on anything like her. No

lling so damn shallow he almost missed it. Moonlight turned her skin silver, and her eyes, holy hell, they were aligh

r face. He kept his voice low, like he used to for the dying on

ird thing to think

t this weak flutter, barely ho

ching her like some desperate idiot. Like if he let go, she'd just slip right

side him. Prowling, snapping, howli

d freezing at the same time. Not a great combo, honestly. Her breath

owled, more to h

ak thud against his ribs, and he just ran. Didn't think. Trees whipped past, roots trie

ried. He burst into the camp and the rogu

stopped moving, hair stuck to her ne

out rough. "I don't

mates, didn't claim, didn't do any of that pack

ter. Now," he bark

igging out his rag

her out by the fire. "Not like any sh

shot up. "Red?

," Hann finis

over her chest, tracking every s

n. "But it's not just exhaustion. Her hear

ration. "Then she'll get strong

over the tent like some kind of rude spotlight. Ugh. Every inch of her body ached-like someone had pulled her apart piece by piece and stuck h

to sit up.

ne said. Deep

to her bed. Dark skin, built like a tank, eyes forest-green and

raped out. "

gentle. "You shifted. I

rejection, the pain, the shift, the

ered, not sure why tha

ed her. "What

d when you

his voice dropped. "That

Not from pain, but-

, that's... my mate re

ike it was obvious.

uth, but words ju

nd of misfits. And you-never seen a wolf like

. "Never shifted before

secret. "Old story says a red wolf, born with a busted heart

've been called a lot of thing

ly noticed the crowd drifting through the camp-men, women, all of them rogues, but, honestly? They looked more like tired travele

y said, voice low, almost like he was embarrassed to admit

her, knuckles white, breath coming way t

e muttered, barely a

this lazy shrug, like that was some deep answer.

ot really. But a tiny, rec

ngeline perched on a rock, wrapped in a scratchy old blanket, still running on half-charged batter

fire, sparks popping. "So, what d

r throat. "It'

hat's a nice name. Anyone ever tell you your eye

ted. "No

shot back,

firelight paint him half-shadow. He could look dangero

, just-surviving," he said. "But maybe, with y

ised a brow.

id, whatever. But you, you're the red wolf. The prop

bitter. "I couldn't even kee

t even pretending to be polite

n fancy blood or old names. Just-survival. Loyalt

ese so-called monsters. All she saw

las's gaze, s

voice stronger. "M

e out there, deep in the woods, the MoonClaw Pack felt the ground