in the center of the Moon Temple with hundreds of pack members watching, that gift felt like the beginning of a nightmare. The silver bond connecting

heir Alpha to speak. I could barely breathe beneath the weight of their stares. My heart hammered painfully against my ribs as I sear

ath the surface. "Alpha Kael," she said, her voice echoing through the templ

jaw tig

nce settled

something no

ed away

led throug

mach d

nstinct urged me to go to him, to close the distance between us, but my feet remained

owan said

a didn't

ince I had known him

tened me more

Blackwood f

ogue

ival

t

e standing before him as hi

t like a knife twis

estess frown

ine for the briefest moment. Something flickered there. Pain.

y spoke, his v

ca

ect th

ond, nobo

y bre

temple seem

m, certain I h

didn't m

cou

ate bond

dess herself

e was almost

ned, but no

eld me

erupted

did he

't be s

ha just reje

k me from every di

ion bl

ained mo

ionl

adn't just sha

I refused to let them fall. Not

and forced myself

I whi

n barely le

ilence that followed

pression

e my r

arder than the r

plana

apo

ompa

, brutal

g inside

of adm

f secre

of dre

n an i

hest. I staggered slightly, struggling to stay on my feet. The

consider this.

of the con

through hers

e fell si

st time in my l

inside me, another emot

fus

leaving his mouth, I could still

t didn't matc

ked dangerously cl

el spok

I could feel the weight of the crowd pressing down on me, waiting for an explanation that never came. My heart still refused to accept what was happening. This

ere clenched into fists at his sides, and his shoulders looked unnaturally stiff. It was almost as though h

d the second the crowd

ld he re

do someth

ha already has

. Embarrassment burned through me. I wanted to run. I wanted to

t time, desperate for some sig

did

looked dir

ween us puls

l took a deep breath as if preparing himse

tears, she failed to notice a hooded figure watching from the edge of the crowd. Hidden beneath the shadows, th