rra

the thrum of the ritual, grew thin and st

then up at my face. His eyes, dark and unreadable, held not

word, he r

my knuckles, a strange, searing heat shot up my arm, a sensatio

t beginning to hammer a frantic,

growl rumbled from Lucas's che

taking a menacing step forward. "Offering your ribbons to a useless stray, a m

fully took the ribbons and wound them around his own wrist,

a mottled red with wounded pride. "Tomorrow, at dawn, you will crawl to the main house

of his off-road truck. The tires chewed at the damp earth, spi

ter taste of dirt

bruised, heavy gray, thick wit

ss Shrine, an ancient stone altar where generations of wolves h

a silent bulwark against the raw, bit

said, his voice a low murmur as we neared the

alone into the dense,

es, making the old injury in my kne

ltar, I heard voices, fain

the broad trun

ing patch of mi

ing her with a theatrical gentlenes

house, awaiting my groveling arrival. Instead, he was here, parading the pack's

jacket, draping it over her shoul

ly heartbroken?" Jessica asked, her voi

hat was not quite a laug

. "Giving her ribbons to that stray was a cheap g

ile rose in

ngers tracing a leather cor

a massive, yel

, Lucas," Jessica pouted. "Wh

a Rogue

rabid, packless wolf ha

yet weathered

lose on my hand, to shear off the top of my pinky finger, just

ogue's dead jaw myself and given

Goddess's name he wo

is tone utterly dismissive. "I

leather cord

r her, he fastened the nec

s to my beautiful

of nausea w

tep backward, desper

me down on

n

bone breaking, yet in the preternatur

, crimson glow of a cornered Alpha. But it was not guilt that burned in t