LOGINRowan's POVWhen I saw her like that, everything else lost meaning. The urge to find out exactly who had put my mate in that state was overwhelming, bone-deep, and impossible to ignore. I felt the same bloodlust rolling off my brothers. If the three of us lost our heads right now, it wouldn't be good for anyone. Not for her, not for the pack, not for the fragile peace we'd spent weeks building with the visiting Alphas still watching from the hall above us. I know first hand what our anger can cause so I took a breath, pushed past the ache in my chest, and pulled my cloak free, running the last few steps to reach her.I wrapped it around her properly, my hands moving fast over her arms and shoulders, checking to see if there was anything worse than the injuries I could already see. Before I could ask what had happened, Cassandra ran forward to throw her arms around Raven, tears streaming down her face, her whole body shaking with what looked, to anyone who didn't know her, like gen
Rowan's POVMy whole body ached to be near her while she danced.She gave everything to the dance. More than anyone standing in that field had expected from her, more than I'd expected myself, if I was honest. The scent rolling off her by the time she finished hit me low in the gut, sharp and sweet, and I hated how much it affected me. How much I wanted to cross that field and put my hands on her in front of every pack in the kingdom."She shines, doesn't she?" Ansel took a slow drink beside me, his eyes locked on her the same way mine were."Don't lose your head, brother," Asher said coldly. "Remember why she's here."He lowered the glass and looked at him properly. "If she finds out, we might lose her forever. Even if she's the one who has to choose, I don't like keeping her in the dark about it.""Then how is she supposed to choose without bias?""It's funny," Ansel said, "how worried you are about this, when you treat her the most like a prick at this rate. Are you even sure she'
Raven's POVCassandra jerked back from me, clutching her hand to her chest. Her palm had gone bright red, a fresh burn already blistering across the skin.The bundle in my arms hissed. Smoke curled out from the folds of torn silk. I held it tighter against my chest, and felt the dragon inside go rigid. It wasn't shivering anymore. It wasn't scary anymore. Its small body had gone taut and still, gold eyes locked past my shoulder, straight at Cassandra, and a low, furious rumble built somewhere deep in its chest."Sister, I was just so worried, I…" Cassandra tried again, reaching toward me with her uninjured hand, forcing tears back into her voice as she could simply will the moment backward. "I thought you, I…"The dragon snapped.Another puff of smoke curled off its scales. A sharp, warning chirp cracked through the air, and Cassandra flinched back so fast she nearly lost her footing in the wet grass.Rowan moved before I could say a word. He stepped in front of me in one motion, not
Raven's POVI kept crawling until the rock opened up.One second I was pressed flat against stone. Next, my hands hit wet grass. I dragged my body out of the crack; it felt like my whole bones were breaking, but if I didn’t push through the smoke, it would definitely kill me here. Eventually I fell forward onto my face.Cold air hit me. It smelled like rain and salt.If you didn’t know better, it was almost like nothing was burning at all.I lay there and pulled all the fresh air into my lungs, breath after breath. My throat felt scraped raw. My dress was torn from the hem to my knee, streaked with soot and blood and green moss. My palms were shredded.The dragon was still wrapped around my hand. Its tail had not loosened once."We're out," I told it. My voice came out as a rasp. "We're out."It chirped, small and thin, and pressed its snout into my wrist.Good, Ara said. Now don't lie there. You look dead. Death is what she's hoping for.I pushed myself up onto my elbows. The cliff
Raven's POVThe egg went hot in my hands. I hissed, biting my lips to keep my tears from falling. My palm was starting to blister; the pain was unbearable, but leaving the egg was not an option. Even though it sounded weird, even though it sounded stupid, something in me wanted to hold on. My chest tightened. “Kh—kh!” I doubled over, one hand flying to my mouth as another cough ripped through me. My eyes streamed as smoke filled the cave.“ Cassandra,” I screamed her name, praying she would save me. Sister, if you are there, please help.” I barely got the words out before a harsh cough tore through my chest.She didn't answer. Through the flames, I caught a flash of gold moving further away from the cave. “No.” She was gone.Wow, Ara said flatly. Didn't see that coming. Except that we absolutely did. I ignored my wolf; I don’t know where she was getting the strength to be funny when we were facing certain death. I turned around, looking for any escape route when I heard a sound c
Raven's POVMy hands fisted in the silver silk. "Leave me alone, Cassandra.""You leave me alone," she snapped, stepping closer, grabbing my wrist. Her nails dug in, hurting me. "You ruined everything. Now you parade around in silver like you're better than me."I tried to pull free. "You're hurting me.""Am I?" She shoved me, hard, both hands slamming into my shoulders. "You hurt me first just by being born."We struggled at the edge of the pavilion, the cliff wind whipping strands of hair loose from my careful waves. She shoved again, and I shoved back. I was trying my best not to hurt her; I just wanted her hand off me. Why did she have to make it so difficult?Her slipper slid on the damp grass, and she stumbled, and, trying to catch herself, she dragged me sideways with her, not off the edge, just close enough that my stomach dropped for one sick second before I found my footing again.I tore free and turned away from her, toward the lights and the noise of the festival, my ches







