gue wa

hift in the air-the kind that makes your skin crawl-telling me

acked tight under my nails, listening for... something. For what,

othin

but because part of me didn't want to return. The second I crossed back into Blackf

to be a ghos

My boots were soaked. My f

e instantly, checking. Not for injuries-he knew I'd tell him if I was hurt. He was look

u o

ot close. Too clean. Li

ce. "Of course it did. Why w

not empty. Milo and I had the kind of quiet that

avier it got. My shoulders tensed. My gut twis

y

lf-open doors. Nobody said anything. Not out loud. But the way they looked-li

orse tha

t?" I asked u

d. "They're star

I brought

dn't

n't ha

alfway to mouths. Conversations dropped to a low buzz. I k

The room moved on, but not really. E

said. "They think

hing gray and called it f

re, I was a disappointment.

're s

f

d what they do

nd of omen. Like I was born wrong and no

uld be grateful. Maybe somethin

to beli

red the way Alpha Kade looked through me like I was a stain on the floor. I remembered every ti

ways been

he cursed girl," I said. "The wolf

u're more than that. The

never supposed to survive that night?

're less? It means you're still s

er. I didn't

didn't eat. Milo kept pretending

n's didn't surprise me. Of course it was Brin. It wa

oing to make it through this

iming for a knockout or

efinitel

ow. My hands were already

ched like a predator.

ured you'd be too busy pla

ulders. "Sorry

alway

acked across th

ook. I dodged the first, blocked the second, but her

ered. "Still slow. Yo

my feet moving. "Then

her legs. She hit the mat hard.

round us. I

up fast, fury

ou're still nothing. No wolf. No

ung. More th

keep trying to break me? If I'm

or a breath

swung

ntum carry her forward. She st

r fall o

d and cracked. I liked it because no one else

tt

ater. "That was the cleane

come bac

will

n't a

ket. Pulled something o

eath

he

hed. It was just there

rom him. My

this since the n

"Someone wants

es. Wind rustled the

atching

n g