seconds, n

owered toward me. The warriors who had been ready to draw their swords

Rowan was o

mained s

el powerful.

ire into them. My fingers were numb, and the

looked

kneel

had looked into my eyes and claimed that everything be

have felt

s expression when he sai

han the strange power

," I wh

dy m

ed my

id ge

ndows

n the hall bur

ing several warriors to clutch their chests. I

ght in my eye

rything

followed was wors

ly lifted

I saw something I had n

r of an

r o

out," he

beyed im

e became

OW

ragging their children behind them. The elders followed, though Rowan rema

entire life preparing for a nightmare

he doorway, he tu

same mistake yo

pression

e, Ro

appeared into

el, the wounded stranger, and

ill hel

whispered,

kno

tand. I have never se

her h

out sharper th

flin

uck me im

I'm s

and pulled me int

nly person in that room who had not knelt because some ancient fo

mat

ed away and l

d you do

aid no

pped tow

ws exploded, and now the entire pack is bowing to

t t

sn't an

I inte

ned tow

d to know what

ger so

We can figure this

hed for

ved bet

hall until I know what h

red a

t to decide t

w tigh

is not abo

ctly comfortable making decisions

ossed h

o

anted him to

ant nothing to you," I continued. "You watched me break,

lowered

kno

you d

bled, but I r

ared. You don't know what it was like to look around that room and re

allo

nge has happened to me, sudd

pped c

anted you

did you

ned hi

ed strang

ly sound that ma

afraid of what y

ly that I barely sa

the throat and slammed h

growled, "and I'll t

despite the hand c

Kael. Still pretending that

htened h

hed f

him

ooked

ef moment,

ey the person he had once claimed as his mate figh

leased the

ed to the flo

hed him c

are

lood from

he royal bloodline before your

blood

existed before the modern packs, before the

ed at m

the last su

ok my

N

st queen. She hid you among ordinary wolv

r was not

they wanted yo

d away f

ntire night was a terrible dream and that I would wake up tomorrow with an or

ide his torn coat and produ

zed it im

that pendant ever

d the people who raised me, searched the old rooms, and

ad ever

of a stranger who claimed

ched

lled his

t y

it t

. But once it does, the people hunting

e hunt

ession d

le who murdere

mach t

urdere

looked

l looke

old me more than eithe

man who had once pro

who killed

mained

wer

o ordered

arely reach

ho

first time that night, his

y s

fath

med to go qui

pack remembered him as a strong ruler who had prot

admire

ng grounds as a child. He had smiled at me, called me a stubborn lit

the same man could have

ying," I

sh I

ur father murdered my family, and

the truth

recen

aid no

re to

nce answ

other ste

you

listen

uilt on a lie, and you

to find a way

jectin

ce tig

bond would prevent your

aughed b

ent bond and silence a queen's blood

d him again, but

on

sto

stand how the man I loved had be

have told m

dn't ri

me to decide what risk

ne with some

kno

et to say that and exp

my tea

ng with you if you had simply trusted m

ered h

the man from beneath

embered th

rned

o my mothe

d at me in

u know wh

re they tol

ed Da

lling the tru

r several second

ething you mu

ard the shatt

red moon. The trees moved in the wind, their b

ted toward the n

grave is not in

eath

re i

as no

hand tighten

rned back

other did not d

red a

remember. I had kept her old scarf beneath my pillow and whispered

telling me she mi

she?" I

xpression

hat we mus

wl rose from

ther ans

e windows, his entir

it?" Ma

remonial dagge

rossed the eas

s wen

The seal should ha

howl s

from directly out

rned to

appens, sta

emembering the pro

N

ared

hile everyone else decides

e black wolf emerged from the da

ere comple

lver pendant identical to the

ooked dire

mind, the ancien

augh

ped br

trembled w

I have

wolf lower

ithin the forest, a woman