The Exile's Path

through the woods before

Kallia didn't hesitate; she scooped her dropped hunting knife from the ground and ran right

he fire of a dropped torch, casting big, elongat

crawled desperately away from the monster. The road with the iron bear traps

of the chaos s

gray fur mixed with dried dirt and filth. Ribs pressed against its dry chest, but its muscles showed with feral,

ied to load another bullet of his hunt

s gaping wide to rip

r split th

rm, Darius possessed the terrifying, bone-crushing mass of a highborn Alpha warrior. He wrestled the snarling beast

led at Vance, his golden eye

tead of runinn away toward the safety of the free road, the constable dropped his torch into the d

Smaller, quick

es teeth aimed directly

o

lia's mind; it erupted from the

The wind parted around her with impossible ease. Her boots barely touched the ground as a surge of seari

r entire body between the bea

face. The heavy weight should have shattered her bones. It should have

from the bottom of her chest, she caught the beast by the loose part of its neck with one hand and dro

thrashing violently as its hot black bl

ssible shades. Her vision flashed not gold like Darius's, but a brilliant vi

heavy beasts dead body off her. The beast collapsed into

ashed over

ure's snapped neck. He was chest-heaving, his dark hair falling into his face, his knuckles d

ad seen a girl who smelled like wild herbs and dried flowers

er forehead. The adrenaline was draining away, leaving her bod

hand to help him up. "Constable, are you hu

way fr

d dead leaves at her boots. His face was frowned, his eye

empty in the air. "Constable

He pointed a shaking, finger at her. "You're one

ow, their faces pale under the moonlight. They had seen

voice carrying the depth of his fear. "They weren't human. They

red at her like she was a disgusting snake. "A whole year you lived with us! Eating our food, smiling

r rushing into her lungs. "I didn't

he night. "Get out of our town! If I see your face inside the town

ike a physical b

the shop to

mily when she had nothing. If Kallia walked back into the town, the town

tiful life she had spent twelve months bui

eyes, a heavy, warm presence steppe

rom their eyes. When he spoke, he didn't raise his voice, but the terrif

len

w shut, his knees weakened under the pure.fear of the man in front

pathetic lives save. Take your wounded and crawl back behind your wooden fences. If

ached down, gripped Kallia firmly by the

id quietly, h

him guide her past the dead beasts and up the steep, shado

cky place two miles north of the human border

f her arm and walked to the water's edge, kneel

ned clothes and the bloody dagger still clutched in her hand. The shock

e water was over his hands. "Even if you knelt and begged, fear is a poison t

She gripped the handle of the blade tighter. "Who were

ather cloth, and turned to face her. His expres

nt. A splinter faction of rogues has been roaming the northern territories for months, looking for weak points in the pack

, closing the distance until she had to

ck stand . "And I don't know why your scent is so strangely masked, or why your eyes flash like an ancient lunar eclipse. But

it forming in her throa

out a large hand toward her. "You have no home left i