ngered in the air, thick wit

pressed to the ground. Her shoulder throbbed where her mating mark once b

o

bove her, casting fractured colors over her bruised

eat within her-was silen

. She tried to sit up but her body screamed. Her fing

abs

said, his voice like a stone in

And behind him, wrapped in silv

gic," Lyla had whispered to the Coun

eved her. They al

ber echoed with eve

ak doors cr

houldered. Faces hidde

"The Council has ruled. You

Plead. Something. Bu

broken trophy. Her knees

a's laugh ghoste

as the sun dippe

reeked of bloo

l, wrists bound, her ceremonial robe torn and s

xcept for the whispers

The new mark on Lyla's neck g

ad c

tand accused of treason, of forbidden magic, and of

fted he

nto your own rotten hear

ga

sl

your

from her lip.

thing left

a blade: exile. name

through the pac

ows beyond the tr

as never meant to be taken al

fter

ter be

alf-a

, each step slicing her s

air across her face, lifting the hem of her torn ceremonia

to her li

adn't asked for. On

guards trudged w

utt of his spear

y the Alpha sp

idn't

died with Ryke

let them tear the

didn't

e didn

her body gave m

inned. Her

he corners of her eyes,

reached

hard-elbows scraping, brea

hing. It only stol

em anymore," one

eps re

't even l

on

utterly

er thigh-slow and stea

dily. Her breath fogged

ed in on

er her

ked to h

do it..." sh

one had car

e where her wolf

ed to stir, where

e was

voi

com

f

ti

flic

Not bright

struck in a c

rtbeat

Ancient.

speak. The star

methin

hing in

ld. Somethi

sl

ica

o melt beneath h

urne moved

less, but al

he was dragged be

cond Ryker

her spirit to the one tha

ed from th

with go

y lost too much to st

planned to

her knee

d painted the snow

nside her dimmed to

he

ee st

br

was bes

, the frozen ground groa

them like it knew thi

rs pressed gentl

Pu

in

th

s ice benea

robe shredded

n fro

ed there. As if she was

what the othe

t the shimmer just

pack

blesse

r. Wilder. Raw

oon

ched. The fo

nked like they, too

one arm beneath her knees, th

ed almost

bruises and

ly conscious, the sound tearing

hispered, voic

got yo

he

er through t

ingdoms, their bark spl

whose eyes gleame

hallen

me b

t knew wh

would kno

f rogue territory, moving

ne fol

would

where even fate

idden cl

apped in wardin

hing written long before

side the hearth, every

in in gold again-like she

was shallow. B

't know

t

d... when her body curled sl

her chest answere

hat quie

nd destiny shifting b

under

sn't b

t re

t

ither