters at

ore he's shifting and turning to sprint t

t...jus

e, the lingering burning feeling still

ge to stumble my way back into the ball. The lights are bright,

ght now, but I can't just leave w

ost the entire thing in one go. One of the catering staff gives me a strange look be

skirts of the party. My chest aches from being separated so suddenly

one together for a while to properly let it settle. That's how it should be

as yet to s

lence and the space to be alone again. I can hardly breathe, and being surrounded

ip into my nightgown, I feel the familiar p

and pretend to seduce Elijah to make Alpha Storm happy, not be re

n packlands while feeling like I'm dying? Is t

ing up in bed. Expecting Raya, I head ov

instantly, freezing me in place as

bbing the door and prying it out of