R

gates, the envelope no longer in my hands b

't loo

itate. And hesita

ford that-not

down, leaned against a parked motorcycle li

bomb?" he asked

on the smoke befor

e helmet withou

old highway that split the territory's spine like a s

ading it

ith by

ly realizing

e dest

t happened-to see the rage,

uldn't.

o

'd come

hen h

d the same Aria

e who'd survived

m? That broken shell of a man wh

n that

*

on the pap

d them

ic

they didn't

rnity Ma

er Vale, Alpha

: Lucien

s

. S

den from him by the one woman he'd t

came from across the roo

ooke

iff beside the fireplace.

deliver this?" Ry

um replied. "She gave it

s here to cause trouble. She was al

" Ryker

mouth sna

g the paper like it mig

brain-Lucien's gray eyes staring straight at the camera. Ther

ked li

fire i

was

e staying?"

d. "We're not s

t w

not a

yes narro

l Th

ll into a t

ed. "The r

rders. Kael's men have been active the past few days

nough to pop. "Of all the w

didn'

he's trying to provoke you. That's what t

a moment, Callum swore he saw something

o

er murmured. "Alone. I

ose to leave!"

e," Ryker said d

shut

rd carefully. "What

to the fire. "N

ised a br

. I won't-not until I

ned to

a summit. Postp

n't be

ead se

trode out, the door

R

n the papers still tuc

m. I hadn't told him anythin

t

t press. H

game would shift. He wasn't stupid. He was brutal

d c

, I didn't know

n the east side. The brick walls were cracked, vines crawling

ep," Kael said

t sleep

otic

owed me

off my jacket, and sat on t

the far wall, watc

," I mu

y w

think I'm

I think you're grieving. And f

't have

" he said, his voice even. "I'm

his

think we ca

You're not trying to break a man.

d not

nt of me, hands re

he did. What they covered up. But this isn't about closure. It's war. If we

," I said coldly. "I'm here t

n I'll stand beside you. E

ve felt c

chill ran d

new somethi

ore than bl

nes that would break

even Kael could

ed as she poured herself a gla

was a

he moment he read that rep

.. ha

re terrifyi

rd, manipulated too l

Aria's downfall. She knew

'd buried that

crawled back

wo

Ryker'

uld challeng

fu

po

wouldn't

ag

ed out h

er she hadn't

We have a problem. The dead gir

n she h

the Sa

worn photograp

urls. Those silver eyes

Kael's pack-across the border,

a matter of time befo

was-would the

for

oor c

head sn

od sl

here

ke

the rogue den like a king

oked

e t

hose

ll the storm

id softly. "Y

link. "Dis

ward. "You sho

uld've s

me like a shadow,

icked to him. "

d. "More than I

wed hard. "W

what he

art k

m," I said. "You lost that r

twisted

th

ang through

shat

ckled m

before the l

of silver fro

t here for

to finish wha