ne's

ng seconds, he stood completely still, shock hardening his features as though he couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

nds again." Breath tore unevenly from my lung

red was nothing but deadly

eady, and this time, I would neve

eron snapped his head back toward me, his

to put your ha

Break our bond?" Disbelief twisted across his face, as though my resistance were the most absurd thing he had ever hear

carried for him crumbled away as I

the unreasonable one h

hing more than a rogue with nowhere to go. Need I remind you that your pack already collapsed? Most of the wealth you brought was poured into building my

e day you come crawling to my bedroom door, begging me to clean up your mess. And w

uperiority, he turned and strod

ting so hard into my palms that

ould have sooner dragged myself through hell i

house's payment notice a

ven if I sold the last few pieces of jewelry my mother had lef

etly used the mate bond to siphon away most of my

the mirror across the room. My face was pale from exhaustion

e in my mind. If I truly intended to bargain with a dev

straight

powerful enough to challenge the Darkclaw Pack, and its

ithin the Dark Forest, where thick silver mis

and the air carried the heavy scent of wet earth mixed with the sh

pped into the council hall, where cold shadows an

ed in the se

eral buttons left undone, exposing the hard planes of his musc

and shut with rhythmic clicks that echoed sh

id, standing alone in the center of th

ho stood off to the side. Clearly, he h

nds froze m

you were the one who publicly rejected your Alpha yesterday. Now you're standing in his enemy's pack asking for money. So

rom standing before such a powerful Alpha and kept my voice steady. "Your deliberate bidding war is the reason

eat and strode toward me with slow, deliberate

me, his broad frame swallowing me wh

hing, the sharp scent of frost

d eyes with him and threw o

nderground business into Northreach and turn it legal here. You're planning to use Shadow Hollow as y

over the hall, the air turni

e as he instantly dropped low, shoulder

word came f

on me, something dangerous flic

body blurred forward so fast

right before he slammed me hard a

ist while his other hand gripped the

idal wave. Strength drained from my legs so fast I nearly collapsed,

closer, the heat of his breath ghosting along my e

s something dark and lethal, the calm menace of a beast mo