ra
sed behind Mrs. Sullivan and her en
tration beneath. She struck the stone floor with the base of her matri
ury, "has the Blackwood Pack had a tradition of refusing weapo
nd terribly alone. I met her angry gaze without flinching. "Grandmother,
toward me. "I am not a fool. The white dress. The refusal of the gift.
re and death? The man you want me to marry will one day watch me die, believing
mission of guilt, of
I know you have doubts. I know this is not the love match you dreamed of. But Gavin Carlisle is a once-in-a-century Alph
pered the words, a bitter
I was rigid with terror. I had flinched from Gavin's touch, and I saw the hurt and anger flash in his eyes before they turned to ice. The entire ritual was a painful,
mistook it for stubbornness. Her pati
oice once again hard and unyielding. "The elders from both pa
from my throat. My head snapped up,
Not even the rest of thi
e sliver of hope I had clung to was brutally extinguished. A w
ng. It was the first time I had pleaded for anyt
f, her face set like stone. She would not be
his for the pack. Why couldn't she see? The loneliness of my burden was
or. She left me standing alone in the cavernous hall. The portraits of my ancestors seemed to mock
voice broke the
ite honey cakes in her hands. She wore a look of such
a gentle murmur. "Don't be angry with her. She just wants w
ing the part of the loving, devoted cousin w
iling face that had watched me burn. The beast of my ha
d not
elt into my gaze. Then, I turned and walked right past her, my shoulder nearly brushing the tray of cakes she
This was not a rejection she could twist into a misunderstandi
vy door shut, the sound echoing the finality of my actions. My back hit the wood, an
ressed emotions. The strong facade I had worn all morning crumbled into dust.
not make
welcoming the sharp, metallic tas
or weakness. No
ee
ays to save u
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