Page 63 (1/2)

Prologue

“When I look in thejaw But I don’t recognize the figure staring back at rown darker, and colder My wolf rages inside, constantly fighting ive in For if I do, chaos will co with lifeless bodies”

~Fane

Fane felt sweat dripping fros burned with effort as he tried to suck inand screa for him to help her

"I'!" he yelled

His footfalls pounded against the earth, see of his heart Every tirasp He was losing her He felt his wolf clawing to get out, raging, howling inside of him Yet no matter how he tried, he couldn't phase He felt helpless, and that feeling only fueled the burning anger deep inside of him She was his His to protect and over and over he failed her

Fane sat up suddenly, gasping for breath He blinked several times and looked around in the darkness of the rooht Sleep continued to elude hilanced over to where Jacquelyn lay, or should be laying, he thought with a frown He closed his eyes and reached out to her through their bond He found her sitting with Jen and Sally by the large stone fireplace in one of the sitting rooms in the Roe more and more latelyNo fire burned The hearth, like his heart, was cold

Fane bit back the anger he felt at her for leaving hiain But he knew he couldn’t blame her He knew he had been distant from her, knew that she ached for him to talk to her, to touch her, and yet still he held himself back

Utter fury boiled inside of him; he needed to destroy an enemy that was not flesh and bloodBut he feared that she would see this and he didn’t kno he could explain that to her How did he fight a er happening, but wouldn’t let go of hith to protect her from what he had become

It had been teeks since they had defeated Desdeh it was only yesterday Vasile and the other Alphas were doing their best to work together in a peacefulto formulate a course of action A new enemy had a risen just as the old one had fallen and the supernatural world noaited with bated breath to see what this new evil would bring

Fane knew he should be helping his father and the others He knew that it was his duty to lead and to set an exa are two very different things The cold truth was that his control was gone So theirthe worst kinds of violation and abuse and he had only been able to stand by and watch Now it took every ounce of strength he had just to let her out of his sight For the first few days after the battle he hadn't left her side It was only after she threatened to have Peri put a binding curse on him that he relented to her demand to have time with her two best friends But he was always in her ered her h he demanded she stay near him, he would not let her in The bond was open, but not where she could see into his heart He remembered her exact words when he had finally relented to her pleas

“I’ in this roo by thegazing out longingly She kept her back to him as she spoke “I love you, you know this, but I need more than just this”