hina'

se race now only stirred revulsion. His touc

," I said, my voice glaci

chandeliers above us. The scent of his rage-burn

ought her into our lives. Did you really think I w

too well. The same look he'd worn while whispering swe

ured, reaching for me. "She was

tepped back, my wolf snarl

d. "There will never b

ut I knew the truth-he didn't want me. He wanted my bloodline. My

erted herself between us

listening like cheap glass. In my past life, this performance had fooled t

y laced with arsenic. "All I ask is a small corner in Darius's life. I'd be co

aid," he crooned, his thumb brushing away her crocodile tears.

was painful

k for nothing b

orarily" move in

ut securing his Alpha succession, she'd be

ecree, only to find them rutting like animals on what should have been our wedding bed. T

ag

r ag

der than a winter moon. "The engagement is

please don't do this!" The scent of her desperation-overripe roses and fear-clung to

y one. "I don't recall this concern when your

nce was

er, his voice ragged. "Bastian

voice." His Alpha power rolled through the hall like thun

Da

ade shattered-the raw, unf

the flames w

of the engine. My mother's warm hand closed over mine

, my darling?" s

s all i

ollapsed into her embrace, breathing in her familiar scen

inst her shoulder. "Just feeling f

ed, stroking my hair like she had wh

eat, his grip tightening on the wheel. "You're a Luminar

d into Moonwhisper territory, I couldn't ignore the mixed reactions from our

ct relations between our packs?" I f

ve faith in our strength, little wolf. Our

ing of Moonwhisper in my past life, his political maneuvers disguised as ro

cupped my face. "Tell us w

I d

uesome death at my own mate's hands. By the time I finished, Fathe

e!" he roared, his alpha aur

ly, her delicate frame sha

was their reaction to a hypothetical, what would they have

ow, I told m

he Moon God

ot waste this

*

om as I kissed my mother's cheek. "I'll be f

irl who had crawled into her bed after nightmares, not the woman wh

her another hug. When the door finall

il

le

n-felt frayed and thin. I reached inward, searching the

ly appeared, m

moonlit forests with me. Before me crouched a spectral versi

whisper of wind through

ng Darius hadn't just broken our m