rough the estate
it second, I thought I'd imagined it-until a second
or bur
her face pale. "
I demanded, already
at frightened me more
running, voices shouting, boots pounding stone
ard, a crowd
a post, his head lowered. Blood stained t
mach t
before him, s
nce," Damien said, his voi
ant. "She doesn't belong here," he snarled, his gaze sna
ppled throu
hundered i
replied coldly. "You appro
the wolf spat. "
was a
elt tight
y toward me. "Do you
h was d
dec
lammed
ha
your name," he said. "The a
turned t
trembling. The wolf met my g
im... I'd prove
him... I'd s
-but I forced
ie h
e through
d-surprised, perhaps-b
hurt me. If your rules punish warning in
le
ien rais
ease
opes
ack, disbelief etch
close to me,
rmured. "That doesn't mean he
I whispe
rsed, I felt it-so
aw me as just the Al
me as a
s, I was l
onseq
d didn't emp
their eyes darting between Damien and me. The air buzzed with
rubbing his wrists where the ropes had been
oked
olish," a vo
m the courtyard earlier. She studied me with
your opinion," I
ved. "You ju
ay before I c
thinned before facing me fully
d violenc
corrected gently. "
halls. No guards followed us this time,
vy doors shut w
gain," Damien said calmly. "May
ice?" I demanded. "If mer
There was no wrong an
"Ownershi
he said. "Your
hat settled hea
ce to breathe. The flowers there were unlike any I recogniz
e stirred
prised e
ood a few steps away, no lon
o it for yo
plied. "That's
tretched
ded finally. "Mercy
e meant, he turned and di
t, I coul
eyes-defiant, unse
thought came an
sed an inv
oosing ki
choosin
he day unfold
hat unsett
t everywhere I went, conversations stopped. Doors closed a sec
li
re
ng at the fire without seeing it. My reflection fl
ade a m
knock s
her expression tighter than usual. "You
not h
uld eat
etting it aside untouc
ted. "Some
sn't co
s to you," she continued carefully. "Power
't ask
gently. "That doesn't mean th
d the room, Damien's w
ers
ose and fell in the distance-not threatening,
to the
the trees in slow, deliberate patt
hun
e stirred
still
ce was low,
admitted. "The moment you
ndled i
what you tol
Leadership isn't about com
im. "Do you regret
me, he didn't an
at last. "Bu
they pus
. "The question is whether
ed heavily
eave, I realized
dn't protect
d intro
s, the pack was already deciding what to
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