la

ays

ed 21. The sky was red,

nto the wide balcony of the Valecrest estate. It was the

ins, and cities built of glass and steel. The sunrise here n

nes drifted over the market district. Beyond th

nds reserved for the packs who still liked

th is.... w

rted dying and our

ct with science, ancient blood law with machine precision. Somewhere along th

d done what humans onc

matchmaking algorithm to pair wolves based on genetics, tempe

ystem scanned your biology, pheromone markers, neural patterns, bloodline coding, fertility compatibility,

fect

trusted the System. And the System, as though sensing the t

t love. Biological, emot

ept or reje

e else and register the bond willingly. If you didn't, the System assigned you

talking abo

ing that freedom on

r. Somewhere behind me, music drifted through the halls. The estate staff had been decorating since dawn. My fo

ay I would

m would tell me

so hard I could b

use I fe

dly, secretly, hopelessl

ree of

owan, and

the man wh

s house with danger, beauty, and impossible dreams s

o took her in. But I'd spent years watching them move through this house lik

t miracles because a girl spent half her life in love with boys she could ne

scent of ironwood, engine fuel, and the dista

n

. Ele

fr

he whole world se

ocked around my w

LITY MATC

t. Then another

anot

I gasped

c flare. Three names appeared one after another, e

LE - 100%

E - 100%

LE - 100%

names until the

nd shook so badly I had to grip

re

Three tru

ess and broken. The Sys

glitch. Not according to everyone

zy. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless and alert, her emotions collidi

at o

ss

wa

ci

er buried came cla

doors slid o

e you

ed too

, broad, still powerful despite the threads of gray in his dark hair, he looked every bit the respected Alpha politician the

girl," he sai

outh, but no

is eyes dropped to the glow

t time in my life, I watched genuine sh

ned?" he as

nervously, then I swallowe

ooking at me, and his

ed at him, really looked at him, and something s

n his face

lower now. "Who did the Sys

wristwatch

l the color drained from his face.

lpha Ronan, My

nd. Not surpr

at the burning red horizon instead of at me