red through the canopy in fractured beams, dancing over Aria's trembling hands as she sat with her back ag

vy - her limbs, her

ht, it had already started to close, the skin weaving itself back together with faint

d. The air between them was quiet but not empty. She could feel his eyes flicking tow

t," he said, n

ing she had just seen - everything she had just done. The blast that came from her body.

o do it. She hadn'

had no idea

el asked, finally b

s men. One of them was Jarek

ed a brow. "You said y

they used to make me fight. For sport. For pu

expression unreadable. "L

n still shimmered faintly in the light

ide. "Your blood's changing. Whatever is inside you -

d, shaking her head. "I'm an omega

ly. "Tell that to the wolf

ooked

said your mother died giving birth to you. What ab

hed from her old pack. My father met her aft

g. Bloodlines get buried for a reason. Maybe

n window. Aria closed her eyes, l

ed," she

. Fear keeps you alive. But you'll need

door she hadn't noticed before. He pulled out a rolled

that?" s

apons - knives, throwing stars, a short sw

eone I knew. She was... like you. An outcast with power she didn't

fragile pages. Diagrams. Notes. Moon

agic," she

lycan rage - they're not as separ

on a drawing. A woman with glowing vein

d was scrawled in f

est ti

cing her stare. "The girl I told you about. Mo

the word wit

appened

"She died. Protectin

he sudden change in his tone. There

't ask w

e book and held it tig

ant to die

er gaze. "

snapped

both

one blade drawn. Aria crouched

nap. Then

arrowed. "Sta

book and moved c

ide the window - tall, f

r his breath. "

back against the wall, heart hammering, her fingers still wrapped tightly around the leather-bound

shifted just be

silently across the creaky floor. "If I say r

tightened. "Wh

u better

ttled heavy

d against the

ht. Her instincts screamed at her to follow, but her legs refused to move. She stayed low, inching

e her flinch. Then came the unmistakable

adying her breathing. Do

the door b

ready to stab - only

, blood on his shoulder,

. "They're pack wolves. Shadow F

ned. "Then they

than a minute. We

rabbed a pack from beside the hearth. He t

anything," s

e book in her ha

it into the bag, tightening

deep and brutal. Not from Luci

reath. "They brought a

at meant, but the fear

ried open earlier. Aria climbed out first, Kael close behin

shoulder ached. Her legs burn

cking low as howls echoed in the distanc

unning, Kael suddenly stopped

narrowing. "They're cutti

trapped,

f we g

U

began scaling a narrow incline between two cliff faces. Aria

vast, high, and cold. The wind hit her face like i

hey won't expect you to come

ing and falling with exhaustion. She lo

l stop hunting me?" she

will come himself eventually. H

d. "He doesn't kn

ll beneath the folds of her coat. "He will.

g her arms tightly. "I

for a moment, th

dn't a

s complicated. Too p

art learning how to control your gifts. That blast earlier, it saved y

lowly. "Can y

into a half-smi

rying with it the scent of pine, damp

m. "Why are you

when power like yours falls into the wrong hands. And be

rp features, the scar that ran along

u," she w

t thank me yet. We stil

n rippled through her, like her blood had turn

voice. Clear.

ri

eyes wide. "Did

wned. "H

ofter but unmistakable.

eath h

ci

he had re

n, but throu

she thought