Page 20

Another wolf shot out from the side and swiped a clawed paw at him. Jax.

In horrified disbelief, I stumbled backward until my back smacked into the wall.

Black wolves. My men were black wolves!

As quietly as I could, I ran down the hall and into my room, softly closing the door behind me and sliding my back down until I slumped on the floor.

They’d been lying to me from the very moment I met them. They were black wolves, the ancient enemy of my kingdom. That’s why they’d been talking about Alphas and betas and mate bonds, but I’d been too lust-driven and desperate to think rationally.

Mate bonds. They said they’d mated to me. And even now with my pulse racing and my body trembling in fear over what I’d just seen, I couldn’t deny the powerful yearning I felt for each.

What was I going to do? They were the enemy of the kingdom I now ruled alone. It was my duty to my ancestors to kick them out. But I’d already invited them to stay, and with this whole mate bond business, there was no way they’d leave willingly.

A shadow caught in the corner of my eye, and I snapped my head in that direction.

“Willow,” I sighed in relief after she came into the moonlight spilling through my window. “It’s just you.”

She curled up on my lap, and I busied my anxious hands with petting her.

I really didn’t want them to go, even with this revelation. I couldn’t bear the thought of returning to the solitude I’d been wallowing in before they stumbled into my life.

But I was the last of the Varinyan line. Allying with them went against everything my ancestors fought and died for. Letting them stay would be like spitting on my parents’ graves.

There was only one right choice. I had to protect my castle from its enemies, even if that meant shattering what was left of my battered heart.

Chapter 8

Tannin

RAGE. PRIMAL, ANIMALISTICrage consumed me as I fought against my Alpha. But right now, he wasn’t my Alpha, he wasn’t my life-long best friend... he was my nemesis.

I leapt onto his back, digging my claws into his sides as I bit the back of his neck as hard as I could. He yelped and rolled, slamming me hard against the floor, but I refused to let go. I refused to lose.

But he was bigger than me, his weight crushing down on me as he continued to roll and pinned me between his back and the floor. He bucked his powerful body, slamming me over and over, until I finally lost my grip on his sides.

Then, faster than I could react, he spun around to face me and drove his mouth into my neck, clamping down. His teeth sank into my skin, squeezing my windpipe. I knew he could crush my bones with those powerful jaws, but he was holding back. This bite was a warning.