LOGINBella’s POV I didn't lose consciousness all at once.At least, I was sure I didn't. My eyelids felt heavy, like someone had filled them with cement.That, and the fact that noises floated through my consciousness in bits and pieces, the world sliding out from under me and then dragging itself back, over and over, like a crashing wave.It was really embarrassing, especially since I had been making a very big deal out of arguing with Draven.I didn't have very long to think about that, because suddenly the ground was moving under me. Draven's chest under my cheek, the low rumble of him talking to someone over my head, his voice too controlled to be calm."—bleeding through, get Cade to bring the kit to my quarters—"His quarters.I wanted to argue that I was fine in the medical room, but I didn't have the strength to make the words line up in my mouth, so I let it go, which scared me more than the dizziness did.I was becoming soft, letting myself rely on him too much. It was not going
BellaI didn't lose consciousness all at once.At least, I was sure I didn't. My eyelids felt heavy, like someone had filled them with cement.That, and the fact that noises floated through my consciousness in bits and pieces, the world sliding out from under me and then dragging itself back, over and over, like a crashing wave.It was really embarrassing, especially since I had been making a very big deal out of arguing with Draven.I didn't have very long to think about that, because suddenly the ground was moving under me. Draven's chest under my cheek, the low rumble of him talking to someone over my head, his voice too controlled to be calm."—bleeding through, get Cade to bring the kit to my quarters—"His quarters.I wanted to argue that I was fine in the medical room, but I didn't have the strength to make the words line up in my mouth, so I let it go, which scared me more than the dizziness did.I was becoming soft, letting myself rely on him too much. It was not going to end
DravenThe sound of voices arguing echoed from outside the building, cutting off my explanation to Bella before I could say a word."You don't want to be in there," I heard Thor mutter under his breath, even as Ronan roared louder to be let in.I was already moving before I realized it. My wolf came up under my skin fast, faster than I wanted, claws pressing behind my nails and tearing into my skin.I shoved it back down, taking deep breaths to calm myself.Not here.Not with Bella feet away, weak and awake."Wait for me," I grunted."Draven, wait," she called out, but I was already halfway across the room."Get out of my way," Ronan said as I got outside.He looked like hell. Sweat still drying on him from the race, one sleeve torn at the shoulder, blood at his knuckles that wasn't his. I didn't ask whose it was. I didn't care."Let me in," he growled when our eyes met. I stared into those eyes, a familiar gaze I remembered, and all I could see was my brother, and my father."No," I
Bella’s POV I woke up slowly, almost like I was lifting myself out of a hazy fog. The first thing I felt was the pain. Then the light, almost blinding in its intensity, forcing its way through my eyelids. The smell of what had to be antiseptic, mingled uncannily with engine oil and something underneath it that was just Draven. My shoulder screamed when I shifted over the bed and I bit down on my lips before the sound could escape my throat. Voices echoed, close by, like they were in the room with me. I kept my eyes shut. Partly because I was hoping the light would not seem as bad, and partly because the longer you pretended to be asleep, the more truth you'd hear. Old habit. "—significantly weaker," someone was saying. A voice I didn't know. "Her wolf is barely present." I kept my breathing even. "I see," Draven said. Flat. "Is that all?" The pause that followed didn't do much to reassure me. It was the kind of silence that hung over a room before bad news, th
Draven's POVI rushed across the field with Bella in my arms, unwilling to put her down.My heart thumped in my chest, my mind running a mile a minute on what I could do to make sure she was safe.She had to remain safe.Someone reached out to pull her from my arms and I growled, baring my teeth, my eyes glowing red as my alpha call rose to the surface immediately."Alpha." One of the council's medics again, younger this time, his hands raised like I might bite.I probably would."We need her on the table," he said, nodding to the bench.I looked at it, my mind warring between holding her and protecting her until she was awake, and letting the doctor do their job.I set her down.The medical tent was too bright and too loud and every sound in it felt like it was happening directly inside my skull. I stayed at her shoulder, one hand still on her, and when a second medic reached for her wrist to check her pulse I felt something low in my chest go tight and ugly."Don't touch her.""Alph
Bella's POV I had three corners left. Ronan was already a stretch ahead of me, but it didn't really matter. I still had time, and I was determined to beat him. The problem was something was wrong with my bike. I could feel it the same way I felt the vibration underneath my feet. Half a length of road already behind me and the final bend coming — riding a bike I didn't fully trust anymore was a dangerous hazard, but I couldn't really avoid it. I was almost certain I knew where the problem was coming from. The rear had drifted wrong twice since the second lap and the last hard turn had made the issue even more apparent. It was a small fault now, but it was costing me tiny fractions of speed, and toward the end I would have a larger problem on my hands if I didn't work the bike properly. I pushed anyway. The greatest thing at stake here was winning this challenge and winning my freedom from Ronan and his pack — everything else was secondary. The left curve before the straight I
Bella's POVI was at the garage at six again.It was definitely not because of Draven.We were training with his bike at noon and I had to make sure the adjustment passed a final check before the afternoon session.I wanted the bike cold when I did it, which meant early, which meant six, which had
Ronan's POVThe bottle was half-empty.I had been measuring what was left against what I still needed to get through the night. The fire in the study had burned down to the coals and nobody had come to rebuild it because I'd thrown the last servant out two hours ago when he'd asked if I needed it.
Draven's POVI wasn't exactly sure how I found myself sneaking into Bella's room in the middle of the night.I made it to the corridor my feet dragging against the floor before I collapsed against the wall outside the mess hall. The sounds of the people from the mess hall still audible from the oth
Bella's POVThe table was one of the smaller ones.That was the first thing I noticed — whoever had chosen it hadn't accounted for four people, or maybe they had and that was the point. Clara had shifted along the bench, pressing close to Draven to make room.Thor nodded once in my direction as he







