: H

el Blackthorn of Shadowfang. He was coming for a meeting with Al

boring territories, the tension among t

warned near the pack house entrance. "Even exp

" another warrior replied with concern.

words stirred my curiosity. Kael's reputation made him sound almos

elf that it had nothing to do with me. Powerful Alphas

t still haunted me. I could remember the frightened woman calling me my sweet moon and the silver pen

she approached, carrying

ed tow

served, studying my face. "St

one has suddenly become an ex

he advised teasingly. "We don't need you g

king for troubl

said with a grin. "Tro

nother laugh, her teasing eased the weigh

em into the pack house. I wanted to finish my duties before the m

row corridor just as someone stepped through a doorwa

m sorry!" I pleaded, immediately bending down to col

another hand moved toward it at the same time mine did. I f

d items, the busy corridor, and the

sed in dark clothes that suited his imposing presence, his fir

a Blackthorn," I murmured, scrambli

nst my chest and stepped a

d through my chest. My heart stumbled before ra

erienced anything like it, and I couldn't understand why standi

ft me unsettled, and I had barely slept, so that must be it, no other r

to collect the

offered quickly, c

loth, our fingers brushed. A pow

sharp ache tightened my chest. For one suspended moment, I couldn't hear

e me seemed to reach toward him, as though it r

never met him before today. So why did touching him feel a

sion had changed, his gaze sharpened, and his fingers remained still a

felt, although he seemed

ad he felt that str

at. I couldn't explain what was happening to me, let alone fi

n Kael withdrew his hand. The strange sensation

nd handed it to me. I accepted it

ou," I w

and whatever uncertainty I'd glimpsed

g," he warned, his voice deep and f

eless, but I had already apologized and somehow, his coldness m

a," I replied, l

e without another word, and I remai

t the items I'd gathered, trying to convin

an I realized. But that explanation didn't erase the memory of his

o my duties, determined to put the incident

d the way his expression had changed, the sudden stillness i

ely a careless servant. For one brief momen

ssibly have seen

chest. The ache was still th

unter had given me another reason to wonder wheth

trance, speaking with two Dark Wood warriors. Even from a distance, he commande

tranger, a powerful Alpha whose reputation warned me to keep my dista

at something had passed between us,

d to have opened a door inside me and I didn't know what w