rld sh
blink before everythin
r stood before her, cloaked in shad
creature pulled from
ed faintly across his shoulders and down his spine like brands of power, pulsin
sn't
sn't
ween and beyond. A Lyca
rd, eyes wide, breath
orest expl
Twisted. Larger than the first. Its flesh crawled like it couldn't decide what
rup
lun
through the woods like a crack of lightning. Claws slashed. Jaws snapped. The air f
ed, frozen
should have screamed. B
strike, and the trees bent u
chaos, all she c
the m
at
n it. Precision. Power that didn't spill recklessly. He
est ti
otect me?" she whispered, voice bar
d like disbelie
t know wh
know why
t bone and blood hit the air, o
e only one ma
sound that wasn't just
d beast to the ground. Claws sank deep. Fangs tore through sinew. The creature screame
-sil
s breath. The fo
't move.
ising and falling with each ragged breath. Steam rose from his fur. Blood-dark and s
Pure.
slammed aga
she was afraid. Or
aring. The bond-whatever it was-thrummed like a
ord, he stepped b
lding into skin. It was not smooth, not painless.
raigh
ouldered. Huma
breath
inch of him bore the remnants of the monster-runes glowing faintly acros
he way kings used to be, before
look lik
thing she was sup
eet staye
never l
breathed, voice bare
dn't
nce that follow
beast-had chan
g in him...
pped f
t threateningly
, Ayla
r body disobeyed. She stood her ground, fists cl
n't to
speak a
wat
. His voice was quieter now, but no less heavy. L
d into something
w ticked. His gold
idea what you'v
use he was wrong, bu
. Who are you? What is this mark?
dn't
ep forward. "Say so
one, where the faint glow of the cresce
s harder. Guarded. As if some wall had sl
est," he said, voice low and
hit her li
idn't come here for salvation-I
ssion did
er bo
knees buckled.
arbone-hot, violent. The mark glowe
t, reaching for a nea
d tilted
ing-" she whispered
e everything went black was
wide.
rr
orld
, the edges of the fo
ars, too fast, too loud-like her
g crashed
fe
pa
g in her c
i
s too
hing. Her knees gave out b
dn't f
caught her m
us. He sank to the ground with her cradled in his lap, one arm steady beh
warm. His hol
down at her, golden eyes narro
her falling into his arms fel
didn't
n't wa
eld
he'd always been meant to end up in the
ingers
a breathless whispe
den ey
th
kne
by exhaustion, b
d her, a final thought fl
a mo
.. a s