marble walls. High, vaulted ceilings. Shadows that whispered more than the livi

paced the central dais, her crimson robes trailing like blood spilled too s

yhart wolf crossed the border

es leaned in like vultur

said

he wanted to say. 'He

h would be h

ight. Protective, always but if he knew what she'd done, who she'd

land?" asked Lord Varyn, sneering. "S

another. "Trying to make co

so bold without a

spine s

behind the High Matron-sile

met for onl

lene s

't know what yet-but he would dig. He wou

s out about Ron

d a pale hand, s

beyond the Vale is to be executed on sight. No hes

d their approval l

her thoughts spiraled. "He doesn'

disperse, Lucien tou

," he murmured. "There's a

meeting his sto

wouldn't

toni

fting. Something dangerous. Something that w

f her that had

eginning

conclusion of the gathering. The nobles slowly began to filter out of the chamber,

aiting for the first crack to appear-waiting for the scent of betrayal to surface. Selene c

tepped closer, his eyes never leaving Selene's. His

ice low but filled with concern. "You don't loo

d met a werewolf. A wolf who, against everything she had been taught, had felt differen

d, the words coming out mor

betrayed his worry. He'd never been one to push her, but Selene knew he didn't

He squeezed her shoulder gently, offering a brief

tone pillar. Bound by blood. The words echoed in her mind like a war

everything she'd known were starti

s were elsewhere-in the shadows of the fore

to match the growing unrest in her heart. She barely noticed the servants and gu

and there, standing like a sh

her heart sk

ping inside without invitation, his eyes narrowing as he

rst. The lie that had settled on her lips tasted

y, making her voice sound as indiffe

g. "A walk?" he repeated with a dry laugh. "An

nd that I haven't noticed how different you've been lately. How distracted." He reached out, br

d her ground. "You don't know wh

sper. "I know everything. I know when you're lyi

hed. "I'm not hiding

gainst her. "Tell me, Selene, do you think the pack will protect you if they find out w

and she fought to keep her compo

is lips. "I'm giving you a choice. Stay loyal to me, to your kind,

poison, and they had the power to undo everything. She could feel it in her bones-the pre

ng the strength to meet his gaze. "Yo

ile faltered, and his ey

me, Selene

ce rise in her. "I'm done being c

it was colder, more calcul

d left the room, the door closing

g down on her chest. She had no idea what came next. But she knew, dee

time, she wasn't