y

lieve what I'd just said. "You don't get to be don

ople who don't give a d

sking if I'm hurt? To a mother who

ho can't even look me in the eye

.." Dam

with disgust. "Having two sisters serve the s

arkened. "Watch

as well hand him over to Celestine entirely. No

ain, her nails digging in. "This isn

r been mor

older brother, Theron. He'd been standing in th

nts like that!" He lunged forwa

around his wrist, and I held him there, watc

arm felt effortless. I could ha

ard, cradling his wrist and staring a

ight. Every outwardly impressive Alpha had revealed noth

one here wort

g Moonvalle

imed, rising from C

es with you. I'm never coming back here, a

n said, "You can't do that," but I ignored them

*

gn

nded on my des

es were red, and he was clutching a cold cup of coffee. It containe

pha Remus of Moonvalley. And Alpha..." He hesitated. "S

ith a page

Blackwoo

niel rubbed his eyes. "It did, but not the way anyone expected. She stood

d not

ocket. The way her face had gone blank when she read i

ident. She had walked out of her own wedd

something toward Celestine and Damon that

the altar and begged a lunatic's permission to keep the greatest pr

ed the

of Moonvalley, the center of everyone's affection. Her mother, Evely

ut five, laughing on her brother's sh

was brought int

amily's attention had shifted from the lively chil

in the photographs had stopped laugh

r-old girl, a single suitcase at her fee

acology at a top university, and she was on th

at a cold distance ever since. Nathaniel had even spotted th

profile at the back. Impulsive. O

thaniel. "Impulsi

l. "Those are the assessments of the Moo

t do you

ough a great deal. But the re

ything she has, she's fought for. Everything she is, she b

el said

ave a slow, unwelcome twist. Nine weddings. Nine mornings of laced white silk. Nine walks down

er than I a

lp

o defy the man who let my mothe

l remain

t what it had done to three killers, and what it had done to me. She was the king. I knew it a

asn't why

der and much simpler had begun to smolder in my blood. I

straightened. "Wh

find

Remus's daughter. She has just rejected a Blackwood Alpha in front of twelve packs, and half

chair. "Every Alpha on this continent will be at

s?" Nathaniel asked

d at th

ho's bringing

e bre

e any of them coul