LOGINBRIONY ASHBRIAR snapped, her skin flushing hot as she gripped Garron’s massive shoulders."How about some practice?" Garron asked, his deep voice scraping low against her ear as his thick hand cupped her waist, his blind, dark face tilted toward hers. "I hear it is good for grounding.""You think your big Alpha mouth is enough to fix my freak-out?" Briony forced out a sharp laugh, her breath catching as his large hand slid beneath the hem of her linen tunic."You tell me, hellcat," he growled.He leaned down, his full lips skimming the side of her mouth. The sheer heat of his broad body made her knees weak. The first kiss was a slow, possessive stroke. The second was a dark promise. And the third destroyed any pretense that this blood treaty was just a piece of legal parchment.Garron kissed her like a starved wolf claiming his prey, his tongue sliding into her mouth, tasting her deep while his calloused palm gripped her lower back. Briony whimpered, her fingers knotting into his dark
GARRON FROSTWARDEN never imagined he would happily spend his mornings elbow-deep in the Ravenfeather Roost, but here he was. Turned out, he liked helping his human mate. He liked knowing that his effort eased her brutal days, even if every move he made seemed to set off her temper.It was worth her irritation knowing her back got a break.He had just gathered the last of the eggs when his parchment stone vibrated in his tunic pocket. Probably his mother calling about pack business, or some minor catastrophe down at The Howling Stag Tavern. He wiped his dark, calloused hands on his trousers, pulled out the stone, and went completely rigid at the glowing runes on the surface.Oswin Ashbriar’s name flashed across the quartz."Fuck," Garron muttered. He stared at the glowing stone for three solid seconds before accepting his fate and channeling his voice through the quartz link. "Hey, man."He tried to keep his tone light. He had no idea what this could be about—certainly not him secretly
BRIONY ASHBRIAR stood frozen, her eyes wide as the heavy timber doors groaned on their hinges."Sounds like a good time to do it," Halric said, taking a slow sip of his brewed chicory like we were discussing the harvest weather and not completely changing how the Frostwarden territory was run. "You think her partner is going to be okay with her taking on this responsibility? I do not need Tarian coming onto pack land to tear my throat out.""Yeah..." Garron said slowly, his large black fingers tapping against his white cane as he waited for the other shoe to drop. "Riona mentioned they are saving silver to buy a plot near the lower valley, so this extra pay will be welcome."Caedmon raised an eyebrow, his protective runes glowing faintly against his skin. "Does this mean the rest of us get fewer border patrol shifts?""No, dumbass." Garron reached out to smack him upside the head, but Caedmon dodged with a low, booming laugh. "Just me. I do not see any of you pulling sixty-hour shifts
BRIONY ASHBRIAR stood frozen in the center of the loft, her breath catching as the heavy alpha scent of Garron Frostwarden filled her lungs."I have never had a human mate who is hell-bent on destroying her own body rather than letting me carry her," Garron growled, his white cane resting against the nightstand as he stepped closer. "And it is driving me out of my fucking mind."My heart hammered hard against my ribs. The raw, possessive fury in his voice wasn't just alpha pride—it was something terrifyingly real. For two weeks since we signed the fake blood treaty, I've watched him hover, but having him this close, feeling the heat off his skin, was an entirely different beast.I was not thriving on my own. I was barely surviving, my back constantly screaming under the weight of the Ashbriar Homestead.Garron didn't wait for permission. He climbed onto the oversized fur-covered mattress beside me, stretching his massive 5.8-foot frame along my side. He tucked one dark, corded arm ben
Pack Mind-Link: Torvald, Halric, Caedmon, and Garron9:57 a.m.GARRON:Need one of you to take my guard shift at the border post today.TORVALD:Again?CAEDMON:Today as in right this second?HALRIC:This is becoming a habit, brother.GARRON:So is pretending I can win an argument with my human mate.HALRIC:Not the point. Who else is stationed at the post?GARRON:Just me and Fenwick.CAEDMON:Oh great, the pup who set off the silver alarm three times during full moon patrol.I am sure the border will be totally secure.HALRIC:He has strong jaws, but that kid's brain is completely scattered.GARRON:It is a quiet morning. The rogues are not pushing the river today.I just need a warm body with enough sense to keep the perimeter wards lit and not drop wolfsbane into the water supply.TORVALD:Can’t. Training the new pack recruits until four.CAEDMON:I am running interrogation runs all day.HALRIC:I am on firehouse duty until sunrise tomorrow.Tell me again why you need to abandon y
"Hell yeah, she is." Garron shrugged like it was nothing, his white cane resting against his knee as he rolled an unlit cigarette between his large black fingers. "Head Librarians know their shit, wife. Why fuck around when I can go straight to the best source for wolf lore?"Before Briony could open her mouth to snap at him, Lady Eirlys dropped a stack of heavy leather-bound books on the wooden table between them."Here you go, you two." Lady Eirlys grinned, her eyes dancing as she shot them a knowing wink. "Some light reading for the newlyweds.""You're the best, Mom." Garron rested a thick, muscular hand on the back of Briony's chair, close enough that his knuckles brushed her pale shoulder, radiating intense heat. "Can't wait to get back to the den and dive into them. How about you, wife?"He looked straight at her when he said it, the dark rumble of his voice landing like a physical touch. He said the word slow, deliberate. Like he knew exactly how much it unraveled her human com







