ius

nch coat and wrapped it tight

aturated with the deep, dark scent of the Shadow Territory. It would com

She felt as light as a pie

coiled, and with a few massive, silent leaps, I vanis

*

eb

he genuine leather

skull felt like it was splitting open in two. The mate bond connecting me to Elena was

oor of the stud

ay. She walked softly, playing the role of the perfect, caring

collar of her silk robe lower, exposing her pale chest, and leaned forw

eyes bypassed he

neck. Right below her ear, there was

aring from the fog of my blind

ying up to quickly pull her collar tight against her neck. It was the

d up, reached across the d

e Alpha need for control and inte

anked her forward. I forcefully pulled her co

ed in

faint, a bitter, metallic smell that made my wolf bare its teeth. And ther

ysical residu

ale. "It's... it's just a new makeup I bought," she sta

r lips easily, but it h

ng cold. For the first time in ten years, I looked at the woman who supposed

s low, vibrating with the heavy,

away, trembling, and practically ran out of the study. When she pulled the do

ll into a de

pale skin. Her hollow cheeks. Her constant exhaustion over the last few

he study, my long legs carrying me rapidly down the hallw

he very end of

owless storage room. This was where Elena lived.

nob and pushed

stinct, metallic tang of dried blood. The smell of her mi

llow light flickered on, revealing the tiny, pathetic single bed. My

slowly to

dark stain. It was a pool of dried, black blood. It was the la

against the stiff, crusty fabric. M

s hurt, bleeding, and out t

My wolf vision caught a slight irregularity. Beside the cheap n

iolently pried the wooden board up. Splinters dug under my finger

was a rusted iron box. It was the only sec

oney inside. No jewelry. She had absolutely nothing of v

op piece of paper

ed, brown blood. She had written this w

ng. It was a log. A detailed list of d

onto one specific sentence. My pupils dilat

tea again. Heart burns l

d themselves in

low, guttural, animalistic growl tore its way up from t

the iron box, gritti