The sound of the cell door creaking open caused me to retreat further in my mind. My wolf was gone. The torture Alpha Xi had administered over the last few days, combined with the extensive silvering, resulting in him being lost to me. For all intents and purposes, I was human. My senses were no longer heightened, I couldn’t heal quickly, and my strength had waned. The burn of the silver collar and restraints were all I had to assure me my wolf hadn’t abandoned me completely.            I groaned when I felt fingers prodding at my ribs and opened my one good eye as far as I could. The other had swollen completely shut and the good one was barely better. I saw the blurred visage of a man hove

I was wrapped in the flimsy blanket, crouched against the wall, ready to spring into action if anyone came into my cell. I had heard the fighting outside the building and expected guards to come for me. I could feel the mate bond roar to life as Hannah neared. My head whipped toward the cell door as I caught her scent and I barely moved in time to miss being crushed under it as it flew across the tiny space. In the entrance, bathed in red glowing light, blood splattered across her face and body, stood my mate. She looked like a Valkyrie.I stumbled across the cell and collapsed into her arms. I was still weak from the torture that Xi had put me through in an attempt to gain confirmation that Hannah was a royal. I heard her whispering to me as pride welled in my chest. I had protected her identity and she had come for me. Before I could respond, t

             My howls tore through the night air, causing our warriors to spill out of their rooms. I barely registered the satisfied smile on Xi’s face as I collapsed to my knees, pulling my lifeless mate into my lap. I continued to howl and scream as each thread of the mate bond snapped, rocking my body with pain. Xi moved into the parking lot as my warriors began to surround me.             “Don’t touch him!” I snarled, clutching him to me as one of the warriors moved to check him over.          &n

“I’m not sure this was a good idea Hannah.” Cam whispered nervously. “We should have brought some of the warriors with us.”            “Trust in me Cam.” I responded, squeezing her hand gently before making my way up the steps to the Blood Rose pack house.            I understood Cam’s concerns, but they didn’t seem to touch me. After Jax had told me that Alpha Owen had requested a meet, I had complied, offering to meet in his territory as a show of good faith. He was expecting a broken-down Luna who was too grieved to care for anything since the loss of her mate. He was getting me instead a

              I dropped my bag from my mouth and shifted. I thanked the goddess I had been smart enough to leave a bag outside of the packhouse with clothes and money. I dressed in a pair of jeans and a form fitting black t-shirt before slipping on my flats and stashing my bag in some bushes. I could smell the other shifters from where I stood and knew I was in the right place.            Tristan had told me of a shifter bar he would visit before he took over as Alpha. I hoped that I would find a witch or someone who could lead me to one inside. I made my way to