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
I wore the earrings around for the rest of the day, just to be safe. Nothing happened, other than receiving more compliments on my jewelry than usual. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary—no mind-reading abilities, no x-ray vision.By the end of the day, some of the tension was beginning to
Natalia’s POVWe sent a letter to Bloodmoon that night, along with the earrings. We instructed David and Celeste on how to bond them as well as use them. We also asked David to try to confiscate any ruby jewelry from Helena that he could find, which would likely be no simple task.But we had to get
Natalia’s POV“She’ll be fine with me, Alpha,” Alina said as we prepared to return to the Moonshadow estate. “I won’t let her out of my sight. You have my word.”The thought of having to have a bodyguard, even if it was someone I trusted like Alina, made my stomach churn. It felt like a step backwar
Natalia’s POV“‘Helena has many rubies like this,’” Andrei read out loud from David’s letter. “‘We haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary about the necklaces and rings she wears, but then again, I haven’t thought to look until just now. These belong to Celeste; she willingly gave them for you







