es had

haustion and silent grief. The forest beyond the Silver Hollow borders had once b

the woods w

across her arms. Her blood left smears on the bark, red against silver moonlight. The night was dense, wet with dew and

Forsaken.

had turned from confusion to cruel certainty, when Lyla's scent had ov

because it wouldn'

nothin

No rank

he pain hadn't just been emotional. It was physical. A severing like being skinned from the insi

her hands. Mud-cake

kable she looked.

er forward anyway, dri

scent of pine shifted into rot and smoke. Trees grew darker, older,

o her knees, gasping for air, clutching her ches

did

stars were hidden behind the canopy. The Moon-her god

she whispered, her voice

was no

t w

.. gr

tural. P

snarl cut through the silence, followed by the sound of

d. Her wolf sti

hing in her

egs felt

't wear pack crests or scent marks. Rogues-real ones. The kind who did

a scar across his cheek and eyes that gleamed yel

and sharp. "She smell

third said, sniffing the air. "

lenched at her sides. She wouldn't

olves around prey, teet

remaine

y, grabbing her by the wri

but inside, she sha

outh to speak, t

a word, a fourth presen

silence-a shift in air pressure, like the

. everythi

m. Circling

right dragged a rusted blade lazily across his palm, letting the blood drip in fat, deliberate drops onto the roots around her. The scent was

he blade muttered, sniffing wi

med, crouching low to the earth.

he insult landed harder than she expected. She had always be

e was

uried somewhere too

ered inwardly. Pl

thing

eat. No rise o

ce. Cold a

that no longer lived inside her. Her body was alive, but her soul fel

ing his head like a predator toying with its

anymore," the eyeless one mused

arted, her br

didn't

idn't

the pain, burying the panic-and lifted her chi

yours," s

huckled. "No, prett

lun

eeth. A sha

th

xploded with

n't th

divine int

-hot and viol

e could touch her, his body crashing into a tree so hard the bark shattered. The eyeless one barely had time t

e. Her breath caught as the worl

t he was too slow. A hand-not hers-gripped his throat

s when sh

Ashbo

mored executioner o

ith cruelty. They were golden

The man hit the earth gasping, clawing

t look at

a. Not fast. Not

d scars. His scent hit her-not like a memory, but a warning.

yed on

nees

augh

warm, unforgiving.

peak. To thank

one trembling word befor

.wh

darkness

death woul

the fores

ment-wild and purposeful. A

at. The impact cracked like thunder through the trees. Aria stumble

like smoke didn't gr

end

ap of a neck. Another slashed wildly, but the stranger twisted behind him, claws dragging through his spine like paper. Blood

using to respond even as inst

her-still silent-t

was all the stranger needed. He lunged, pinning the wolf by t

urgled and

ind and the soft crackle

en he

air soaked in sweat and crimson. His shirt hung in tatters, barely clinging to wide sh

n bred in the s

by the edge

s-gods, his

evoured a forest. She couldn't look away. I didn't want t

gnit

g ancient and almost sacred. Not like Ryker's. Not like

asn't born o

orn of s

ok a slow st

r ribs, still aching from the broken bo

were eye level-and the mo

car. A mouth that looked like it rarely

ask if she

offer h

ike she was something n

d through her chest like thu

ri

ys belonged there. A growl. A vow. A promise

ps parting, but

her heart she didn'

d why does my sou

e flinched.

he di

t of him, exactly, but of something deeper. A pull in

in days, it didn'

his jaw, moonlight in his eyes. He said

said. "Just burning sl

asn't soft.

u help me?"

owes you mor

ds stru

ong. Her wolf stirred-not

ething ancient-wrapped arou

g dangerous

t was