a's

of birds. It arrived as a jagged, shrill intrusion, the villa's l

constant, stinging reminder of Silas's "claim" from the night before. My muscles felt like t

my bandaged hand clumsy an

ss. It sounded like I'd spent the night sc

shit. Did you spend the night howling at

fight a Pack Enforcer over a parking spot. Her voice was the

feel Silas's heavy frame pinning me down, his mouth crushing mine, his fingers digging i

lied, my voice cracking

een sitting at The Obsidian Grill for two hours. I've been paging your link, but your

ng protest of my bruised core. I glanc

00

late for the divorce signing. My heart h

gone. The air in the room was cold and sterile, smelling

s if he had never been there at all-as if the war we wa

't keep my eyes open, and then he had walked out, leaving

the failure. He wanted to

a. "I'll meet you at the restauran

sidian

ere the city's most powerful came to flaunt their wealth. I felt lik

he dark, purple blossoms Silas had left on my nec

ssistic monster," Maya hissed, her eyes fixated

the glass, the insomnia-but I'd skipped the part

own," I murmured, starin

and then he lets his pack of sycophants treat you like a goddamn servant? Lana, if you don't sign those papers toda

echoed. Several shifters at nearby tables turne

se. People

nd now what? You missed the hearing because you overslept? Lana..." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a danger

I was glowing. I couldn't lie to her, but I couldn't find the wo

k of laughter erupted

the table suddenly changed-dropping ten degrees and vibratin

w who it was. The scent of cedarwoo

ned s

bly groomed in a charcoal-grey suit that

he had put me through. Beside him stood Julian Vane, his co

ne Thorne was tucked

but as her eyes met mine, I saw a flicker of som

that Silas hadn't spent the night celebrating

alization that he'd lost control with a "hum

r, stepped forward, his ey

esting. How did the great Silas

lent. Even the clinkin

gold, predatory, and promising a wor

his posture radiating a smug, domina

face in my hands like the submissive

ed me t

trembling slightly, but my gaze remaine

look at Julian. I looked Silas V

pression one of b

h the room. "A bit mechanical, to be honest. Maybe he's just ou

as so thick you could have

t a muffled sound that was either a sob or

s performance as "alright." It was more than an

ul man in the state like a mediocr

ntrol snapped. His jaw tightened so hard I heard the bone c

ifters instinctively bow their heads or look away. He looked like he

ee years was dead. And I think he realized in that momen

nto my feet. "At the lawyer's office. Don't be late again, Lana. Or I'll find a way

d him like a dark cloud. Celine scrambled to keep up, her heels clicking frantically on the marbl

ou're a goddamn legend. You just told the strongest Alpha in the Northe

My body still ached, and my heart was still heavy with the silver-rot I was ca

ttuce. "I'm going to be there early. I wouldn't