la
ays
ed 21. The sky was red,
nto the wide balcony of the Valecrest estate. It was the
ins, and cities built of glass and steel. The sunrise here n
nes drifted over the market district. Beyond th
nds reserved for the packs who still liked
th is.... w
rted dying and our
ct with science, ancient blood law with machine precision. Somewhere along th
d done what humans onc
matchmaking algorithm to pair wolves based on genetics, tempe
ystem scanned your biology, pheromone markers, neural patterns, bloodline coding, fertility compatibility,
fect
trusted the System. And the System, as though sensing the t
t love. Biological, emot
ept or reje
e else and register the bond willingly. If you didn't, the System assigned you
talking abo
ing that freedom on
r. Somewhere behind me, music drifted through the halls. The estate staff had been decorating since dawn. My foay I would
m would tell me
so hard I could b
use I fe
dly, secretly, hopelessl
ree of
owan, and
the man wh
s house with danger, beauty, and impossible dreams s
o took her in. But I'd spent years watching them move through this house lik
t miracles because a girl spent half her life in love with boys she could ne
scent of ironwood, engine fuel, and the dista
n
. Ele
fr
he whole world se
ocked around my w
LITY MATC
t. Then another
anot
I gasped
c flare. Three names appeared one after another, e
LE - 100%
E - 100%
LE - 100%
names until the
nd shook so badly I had to grip
re
Three tru
ess and broken. The Sys
glitch. Not according to everyone
zy. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless and alert, her emotions collidi
at o
ss
wa
ci
er buried came cla
doors slid o
e you
ed too
, broad, still powerful despite the threads of gray in his dark hair, he looked every bit the respected Alpha politician the
girl," he sai
outh, but no
is eyes dropped to the glow
t time in my life, I watched genuine sh
ned?" he as
nervously, then I swallowe
ooking at me, and his
ed at him, really looked at him, and something s
n his face
lower now. "Who did the Sys
wristwatch
l the color drained from his face.
lpha Ronan, My
nd. Not surpr
at the burning red horizon instead of at me
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