LOGINNEAH
I stare at the word scratched into the office floor. *RUN*. My handwriting. But I don't remember writing it.
My hands are shaking. The golden light beneath my skin pulses erratically. That second heartbeat pounds so hard it feels like it's trying to break through my ribs.
Something happened while Liam was with Marcus. Something I can't quite remember. A voice in my head that wasn't mine. A warning that felt o
POV: NeahThe clearing is silent except for the wind.Hundreds of wolves surrounding us in a perfect circle. Witnesses to ancient law. To a challenge that hasn't been invoked in five centuries.Marcus stands twenty yards away. Relaxed. Confident. Five hundred years of experience making him certain of victory.I'm exhausted. Still recovering from purging a hundred hybrids. Still healing from dying three times in the past month.But I'm here. And I'm not backing down.Aldara steps into the circle. "The Challenge Absolute has been issued and accepted. Single combat. No interference. No weapons beyond
POV: NeahI wake three days later.Not in Montana. Not in Vancouver. In Iron Valley. In our bed. Safe.Liam is beside me. Asleep in a chair. Dark circles under his eyes. He hasn't left my side.Through the bond, I feel his exhaustion. His relief. His absolute refusal to lose me again.I touch his hand. He wakes immediately."Neah." He's on the bed in seconds. Pulling me close. "You're awake. Thank God you're awake.""How long?""Three days. You burned yourself out purging the hund
POV: NeahTwo days until the Council gathering.The war room has become our world. Maps. Files. Intelligence reports covering every surface. Fifty Alphas rotating through in shifts. Planning. Strategizing. Preparing for the confrontation that will define our future.I stand at the main table. Exhausted. Running on coffee and determination. The golden veins beneath my skin are still dim from overuse. But functional. Healing.Theo pulls up the Council building schematics. "Vancouver Convention Center. Neutral ground. The gathering happens annually. Five Elders. Representatives from every major pack. Security will be maximum.""Which means we can't just storm
POV: NeahVanessa's scream tears through the medical wing.Seven months pregnant. Too early. The baby shouldn't be coming yet.But hybrid pregnancies don't follow normal rules. We're learning that in real time.I press my hands to her belly. Golden energy flowing. Assessing. The baby's vitals are strong. Too strong. The markers are active. Expressing. Making this child grow faster. Develop quicker.Which means ready to be born two months early."How bad?" Caleb asks. He's gripping Vanessa's hand. Terrified. Desperate."The baby is healthy.
POV: NeahTwo days until the Council gathering.The war room has become our world. Maps. Files. Intelligence reports covering every surface. Fifty Alphas rotating through in shifts. Planning. Strategizing. Preparing for the confrontation that will define our future.I stand at the main table. Exhausted. Running on coffee and determination. The golden veins beneath my skin are still dim from overuse. But functional. Healing.Theo pulls up the Council building schematics. "Vancouver Convention Center. Neutral ground. The gathering happens annually. Five Elders. Representatives from every major pack. Security will be maximum.""Which means we can't just storm
POV: LiamThe name hits like a physical blow.Council Elder Marcus. One of the five wolves who govern all supernatural law in North America. Ancient. Powerful. Untouchable.And according to Theo's files, the true architect behind the Bloodline Project."Say that again," I demand through the comm. "Slowly."Theo's voice is steady despite the weight of what he's revealing. "Council Elder Marcus. The files are encrypted but thorough. Financial records spanning thirty years. Offshore accounts. Shell corporations. All leading back to him. Rebecca was his operative. Kessler reported to her. She reported to Marcus."
NEAH"What do you mean he's asking for me?"I was already pulling on my sneakers with one hand and holding the phone with the other. My heart was hammering so loud I was sure Theo could hear it through the line."Exactly what I said. He crossed the border bleeding and half conscious. Shane and Mile
NEAHThe first week of senior year went exactly how I expected. Classes were fine. Training was good. The mean girls were mean. Same old routine.What I didn't expect was how much harder the nightmares would hit.Every night that week I woke up screaming. Every night Caleb came running. By Friday w
NEAHThe sound of screeching tires. Metal folding like paper. Glass exploding everywhere. My body flying forward but my hands grabbing nothing but air. Then impact. Hard and sudden and final.I jolted up in bed gasping for air. My chest was heaving and my shirt was soaked through with sweat. The ro
PrologueWhat do you do when you are a human in a wolf pack and your best friend is the next Alpha?You keep up. That's what. Or you try to keep up as much as a human body will let you.Neah and Caleb have been joined at the hip since the day they were born. Literally. Their mothers were best frien







