LE

edges. Damian's signature slashed across the bottom in black ink, bold and confident. Mine underneat

ng. Like she'd finally trapped me. "Bonds can snap. Feelings can die. But law is

rds hit like ice in m

g my face. Watching my reaction. Like he was measuring how much

me," he said.

it stronger. "You taught me pack law yourself. Article seven, section three. A sig

. My voice sounded far away.

here was something else there. Triumph. Ugly and sharp. "She's right, Father

ent. Even the rain

. He thinks he won. He thinks the paper means m

be free of guilt. I'd be the reason a son died by his father's hand. The pack would

it. That was the worst part.

. Then another. She didn't back down, b

" he said. His voice was low. Dangerous.

e law," sh

ugh that she had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. "The law a

d snapped up.

her under false pretenses. A weak bond. A shadow bond. You knew, Damian. You felt it wasn't true from the start. But

s true. I saw it on his face. The trut

racked at the edges.

the contract. Just touched her wrist. The same way

er wasn't just strength. It was truth. It pressed down un

"When you signed that, did

eaded on her forehead despite the cold. "T

Damian did. He felt it. He told me the bond felt thin. Like a thread. Bu

e air like smoke. Damian's

don't g

nymore. They were the Alpha's. Gold, molten, ancient. The eyes that had ruled this pack for

out his hand. Not to take m

you're bound until death. But the blood says otherwise. Your w

e him kneel. Walk away. This wasn't simple. This was choosing Kieran. Choosing

ster would scream betrayal. The pack would split down t

wolf didn't want. Bound by paper and guilt and thre

t toward me. "Sign it again. Right now. Reaffirm it.

," he said. His voice cracked. "You said you loved me. You

dy there, three years younger, three years more naive

d. At the gold in his eyes that didn't hurt to loo

rred. Low. Deep. And pressed against me from insi

ot for the pen. No

Warm. Solid. Real. The calluses on h

nd mine. Tight. Like he'd

ike he'd been shot. Lik

amed, "You can't

felt like freedom. Like cutting chai

led me to his side. Behind him. Out of reach. A wall of

challenge is declared," Kieran said. Voice calm. Final. No room left for argum

outside. Lit up th

in Kieran's eyes. Not triumph.

t declared war on

moon was in

ack was goi