“Starvation is suffering,” she said. “Spare the suffering.”  His red-rimmed eyes find mine. It seems his floodwaters are still raging, deep enough that he is finding it difficult to swim. I will not let him drown.

The sudden compulsion to fall to my knees dissolves my bones into a jellyfish, without structure. To look upon her is to look through the salt of the sea as it stings my eyes. I have to blink and focus on something else, not all of her at once. Little parts, then look away. Look back, then away. It is hard to concentrate.  Sickle claws.  Blink my eyes.  —long fangs past her bottom lip. At times, she starts to wobble out of focus, but the sound never stops. Constant. Consta

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” I make sure to hold eye contact with Sayda as I hold her mate’s pup in my arms. The corners of my mouth pull upwards slightly.

“Keegan, it’s time. Kalla needs you.” The female looks between us, and Keegan nods his head. Face grim and tight. He does not move at first. “She is calling out for you.” The female’s voice is urgent with concern.  “Keegan, your mate needs you. Now.” I am now regarded with her eyes. She draws her vision over Keegan again, then me. Her brows pull together.  “Your mate said if you need your brother for support, you can ask him to come.” 

There is a brutality in the way Keegan picks up Kalla. His powerful hands find her, fingers dig into her fleshy sides. His teeth slide into the soft part of her neck, where males mark females. He sinks himself to a depth that will leave a part of himself inside her. I should not be a witness to this. She first whimpers until a long, slow moan exits her open mouth. Kalla’s breath is ragged, and I confess so is mine. It is unsettling to witness this marking.

Wolves that fall from the cliff can never un-fall. “I will not fall,” I tell him.  “Fall from what? There’s nothing here to fall from.” “In the caves, there is a cliff, and here, there is you.”

"Paley, I want Sayda to share our bed tonight." Ryeson found the angle with those provoking words, and I watched Paley’s hands curl into fists, his mouth opening to reveal teeth.

It’s getting easier to ignore her because her hurt comes from being my mate. The skin has given up, but the Wild holds hope.

“I will get used to this?” I let the absolute disbelief filter through my words to leave behind a salty face.

“Keegan, you have me now.” Those silver eyes focus on my face while his lips expose a quiver.

Our eyes meet. I hold no welcome or joy in mine... He understands that I know what he has done. 

Only females understand how to weaponize a laugh. I’ve understood for a long time how laughter is used for combat without drawing blood.

The fire is burning down to red-orange coals. It’s warm against my face, but intense heat is against my back—Paley’s behind me. So close...

A heat blooms through my chest, I turn my head... it’s the silver-eyed male that makes me feel sunburnt.

Inhaling, I can smell him. I inhale again because my body wants to inhale him into my lungs, hold my breath for the longest dive of my life.