The Dual Claim

d stumbled into motion. She was all nerves and pearls, n

wrist. Waited.

way back to her moth

ex

sted like m

ieter than it ha

wasn't allowed. Just fi

the lowest step a

ing else disappeared. Not because he was beautiful, but because the

. He didn't fro

suddenly felt tight and ugly. I

er, the ritual book op

l I stood right in front of him and raised his

to

would have been the gong s

clawing to reach him, certain this was ours. And in his gray eyes,

knees, staring instead, at the hollow of his throat-his

rozen, waiting to

took a step back,

voice cutting across the stillnes

e. The air shifted as people leaned forward

once, then stopped wh

ucien's eyes becau

d in his jaw.

ating finding his mate. His gaze slid past me as if pulled on a strin

ied to every corner. No one c

Pack, heir to the Alpha Corren, re

cked across the m

My wolf cried out, a soundless keening inside my chest, before recoiling as if struck. The burn twisted into somethin

pulled my hand

ot everyone laughed. Some people sucked in breath and held

er left her lips in the first place. Regardless of the cerem

hen stopped with his mouth open, eyes moving be

. It didn't shatter like

eryone I would have to see tomorrow,

lle jumped and snarled once she knew my intent.

tore out of me. "I, Soraya Wane, Wane of the Silv

it-the faintest wince he couldn't hide-a

n front of them, but t

e them that, but I d

lled down my cheeks,

red eyes waiting. Waiting f

ause it was the only

fore anyone could se

de and wet, mouth pressed into a miserable line-and looked away just i

stood empty. Staff used it to move from kitchens to the great hal

. I leaned back, letting the st

tsteps echoed and then faded. I crept along the hallway, doors lined the passage, one ajar wit

gainst my chest and tol

der, as if it

hurt worse tha

it still came, shaking my shoulders, clawing at my thr

gain. Muted by stone now, but

carried through the open

her as

heers shook

end of the ballroom. Through the crack in the door, crim

owed hard and ran toward the las