a's

the first t

like a disease, sett

ly, but I was surro

e dim light peeped somewhere b

ing to recall where I was, tryin

of the sheer intensity of his presence, which overw

kness enveloped me, and I found myself slipping into u

s' d

wo

atta

t toweri

quickly, pain tearing thro

, my legs throbbing as if I'd be

rkness while memories flooded back.

thing that had happened was my fault. A suff

o reality. They hauled me forward as if I weighed nothi

d as they dragged me down the floo

und me, and I couldn't shake the feeling th

lth," one of them said, tighte

in. "The human might break," he add

fell. I would rather die than show weakness in front

ly beast," I said hoarsely, "and

ace, so fast I didn't see it coming, a

hem for mercy, but I didn't. I st

ng for a harder punch, but

s bite before they di

laugh fo

has something bette

epped into the

ust h

't just

dlus

e, their gaze following my e

eyes said otherwise, reveal

took drew th

er, as if it were

r passed th

overlapped, qu

she stand

uldn't b

he make it

nt, staring str

ow them any for

determined to demonstrate that humans are not just p

I saw

who kill

ad shoulders wrapped in dark leathe

If hate could take a form, it

t I knew any wrong move woul

voice low and rou

m, "Still alive, I see

arl did not. His expression changed,

I could see his pulse

our little

eturn the favor." I in

ising me and slamming my back so ha

e ground, as he held me there, fingers tighten

he murmured, low

orced out, my voice

neck tightened enou

d you when I had the

king violently. I knew I was going to die t

enough

idn't come

n't nee

ing sto

hands s

nd the silence was deafening. I didn't ne

did an

me wolf that

olf k

al

om a distance, the difference was obvious. He wasn't just

rately across the room. The othe

inally lan

sed me imm

nocked the a

d hard, hard enough to send a sharp vibration

ng my lungs to steady, begging my body to hang on a

he pain and

d not

front o

front

y voice scraped, worn thin from

hrough the hal

ll h

dare

d h

thick with hatred and bloodlus

dn't loo

my eyes

eact to the

stillness in his face ma

far to die," he

ke those words, a

e wasn't

contr

adab

through ever

kill you,

m. I felt it in the way the ai

sil

silen

presses agai

s heavy breathing

Karl said, his eyes locked on me

an

's his

even look

tly, sharpening his gaze on me as

d when you saw the r

s rig

curled at

humans can stand where

no pride

rrog

stated

den in my boot and lunged

ust one

ough my sides as someo

was f

neck, his grip ti

he said, his voice low again

began to s

ot to beg. Never that. But to

without permission." I forced out the

se enough that I could see the fa