- 1 day ago
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00:08you're wet a deep masculine voice right next to my ear low dangerous it made my stomach clinch
00:16my head was fuzzy three cents wrapped around me familiar and not one cold against my lips
00:24one burning at my waist one rough between my thighs their hands their mouths I couldn't stop
00:31trembling three golden bonds coiled tight around our wrists so hot they burned three wolf shadows
00:38tangled on the wall above us I jolted awake gasping cold sweat ran down my temple my back was soaked
00:48through my name is Freya Ashwood orphan Omega nobody I don't remember my parents don't remember
00:59where I came from Omegas like me were fair game in the pack the ones everyone mocked nobody noticed
01:06but I had Kylan my mate the new alpha of the pack
01:16strong loyal everything I'd ever hoped for tomorrow at his coronation he was going to
01:22propose to me in front of the whole pack and name me his Luna
01:33my heart was racing just thinking about it I picked up the laced Freya box I'd spent weeks
01:39preparing today I would finally become his Luna
01:45at the ceremony I tucked the box against my side and kept my eyes locked on Kylan
01:55he stood on the stage in full ceremonial dress my alpha my future his father announced him as the new
02:03alpha
02:10Kieran took the microphone my heart kicked my foot was already moving forward
02:17but his eyes slid past me straight to my adoptive sister Mia Mia Ashwood my sister
02:23I understood everything in a single second this was a setup it had always been a setup the whole hall
02:29burst into laughter every alpha every beta every Omega who'd ever looked down on me now feasting on
02:35my humiliation something inside me snapped I ran up the steps and grabbed Kylan by the collar
02:42screaming he shoved me off like garbage then he looked me dead in the eye and said the words that
02:50would end him
02:51the golden bond between us snapped with a sickening crack in the chaos my lingerie box fell the lace spilled
02:58across the floor
02:59my handwritten love note fluttered out and the pack my pack picked them up passing them around laughing I begged
03:07for them back
03:07all I got was more laughter I grabbed a shard of broken glass off the floor climbed to my feet
03:12and dragged it across Kieran's face
03:14he struck me down with one swing my head hit the marble and then in front of the entire pack
03:19he publicly sentenced me to the werewolf
03:20information school
03:23congratulations little sister there are three alphas at that place Alex is the worst of them
03:30a monster an absolute devil
03:44when I opened my eyes again I was standing at the gates of the Lycan Reform Academy a roar of
03:49voices
03:49a crowd surging toward the training grounds screams everywhere I was swept along with them shoved all the way to
03:57the front before I could fight it
04:02in the center of the arena a man was tied to a wooden board lined with small blades blood everywhere
04:09still breathing
04:10three massive werewolves stride slowly forward their fur glistens brightly exuding an overpowering commanding aura
04:18in an instant a burst of harsh light flares up and they shift from beast to human all at once
04:26revealing stunning almost impossibly perfect physiques
04:33leading them is Alex broad shouldered and narrow waisted his sharp cold features carry a menacing edge an eye patch
04:41covers his eyes and a violent dangerous awarma clings to him warning everyone to stay away
04:46right beside him is Griffin his rich burgundy shirt hangs open wide putting his defined six pad on full display
04:53bold and devilishly charming he always wears a teasing playful smirk on his lips
04:58on the far side stands Jasper holding a crisp white shirt in his hand he has a gentle pure aura
05:03with soft relaxed features
05:04like a quiet elegant gentleman bathed in moonlight he is the only one of the three who seems entirely harmless
05:09wait the demons mia warned me about the three men from my dreams
05:13Alex pulled a knife from his belt and flicked it it whistled past the bound man's ear and buried itself
05:21in the wood
05:21the crowd erupted in cheer something inside me broke open
05:25every moment of the ceremony came rushing back
05:29Kieran's face
05:30Kieran's face
05:31Mia's whisper
05:31the laughter
05:32I stopped thinking
05:35I ran out into the center of the ring and planted myself in front of the bound man screaming up
05:40at Alex
05:45a blade whistled past my ear so close it grazed my lobe and buried itself in the board right between
05:51the bound man's legs
05:52one inch higher and it would have ended him
05:55Alex was already walking toward me
05:57slow
05:58predatory
05:59the crowd stared at me like I was insane
06:02I forced myself to meet his eyes through the blindfold
06:06tried to keep my breathing steady
06:08it only made him angrier
06:09he closed the distance
06:11I thought I was dead
06:12then Jasper caught his arm
06:14I stepped back on instinct
06:16and hit something warm
06:17a chest
06:20griffins
06:21he tipped my Chima up with one finger and smirked down at me
06:24all three of them
06:26all three men from my dreams
06:29who the hell are you?
06:31my name is Freya Ashwith
06:41what the fuck are you?
06:46Alex's fingers tightened around my neck
06:48his eyes burned
06:49before I could answer he turned away and spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground
06:52his face was white as death
06:54I stumbled back
06:54lungs heaving
06:55one word in my head
06:56run
06:57I didn't stop until my back hit a cold stone wall
06:59only then did I let myself breathe
07:01that dream
07:02the faces
07:03the bonds
07:05all three of them
07:05the same three men from my bed at night
07:07how could any of it be real?
07:10mates?
07:12three mates?
07:12a wolf
07:13a wolf couldn't have three mates
07:15it wasn't possible
07:16I was losing my mind
07:18I forced my feet to move
07:19toward the dormitory
07:21the only place that was mine
07:22I pushed the door open
07:24and a hand sped out of the dark and yanked me inside
07:26my back slammed against the wood
07:28I looked up into Alex's blood red eyes
07:30his breath was scorching
07:32he didn't give me a second to speak
07:34his mouth crashed down on mine
07:36hard, devouring
07:38like he was trying to break me open and crawl inside
07:40I shoved him off with everything I had
07:43and he let me
07:44he just stood there
07:45chest heaving
07:45his eyes were still red
07:47but underneath the violence
07:48I saw something else
07:49pain
07:49he was fighting something I couldn't see
07:51I looked down
07:52the three golden bonds on my wrist were wriggling
07:55burning gold
07:57a horrible thought crossed my mind
08:01you're in rut, aren't you?
08:05the words lit him up like a match
08:07he slammed my wrists above my head
08:08his other hand locking around my waist
08:10his palm burned through my dress
08:11his lips grazed down my throat
08:13biting, tasting, possessive
08:14and every touch turned my knees to water
08:16I mustered the last of my strength
08:17and slapped him across the face
08:19he froze
08:19stared at me
08:20the red in his eyes flickered
08:21and under it I saw raw desire
08:23and rawer self-hatred
08:24but his alpha scent kept rolling off him
08:26thick, overwhelming, pulling me under
08:28I knew if I stayed one more second
08:30I was going down with him
08:31I tore out of that room on shaking legs
08:33and fled into the hall
08:34Griffin and Jasper were standing there
08:36frozen
08:37their eyes locked on mine
08:39pure shock on both their faces
08:45deep in the night I lay there staring at the ceiling
08:57I threw off my jacket
08:59stripped down to my tank top
09:00and padded out to the kitchen for ice water
09:02Jasper's voice comes from behind
09:03I jumped
09:04my foot slipped on something soft
09:06his towel
09:06and I stumbled back
09:07bare skin against bare skin
09:08his chest was right behind me
09:10warm
09:10solid
09:11damp
09:12my face went scarred
09:13he caught me gently
09:14retied his towel
09:15and rested a calming hand on my shoulder
09:17and that's when my wrist lit up
09:18the golden bond between me and Jasper
09:20shimmered softly into view
09:21the air changed
09:23a soft smile on his face
09:24he said something had gotten in my eye
09:25lifting my wrist
09:26and bringing his face close to mine
09:29the living room door slammed open
09:30Griffin walked in
09:32saw us
09:33froze mid step
09:35the playful smirk dropped off his face
09:37why do you always run the second you see me sweetheart?
09:39playing hard to get?
09:49deep in the night
09:51I lay there staring at the ceiling
09:53Alex's kiss
09:54Jasper's warmth
09:56Griffin's hand on my skin
09:57my whole body was wired
09:59my heart would not slow down
10:01I reached for the vibrator in my drawer
10:03a soft moan slipped out of me
10:05and then I froze
10:07all three of them were on my bed
10:09Alex
10:09Jasper
10:10Griffin
10:11watching me
10:13looks like someone needs it too
10:18but
10:19I can't take all three of you at once
10:28and my body
10:29traitor that it was
10:32screamed yes
10:35I was on fire
10:37their scents filled every inch of the room
10:39until I couldn't tell one from another
10:42Jasper
10:42gentle
10:43gentle Jasper
10:44was the first to move
10:45his lips traced up the inside of my thigh
10:47cool and precise
10:48every kiss sent a fresh shiver through me
10:51Griffin wasn't gentle at all
10:52his mouth went straight to my chest
10:54teeth
10:54tongue
10:55hot breath fanning across my skin
10:56he wanted me trapped in his heat
10:58and Alex leaned over me
10:59and swallowed every sound I tried to make
11:01his kiss was punishment
11:02ownership
11:03mine
11:04his mouth told me
11:05mine mine mine
11:08three different heats
11:11three different kinds of hunger
11:12I stopped fighting
11:15my eyes went glassy
11:17my body gave up all its weight to them
11:19the three golden bonds flared on my wrist
11:21braided together now
11:23white hot
11:23binding the four of us like fate itself had reached down and tied the knot
11:27I bolted up right in bed
11:29soaped in cold sweat
11:31alone
11:32the golden bonds on my wrist still pulsed softly with echoes of what wasn't real
11:38heat curled low in my belly
11:40unease right next to it
11:42I needed a shower
11:43I needed to wash them off me
11:45I needed to think
11:47the second I stepped in the bathroom
11:49a cough tore through me
11:50I tasted copper
11:51blood hit the white porcelain sink
11:53bright shockling
11:54wrong
11:55and then a voice
11:56soft powerful
11:57full of light
11:58spoke behind me
11:59I looked up into the mirror
12:00a woman in white stood behind me
12:02glowing faintly
12:03her face full of quiet sorrow
12:04the moon goddess
12:05my child
12:06you must sever two of the bonds
12:08and complete the mating with your true fated mate
12:11otherwise
12:11you will die
12:15damn
12:16which one am I supposed to pick
12:18Alex
12:19you want me that bad
12:20I went rigid
12:21blood hammered up into my face
12:23slowly slowly
12:24I turned around
12:25Alex
12:26fresh out of the shower
12:28bare chest
12:29water tracking down every ridge of muscle
12:31black boxer briefs
12:32nothing else
12:33the scent of alpha poured off him in waves
12:35he walked toward me
12:37one step
12:37another
12:38caged me against the wall
12:40I could feel his breath on my mouth
12:42I squeezed my eyes shut
12:43and he laughed
12:44a short remarking breath
12:45the humiliation hit like a fist
12:47without thinking
12:48I snapped at him
12:49every cruel thing I could think of
12:50his head dropped
12:51and for half a second
12:52I saw something in his eyes
12:53I wasn't expecting
12:54pain
12:55raw and real
12:56he warned me to stay away from him
13:01the training hall stank of sweat
13:02and testosterone
13:03wolves everywhere
13:04sparring
13:05shouting
13:05showing off
13:06and then the instructor called my name
13:08paired with Alex
13:09every head in the room turned to stare
13:11curious
13:12mocking
13:13I balled my hands into fists
13:15ignored all of them
13:16and walked straight up to the coldest man in the room
13:19I knew he'd turn me down
13:20but I never expected him to grab my wrist harshly
13:23slam me hard onto the mat
13:25then walk away without a single shred of mercy
13:28I lay there on the mat
13:29my chest full of a bitter ugly ache
13:31this was my fated mate?
13:33this man?
13:34a shadow fell over me
13:35warm
13:35gentle
13:36I looked up into Jasper's soft eyes
13:38his hand was outstretched
13:39he saw the way my ankle was already starting to swell
13:42something passed across his face
13:44worried he couldn't quite hide
13:45before I could speak
13:47he bent down
13:48slid one arm under my knees
13:49the other behind my back
13:50and lifted me clean off the floor
13:52I noticed the girl who's always hanging around Jasper
13:55glaring at me with pure malice
13:56as Jasper carried me toward the infirmary
13:58something made me glance back
14:00Alex was in the far corner
14:02half hidden in shadow
14:03his eyes were blood red
14:05he was looking at me like he wanted to tear me apart
14:07wanted to take a bite and keep it
14:09I shrunk against Jasper's chest
14:11but even through the crowd
14:12I could feel Alex's gaze
14:14cold and unblinking
14:15still pinned on me
14:16what a strange terrifying man
14:18I had to stay away from him
14:20Jasper set me down carefully on the bed
14:22knelt on one knee
14:24and started cleaning the swelling
14:26eighteen years of life
14:27and this was the first time anyone had ever been that gentle with me
14:31his breathing got heavier
14:32his eyes lingered on my ankle longer than they should have
14:35then
14:36just lightly
14:37he squeezed
14:38a tingling heat spread through my whole body
14:44shit
14:44I can actually feel you
14:47don't be scared
14:50that
14:51girl who's always watching you
14:54are you two together?
14:56Thea?
14:56no
14:57my wolf only wants one thing
15:00my fated mate
15:02a reckless, dangerous thought blossomed in my chest
15:05what if Jasper is my fated mate?
15:09I drifted out of the infirmary in a fog
15:11Jasper's words kept cycling in my head
15:13my wolf only wants my fated mate
15:15an engine roared behind me
15:17I turned
15:18a black sports car was barreling straight at me
15:21I couldn't move in time
15:23the bumper clipped me and I went down hard
15:25textbooks scattering across the pavement
15:27Thea climbed out of the car with two of her pack friends
15:30she didn't waste time
15:31a bucket of ice water hit me square in the face
15:33the cold tore through my skin
15:36the whistles and laughter from the crowd cut deeper than the cold
15:39I scrambled up and ran
15:41didn't look where I was going
15:42just ran
15:43I slammed through a door and stumbled inside
15:45I was three steps in before I registered the urinals against the wall
15:49men's locker room
15:50I turned my back to the door
15:52shaking
15:53peeled off my soaked shirt
15:54and stood there in just my bra
15:56trying to stop shivering
15:57a low whistle behind me
15:59I whirled around
16:00Griffin was leaning against the doorway
16:02arms crossed
16:03cocky grin
16:04eyes all over me
16:06get out you pervert
16:08pervert?
16:09princess
16:09this is the men's locker room
16:12who's the pervert here?
16:18go back to the dorm
16:19change
16:20now
16:29in the hallway I buttoned Alex's shirt over my wet clothes
16:33it was enormous
16:34the sleeves swallowed my hands
16:36it smelled like him
16:37cold
16:38clean
16:38like mountain air
16:39a poster on the wall caught my eye
16:41couples
16:42spinning
16:42laughing
16:43dressed in silk
16:44my chest twisted
16:45someone like me
16:47rejected
16:47humiliated
16:48an omega nobody wanted
16:49how could I ever belong on a dance floor like that?
16:52two girls walked past
16:54whispering loudly enough for me to catch every word
16:56each word hit like a punch
16:57my eyes stung
16:58I ducked my head
17:00pulled Alex's shirt tighter around me and ran
17:01away from the poster
17:03away from their voices
17:04away from everyone
17:05a stray dog
17:06that's what I was
17:07with nowhere to go
17:12when I got back to the dorm
17:13Jasper was waiting in the living room
17:15a bouquet in his hand
17:16a tailored suit
17:18a smile like crushed spring light
17:20he held the flowers out to me
17:21I took them with both hands
17:23the scent rose up and made my breath catch
17:25my heart was doing something stupid
17:27it would be my honor if you'd be my partner at the dance next Friday
17:33I've loved you for a very long time Freya
17:36since we were children
17:38so
17:39will you be my partner?
17:46don't be in such a rush princess
17:48you've got more than one mate remember?
18:01what are you doing here?
18:02you're in my way
18:04he turned around and went back up the stairs
18:05closed his door
18:07like he didn't care at all
18:08Griffin shoved his invitation into my hand and grabbed my arm
18:12Jasper stepped between us immediately
18:13shielding me from him
18:14I took a long breath and looked at both of them
18:17but I already knew
18:18only one of them had ever been gentle with me
18:21only one of them had ever saved me without asking for anything
18:24only one of them had given me an actual memory of being loved
18:27I hold out Griffin's invitation and hand it back
18:30then accept Jasper's offer instead
18:32Griffin growls in pure fury and storms out slamming the door
18:35I stood in the empty living room
18:37my chest ached in a slow dull way
18:40was it the bonds?
18:41or did I actually feel something for the others too?
18:44the thought took hold like a weed
18:45the invitation Alex had in his hand that he never gave me
18:48the way Griffin had stormed out
18:50guilt pressed down on me from both sides
18:52but then I looked at Jasper's clear open face
18:54and I reminded myself
18:56Freya
18:56you swore you'd never pick another Chiron
18:58Jasper is the opposite of Chiron
19:00this is the right choice
19:01right?
19:04the night of the dance
19:06I stood in front of the mirror a long time
19:08my best gown
19:09a little makeup
19:10a deep breath
19:12then into the glittering ballroom
19:14I scanned the crowd until I found him
19:16tall
19:17broad-shouldered
19:18that gentle energy
19:20it had to be him
19:21I gathered every ounce of courage in my body
19:24walked over
19:25and tapped his shoulder
19:28then I ducked my head
19:29cheeks burning
19:30and said it before I could chicken out
19:32I waited
19:33head down
19:34heart going a hundred miles an hour
19:35a familiar shocked voice spoke
19:37from behind me
19:38I whipped around
19:40Jasper was standing there
19:41behind me
19:43then
19:43who had I just confessed to?
19:46slowly
19:46slowly
19:46I turned back
19:48Alex
19:49not Jasper
19:51Alex
19:52he let out a low
19:53dark chuckle
19:54and stepped closer
19:55his eyes pinned me in place
19:56I wanted the floor to open
19:58and swallow me
19:59my face was on fire
20:00Alex grabs a glass of champagne
20:03nods briefly at Jasper
20:05then turns and leaves
20:08Jasper hurried over
20:09and his hand came up to smooth my hair
20:12that one small gesture cut through the humiliation
20:15tonight I told myself
20:17tonight I would find out for sure
20:20I took his hand and squeezed it
20:22hard
20:23I leaned up on my toes
20:25closed my eyes
20:26tilted my face up
20:28waited for the kiss
20:31and right as his lips brushed mine
20:33a frantic call rings out right behind him
20:36he pulled back
20:38torn
20:40apologetic
20:41whispered
20:42he'd be right back
20:43and was gone
20:44but the next second
20:46Thea swarms over with her crew
20:48warning me to stay away from Jasper
20:50I didn't get two seconds to recover
20:52before Thea and her pack descended on me
20:54some half-hearted threat about staying away from Jasper
20:57I'd had enough of her games
20:59I turned to walk away
21:01that was when she lost it
21:03her two friends grabbed my arms
21:05she pulled a lit cigarette from behind her back
21:08and brought it slowly towards my face
21:10I flinched back
21:12the cherry of the cigarette was a centimeter from my eye
21:15a silver cuff click whipped past my ear
21:18slammed into the cigarette
21:19and went straight on to graze Thea's cheek
21:24I spun around
21:25Alex was standing in the far corner of the ballroom
21:28he clapped his hands once
21:31lazily
21:32like he was applauding his own throw
21:34and walked away without a backward glance
21:38Thea was shrieking
21:40looking for whoever had thrown it
21:41she couldn't find him
21:42so she took her rage out on me
21:45she lunged
21:47I stepped out of the way
21:48she kept going
21:50straight into a three-tiered cake
21:51face first
21:53the ballroom exploded in laughter
22:06Freya is my mate
22:07no one touches her
22:11Thea covered her face and fled the ballroom
22:13frosting still dripping off her hair
22:14I let out a shaky breath
22:16looked up at Jasper
22:17full of gratitude
22:18the music swelled
22:19I put my hand in his
22:20and we moved
22:21I could have stayed in that spin forever
22:23it was warm
22:23it was safe
22:24it was everything I'd wanted my whole life
22:26then mid-turn
22:27another hand caught my wrist
22:28and pulled me off balance
22:29it fell into a different chest
22:31hotter
22:32more aggressive
22:33Griffin
22:33he locked an arm around my waist
22:35his smile was sharp
22:37a little wounded
22:38it twisted in his grip
22:39furious
22:39tried to stone on his foot
22:41he dodged with a grin
22:42and pulled me closer
22:43his mouth grew near mine
22:44he was going to kiss me
22:45right there
22:46in front of everyone
22:47I shoved him off
22:48and stumbled backward
22:49my heel slipped on the polished floor
22:51strong arms caught me
22:52before I hit the ground
22:53a cold clean scent
22:54I knew it before I looked it up
22:56Alex
23:00looking down at me with the strangest expression
23:03something complicated
23:04something almost amused
23:06the blood in my face
23:07I tried to pull away
23:08he pulled me back into his chest
23:10and held me there
23:11his eyes locking with mine
23:12I put my hands against his chest
23:14push
23:14I was going to push
23:16but I didn't
23:16he caught one of my hands
23:19my eyes
23:20brought my fingertips to his mouth
23:21pressed a slow kiss to it
23:23then ran his tongue across it
23:25just once
23:26this was Alex
23:28this was Alex doing this
23:30my brain went white
23:32I closed my eyes
23:33I leaned in
23:35he turned his head away
23:37and smiled
23:37shame decanated in my chest
23:39I shoved him off and ran out of the ballroom, cursing him the whole way.
23:44Bastard.
23:44Fucking bastard.
23:46I stormed down the corridor with my head full of fire and walked straight into a solid body.
23:51I looked up.
23:52And my blood turned to ice.
23:55Kyren.
23:56Well, well.
23:58The little Omega I kicked out of my pack.
24:01Nice dress.
24:02Who are you trying to seduce tonight?
24:06Kyren stepped toward me.
24:08Closer.
24:08Closer.
24:09His alpha pressure made my whole body shake.
24:12My back hit the cold wall.
24:14Nowhere left to go.
24:15Rage and terror exploded in me at the same time.
24:17I shoved him with everything I had.
24:19He threw me to the ground like I weighed nothing.
24:21My forehead cracked against a stone pillar.
24:24Blood ran down into my eyebrow.
24:26He loomed over me.
24:28Reached down.
24:29Ripped the slit of my ground wide open.
24:31Before his hand could touch my skin, blue light flared in my eyes.
24:36Something took over my body.
25:06My fist moved without me.
25:07I shoved him and turned my face to the wall.
25:37Barely breathing.
25:38This place is dangerous, Freya.
25:41Every year wolves die here.
25:43Omgas disappear.
25:45I don't want it to happen to you.
25:46So you came here for me?
25:48Malfa's saliva heals faster than medicine.
25:50Close your eyes.
25:51I closed them.
25:53His hands lifted my calf.
25:55His lips pressed gently against the cut.
25:57His tongue traced the sore, swollen skin around it.
26:01And a shock of heat ran all the way up my body.
26:04I stopped breathing.
26:21You're not actually that bad, you know?
26:26I stared into his eyes.
26:28Something swirled in them I couldn't name.
26:31My throat closed.
26:32I couldn't speak.
26:33He leaned in.
26:34His breath fared across my lips.
26:37We were close enough to feel each other trembling.
26:39The air between us was going to burn.
26:42Bang.
26:42The door flew open.
26:44Griffin.
26:45Two ice cream cones in his hands.
26:47A big stupid grin on his face.
26:49The grin froze the second he saw us.
26:52I panicked.
26:53Shoved Alex away.
26:55Snatched the salve tube out of his hand.
26:56I bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door.
26:59Leaned back against it.
27:01My heart was trying to punch through my chest.
27:04Inside, I sat down on the tile.
27:06Shaking.
27:07And tried to put Sam on my own leg.
27:09My mind kept replaying it.
27:11His mouth.
27:12His eyes.
27:13The tremor in his fingers.
27:15The fact that I wanted him to keep going.
27:17I decided on Jasper.
27:19I was going to sever the other two bonds.
27:22So why had my body lit up at Alex's touch?
27:24Why was I suddenly doubting everything?
27:26Was I...
27:27Falling for him?
27:29No.
27:29Absolutely not.
27:31I knew what Kieran had looked like before he destroyed me.
27:34Cold.
27:35Distant.
27:36Impossible to reach.
27:37Alex was the same type.
27:38My type.
27:39The type I was going to die reaching for.
27:41No.
27:42I wanted a real relationship this time.
27:44Respect.
27:45Honesty.
27:46Not being played with until I broke.
27:48Another cough racked my chest.
27:50Copper in my mouth.
27:51Blood in the sink.
27:52I looked up at the mirror.
27:54Pale.
27:55Bloody lip.
27:56Hollow eyes.
27:57I couldn't let Alex confuse me anymore.
28:00I had to complete the bond with Jasper.
28:03Soon.
28:04Before I died.
28:07In the training hall, I kept glancing toward the door, waiting for Jasper to come back
28:13so I could tell him what I'd decided.
28:15Thea appeared in front of me instead, holding a training ball, her eyes narrow.
28:21She threw it at me.
28:23I took it on the shoulder.
28:25She threw another.
28:27I took it on the ribs.
28:29On the third one, something in me snapped.
28:33I grabbed the ball and hurled it back.
28:35It hit her in the forehead and put her flat on her back.
28:37Blood bloomed from her hairline.
28:39The whole hall went dead silent.
28:41Every teacher, every student, staring at me.
28:43The instructor told Jasper to take Thea to the infirmary.
28:45Then he told me to stay after class and clean the entire training hall.
28:48My punishment.
28:49And Freya, you can stay behind and clean this entire jam.
28:53I swallowed the injustice the way I'd swallowed every other injustice.
28:58Nobody cared about One Omega's side of the story.
29:02After class, it was just me in the echoing, empty hall, dragging a mope across the floor.
29:07Cold condensation pressed against my cheek.
29:10I looked up.
29:11Alex.
29:14He says he'll train me personally and teach me how to control my inner power.
29:18I stare at him, half believe and half doubtful.
29:22We squared off with wooden stahls.
29:26Old school, bare-bones combat.
29:29He was an alpha and a top one.
29:31His speed and strength were a different species from mine.
29:35I could only fall back, block, stumble, keep breathing.
29:41But I didn't notice it at first.
29:43Last time we'd trained, I couldn't block a single one of his strikes.
29:48Tonight, I was holding my own for rounds at a time.
29:51Watching Alex's figure walking toward me from afar, I realized for the first time that he might not be as
29:56brutal and bloodthirsty as everyone claims.
29:58He hands me a bottle of water thoughtfully and asks why I keep putting up with unfair treatment when I
30:03possess such great power.
30:05Truth is, I never even knew I had that much strength inside me.
30:09I tighten my grip on the water bottle.
30:12And for the first time, I told somebody.
30:15No father.
30:17No mother.
30:19From the moment I had memory, I was just the adopted girl in the Ashwood house.
30:24The Ashwoods were old Ridgepack nobility.
30:27They didn't mistreat me.
30:29They just didn't see me.
30:32I existed to make Mia look better.
30:34Even when the moon goddess picked Kieran for me.
30:36Even when I had a mate, nothing changed.
30:39Mia only got worse.
30:42And then I got discarded.
30:44And ended up here.
30:46Alex listened.
30:47The whole time.
30:49Not once did his face flicker with pity or contempt.
30:52Just a quiet, aching softness.
30:54He wasn't used to comforting anyone.
30:56His ears went pink.
30:57When I looked at him with tears in my eyes, he looked away.
31:00Flustered.
31:03I couldn't help it.
31:04I started laughing.
31:06Time for the next train.
31:08He came at me.
31:10I took a breath and swung at him hard.
31:13He slipped to the side.
31:14I overcommitted.
31:15I was going to fall.
31:17He spun and caught me.
31:19His arm around my waist.
31:21His chest against my back.
31:22His breath at my neck.
31:24Our heart beats in the same too-fast rhythm.
31:26Out of the corner of my eye, a flash of color.
31:29Griffin had come in with a broom.
31:31He'd stopped dead.
31:32His face twisted.
31:33He threw the broom down so hard it bounced, turned around, and stormed out of the hall.
31:39That night, I bought a milkshake.
31:42That night, I bought a milkshake, his favorite flavor, and stood outside Alex's door, working up the courage to knock.
31:50Asper.
31:51Do you have Mia's number?
31:53Do you have Freya's sister?
31:54I want to take her out for coffee.
31:55The milkshake almost slipped out of my hand.
31:58All of it.
31:59The training.
32:00The listening.
32:01The gentleness.
32:02All of it was a lie.
32:03He'd been getting close to me so he could get to my sister.
32:07I bit down on my lip and forced the tears back.
32:10Threw the milkshake in the nearest trash cans.
32:13I was there maybe two minutes before there was a knock.
32:17I yanked the door open.
32:19Griffin was leaning against the frame.
32:22Hands in his pockets.
32:23That cocky grin that always drove me insane.
32:27I shoved him, but he was built like a wall, and I couldn't move him an inch.
32:31The tears finally spilled over, and I couldn't stop them.
32:35Don't hate.
32:36Don't do that.
32:37Come on.
32:39Tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you.
32:41Anything.
32:42I want someone honest.
32:44Someone who respects me.
32:46Someone who won't lie to me.
32:48Not someone who says pretty things he doesn't mean.
33:10Is this obvious enough?
33:11I'm flirting with you, Freya.
33:14I want to be your mate.
33:16For real.
33:22Bang!
33:23The door flew open.
33:25Cold air rushed in.
33:27I panicked, shoved Griffin back, and fumbled to straighten my clothes.
33:30I looked up.
33:32Alec.
33:32His face was like carved stone.
33:34His eyes were burning.
33:36Everything I'd been holding back all night, the hurt, the betrayal, the mortication, came
33:40out as a sneer.
33:41What are you even doing here?
33:42Aren't you supposed to be on your date with my sister?
33:44His eyes swept over Griffin's bare chest.
33:47The wolf inside him rumbered.
33:49A sound I could feel in my ribs.
33:51Griffin had it by the collar.
33:52Alec wrenched Griffin's hand off and walked out into the living room straight into Jasper.
33:56Jasper smiled at him and held out an invitation.
33:58Alec exploded.
33:59The door slammed hard enough to rattle the frames on the walls.
34:02Jasper stood there blinking.
34:04Me and Griffin stared at the floor.
34:05Jasper's birthday party was bright and loud, full of laughing wolves and formal clothes.
34:09I found a corner and started drinking.
34:10Alec's betrayal.
34:12Griffin's confession.
34:14Jasper's steady kindness.
34:16The moon goddess's warning.
34:18All of it tangled together in my head like a net pulling tight.
34:21The more I drank, the fuzzier things got.
34:23Griffin rushed over and tried to take my glass.
34:26I slapped his hand away.
34:27A harsh cough tore through me.
34:29I tasted copper.
34:30Blood dripped onto my dress, bright red against the pale silk.
34:34I pushed through the crowd and locked myself in the bathroom.
34:37Leaned on the sink.
34:38The woman in the mirror was pale.
34:40I know I can't hold on any longer.
34:42I have to pick one to bond with tonight or I'm really gonna die.
34:45Pounding on the door.
34:47Griffin's worried voice.
34:48I shouted back at him to leave me alone.
34:51I stared at myself in the mirror.
34:52The decision clicked into place.
34:53I wasn't going to die.
34:54Not like this.
34:55I straightened my dress.
34:56Pulled that thing out of my clutch and gripped it hard enough that was outside this door.
34:59That was who I was choosing.
35:00And it was final.
35:03I pulled the bathroom door open.
35:04Alex.
35:05He was carrying the cold in with him.
35:06His face was dark.
35:07His eyes were scorching.
35:09I stepped back without meaning to.
35:10The thing slipped out of my hand and hit the floor between us.
35:12He saw it.
35:13He walked me backward until I was pinned between the vanity and his body.
35:18Lifted me onto the counter like I weighed nothing.
35:22His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth.
35:24He forced my face up to his.
35:25His voice was low and thick with rage, barely held back.
35:28Then he kissed me.
35:29It was a punishing kiss.
35:30Teeth and tongue and discipline and desperation all at once.
35:32He left a mark on my neck.
35:34His arms caged me against the mirror.
35:35Through the door, Jasper called my name.
35:37A wave of cold water down my spine.
35:39And then a wave of something hotter right behind it.
35:41I hooked my arm around Alex's neck, pulled him into the nearest dot, and slammed the door.
35:45Through the lock, pressed him against the partition and kissed him with everything I had.
35:49My hand went straight for his belt.
35:50The knocking got closer.
35:51It stopped right outside the stall.
35:53Jasper's voice, gentle and anxious, came through the metal.
35:55Alex went rogered.
35:56The heat drained out of his eyes and was replaced with something worse.
35:59Betrayal.
36:00He slammed his fist into the stall door.
36:02The whole cubicle shook.
36:03The knocking outside went silent.
36:05A long pause.
36:06Then Jasper's quiet, awkward apology.
36:08Footsteps receding.
36:09Are you out of your fucking mind?
36:11Freya, would you spread your legs for anyone with a cock?
36:14Are you that cheap?
36:14Like you're any different.
36:16You trained with me.
36:17You listened to me.
36:18And then you turned around and called my sister.
36:20You're no better than every other person who's ever looked down on me and used me.
36:24Were you jealous?
36:25Did you actually care?
36:26Why would I be jealous of you?
36:28You're a self-absorbed asshole.
36:30You mean nothing to me.
36:31Nothing.
36:32Absolutely nothing.
36:33Nothing.
36:41You're a self-absorbed asshole.
37:03I opened it.
37:04Seven words.
37:05Rooftop.
37:06Eight tonight.
37:07Come alone.
37:09The wind was cold on the rooftop.
37:11My skirt snapped around my legs.
37:12I gripped the note and walked to the center.
37:14My heart full of hope.
37:14Jasper was finally going to let me tell him everything.
37:16A sneer cut through the wind.
37:17Thea was at the stairway door, flanked by her two friends, blocking the only exit.
37:20Their faces were pure malice.
37:22They closed in on me.
37:23Her friends grabbed my arms and slammed me onto the concrete.
37:25The cold of the rooftop cut through my dress.
37:27I kicked.
37:28I twisted.
37:29They pinned my shoulder.
37:30Thea crouched over me.
37:31Caught my chin in her hand.
37:32Pulled a small bottle out of her pocket.
37:34Dark liquid.
37:35Sharp chemical smell.
37:36Her friends forced my jaw open.
37:37She poured it down my throat.
37:39It tasted like rot and acid.
37:41Heat tore through my body instantly.
37:43My vision warped.
37:44My muscles went slack.
37:46I couldn't fight anymore.
37:47I tried to scream.
37:49The wind swallowed it.
37:50And just as I was about to go under, the rooftop door exploded inward.
37:53Alex.
37:53His eyes blood red.
37:54A killing aura coming off him in waves.
37:56He didn't say a word.
37:57He knocked Thea and her friends flat.
37:59Grabbed him like he was the last solid thing in the world.
38:01I threw myself at him, babbling, begging.
38:03He stiffened.
38:04I could see him trying to be responsible.
38:06Trying to push me off so he could find the antidote.
38:09But my flushed face.
38:10My desperate eyes.
38:11My tears.
38:12The wall inside him cracked.
38:14He whispered against my ear, gragged and rough.
38:16The heat in my body and the panic of my chest round tied around each other.
38:18He kept holding me, kissing me, kissing me, revive my feet.
38:21He was heightened in darkness.
38:22Safe.
38:22When I woke up, I was in my own bed.
38:23His coat was draped over me.
38:25I could smell him on it.
38:25That cool mountain scent cut through with a thin thread of blood.
38:28A knock.
38:28Jasper.
38:28He came in with a glass of warm water, his eyes full of water.
38:30The door suddenly bursts open.
38:32Griffin storms in, clearly furious, and urgently asks where Alex is, saying he's gone missing.
38:35What Alex had brought me back.
38:36It's the full moon.
38:37What?
38:38Alex could lose control at any time.
38:39If we don't find him, Enzo, his wolf, will swallow him whole.
38:42He'll die.
38:43We have to find him before sunrise.
38:44So Alex has been fighting the wolf this whole time?
38:46That was why he kept shoving me away?
38:56In the dream, I was in a wasted forest.
38:59Moonlight.
39:01Alex slumped against a tree.
39:03Shirt soaked with blood.
39:05Cuts everywhere.
39:05I grabbed his hand and sobbed that I wasn't angry anymore.
39:09That every misunderstanding was gone.
39:11Pain ripped through my head and I snapped awake.
39:14Cold sweat on my forehead.
39:16The full moon still hung outside the window.
39:19One thought in my whole body.
39:21Find him.
39:25I threw on a coat and ran.
39:27Straight for the forbidden forest.
39:28I knew where he was.
39:29He was in the most dangerous place there was, and the place he needed me most.
39:32The night was like ink.
39:33The branches twisted overhead like claws.
39:35The wind howled through dead leaves, cutting at my face.
39:37I stumbled forward.
39:38My dress tore on every other branch.
39:39My bare feet bled on the rocks.
39:41None of it mattered.
39:42Under an old tree, I found him.
39:44Collapsed.
39:44Soaked in blood.
39:45New wounds still bleeding.
39:46Mud and dead leaves clung to him.
39:48His breathing was so shallow, I could barely see it.
39:51Alex!
39:53Alex, stay with me!
39:59Gone!
40:04I wasn't contentacting Mia for a date.
40:06I believe you.
40:08There's someone inside the academy.
40:10They're working with the hunters.
40:12They want me dead.
40:13Protecting you.
40:13The man he tied up at the start of term.
40:15It had to be.
40:16They'd been after Alex from the beginning.
40:17I'm sorry.
40:18I'm so sorry for every time I misunderstood you.
40:20From now on, I'm going to be the one protecting you.
40:23The kitchen was warm and full of steam in the morning light.
40:26Milk bubbling on the stove.
40:27Eggs crisping gold at the edges.
40:30A bowl of healing broth I'd spent an hour on, waiting to bring him.
40:33I adjusted the flame for the fifth time.
40:36All I could think about was him.
40:37The whole night, I'd dreamed of him.
40:40The way he'd leaned against me.
40:41That fragile, unberservable vulnerability.
40:44How every breath had pained him.
40:46I just wanted him to wake up to something warm.
40:49Something to make him heal faster.
40:51Every guilt, every mischance, every ounce of doubt of Fint I'd carried.
40:57I was going to pack it into this one meal and give it to him.
41:02A gentle voice came from the doorway.
41:04Jasper.
41:04In loose clothes, hair still damp.
41:07I saw him reaching for the tray and stopped him at once.
41:09Telling him it was special nutritious meal prepared for Alex.
41:12But he told me Alex had already left.
41:15The spoon fell out of my hand and hit the plate with a sharp ring.
41:19Where was he?
41:20Who was going to take care of him?
41:22What if someone found him again?
41:24I got two steps before Jasper was in front of me.
41:27His body warm against the cold wall behind me.
41:30His breath on my forehead.
41:32He was close enough to kiss.
41:34If I tilted up one inch, I could.
41:36I'm not going to let you go.
41:37Come back to my territory with me.
41:40If you choose me, I'll announce you as my Luna in front of my whole pack.
41:45I'll protect you for the rest of my life.
41:48No more misunderstandings.
41:50No more hurt.
41:51I looked into his sunlit face.
41:53At the warmth in his eyes.
41:54At the sincerity of everything he was.
41:56And my mind kept dragging up another face.
41:59Another man.
42:00A Alex.
42:00Alex against my chest in the forest.
42:03Vulnerable and bleeding.
42:04Alex biting back his wolf so he wouldn't hurt me.
42:06Alex.
42:07Broken.
42:08Aking.
42:09Terrified.
42:10Still somehow trying to keep me safe.
42:12It hit me in waves.
42:14Every moment of him.
42:15It drowned out the gentle warmth standing right in front of me.
42:18Wait.
42:22The silence cracked everything.
42:25Jasper froze.
42:26The hope in his eyes faded slowly.
42:28Replaced by something softer.
42:30Understanding.
42:31He stepped back.
42:32He ran his hand over my hair once.
42:34Gently.
42:35And smiled.
42:36No blame.
42:37Only release.
42:38He helped me get to Alex's packed territory.
42:41At the border, he solemnly severed our bond.
42:44The pain was shattering.
42:46Like something tearing out of my ribs.
42:48I looked up into Jasper's tired, quiet eyes.
42:51The guilt was a knife.
42:53But I had no other choice.
42:55The car drove away.
42:56The bond back I was shamed into.
42:58I doubled over and coughed up blood onto the gravel.
43:01I used the last of my strength to stagger into Alex's wing of the estate.
43:05He was sitting on the edge of the bed drinking coffee.
43:07Sunlight on his face.
43:09He looked up.
43:10Saw me.
43:11Bloody.
43:12Dirty.
43:12Barely standing.
43:13And his face went white.
43:14I didn't hesitate it.
43:16I launched across the wing of the moth into a flame.
43:19I shoved him down onto the bed and straddled him.
43:22My hands pinned his shoulders.
43:25My knuckles white.
43:26My whole body shaking from the backlash and the hunger.
43:32This cold, cruel-looking man was what I wanted.
43:35I fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
43:38The more I hurried, the clumsier I got.
43:41All I could feel, horror was him getting harder against me, burning through two layers of fabric.
43:46The howls of both our wolves.
43:48The ones we've been suppressing for so long.
43:51Are you sure?
43:54I'm not with anyone.
43:57Clean.
43:59Twisted around each other.
44:00The fated mate bond locked into place.
44:03Wrapping around our bones.
44:04Deep and unbreakable.
44:06It drove out every shadow.
44:07Every fool.
44:09Every old wound.
44:15I woke up the next morning and in his bed.
44:19Sunlight everywhere.
44:22I kissed his cheek while he slept.
44:24And padded into the bathroom.
44:32Thank you, moon goddess.
44:34I'm so relieved.
44:35The bond was completed in time and I finally survived.
44:43I grabbed his arm and tried to explain.
44:45He pulled away from me.
44:46Hard.
44:47His wolf was coming back up.
44:48I could see the panic and the shame on his face as plain as I saw my own guilt.
44:52And I could see him making a decision.
44:54He turned and walked out.
44:56Without one look back.
44:59I watched him go.
45:00Every step he took crushed something inside me.
45:03Dull pain.
45:04Silent tears.
45:05I knew this was a misunderstanding.
45:06I knew he was leaving because he was afraid of what his wolf would do to me.
45:10I went to his office.
45:11He had his back to me the whole time.
45:12A wall of cold shoulder that wouldn't turn around.
45:15The beta told me helplessly that Alex was only afraid of hurting me.
45:19Not intentionally pushing me away.
45:22I knew.
45:23I'd known the whole time.
45:25But what was I supposed to do as his mate if he wouldn't even look at me?
45:32His coldness is scaring me.
45:35Maybe I should just give up.
45:39No.
45:40I'm never giving up.
45:42I love him.
45:42That's enough.
45:43I walked to his office door and raised my fist.
45:46Every knock was the sound of me burning my last bridge.
45:50No answer.
45:51I shoved the door open.
45:52The room was empty.
45:54Only the beta standing by the desk.
45:58His face was cold.
46:00His voice was colder.
46:01He told me Alex was gone.
46:03And even if he weren't, he would refuse to see me.
46:06He said we were never meant to be.
46:08And we ought to stop torturing each other.
46:10Every ounce of strength drained out of me.
46:13I tasted copper from where I'd bitten my lip.
46:15I turned and walked out with my back straight.
46:17Tears blurring my vision.
46:19Every step heavy.
46:21But the thought in my head was getting clearer.
46:23I'm not leaving, Alex.
46:25No matter how you hide.
46:27No matter how hard you push.
46:29I'm never giving up on you.
46:34The room was dark.
46:35Only moonlight.
46:37I was on the floor again.
46:39My back against the wall.
46:40A half-finished glass of something next to me.
46:45I dreamed.
46:47I was back in the forest.
46:48Darkness so thick I couldn't see my own hand.
46:51Wind cutting through me.
46:52Despair pressing in on all sides.
46:54Alex was on the ground.
46:56Pale.
46:57Bloody.
46:58His breath almost gone.
46:59I ran.
47:02Dropped to my knees.
47:03Reached for him.
47:04His eyes extoked me.
47:06The gentleness was gone.
47:07What looked back at me was pure, hungry violence.
47:10His pupils blazed red.
47:12A roar tore out of his throat, echoing through the trees.
47:16You're just using me!
47:18No!
47:19I truly love you!
47:25Tears running down my face.
47:27I screamed it at him over and over.
47:30The red in his eyes dimmed.
47:32His hand closed around my throat.
47:34I couldn't breathe.
47:36Death crept in at the edges of my vision.
47:38No!
47:39No!
47:40No!
47:41No!
47:41No!
47:42No!
47:42No!
47:42No!
47:42No!
47:43No!
47:43No!
47:44No!
47:45His hand flew off my neck.
47:48A single tear dropped onto my face.
47:50I stared up at him.
47:52The violent version of him.
47:53The one that had almost killed me.
47:55He was crying.
47:57I jolt awake.
47:58Tears still wet on my face.
48:00My chest heaving.
48:02Cold sweat soaking my hair.
48:04And just as the cold and the hopelessness were about to swallow me whole,
48:08a soft, holy voice spoken to my ears.
48:11The chill vanished.
48:13In the moonlight, the moon goddess appeared, her face full of sorrow and love.
48:17I wiped my face and stumbled toward her, my voice shaking.
48:20I had to know.
48:21How did I save him?
48:23I couldn't stand watching him be torn apart from the inside while I could do nothing.
48:37I couldn't stand watching him be torn apart from the inside while I could do nothing.
48:41Peace, child.
48:43I've come to tell you this.
48:45You are the answer.
48:49Fredda.
48:52You are the one who can save him.
48:55And yourself.
48:59The moon goddess's words hit me like a bolt of lightning.
49:03I froze.
49:04My whole body shook.
49:07My lips trembled so hard I couldn't make a sound.
49:11I clenched the necklace at my throat.
49:14My father had been a feared and powerful alpha.
49:16My mother had been a white witch, born with pure healing power,
49:19condemned by every pack as a heretic.
49:22They had fallen in love across a line that wasn't supposed to be crossed.
49:25And they had been slaughtered for it.
49:27Murdered on a stone altar.
49:29Every unexplained moment fell into place at once.
49:31Every strange pull I'd felt towards Alex.
49:33Every time his eyes had languered on mine.
49:35Every coincidence that hadn't been a coincidence.
49:37All the confusion, all the fear, all the self-doubt I'd been carrying.
49:40It shattered.
49:41I can save him.
49:42I really can save him.
49:44Before I could fully take it in, the door crashed open.
49:48Jasper and Griffin, pale, frantic.
49:50Forbidden forest from my dream flashed through my head.
49:54I know how to save him.
49:55He must be in the forbidden forest.
50:04You're the white witch's daughter?
50:07Griffin grew gentle and relieved.
50:09He raised his hand toward the cold moonlight.
50:12His voice was low and solemn.
50:13He swore to release me as his mate.
50:15From this night on, he would guard me only as a friend for the rest of his life.
50:19A soft white light flared.
50:21The bond between us broke without pain.
50:24No regret.
50:24Only release.
50:26And deep, deep gratitude.
50:29I was almost at the edge of the forbidden forest when a dark shape dropped out of the shadows behind
50:34me.
50:36Before I could react, something slammed into the back of my skull.
50:40White hot pain rolled over me like a wave.
50:46The dull throb at the back of my head.
50:48A sharp cramp in my stomach.
50:50I forced my eyes open in the dim light of a warehouse.
50:53Kian and Mia, standing over me, smiling like snakes.
50:56I tried to pull on the power inside me.
50:59Nothing.
51:00My body wouldn't respond.
51:01Nora didn't answer.
51:03Panic.
51:03Mia stepped forward and slapped me across the face.
51:06Then drove her fist into my stomach.
51:08Pain flooded everything.
51:10Blood in my mouth.
51:11I forced myself to glare up at them.
51:14Told them Alex would never let them get away with this.
51:16Kieran scoffed, unconvinced.
51:18I snarled at him.
51:19Called him a traitor.
51:20A coward.
51:21Mia lost it completely.
51:22She slapped me again and screamed that she was going to destroy me.
51:26She turned to the fire pit in the middle of the warehouse and pulled a glowing red poker out of
51:30the coals.
51:31The heat rolled off it.
51:33She stepped toward me.
51:34She was going to burn out my eyes.
51:36The heat got closer.
51:37I shut my eyes.
51:39All I could see was him.
51:41All I could think was that I couldn't die like this.
51:43I hadn't saved him yet.
51:45I hadn't told him the truth.
51:47Let her go!
51:49How the hell are you here?
51:51You were supposed to be trapped by the hunters.
51:53You're just a monster who can't control his wolf.
51:56You're going to end up killing the people who love you.
52:13That's right.
52:14Just like this.
52:16Next, you'll strangle the girl you love with your own hands.
52:28I leaned back against the wall.
52:30I didn't flinch.
52:31I didn't step back.
52:32I called his name through my tears.
52:34His body shook.
52:35His right hand was holding a dagger, lifting it toward me.
52:38His left hand was clamped around his own right wrist, nails digging into skin, trying to hold the right hand
52:43back.
52:43Then he twisted the blade, turned it away from me, toward himself.
52:47I screamed and threw myself at him, grabbed the blade in both hands, the edge cut deep into my palms,
52:53blood ran down the steel.
52:54I didn't feel it.
52:56The power sleeping inside me for 18 years woke up.
52:58Warmth flooded every cell in my body.
53:01My chestnut hair shimmers and shifted.
53:03Down the length of it, strand by strand, turning pure silver white.
53:06A soft, powerful white light burst out of me.
53:08It filled every corner of the warehouse.
53:10Every shadow retreated from it.
53:12Every trace of violence dissolved.
53:14My palm was still bleeding, but the white light flowing through me grew warmer and warmer.
53:18The ancient, born-in power of a white witch wrapped around me and wrapped around me.
53:22Strange and familiar all at once.
53:24By the light my guide.
53:25By the blood as my bond.
53:27I banish the darkness.
53:29I restore the true heart.
53:31By the moon's power.
53:33May the shadow lift.
53:35By my blood.
53:36May the one I love be saved.
53:51Kieran and Mia were screaming for mercy somewhere behind us.
53:54I didn't have any attention left for them.
53:56I could hear Griffin and Jasper bittering near the door.
53:58And even that felt warm.
54:00Like surviving.
54:01Like coming home.
54:02I started to smile.
54:04Alex's arm tightened around my waist.
54:06He lowered his head and kissed me.
54:08Deep.
54:08Urgent.
54:09Full of everything we'd almost lost.
54:11Everything we'd finally found.
54:12When the kiss ended, he pressed his forehead to muck.
54:15The tenderness in his eyes almost undid me.
54:17And I understood completely that we had finally walked out of the dark together.
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