arth, her hands trembling slightly as she rinsed blood from her knuckle

ther her. It was t

d the north ridge. "Could be rogues," he'd said. "Could be spies." She knew better than

basin. Her reflection stared back, ghostlike. Hair da

una they

ng far more

oss her collarbone. Her fingers paused when they brushed the small scar just above her right br

as f

neede

lked back into the clearing. She didn't hesitate. S

hispered. "You don't ge

welled. Her breath hitched, but she didn't cry out. The

e wound tightly, and dropped the bloo

zzled, smoke ris

errupted he

ink you ha

his boots crunching on frostbitten

sked, tying her hair into

cent. Two wolves. Not l

erfa

hing from his coat. A torn strip of cloth. "

ened. "Astri

t playing Queen. She's la

settled like ash

," she muttered. "Fa

e ready in a

ar," she snapped. "But ti

ng. "She's marking lines before she even h

tree, watching her. "Y

ion hung

n't answer

ill wants him to look at me and realize what he lost. Not because

old. "Then don't k

ward him. "I

tree. "I might kno

he

ge. Savage but loyal if you prove yours

n eyebrow. "Wha

ng his sorry ass out of a blo

inked.

l tell you over

ht smile. "Whe

ow

d notebook Elias had given her, and the silver wolf pend

art thudded, remembering the way Jason us

always

d her jaw.

es on alert. The trees grew darker the farther north they traveled. Crows gathered overhe

ached the base o

y weren

id, motioning w

r sto

earing scraps of armor and torn cloaks. One woman with

ugh without Ronan's

d. "Tell Ronan his

him. Then slowly n

rd a half-buried den carved into the rockface. It was lit by

ir smelled of

tless, scars like war paint crisscrossing his c

You didn't say the debt

ho I am?" Oliv

"I know wh

r mockery. I'm h

is head. "And

g Pack. Border weakness. Supp

ard, interest

own Astrid Blackwood.

t his a

ing down from his thro

girl they whispered a

said. "S

ken things are boring. But vengef

when the time comes, you'll have a claim to terr

. Then no

ot a deal

That was easier

nts my help, she trains with my warriors. She bleeds wit

walk," Ol

ove

ed her

steel gleaming

th nothing left to lose,

in weeks, she felt so

pa

gr

we