n't s

saw the five words written in m

meet your

My mother had been dead for six years. I had buried her beneath the willow tree behind our pack house, c

her handwriting had appeared insid

essage itself that

at she had known I

had searched every corner of the room, hoping to discover something else, but there was n

ther's death. But the moment I mentioned her name, his expressi

that he knew som

aped my throat a

k

ok my

tell us

nd out

ould investigate anything while being held inside a fo

sn't going

eneath the mattress. Whatever secrets my mothe

k interrupted

oor o

and elegant, with silver-streaked hair pulled into a tight bun. Her sharp features

uniform with gold embr

," she

ined s

rning to

ows lifte

ys have some

nters my room and st

her gaze moving over the

. "The Alpha has instructed me to pr

red a

dding i

y changed your mind ab

ost l

hether I wanted t

ression re

tted to have it are two very diffe

undle of cloth

he ceremony beg

oked

ding

roidery. Tiny wolves had been stitched along the waist and sl

s bea

w made ever

oose this?

cour

thoug

studi

tongue, girl. The Alpha is not

own for being frie

thing resembling amuseme

u have absolutely no understand

aps b

and pointed toward

d. I won't

ess and disappeare

ad slept. I wondered whether he was looking forward to the ceremony

hether he felt the mate b

time I thought about him, she pushed agains

ted

nstincts could be

om behind the screen,

, while a delicate train flowed behind me. My dark hair fell over my shoulders,

ed me from

you look p

treasure that com

me and ope

e al

longer than they ha

nged from curiosity to open hostility. Some whispered behind

omega from S

Alpha's rev

ossibly make

one of the pillars stepp

daughter,

top

tightened her g

walk

man la

seless daughter to the battlefield instead

ked a

iors to the battlefield. Appar

ession h

ward before the wo

get yourself kill

swering a

is the Alp

he should learn

sig

nderstand how dange

nced

nger since I was old enough to recogni

dn't a

lk, her grip on my arm bec

orated with silver wolves. Beyond them, I co

sto

quietly. "Whatever happens in

ied he

you afra

ression

with any

another question, t

room was

tapestries depicting the history of the Blackwood bloodline. At the far end stood an enor

pack members

oom, beneath the Black

the shoulders and sleeves. His dark hair had been brushed

man who had arrived at Si

ke a king preparing

the mate bond awakened with su

a

surged

but forced myself

the slight movement of his jaw and the

lt it

forward," h

my arm and s

head high. When I reached the bo

wai

dn't

through the as

es nar

closer

u perfectly we

n the cro

nts were controlled, but I could sense the

me, the difference in our hei

enjoy te

simply don't enjoy

over my face before

my family. And yet you stand here wearing my wedding

forgotten

ember you

my wolf

he fear risin

he place you decided

w tigh

here because I al

you dragged me away from my hom

e entire room se

only Kae

readable, but something sh

difficul

re a diff

rous smile tou

e will be more intere

gathered pack members

es of Bl

m fell

father's blood debt remains unpaid, and this marr

onded with app

lt s

announcing

ouncing a

h spread through my body. The mate bond surged between us, f

econd, I wanted to

him to

had destroyed my home might somehow

membered

my re

myself

ped forward carryin

g beard. A silver pendant hung around his neck,

ncient laws require both parties to acknowledge th

ked a

nsibil

red my

wooden box and remo

o bloodlines. Once the vows are spoken,

d Kael o

ook my

warmth through me, and I strugg

ful wife, promising to protect the bond between

remained f

pt the

lder

turned t

kwood as your husband and ackno

sita

tter flashed t

meet your

the ring in

ll everyone that this marriage was

to Silver Moon. It would only giv

ifted

pt the

ced the ring

tion travelled through my body. The bond pulsed once,

d, I thought I he

mi

Ka

distant an

reme

lin

that?" I

rned to

ha

at him,

thi

raised h

the Blackwood pack, you

er filled

idn't

ward me, his eyes d

cleared

t seal the uni

ach tig

w me closer. His touch sent a shiver through

lowered t

ou," he w

irectly in

arting our mar

embling amusement cr

s lips

emed willing to acknowledge. I felt the mate bond flare between us, bu

lled away, his bre

e for another second before

mony is c

erupted i

rely hea

who claimed to hate me had looked a

chambers," Kael

ed tow

cham

d your wedding night in

mewhere that didn't belong

ession h

reful,

ways telli

d and gently t

is

of the throne room,

ations continued somewhere in the fortre

ral minutes before

tand what you'

s w

owerful Alpha in the northern territories. Every de

ked a

ll finally stop treat

small, humo

ably

derf

pair of dark

opene

sive bed stood beneath a canopy of dark fabric. There was a sitting area near the windows,

, smoke, and something unmi

pped

ned near t

will retu

comfo

ed me for

on't understand. Don't trust everyone who smiles at you, and do

row

strange th

Some of them are older

sk what she mean

oor c

l's chambers, staring at the expen

s ma

y en

my

what would happe

g ring and examined

engraved ins

ll sy

surrounded by

began t

that symb

the silver necklace

r the necklace around my

ngs were

rying to understand what they

omething connected to

wedding ring ha

k interrupted

ed the ring bac

oor o

ent

f his black shirt were rolled to his elbows. His expres

still

re I was supp

the door b

caused a scene dur

that I didn't particularly enj

toward the

get used

n't expect me

tur

ver stop

r stop givi

econds, neith

e dropped to

id you g

tively to

ged to my

ression

r mo

s.

er, studying th

s her

le

so sudden that I could hear

ough it had awakened a memory he

off," h

ped ba

N

take

t's wrong

es dar

l belongs t

t began

s impo

your moth

ow. She nev

e pendant, but I close

t tou

and s

ught he might force

he lowere

as not who you

red a

oes tha

oked

sleep

ing like that and walk away. Wha

ession h

s are better l

hey concern

toward

rn wing of this fortress.

hy

pau

se I s

oor o

he turned back

d L

his

es

old you about the Black

ppeared into

fingers wrapped a

rned me to run w

symbol she h

forget everything she might

oward the

d Fortress, I understood that my marriage was

carried to her grave, it was bur