“Who?” He? Does he think this is from when he caught Olcan threatening me in the hallway? That sniveling coward wouldn’t dare.
“I’llkillhim.” His claws extend. His fangs lengthen, and there’s a murderous gleam in his eye.
Oh no. Not now. Not here.
I’ve seen this before. Once it starts, it’s near impossible to pull a wolf back until blood is spilled.
“Thorn, don’t—” My voice is sharp as I reach for him as my hand grabs his wrist.
The sound of his name freezes him mid-step. His claws retract. His fangs dull. The rage drains from his eyes, leaving confusion in its wake.
He stares at me for a long moment, brows drawn, chest heaving. Then, without a word, he turns and walks away.
I sit there, still trying to catch my breath, my pulse thundering in my ears. What just occurred? So much just happened in the span of a few minutes. My first intimate moment with a male, and it’s not just any male, it’s an Alpha … and did I just stop bloodlust?
Chapter 17
THORN
The faded purple bruise on her perfect skin sears in my memory.
Olcan will pay for this.
He had no right to lay a hand on her. No right to mark what ismine. I should have ripped his throat out when I had the chance. Gods, the aggressiveness of mating season is finally affecting me.
And yet…the sound of my name on her lips stopped me cold. The jolt of pressure at those simple words sent a wave of surprise flooding through me. Just like that, the bloodlust vanished. My claws retracted, my fangs dulled, and the murderous haze cleared.
Nothing has ever pulled me back from the edge before, or anyone that I know of for that matter. Could it have been the sheer surprise of it? Or is it something fated mates can do?
Confusion churns with the overwhelming pull of the bond. My mate … is Ember. The fiery, infuriating, virginal spirit who’s been haunting my thoughts since the first trial — hell, since I first saw her.
It explains everything. Why the trials failed me fora decade. How I subconsciously knew this was my last season. Something was pulling me through the snow and ice toward something I couldn’t name. This entire time. Towardher.
I pace the length of the stone hall. My hands flex and clench, over and over. The low hum of moans still rise from the temple like a haunting chant.
What have I done?
Peeling that blindfold off of me and seeing that fiery hair and perfect body sprawled beneath me, flushed from my touch, I almost spilled myself right there like an untried pup. It’s got to be some kind of joke from the gods. My true mate is the stubborn virgin I can’t stop wanting. Too good to be true. Too much.
So I left.
I ran.
She must be furious. Offended and possibly humiliated. I ruined it. After years of waiting (decades of trying) when the moment finally comes, I bolt like a coward.
What is wrong with me?
I whip around at the end of the hall and head for the temple, my strides long, urgent. The crowd is already spilling out the great doors, laughing, flushed, tangled in each other’s scents. I shove through, ignoring their grins and curious glances.
No vibrant red hair.
No sharp, ocean-blue eyes.
I push deeper, scanning every shadow, every corner of the empty temple. She’s gone.
“Alpha?” Tala’s voice cuts through the noise. She steps up beside me, concern shadowing her sharp features.
“No.” I say before she can even finish the question. “No, I think I messed it up.” My hands dig into my hair, gripping tight as if I can pull the mistake out of my head.