LOGINI 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
Natalia’s POVI fought like hell.My arm shook from the strength it took not to let that blade drive down toward Andrei’s chest. Max’s screams faded into the distance. The knife hovered six inches above Andrei’s chest, getting closer with each second.I had both hands wrapped around the handle now,
Natalia’s POVIt all happened so fast—a flash of movement at the edge of the platform, a small hooded figure vaulting up the steps, and then the knife coming down in a quick, hard arc that made the blade catch the red light overhead.Andrei threw himself sideways just before the knife collided with
I straightened up. My heart was pounding. I looked around the room and for a single, disorienting moment, I had no idea where I was. The black stone walls, the red sky beyond the window, the dead air of this place—none of it felt right. None of it felt like mine. I felt like a man who had woken up m
Andrei’s POVThe collar of my shirt was pissing me off.I had fastened it twice already and it still insisted on sitting crooked, pulling too tight on the left side. I undid it a third time and redid it, slower, watching my hands in the mirror rather than my own face. My reflection had been botherin
Natalia’s POVHe didn’t hesitate.The moment I swung the rod toward him, his hand shot out and closed around my wrist like a vise. My arm wrenched sideways, and I felt the bones grind together under his grip, and the rod fell. It clattered somewhere on the stone floor, rolling away into the darkness
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
Andrei & NataliaAndreiThe security tent felt far too small with all of us crammed inside. Damon sat across from me, his eyes clear now after the healers had flushed the wolfsbane from his system. Natalia stood beside him, one hand on his shoulder, chin lifted in cool defiance.As for Lilith, she w
NataliaThe Northern River Basin was just as beautiful as the legends claimed; mist dotting the peaks above, streams criss-crossing through the valley, tall evergreens and fat oak trees and colorful wildflowers swaying in the morning breeze.I stepped out of the car and immediately caught the scent







