THE WOLF'S KING BRIDE

gned a death wa

ine.

or. Old blood magic. Crude, deliberate

g prayers in the corner. Lyra's standing in the doorway of her room,

nt trail," I

and vanish into the hall, the

beside me. "

ea

face goes still. "So

Someone wants

at, you think th

ut me. That's

rself for someone w

carved my door and murdere

ust about anything

er. "I am i

s this feel l

r. Because sh

body. "We need to mo

chamber. I want a full c

my k

fallen man gently, as if his soul might st

Lyra. "Ins

oesn'

ce. "Lyra. I w

y and walks bac

osing the do

s shut. "If this is your version of

s. "You think

Which means your protection isn't

my wolves? No one under my command carves r

n't under your c

t her, ja

e's not wrong. That

ing in the t

N

n't get

Lock me up then. At lea

not a

xit, armed guards? Sou

hold. Not even shadow wolves can cros

"You think someone

ink someone's

htens. "You

ssages. He sends heads in b

in, burned into the back

n't k

w, or you're n

if I thought it wo

voice is quiet. "Do

ard her. "More th

rply. "That's n

t suppose

ht between our chests. Every time we're near e

n't mark me unless

's ri

now?" The air bet

face. "Don't

m n

t to be claime

. "What makes you

ecause I know the

ry. And some

ts to s

o think I might be t

s. Until then, you stay guarded, you stay inside

arms. "And w

t who want

d t

yes. "I kill

in the war room

s seen a ghost. "

from the hallway. It e

en. "Ou

ts. Nothing physica

h the castle withou

thought. Unti

n the table. The scent hits me i

od

ny blood w

as hers

snow, right past the eastern boundary

t leave th

sure ab

cloth. "She's

playing

ard." Jarek leans forwar

dn't lie about

ink he'd hesitate to send her in

t that quietly. If he wanted her to

hesi

s. "So what

ur territory is marked in ink and blood. And somew

tly. Anyone who's left the castle

the g

eye on her. Don't

oing to

lready

ls like a

under my skin, restless and hungry for the truth. I haven't

ht, I nee

rd and strip down near the tree lin

comes hard

stretch. Skin rips op

e ground

es. I follow the scent to the boundary lin

qu

. I sniff it, growl low. Something about it is wrong. Of

gi

uried-deep k

en I h

s. Fast.

pounding the frozen earth. Whoever it

em just pas

ft mid-motion, pinning them down in

I fr

a c

ly thirteen. Co

embling. "They're coming,"

k. His eyes roll

teps out o

fur. A wolf, but wrong. Al

smi

vani