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