The Alpha's Rejected Vessel

ntil the mar

ark's careful footsteps. Not Derek's heavy

elf to the wall,

l. The ceremony moves forward

control during th

it's sealed, she's bound. Compliant. Whether

ond

is struggle, all of it-just coll

mained frozen against th

ied an urgency that suggested they might not even wait that l

d to r

-

overgrown brush. Lia found him grinding herbs in the dim interi

d. "Come to ask what you s

htened. "My fath

never stopped working. "Couldn't save him.

did h

times. They caught him every time. Fourth time... he was too weak to run

d. "But how did the

"Didn't matter. Every time he used his gift-every time that power woke insi

healing. The way wolves had looked

Can't heal. Not if

maybe. But still there." Elric shuffled to a shelf, pulling down a worn pou

hands. Warm. Smelling of bit

top the calling completely. Nothing can. But

much

istened. "After that, you'd better be f

the pouch.

sked me to run with him the third time. I was too afraid. Too old.

You said something

father went mad from it. Killed three pack members before they put him down." Elric looked

re anot

lric's voice hardened. "That's not your burden. You

-

Lia moved with me

s herbs. Dried mea

oak-she hesitated, fingers brushing the h

t it on

t on her finger. Simple silver.

off, feeling s

, charcoal. Her han

politics or bound to save you from yourself

n't be th

words. Something

it wasn't

-

he note. Silver gleam

pened. Three-quarter m

od at the cl

heart

moonlight, face

here?" he as

d on her pack. "You

moved up-tomorrow night, not three days. They're afraid Derek will lose co

ht. Her stom

let

llow it to the stream, then north. Stay in the water long as you

ompass, throat

-something about your presence, your scent, wakes the beast in him. If you're gone, maybe... ma

y leaving wi

" Mark's eyes were bright with unshed tears. "So yeah. Run. Live. Let

roached from

rk urged

ward the forest edge. But somethin

huttered against the night. But one window-high up in the A

re. Tall. Broad-sh

nty, for hours. Maybe all night. Watching her cabin in t

n across the impossible distance, Lia felt it-that pull

hould run. Shoul

at that distant shadow, and

re fighting something I can't help you de

ust stood there, hand aga

nd ran into

-

s. Behind her, Mark's voice carried: "...ch

skin. Lia waded in, gasping, following the current north. T

hour? Two? Legs numb, teeth chattering.

ic's herbs, crushed them between her palms, smeared th

rid. Wrong. But

ht. Distant. Coming

ound her

to breathe slowly

them. Don't let

howl.

tiple direction

a

to trip her. Lungs burning, but she c

burst from the u

thick oak. She pressed herself against bark, han

iffing. A hunter, m

ce called out. "She went in t

She can't h

Lia waited, counting heart

mo

cket, smeared it on the oak's bark at shoulder heig

return to the oak. Heard him sn

rashed in the w

elf a grim smile

ed. They were adapti

at she needed-a fallen log, hollow from rot. Lia sque

ers. Three. So close she could hea

at log,"

heart

hed. A shadow fel

om a different direction. "F

e log vanished. All of t

the log, shaking. Tha

silence returned,

t opened

into a cleari

to darkness, mist rising

bo

shed behind h

Pack hunters, eyes

ter's voice was flat. "The

N

u will attend. Willingly-" his lips

flanking her. Backing

pty air. Pebbles tu

rritory behind them where the Elders waited to bleed her dry. At the d

ring. The apology. About his gold eyes and shaking hands and the

rry. Tell him...

nter l

backward o

beat, weigh

avity t

creame

ss rus

ard before the water

Anguished

ck and cold and the