l

ven long, terrible days through the neutral forest. I slept under trees, drank from rivers, and ate w

" she said inside my head.

ed her.

he Ironblood Pack. Tall wooden posts with iron wol

e had broad shoulders and sharp eyes. She l

" she said. Her voice

I could. "I need a home.

"You look half dead, girl

," I said. "I can work. I can

long time. Then she nodded. "

gs. Everything was strong and simple. Warriors trained in big open fields. They moved fast and

en building. She knocked on a

pped

ig desk sa

art s

moved. The bond was there - muffled, like sound through thick walls - bu

tween us. I kept them still. His jaw ti

too, Selene

lf - every muscle slightly too controlled, lik

aid. "I did," I said

hind his eyes. He

thing wa

e loud song I remembered. I still felt pulled to him, but it was n

ace stayed calm, but I saw

ice was deep and contr

rd. "I did. Li

over me - my dirty clothes, my messy hair, the cuts on my arms from

hurt?"

said. "Just tir

an who brought me. "Petra, get he

ith curious eyes but left

ane looked at me again.

d him everything. I did not

rogue. Reyna lied and said I never loved Cole. My own father chose her over me. Cole rejected me

. His face stayed like stone

you," he sa

es

in and something dark. The same smell from that ni

Ironblood is not easy. No one gets special tre

t want special treatment. I jus

ou want to stay and have any real place here, you must train with my warriors. You mu

ster. "How long

is not a game, Elena. Many

etty dresses and easy titles. Then I thou

ill train. I will get st

second. Then something lik

dawn tomorrow. Petra will be your m

There is one

ha

feel something when I look at you. A pull. But it is not

es. It was strong that night. Now it i

d is clear, I will not treat you as my mate. You will be a new

say that, but I no

ust for a second. "You are safe here, Elena. No

ou," I w

and water. While I ate, Za

now about figh

Crest I was the Beta's daughter. They pro

will learn the hard way, little one. I wi

iredly. "I

but still careful. "Why did you really c

d find you. And because I have nowhere else to go. Bu

warmed a little. "Rest tonight.

d warm. I lay on the bed and touched my stomach without thinking. I

rying Zan

when the bond was quiet. Not w

about Zane's grey eyes

ining started before

the dirt within th

. "You fight like a s

red in dirt, b

hed with his arms crossed. His face showed not

ooked up through the sweat and dirt. Zane

to assess my progress. But I had spent enough time reading peop

e every single time I fell. N

bruised on day three that

ra had. I got up and said

of my body hurt. I was covered in brui

y room that evening,

pected," she said. "Most

y," I admitted.

aid. She laughe

orner of his mouth moved whe

ad nowhere else to be. We ended up in the small room off the main corridor - the one

My legs we

een us was the same kind it had been all day - full, not empty.

rowled. Loudly. In

lin

to his left like it had

ou last eat

vant,"

not an

quite a smile. But close enough th

ut breaking eye contact

me from the corr

between us. Just sl

mething light, I made

I noticed a small note on my bed.

than they think

held the note

n I was almost asleep, a

. Her face l

wants to see you i

heart was beating fast. W

e, he was not alone. Torres sto

at me with

tley has sent warriors into neutral territory. They are looking

pau

gue's child. And they want to make s

quiet. I could hear

ing