ery few people knew where he lived. Fewer still dared to show up. Those who

d under his pillow. He hated surprises. Werewolf or

in, this time fas

. The repair crew had promised to fix it, then came back

, every muscle tight, his skin prickling with awareness. Too many h

e: sniff

d

ewo

twisted i

w that

w that if he opened the door, really opened it,

pened it

ntly regr

stuttered, then stumbled into a r

er," he said,

st him like a storm in heels, her scent hitt

erable. Weak. Complete

ssed once-more than once-done enough with to make it feel like fate. Until fate laughed

st that lingered long after she was gone. Now,

ed that whatever brought

He couldn't let himself move, couldn't even shut the door behind her. Not yet. She needed to feel the boundary. Nee

rs...!" she burst out, pacing

came here? After decades of silence

o?" he s

You're the only one strong enough. You k

e cut in, voice rising, frustration threading

us. Though he had pretended not to see her the day before, and had given her a show to

om and let out a deep, exhausted sigh. Her sho

iss

a gunshot. The silence th

he words come, not the ones he felt, not the ones he'd

toward his room. "I have an early class today. If yo

what she was hearing from him of all people. Kain, the man who once lo

voice trembling with disbelief. "

brow. Smil

me on, Veronica. Get over us. You're about to become Luna of the

ground, refusing to flinch. If she cried-if she looked

now, arms flailing. "Jeez, get over yourself. I should've jus

here

su

par

ght Kyle

g to ice. "Go to him, then. You've f

amatic. "Seriously? They worship you like a god. They t

rd cracked like thunder. "Don'

e he'd struck her. He hadn't-but the fury i

t of my

She knew too much, about his habits, his tells, his tr

ssive," she said softly now, voice edging toward

no longer the man you knew.

he just made a c

I am. And don't forget-I'm immortal too," she said with a playful smirk, and for the fir

g it off. Then-out of nowhere-he

there, in his jaw, his eyes, his clenched fists. If there was one thing he wanted more tha

t

l leading the Elders. And still the ro

harge between them cooled. Finally, Kain shut the door and sa

ning into a mask of focus. If there was a

ho started the whisper-"Kain is mad." A lie,

uietly. "And now-they're making were

r... wolves? What the he

the pack has lost their wolves, some happy with it, and others claiming t

she spoke, the more the beast inside him stirred. And when she looked at him like th

g up. "You really should cont

bbed hi

id, firm and l

p wh

dn't a

the press of her mouth, the scent of her skin. He froze for half a second-then melted into it, his ha

th

al

Jarring. U

ent sha

fire in his eyes. No

," he growled, voice low, dan

ds trembled, the way his body shook with bare

argue. No

ed her ba

ehind her, Kain let out a roar-de

falle

it. Almost as much