RI

't even dried

ld still feel the weight of Darius's eyes on my back, even as the trees swallowed me who

n his eyes when

wasn'

as h

hem s

an's den. The wind tugged at my torn dress, whispering secrets through the branches. The moon had climbed higher

t the silen

ri

if I were some escaped pup instead of the storm t

ol

ght this

n't r

s hu

n reeked

still clinging to them like old scars. My scent had faded, but not enough. Anyone with half a nos

the hollow, inh

that girl

they stripped the collar from my neck and tossed me into the cold. My so-called sisters had giggled beh

ent int

blistering, sick

as who tried

't surviv

for warmth. Some a

stone. My scratch. My mark. A scar left behind the night I realized

o turn away w

Low. Male

sliding into my hand

ere he

e

gue. T

hained by heat. Just wild, d

shirt open, chest slick with sweat, boots stained with bl

rd b*tch to

Didn't blink.

the room like smoke, curling into m

's Beta like he was

the death

s boot grinding against the scorched earth. "

et h

not li

evolv

d, wolfish. "Or play

e the torn dress, the blood smeared across

at on me, too?" His voi

moonlight spilling through the cracked wall.

got

he forest. Even the damned wolves outside froze

Levi

a

fa

th my throat-not choking, but close. Close enough. His scent hit me hard: wild berries tangled with

oison," h

e addi

sh against him. I could feel him, hard and ready

didn'

't f

't k

ing holy. A miracle he'd stumbled into

in heat,"

N

what i

st, slow and taunting, unti

No bond. No heat. J

ainst mine-hot, furious, filthy. Not soft.

one like he wanted to brand me into the ruins. I wrapped my le

e I

tarving to prove I didn't need

ke he wanted t

lip unti

roken. "F*ck, I forgo

od from my tongu

*ss, my dress hiked high around my h

rehead pressed to mine, s

Zaria?" His voice c

slow and

ting

left, I didn't

slow, my pulse still racing like thunder in my veins. The fire

pleasure

infor

rst. But he woul

Alpha King w

d who had exile

borders, with his pack fracturing under

e

sn't goi

ing for h