NI RAV

echoed with the sound of ra

w crack in the heavy door. The air inside was thick with tension. My father sat

s betas said. "The deadline is tomorro

er cut him off, his voice quiet. That

our own Western packs have gone to his side." A pause. "He's feeding alphas with his blood. It makes them stronger,

pit, every black market in the district runs through him now. Humans and wolves alik

murmured

and came down

oug

fell imm

g cold and absolute. "I will not hand my daughter to that monster

ave the strength to stand against what he

gh the room like a whip. "I will not sacrifice her. Before I am A

at followed wa

away from

with and a fate I never chose. And my father, the man who had

ered outside our territory. Sebastian

ore the tears cou

***

as I fled the packhouse, heading straig

dat's

here silence hung heavy and the only whispers were the ones from th

d before

the moonlight. Her hair, white as frost, fell to her waist. Her blind eye

aid softly. Her voice always sounded li

ned. "Then you k

was warm and thick with incense. Candles flickered on every surface,

ashidat. Why did the goddess mark me? Why did she have my path in

, she said, "You call it a curse because you see only the suffering

y lips. "To doom everyone I love? To tie my fate to

laspheme against the mother, child. Even pain serves its place in her weaving. Th

ing else, something wrong and ancient. I could feel it in my blood when he touched me. I'm powerless against him." I said, last night's dream flooding ba

, Leilani." Rashi

ing my head. "W

She said, voice low and rhythmic, like a chant. "You ar

m?" I echoe

e energy. "You are his cure and key to freedom but more importantly, his undoing and damnation.

You mean the Alphas? The o

is hold on them. Undo the curse he sprea

nse. "I don't understand

One for creation. One for destruction. You are the m

ead. Undo him? Heal what he poisons? Reverse the

" I whispered. "I never

seeming to look through me. "But destiny does not wait fo

one. The beast hunts what he fears most, but be not afraid fo

***

re quiet on

qu

he air that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. The kind that

ped wa