NI RAV

ved. Not a branch. Even the night sounds had died. No crickets. No wind. Nothing. It was as

I hea

nd, and it mad

e voice came from behind me. Smooth and darkly amused. "One would

rigid at the familiarity of t

darkness like the nigh

stia

, illuminating his sharp jaw, his dark eyes that glowed a haunting blue, and h

tatingly. Unfairly. The black coat he wore trailed behind h

six centuries old. But there was something in his gaze

unt of destruction and ruin and the particular brand of terror t

ught to mention that the most dangerous thing about Sebastian Kol

He said, in the way someone wh

d not

t me. Last night, he gained access to my d

inventory of every micro-expression I was try

help?" H

said n

s mouth shifted.

a step

pped

tlessly it was almost casual, as though my retreat was

came out small a

sto

derstood that immediately. He

make the wrong choice either way, and my time is far too precious to w

ath ca

u dare th

elty. "I'm telling you what comes next. There's a difference." He tilted his head s

ed into fists

ainty. "Every wolf who raises a weapon will fall. Every wall will come down. Every living thing

." The words shoo

id no

ooked

or lunge or prove it in some dramatic way. He just stood there and looked at me with those eyes and let the word land

ell." I

No heat. No amusement. Just fact. "You should k

en us felt th

" He

at him.

my mouth. Then rose

lled, and with something underneath it that made my pulse spike violent

in my body f

ra

ungs screaming, legs burning. I didn't look back. Looking back was how prey died. I drove every o

, I heard

No pursuit. No

gh. Because the silence meant he wasn't chasing me. It meant he didn't nee

econd I was running th

was lifted clean off the ground, with s

oug

icking. Clawing. Driving my elbow back so h

even adjus

acknowledgment, without effort, like struggling against something that

ed against my ear. Barely audible

t frightening thing h

fight it.The last thing I felt was his arms. Solid. Warm. Completely cer

hat the goddess t