e council chamber

kind. Not even th

choking on a truth they had not

in his, the bond between them humming like a live wire, pulsing with heat she couldn't comprehen

ad made he

here could

ders frown

eyes burned from

e council, avoiding her eyes as thou

wrist pulsed ben

kept her

g to fear her - she w

: K

ld sme

The suspicio

ff the counc

chamber. They did not wish her

olf's scent thick in the air, her mate bond with him pul

not help

's w

d not com

im from across the room. Tense. Thinkin

he

n half of it." Kael's tone was level, low, the kind of quiet that hinted at

. Shock

d. "That line was purifi

," Kael replied, g

l. "How can we be certain this is not

eyes fl

ut in before h

I want this?

aces

mark? That I lied, begged, or cajoled my way here? I didn

epped

ologize for

: A

en recognize

not careful, not soft, but

" she said to them, locking eyes with each of the elders. "You

ly women spat, "

that's the thing you ne

was a

rea

voice sounded li

n by the bond. Protected by B

: K

room for argu

idn't m

clenched around hers. She didn't look back once -

when Ka

een afraid of he

: A

e in the sun, she c

akness -

of warmth, his scent holding he

e," she

ine," he whispered ba

t of her in a laugh.

lau

en - s

at asked questions. Th

ret it?" sh

answer r

lse with his thumb, where t

aid. "But I f

look

what you are

cause of what they

: K

, the drea

ime, they

were

name, wolves lurking just beyond the trees for her. A mother too busy.

. Burning ben

bed, drenche

ay, he knew Aria

t to h

door withou

n moonlight, wide

t too," she

dded

- silen

red, "I think so

f growled

d

: A

la cornered her by t

ds. No

t t

g, but Isla move

Not angry this ti

nked. "W

he choo

arched. "I didn

u," Isla said. "A

ked. "I didn't kn

otionless. "Then y

hat, she d

hung in the

: K

n appeared before

it, read what was ins

this?" he

. The High Pack wants to see the girl.

jaw c

knew what

d of her anymore b

raid because

t they would

: A

oll three times

ave to leav

own - the pack that rejected her,

she didn't

felt

her wolf d

sto

e did

oll, handed it bac

ow them what a mi