Lionel’s scent was stronger. Which had Gray a bit alarmed. Knowing that whatever the Gallions would do to them, they’d double upon a stray wolf intruding in their camp. Gray rushed past the square boulder and toward the ravine where he found, Lionel backing along the creek. Knowing that being any closer to the travelling pack would be a grave mistake. “Where is she?” Lionel chittered twice and bopped his head up and down. Giving a short growl. Gray nodded. Easily speaking the language of the beast that consumed half his genetics. He clambered back up the ravine and aimed for the stable. Only to come face to face with the malicious face of the Gallions Alpha. “What is the Commander of the Pyre Army doing intruding in Gallion territory? I thought the Eternus King and I, had a sound truce.” There was clear contempt in the Alpha’s expression. “You do.” Gray eased back. Knowing he needed more distance between himself and this man to

He couldn’t save her. Not without hurting her himself. He had to rely on Lionel to do what he could not. It sickened him that Orin had just hurt her. Close enough he could’ve ripped the man apart. Literally torn his shoulders from his spine. But he could do nothing without unleashing either part of him that would hurt her. Eternus or wolf. “Dammit. Dammit!” He swore. Shaking his head at himself. His entire body quaking with the urge to change. “It’s a dangerous thing, isn’t it boy?” The Gallion Alpha drawled. “To be a wolf so close to your mate?” Gray blew a long breath and twisted his head from between his outstretched arms to peer at the man below one elbow. Still unable to move without risking changing. “You wanted to kill that mage.” “I wanted to rip out his spine.” Gray confirmed. “If you’d have gotten close to her in this state,” The Alpha gestured to his length, “you’d have mounted her.”

The Day I left Pyre I’d stood there. Staring at Gray who stood in the doorway of my brother’s bedroom. Covered in blood. Still holding the dagger. All of me had died. I looked from that blade to his face. Before I could utter my confusion, Gray caught my arm and dragged me down the servant stairwell to the back door before tossing me out. I called to him, but he’d rounded and roared for me to go and never come back. I’d immediately burst into flame like a flint catching heat. All of me. My eyes began to burn like they were melting in my head. What should’ve been tears emerged as lava. “Your eyes. Your eyes…” Gray gave me an astonished look. “They hurt!” I wailed. Falling to my knees in anguish and covering them. “They’re red…” He murmured painedly before slamming the door closed. Banishing him from my sight. And leaving me there alone. In the worst pain I’d

Three Months after Pyre I dutifully opened. Feeling the hard ridges of his rod jamming into my mouth and too far back into my throat. I promptly gagged and pressed back on his thighs to try and get him out of my neck. I can’t breathe! What is he doing! He tasted like ash and smelled unwashed. I felt myself gagging, even when he was barely in my mouth. “Mmm.” His head fell back as I caressed my tongue along the side of him. “I love you, Little Slave…” I made a fake pleasured sound around him. Making him groan and jerk. Using the distraction, I sunk my teeth into him hard enough I was sure it’d leave scars. He screamed. A pained shout, retracting his hand from my head to wave it helplessly around me. I twisted once for good measure and whirled on my knees. Hoping that blinding pain would keep him from blocking my exit. It did. I ran through that d

I’d quickly learned that no matter his intention, the moment a man’s hand met my skin, he was aflame for me. Awash with lust and desperate to possess me again. I’d put together there was something powerful in the pheromones generated by my pores, which could drive a male wild. I didn’t want to see Gray like that. And I didn’t want him pretending to be sweet to me ever again. Not after he killed my family. And betrayed me in every way possible. He was the last one I expected tonight. Having built my fire near the road, in the hope that monsters would stay at bay. But here he was. The cruelest of them all. His metal jangled as he materialized from the darkness to sit on the log across the fire from me. I stiffened. “How’d you find me?” “Fiere.” He sighed. Shaking his head wearily as if I were a nuisance child. “I’m always aware where you are.” There was long silence between he spo