The Mating Bond

-

chlight flickering wildly in his wake. Elysia followed, heart hammering in he

st as Ronan appeared, shirtless and b

" he barked. "Two down, but one

r his breath. "W

hives. We lost the scen

ed. "Cloaking?

her but didn't

ey use dark magic to mask scent an

s skin

side a stronghold full of wol

lipped. "Stay here with Ronan.

you said it's after me. What if

behind his eyes, a war between logic a

hing even breathes near thi

was curt.

e again, a blur o

-

, every gust of wind outside, made her flinch. Ronan stood by the

id a word si

his friendly?" she aske

used. "Friendly is for people who ha

twisted. "That

are the reason he's bleeding

. "What doe

ael wanted a mate? You think he wanted to risk feeli

s not

exactly why I'm watching you right now. Be

dn't ask for this. I didn't want to be dragged into this worl

ghtening. Then, quietly: "

eed to ask w

bo

her body hum and her chest ache

ant to," s

you

"It's like... I'm be

t's what the bond does. It unearths the tru

hat he meant, a scream

. That hadn'

s a w

he door open, motioning fo

dn't l

lowed h

past in flashes of fur and shadow, some half-shifted, o

orner-and that's

ound her stomach. Her eyes were wide, lips trembling. She wore the s

ushed to

she whispered, pressing a

ining her lips. "He... he s

tightened. "Who?

rl's eyes

o

back roughly. "It'

and, a low snarl ca

ped from t

wasn't a ma

. A faint silver mist clung to his form. He

ou," he

ion. Fur erupted across his body, and his limbs contorted u

ers in the air. Smoke erupted from t

chc

e disappeared into mist,

abbed

mured in her ear. "Thi

o her throat-but be

g roar sho

a

e so hard, the wall

ide her, Kael's silver-eyed wolf form against the mist-shadowed rogue. Claws slashed. Blood spra

er, half-shifted. "If he shifts again, c

can

o

again, claws aime

she sc

sto

d-lunge, eyes l

ond p

xploded fro

e tore into the enemy's chest with his fangs, and this time, there was no vanishing act

le

d of Kael's h

covered in blood, his

at her a

an again, panting, blood

o her. "Are

er head, too s

nning her, his touch fr

ame," he whisper

what else to do

't understand what that mea

meant, Ronan stepped forward,

cro

with that same c

ed it t

d it. His fa

reading the words scr

nnot protect. The bond will break.

ered, "What

didn't leave

s was only th