~ CASIMIR (Later that night) ~   I stood half-crouched and poised to leap or shift, I wasn’t sure which. Neither was going to help. But it was instinct to search for a way out.   My father stood a few feet away, arms folded and expression unimpressed. His eyes were the cold, cold blue of a winter snow cave when the sun shone behind it and bored into me, bright and piercing… and they were beginning to glow.   “No,” I snarled. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”   “Make me,” he muttered.   I fought him as surely as I would any wolf that came at me with fangs and claws—sweating, grunting, heart pounding—but my body barely twitched because

~ CASIMIR ~The matebond between wolves is a unique and powerful thing. I’d never denied that. My bond with Jesse was my third, but she was the first I had claimed.I told myself that was why I shivered when she whispered my name.I had her pinned to the mattress, covered, my hips between her thighs, my hands planted on the bed to brace myself, still trying to decide if I was clear headed enough to take her.I wanted her, desperately. The looming dark of that dream threatened to suck me back in if I slept. And having her warm softness nearby was soothing.But I felt… fragile.And uncertain if taking her would help that, or make it worse.

~ CASIMIR ~ “Oh!” I jolted awake the next morning, sitting up quickly, and felt the weight of Jesse tumble from my shoulder because she’d been laying her head there. Still foggy and uncertain, I scanned the room to find Ghere standing a few steps inside the doorway, dry-washing his hands, an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry, Sire, but it’s urgent.” I frowned. Why was he— “What’s going on?” Jesse’s voice was disoriented and husky with sleep and desire bolted from behind my navel, straight to my groin. But as Ghere averted his eyes, I realized why he’d apologized. I quickly grabbed th

~ JESSE ~ I shook my head at Maya, but she just stared blandly back at me. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” I said bluntly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she sniffed. “Now, have you finally gotten the ancestries clear in your head, or will you leave me with another headache, trying to help you straighten them out…?” I groaned—the pack bloodlines were my least favorite subject and I knew her bringing them up now meant she was either punishing me, or distracting me. But it didn’t really matter which it was, because I was submitted. And if she wanted to spend the next week talking to me about who sired who, I was going to have to suck it up and learn it so she’d have no reason to bring i

~ JESSE ~ Cazz’s brows drew down sharply over his nose and his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, you don’t know how to feel about it?” I looked back and forth, up and down the tunnel. I hadn’t planned to have this conversation with him so soon. I’d been busy hunting down my new friends. But Cazz’s appearance had frightened Wylde, who thought he was going to be angry with her for talking to me while she was supposed to be working, so I didn’t call her back when she darted away. I knew I could find her later. The truth was, feeling that sudden tug behind my ribs, that call that could only be him, had excited me—then stepping into the hallway to see Cazz prowling towards me had been thrilling. He was hunti