Marked by the Alpha I was sold to

nt neither brother moved, some old current running between them that had no

here quiet and dangerous, quieter than

as o

d speed that made the air feel thinner. He didn't touch his brother. He didn't have to. Whatever was in his face made

them started speaking the language brothers speak when there's blood between them older than either of their l

urge to put them through something. When he finally looked at me his eyes had that same pale coldness from

't have com

. I assume he can

n Alpha's answer dressed u

here to put my hands that wasn't shaking. "Nadia said there's a word for what

d hold onto it. He turned half away from me, toward the window that didn

over. "It doesn't happen to everyone. Most wolves never feel it in their whole lives. When it happens, it's supp

pose

t's not convenient. N

, a small cold stone dropped somewhere

had teeth on the way out. "To Briar Thorne. Her father and mine buil

the ordinary sounds of a pack going about a day that had nothing to do with the two of us standing in this room

steadier than I expected. "You marry he

han anything else he'd said. "No one's supposed t

thing. I don't care ab

"You should. If it breaks, it isn't just my problem. It's an entire border's worth of

been a version of me, three days ago, folding laundry in a house that no longer felt like mine, who would have laughed at the idea of caring about wolf po

th no windows, not whatever this is between us that apparently has a name

gone rough, unguarded in a way I hadn

n made for us by circumstances neither of us controlled, and I felt the pull again, that hook low in my

say the word out loud." I don't know why I s

face, sharp enough to look li

ot wrong

, without deciding to, my body doing the deciding again before my mind caught up. "I've spent my whole life being told what I'm a

left my mouth. It scared me, how much I meant the opposite. I'd walked into Duskhaven determined to survive

my pulse forgot how to behave. Then he stepped back, put the distance between us again, that same

here behind his eyes the same way Nadia's had. "Magnus Thorne is coming. Briar with him. You'll need

hy

do about it," already turning for the door, already retreating behind the Alpha's