ra
sted of wet pine needles as I wal
y shoulders, heading toward the grand stone
harp-edged shadows across the cobblestones, giving the
garden, hiding behind a
ss window, I could see the wa
y oak table with his mother,
dy venison from silver platters, tea
g to knock on the heavy wooden
the sound of Kaelen's deep vo
ack against the cold s
changed your military pact to the Border Guard without consulting your mate," she s
s of his chair scraped against the floor as he pushed back from t
. "I need to build my own legacy, and the border is where true warrio
you!" his mother insis
. "And have her do what? She hasn't even Shifted," he bit out, the contempt in his tone a palpable thin
a heavy stone crushing my ribs
ree, where he had held my hands and promis
f an Alpha was filled with nothi
was, howled at the betrayal-a sensation
ing else stirred. Something
half-expecting to see frost
othing ther
first time in my life, it felt less
asting the metallic tang of my own
grabbing his heavy fur cloak t
ently, I slipped up to
et letters on the cold ledge,
of wet mud and crushed pine needles,
e woods, a way to deaden my natural scent t
mist, my bare feet making
on, I became a gho
d with mud and herbs, ensuring K
if I saw his tall figure in the village
I felt a strange b
our mate bond gro
nding me dozens of messages asking
his voice echoed in my mind, so
oned the letters I had
nd his Alpha pride, too guil
alls up, ignoring
were posted, the village lit huge bon
the noise, until the heavy woode
rame filling the doorway, bringing the
rushed to greet him, bowing their
g with greed, hoping his Alpha status woul
rth, the tension in the room th
and started laughing, poin
er survive the military, and that Seraphina wa
den stool, waiting to see wha
w sip of his ale,
smoothly, offering a diplomatic smile. "A
nly by Thorne's brutish laughter. He took another slow draught of ale,
y my own family and the male who claimed to
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