FIVE:

hina'

id when I woke up w

the borrowed blankets, and even before

n

w

re

o

r a

short of what I should ha

nto the blackness behind my eyes, half expecting to fi

ieces-my rogues surrounding me, the hit to my skull,

icipate

icipate

anticipated w

d resting aga

o

allo

he palace, one thing I could be absolutely sure

to figur

find myself staring up at the ce

coming through the small window to light t

ed bla

en t

anced

olished stone of the palace where I'd

oment I waited for the

ould

know wh

whose territ

the people who

, this room was

as h

ants ready to report my every move to anyone who wanted to hear. No council members watching and

r walls

body expected m

ould ha

did

e me a strange

ushed myse

ead made my body ache with moveme

f the back of my head felt hea

y injuries or due to my realizat

found back on and walk

lway wa

and tracked them dow

over a table c

at the river line while saying so

fferent in t

ground auction house and more of an Alpha who

pproach and ra

n eyes lock

ough he knew

ice and turned to

an

are a

odd

to talk

shifted

ut w

lo

dn't

glanced at

was all h

is map and left t

otsteps faded before

dn't say

n't si

n't pr

mply

ore to rattle me th

sk you somet

t is

down at

but trying to decide wh

out who I wa

out Kael was

ls was something I did

e smallest qu

wrong with my

eyes narrow

treated me said

wards the ta

ever been m

wned s

I saw true concern

intr

susp

nc

you mean?

tell precisely how

e quie

at happene

ed for an

myself to

me that I lost two

aus

not what rea

utiniz

appened

answer r

ched at the fab

something about the loss of my ta

have been lost

ward the four t

es you th

feel the loss o

t his a

al

int

uch in

bringing it

before this?"

ion was t

closely enough to n

ked a

like a stone being dropped

ust asking a

asking

p

o knew me bef

ould have taken

d away

ere the

your w

alt

es

how many tai

y sh

t they

d not

ed against

not acc

as eve

silence to decide

t silence was more terrify

end, someone fi

rds spoken coul

ustice," I

n wa

can say about

s not

mply not

e whol

never l

beat, I thought he would

thing shifted

d not

urse

uch a strong territory could not

t force me to

ask whose f

ask why I

"You do not

til

not say

d not n

accusation

t made my ch

aps for a second and t

elp you f

ed at

u w

es

hy

ion I could no

he be in

y save me from t

ple already tr

ide me with a room, fo

made no

, I learned that ther

shru

thing was sto

kered to my r

deserve to know

in my ches

any name for

it was

it was

to help me for years without

cil want

om needed

rs wanted

med to love me want

not ask fo

e

d me almost as muc

ow it felt like

them the chan

hat onc

ether I could go

offered his help, I

nk y

tasted

iled

need to tha

expressio

condi

ait

ou, I won't be able to defend you

skipped

as t

cond

own that it woul

that this act of kindness did

kept

ooking for you,

is tone turning i

hurt you, I

s fixed

nything from you, I ne

t that the men looking for m

ed my s

re

gu

nd

ic

se helping them wit

ready know wh

ree

or my lips to pro

n no

couldn't

that I wouldn't be ab

just

and the kind of man

me the shelter out of pure concern or si

tell him

that I was the Lun

ng ago, the woman he saw now was considered worthy of

share anything r

at had befallen the

ound again to

hought that our dis

the door

ered into the

, Ronan s

s goin

uard

n the eas

anced

want a

ran throug

man?" Ro

uard

straight at m

ery h

s drift

fox t

froze in

p until someone

econd, no one

the beat of

were look

ew precisel