n's

overlook. One glance at my reflection in the rearvi

e Blake, turning around fro

scraping low in my throat. "And

n't try t

limousine drove off along the mountain road. Its red taillights

while the wind blew hard across the

ed it somewhere in the back seat. My shirt collar hung open

dn't paid much attention to

the wind slowly turned my knuckles red. The cold still didn't bother me

ow me. Life carried on like normal down there, but f

thought. Then they touched something hard ben

were no words carved into the metal. Instead, a dark wolf's head filled the center. Its face tilted upw

totem of th

go, I'd put this chain ar

ling over the estate as Alexis leaned against the balcony railing in a white dress. Her hair spilled over her shoulders,

ing closer and tur

eyes for me

to now?" said Ale

close

ed her hair away from the back of her neck before slipping the chain i

zing," sai

one,"

ross it, then turned to face me again. She traced her thumb

enough to pull me in, and I kisse

s looked at me and sa

brushed the skin near her collarbone. "I want everyone to know

he look in her eyes told me

ad ever made me happ

t and that better days were finally waiting for us. For once, I'd

Maybe the Moon Goddess had neve

ved quietly enough that the wind nearly covered the sound. Still,

nt beneath the cold night air, the smell of metal from the railing, an

ed by old ink and the li

ever carried that

ugh the tightness in my s

look, mostly hidden by the shadows. He wore a black hoodie

clenched between his fingers. A thin strip of light caught

he rushed forward and swung the

y thumb nearly pressed into the joint out of instinct, but I stopped mys

rrier with a sharp metallic sound before falling over the cliff.

lade. He aimed for my throat again, but I turned aside before it reached me. The edge swept

hit the ground, rolled t

one motion, I twisted him around and forced him against the barrier. The chain pressed hard into his back as

and pressed my knee against his lowe

e than necessary. At this distance, th

the entrance, and two beams of

" said

one hand and guns in the other, with their weapons aimed directly at us. The safeties were a

e to them through

at," I said. "Pu

d still for

shifted slightly before the beam

em. Now,"

die finally dropped his weapon to hi

is gun to its holster, although he ke

the man's hood and pulled

he dim lights around the overl

you,"

ct three years ago, and we'd worked together several times d

m each other over coffee, and spent hours

inner once, where we'd ended up talking ab

with one arm still pinned behind him. A fresh scrape near his

my hold

ht. Instead, he remained surprisingly calm befor

n let me go n

more seconds before fina

the dust from his hoodie. He didn't seem bother

t have an exact head count, but there are enough of them to be a serious problem. We've also confirmed that they've stockpiled a large amount of silver ammunition. They recently got a new leader, and things have become a lot

arrier. "And that's why you

onsidering how you've been for the last two years, I didn't know if you'

away, but my hearing was sharp e

barrier. "Fine," I said. "What