It felt good to let loose and feel like a pup once again. My carefree puppy days seemed like ages ago. Cody had a knack for pulling my playful side out of dormant. It was well before evening when we arrived at the pack's border, which was a tie. We both panted heavily as we paced the perimeter, playfully shoving each other. It wasn’t until I heard leaves rustling and branches snapping that I grew serious and straightened. Cody presumed the same posture as me, his carefree side locked away for now. Wolves appeared out of the thicket, and like the Wolfsbane Pack, they all bowed in our presence. A magnificent golden wolf stepped forward, Keeping his eyes cast down. “The Alpha Devil sent word that you might be stopping by.” The young Shifter spoke. “My name is Yukon, Gamma to the Blood Moon Pack. Allow me to take you to our camp.” I grunted my response and allowed him to lead us across the border. I would have been tense with any other pack that wolves surrounded us, but the Blood Moon

“She’s the Malikah. A traitor. Born to do one thing. Kill me and take over my pack, my throne.” I was sure that my heart had stopped at his words. I had no intention of killing him. Why would he think that? Even if I wanted to, I didn’t know I could bring myself to do it. There was something in my gut, in my soul, that pulled me to him. I couldn’t go an hour without thinking about him. I craved his touch. My entire essence revolved around him—and then the realization hit me. Was the King of Guardians, the Alpha King, my mate? Did he honestly think that his mate would kill him? Cody took a cautious step forward. “Conri, she’s your mate.” He reminded him. The King stared at me for a long moment as he bared his teeth. He looked like he was deciding whether to kill me on the spot. “I don’t care.” Conri finally breathed. “Get her out of my sight. She’s no longer welcome in my home or under the Guardians’ Protection.” “But, my king, she’s your mate,” Cody repeated. “She’s the future q

“She never shifted.” He finally said. I tilted my head back and sighed in thought. That was impossible. She was eighteen, and it was a full moon; she should have shifted. “Probably because she was too busy trying to figure out why she was tossed away like a stray when she had done nothing wrong. Or maybe it’s the fact that her idiotic, stupid, self-centered—” “Watch it.” I snarled at him, growing slightly irritated at how he spoke to his king and alpha. Cody continued speaking as if I hadn’t said anything. “—mongrel of a mate is trying to break the mating bond, which will destroy her. I can guarantee you, Conri, that you messing around with this mating bond is what is delaying Rieka’s shift.” I snorted. “Unlikely. She’s eighteen, and it was the full moon last night. It’s probably because she’s the Malikah. Maybe their shifts are different.” Cody ran both hands down his face. “There are those half-ass thoughts and what’s ifs again.” He moved to my bed and grabbed my comforter a

A low, warning growl echoed through her. I had rejected the mating bond, but she was still clinging to it, turning her into a feral animal. Pain ripped through me as I took her in. I did this to her. I tossed her aside and turned her into this. I could see it in her eyes; she was slowly turning from the light. I pushed the food to her, which caused her to snarl and lunge, but she never went past her barrier of blankets. She cautiously sniffed the food, never taking her eyes off me. I inched it closer to her, and her teeth clicked as she snapped at my hand. I purred, hoping it still worked on her, and calmed her down enough to eat something. She snarled at the sound like she was trying to fight its effects, but reluctantly, she lowered her head back on the blankets and stared at me. “Come here,” I ordered as coolly as I could. She shimmied her way out of her nest and army crawled towards me, her eyes pleading for affection. “Stop,” I ordered once she had reached the plate of food bef

This was wrong. Cody was right. Treating her like this was wrong. I couldn’t damn her if she didn’t do anything wrong. Hadn’t even shown any signs of it. I laid my head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. I was a fucking idiot. A stupid, ignorant, self-centered mongrel. So, as I stood up, I grasped at the remnants of the mating bond and held on tightly. Grabbing my blanket off the bed, I went to the west wing. RIEKA’S POV I awoke the following day feeling refreshed and rested for the first time in a week. I stretched and breathed deeply, only to inhale a familiar scent. I looked down to see a blanket over the top of me, and I grabbed it, bringing it up to my nose. I sniffed and snarled at the citrus scent of Conri. It was a vicious snarl that was typically heard from a rabid animal. Quickly, I tossed it to the floor. I didn’t want his scent. I had just gotten rid of it. I rose from the bed and stood up to notice that Connor was no longer at the foot of it. I ran my hands u