d her name,then slowly turne

follow him,

end our nest soldiers to go after him." He was

our only chance to catch

illuminating the dew-slick leaves and casting moving shadows across the underbrush. The woods were alive wi

n the forest floor, the hem of h

ge of the woods, ignoring Riven's stiff warning: "

kn

e didn

He was close. She could feel it in her bones,more primal than memory, more binding

acing just beyond her vision,and de

osed h

er

of movemen

behin

w nothing. Just

s presence like pres

pered to the air, her voice ha

lln

against the ba

hammering, but t

toying

ayed her by thril

ld, untamed, unlike any wolf she had ever known. Not just animalistic

ound while wal

nly, the g

hit somet

live.

al growl rumb

have to tur

ro

form. Towering. Feral. His fur, a deep slate gray, streaked with black. His

didn't

... wat

eath, but she didn't step back. She rai

growl vibrated th

u," she whispered, ey

y, inching in

epped

e touc

rank. Then it

ouder, trembling with some

a didn'

rapped. Cornered. Still, he didn't lash out. His che

again,slow

the fur at his chest,

... ca

t away at her touch. His massive claws relaxed, and a whi

connection which baffled her. She thought he was dead after th

t, frozen in a momen

l-wh

Thwip

hrough the silence li

N

jerked violently, struck,once in the shoulder, once

lood spurting

, cloaked, their faces marked by war

ya shrieked, spi

s already

sive frame hitting the fores

e of the warr

ands latched onto him, dragging the un

AY

ees, grabbing Luna by the waist and pulling her back

ssed into her ear. "H

she cried, shoving at Riven's

tand he's

he held firm. The soldiers moved past them, dragging the rogue'

rd the beast who had protected her,touched her without

go!" she

idn't

T H

ice cr

breath, so quiet onl

my m