Montgo

or-sharp point of the silver needle p

welled up against the cold metal

e sapphire locket at her throat risin

s by playing the pitiful little sister, and even with

arge, crystal tears spilled from her brown eyes as she lo

your plan, just kill me right now!" Vivian choked ou

could I just stand by and watch a stranger pierce his legs with lethal silver? Ev

ied, "Andrae, don't worry about me! Call the guards-don't

, she had painted herself as a loyal martyr willing to die for her

fake sobs like ice. "By sneaking into the Pack Alpha's bridal chamber at midn

earful fac

t side of the silver needle against her jaw t

or, Lady Vivian,

y shoved me toward his wheelchair so the needle would snap inside his knee joint. And while you

ing to save your brother's life, or were you terrified

y, wolfless girl from the backwater borderlands would see straight throu

rieked, her sweet mask cracking as panic set in

sle pack, and she's just a wolfless substitute bought from the Me

r the Alpha to order my execution just as he had punish

ark-gold eyes were fixed on the back of my linen shirt, which was covere

room like winter frost. "She entered this keep carrying the blood seal o

t. "Andrae... what did you

at myself," A

ocating dominance of an apex Alpha bore

ssure. Overwhelmed by their ruler's wrath, the two werew

n like cold steel. "And get on your knees and apologize to your Luna, or I'll hav

rae,

e redwood armrest. A sharp crack s

g Alpha command. She dropped straight onto the shattered porcelain an

at her neck as I looked down at the proud pack la

her hands against the wet stones, pulled a brass ma

at through clenched teeth, tea

"And next time you enter my room without kn

weeping, tea-soaked Vivian off the floor, and bolted out

ving only the sound of rain be

on the flagstones to gather my scat

the stone floor earlier, a dull ache pulled at my bac

uch it, the wooden wheels rol

picked up the silver needle himself,

where the pure silver touched his cal

at the faint red burn mark on his thumb. "You'

f onto the stone floor just to keep a needle f

ty, replaced by a deep, searching heat that made my fingers tingle. No one

back into my pouch, stood up, and pulled out the linen

" I said, holding the dark s

ago only damaged your surface nerves. What truly paralyzed your le

d to the black cloth

and no scent when mixed with bi

rotting your marrow from the inside out. Whoever did this is a master of apothecary craft, has

lence fill

elief as the realization of who had been brewing his daily tonics cle

pouch shut and picking up my ragged cloak. "Forcing another needle in right now will tear you

my cloak with two finger

d my question from earlier. A wolfless girl raised in the Mercer stables doesn't mo

lied with a faint, cool smile, pulling my cloak gently from his grip.

scarred face, I turned and

Carli

her, yet the room no longer felt like

ow-berry on the flagstones, then slowly lowered

se beat inside a leg that had been

tore through my wolf on stormy nights was completely gone, soothe

th foul herb paste hide a scent tha

cracked armrest and looked toward t

n, com

bove and landed on one knee before my chair. Declan Hayes, my Bet

er earlier, I was about to drop down and intervene-until I saw the Luna pull the needle from your kn

mind replaying the cold, fearless light in her ic

to humiliate her at the front

he walked in here, diagnosed the liquid-silver poison that my brother Boyce hid from every ro

"Her skills are terrifyingly deep, Alpha. Could she be

d left draped over the chair beside me

her own back to make a cripple stand," I mur

up everything about Hermina Montgomery before daw

bowed and melted ba

ver the tiny burn mark left by her silver needle,

scard from th

" I whispered