teeth before. But not

to my lashes and melts down the collar of my coat, soaking the wool, but I barely notice anymore. My

s is burned into my brain. I can still hear the wet sound of his throat being cut. And I can't hel

ot anymore. Just something tight, unreadable. As if he's holding the sky up by the sheer stren

twin sh

. But instead, I wrap my arms tighter aroun

Guards open the gate at Kade's signal, and we enter without a word. Inside, the heat nearly knocks me over, thick and

asks, amber ey

at. Just my name, like it

"Doesn't loo

lin

ns. "She's marked

," the woman mutters, pushing off the wall. "I

g but my throat locks up. My voice feels

ike he's holding back fire. "

here babysitting instead

Or have you forgot

stretches, tense and electric. Then

et's find something that isn'

e presses too heavily. Visions crawl behind my eyelids when I try to

idnight,

one stops me. No one even s

e snow, hammering his fists into a wooden post wrapped

o break somethi

s. Don'

I brea

d how many there were. Across his shoulders. His back. One down

ect me out of duty, you

not

. "What

eadable. And then, like the moo

ven when I don't want to. Esp

His breath puffs white

u look at me li

. He just walks pas

't go easy just because I'm soft, or scared, or slowe

, tossing a wooden

up. My palms are raw

fighter,"

naps. "Which means y

es my wrist and flips me

lodes up

t u

e for a br

n I

aining. Night

eak unless necessary. But I feel him. In my bones. I

s full of whispers. A white wolf. A cave

ent scrolls. Moon myths. Proph

light shall un

tches me

shadows, gi

he shadows ar

nges the day K

s from the trees. One grazes his neck

olla

e sound tear

cry, droppin

rey. His brea

ne m

He's the Alp

me. Me. As if I'm s

ng I can. I press my

l the

ans

ver and hot. Kade jerks. Gasps.

llap

ear him whisper my

he's sittin

ed me,"

"It wasn't me. I

is head. "I

for the first time,

ween us shif

beside me. Touches my

Temple of Steel. How they burned weakness out of him. How he us

ice low, "you make me

is hand.

ond s

e secre

he ruins. Kade was traine

twin born un

e

croll. My kn

Sees the pa

knew you," he say

u still

you were. I didn'

art c

t," I w

d

to the

he snow begins

me, it fall