tightened around my

both arms to the crowd, his own blood still dripping from his palm. The pack howled t

, meant to symbolize unity-but it burned like fire. Or maybe that was the bond. Ma

a," Ronan

nd gripping my waist. The crowd cheered louder. I wanted to shove hi

zen, while the pack c

in human form moved with an animalistic grace, their bodies twisting and turning around the ceremonial f

ushing my ear. "The blood pact

ourse ther

pedestal. The basin was ancient-carved with symbols I didn't recognize, s

Every member of Red River has bled into this bowl. Their blood mingles h

their palms and let their blood drip into the stone basin. Young and old, male

" Ronan said. "But fi

he same one he'd used on the altar. It gl

together. Equal wounds. Equal sacrifice." He stepped closer. "But

rm over. The dagger moved so fast I didn't see it-only felt it.

as nothing like the ceremonial wound on m

o the ground. Ronan held my wrist over the bowl, and I watched my blood-my

red, his lips brushing my ear. "My

thi

inside m

mfort or the bright fire of joy. This was a cold fire. An angry fire. A fire that had been smolderi

raised h

She didn't hide. She looked through my eyes at th

ed. Tear out his thro

f rising. My canines lengthened slightly, pressing against

and he looked at me with sudden interest-not

he mongrel beast." He smiled, and it was the cruelest sm

on. The wound on my arm screamed in prote

oice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. "Because if you shift now, if you attack me in front of my

hit me lik

e frightened girl who had braided my hair. I thought of everyone wh

. But I pushed her down. I forced my eyes to s

ething like disappointment. "Pity," he mu

y bleeding arm. The wound was deep-much deeper than ne

n waved her away. "No," he said. "Let it bleed. Let everyone

away. Others stared openly, their expressions a mix of fear and fascinati

t. Maybe I just wanted

e my blood now mixed with theirs. The bowl filled slowly, the dark liquid rising inch by inch. An

rowled. Let me fi

ld her. Soon.

oached the bowl again. He dipped his fingers into the b

he announced. "T

lood was warm, almost hot, and I felt something strange-a pull, a conne

ntoned. "Their blood recognizes

are not one of them. We

my soul, my very essence. Every wolf in the pack was connected t

led. "Feel that?" he murmured. "That's

ed his arms. "The blood pact is

n their midst with blood on my forehead and a wound o

the crowd, her green eyes fixed on me, and this time she didn't mouth words. She simply nodded

und. She had been through

ng me something:

led me toward the center of the celebration. "Now we feast!" he bellow

a knowing, ugly la

ed meat and ale, laughing and shoving and celebrating their Alpha's new possession.

ing me onto a fur-covered

I sat there, bleeding and broken, whil

wilder. Wolves shifted and ran through the forest, their howls echoing in the nigh

and never leaving my body-my shoulder, my arm

t of the pack had stumbled off to their d

said, and there was no mistaki

, away from the dying fire, towa

ade me wan

ear the tree line, watching. Waiting. As I passed, she raised her h

u

t me, the pack threads tugged at my so

d my wolf. Soo

nan pushed open the do