LOGIN“He’s gotten so strong,” Andrei whispered as, a little while later, we stood beneath the hot spray together. I traced my fingers across the familiar planes of his chest and abdomen, leaving patterns in the hair. Everything was the same. Everything. As if not a single day had passed since he left.“H
Natalia’s POVThe light wound up leading us to a small, nondescript inn with a sign that read “Rusty’s Rest” at the edge of a narrow and winding roadway. It had worn wooden siding and an inviting yellow glow through the dusty old windows.We were all surprised to come across any sign of civilization
Natalia’s POVCold, wet ground rushed up to meet me. I gasped, tucking my arms, and braced myself for impact.Thankfully, the bed of moss I fell onto was soft and plush, and although it knocked the breath from our lungs, I heard no cries of pain or snapping of bones. In fact, the cold damp of rain w
My wolf came back like a dam had burst.It was sudden and all-consuming, almost painful in its intensity. My nerve endings lit on fire. A bond I’d forgotten for too long suddenly snapped into place like a live wire pulling taut. I looked up, and an animal howled in my mind.Mate.My Lord let out a d
Andrei’s POVThe ring was too small for every finger except my pinky.I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Her hands were still wrapped around mine, and she was saying something. Not out loud, but somewhere deep and resonant. Inside of me, where my Lord’s voice dwelled, came hers. Soft and sweet and so
I still knew every word.“Mom.” Max’s hand tightened on my arm. “Drop it. Look at me.”I looked at him.He had dirt on his face and his lip was split and his eyes were wide and scared and absolutely certain, all at once. He looked eleven years old and he looked forty, and I loved him so much in that
NataliaI stared at the small glass bottle in my hand in shock. Andrei had pressed it into my palm with no audience this time—no crowd to impress, no show to put on.Maybe he wasn’t being as manipulative as I’d thought. Maybe—No. I shoved the bottle into my pocket and finished helping Damon into th
NataliaI sat there, stunned, just staring at Damon.“You want to mark me?” I let out a wry little laugh. “Why would you want to do that?”I thought we’d had an understanding—our relationship was fake and would always be fake. We weren’t in love. At least, we weren’t supposed to be.But Damon looked
NataliaFor a moment, I considered telling Andrei exactly where he could shove his “meal”.But our alliance was fragile and new. One wrong step and it could shatter, leaving Ashmoor vulnerable again. And I couldn’t afford that—not when it had all been my fault to begin with.“Fine,” I finally said,
“This is about survival,” I said, trying to salvage the situation. “Both packs’ survival. We can’t afford to let ego or old wounds dictate our decisions anymore.”“Fine words,” Andrei chuckled wryly. “But what guarantee do I have that this isn’t some elaborate trap? That you’re not just trying to ge







