A shiver crawls up my neck as I glance over my shoulder and catch a glimpse of dark movement through the fog. He’s there, somewhere. There’s no way I can outrun him.Look at him! He’s huge!
He could break me in half if he wanted to.
I search the area, desperate for somewhere to hide, but there’s nothing. No shelter, no crevice, no hollow tree. How foolish am I? How did I think I could outrun a vólkin? They’ve surely trained their entire lives for the hunt, and here I am, tripping over roots like a scared animal. He’s been gentle so far, but that could change. His thighs quivered when he was pretending to be calm.
I stop beside an ancient tree. My chest heaves as I lean against it, but the bark digging into my back grounds me. Still, my breath comes in short, shallow bursts, and my body tremblesfrom exhaustion and fear. The mist curls around me, choking in its embrace, and when I try to draw in air, every breath feels like pulling water into my lungs.
I can’t run anymore. There’s no point. He’ll catch me. He’llalwayscatch me.
My knees buckle, and I slide down the tree, resting against its trunk as the damp earth soaks my gown. Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Not now. Not in front of him. I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms as my anger simmers. I don’t want to be this weak. I don’t want to feel this helpless. How did it all go so wrong?
Enough.
Something inside me snaps. The fear, the confusion, the overwhelming grief, I push it all aside, letting the anger flood through me.Yes. Anger is good.
How dare he call me his mate, acting as if he has any claim over me? I’ve been tossed around like a pawn in everyone else’s game—my mother’s death, Arnold’s kidnapping, and now this vólkin, thisbeastwho thinks he can dictate my fate.No more.
My entire body shakes with fury. If this monster thinks I’m going to cower and run, he’s wrong. Dead wrong.
I hear him before I see him. His growls echoing through the mist, the heavy pounding of his paws against the earth like the drums of war. My heart still races, but it’s no longer from fear. It’s from the heat that pulses through my veins. The sound of snapping branches and the thunder of his approach send a surge of vigor through me. Bracing myself, I plant my feet firmly on the ground.
Come here, wolf.
I whirl around, jaw clenched, just in time to see him burst through the trees. His massive body crashes through the underbrush, but I don’t flinch. I stand my ground, glaring at him with all the strength I have left.
As he rears onto his hind paws, rising to his full height, I meet his gaze. “BACK. OFF!”
Theron’s hazel eyes lock onto mine.
The ground beneath my feet vibrates as he comes closer, closing the distance between us.
I take a step toward him, my right hand holding the spear tighter. “What do you want from me? You think you can just... take me? Is it that simple for you?” My voice cracks, but I press on. “You think you have a right to decide my future? To say I’m your mate? Who do you think you are?”
He needs to understand that I’m not some weak, fragile creature he can do whatever he wants with.
Without wasting time, I step forward again, and so does he, the ground shaking beneath his enormous paws. The heat of his body draws me to him. I feel my right leg aching to move closer still. It’s like he stares into my soul, calling me, forcing me to listen. I’m angry, it pisses me off. Why, why can’t I control myself?
Stupid, foolish, delusional vólkin!
With my left hand, I grab a fistful of his fur and pull, making him lower himself toward me. His massive body bends easily to my demand.
I shove the sharpened tip of the spear into his chest, press it into the thick fur over his pounding heart. “I’ve lost everything!” I shout. “Everything! And now you... you dare stand in front of me and act like this is what the goddesses want?” I can barely breathe. “I don’t care about your bond, or your destiny, or whatever it is you’re talking about. I won’t be claimed by anyone!”
My hands shake, my grip tight on both the spear and his fur, but Theron doesn’t move. He doesn’t flinch. The spear digs into his chest, but it’s as if he doesn’t even notice it.
Gritting my teeth, I push the spear harder against him, desperate for some reaction, some proof that I can still do something, that I have some power in this situation. But still, nothing. His body doesn’t even tense. He just watches me. My anger burns hotter, frustration swelling inside me like a dam about to burst. I want him to hurt like I hurt. I want him to be afraid of me like I’m afraid of the whole world. My hands might shake, but I don’t let go of the fire burning inside me. I won’t let him take that from me too.
“We both carry burdens that the world will never understand,” he says, the rumble of his voice soothing me. I hate it.
What does he mean? He doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know what I’ve been through, how much I’ve lost. He can’t.
“Do what you need to,” he continues. “But I will never harm you. And I will not leave you to carry your pain alone.”
With eyes wide open, I feel the fire in my chest flicker, then die. He doesn’t care about the spear drawing blood from his flesh. He doesn’t care that I’m shaking with rage. And worst of all, he’s not afraid of me.
The spear slips from my fingers and falls uselessly to the ground between us. The anger I’ve held on to, the fury that’s been burning inside me since my mother’s death, since Arnold’s attack, since this entire nightmare began—it crumbles. All of it crumbles.
Tears blur my vision. I try to hold them back, but it’s too much. I can’t keep it together anymore. A sob tears itself from my throat, and I collapse against him, tears falling down my face as my heart bursts open.
