I'd imagined killing Thaddeus Crimson approximately seven hundred times in the last five years, and none of my fantasies had been quick or merciful.

"I don't do anything quietly," I said, letting my wolf rise to the surface just enough that my eyes shifted to silver. The change always hurt these days, like my body was protesting the transformation it was built for, but I'd learned to hide the pain behind a smile that showed teeth. "But I'm happy to discuss my bloodline right before I rip out your throat."

Thaddeus laughed, the sound echoing across the clearing in a way that made my skin crawl. He looked exactly the same as he had five years ago at that gathering where my life had imploded. Tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair going silver at the temples and eyes the color of old amber. Handsome, if you ignored the cruelty that lived in every line of his face. He wore expensive clothes like armor, tailored black pants and a shirt that probably cost more than everything my pack owned combined.

"Still so much fire," he said, taking a step forward. His wolves moved with him, a synchronized threat that tightened the noose around our camp. "I've always admired that about you, Lyrix. Even as a teenager, you had this spark. This defiance. It's what makes your bloodline so valuable." He tilted his head, studying me like I was a particularly interesting specimen under glass. "Tell me, does Raven Blackwood know you're dying? Does he feel it through that broken bond you're both still clinging to?"

The mention of Raven sent a sharp pulse through my chest, the damaged mate bond flaring with something between pain and recognition. I shoved it down, buried it deep where it couldn't distract me. "What I do or don't tell Raven is none of your business. Actually, everything about me is none of your business. So why don't you take your hunting party and get the fuck off my territory before I make you regret showing your face here."

"Your territory?" Thaddeus raised an eyebrow. "This is neutral land, little wolf. No pack, no protection, no rules. Which means I can do whatever I want." He gestured to his wolves, and they fanned out wider, moving to flank our camp from multiple angles. "I'm going to make this very simple. You come with me now, willingly, and I let your little collection of broken strays live. You fight me, and I kill every single one of them while you watch."

Marcus growled low in his throat beside me, his body coiled tight and ready to spring. Jen had shifted partially, claws extending from her fingertips, her breathing controlled despite the fear I could smell rolling off her in waves. They were loyal and brave and completely outmatched. Thaddeus had brought at least fifteen hunters, all of them trained killers from one of the most brutal packs in North America. My pack had eight wolves total, and three of them were barely out of adolescence.

The math was simple and devastating.

"Why?" I asked, buying time while my mind raced through options that all ended badly. "Why now? You've known where I was for months. You've had scouts watching us. Why come for me today?"

"Because you're running out of time." Thaddeus's smile sharpened. "The rejection curse is accelerating. I can smell it on you, that sweet rot of a bond dying. Another few weeks and you'll be too weak to be useful to me. So I'm collecting my asset before it depreciates further."

Asset. The word landed like a slap, reducing everything I was to a thing he could own and use. My wolf snarled, wanting blood, wanting to tear into him and make him pay for every threat, every violation, every moment of fear he'd caused. But charging him would be suicide, and more importantly, it would get my pack killed.

I'd built this family from nothing. Taken in the wolves no one else wanted, the ones who'd been rejected or exiled or broken by packs that saw them as disposable. Sage, who'd been cast out for being too weak despite her brilliant mind. Marcus, who'd lost his entire family to a pack war and had nowhere else to go. Jen, who'd been labeled a troublemaker for questioning her Alpha's orders. These wolves trusted me to protect them, and I'd be damned if I let Thaddeus Crimson murder them because I was too proud to surrender.

"If I go with you," I said slowly, hating every word, "you leave them alone. Completely. No retaliation, no hunting them down later, no using them as leverage. They're free and clear."

"Lyx, no." Sage's voice cut through the clearing, sharp with panic. She'd appeared at the edge of the safe house, laptop abandoned, eyes wide with understanding of what I was about to do. "Don't you dare. We'll fight. We'll find another way."

"There is no other way," I said, keeping my eyes on Thaddeus. "Not one where you all survive."

"How noble," Thaddeus purred. "The dying wolf sacrificing herself for her pack. It's almost touching." He pulled something from his pocket, a silver collar that gleamed in the afternoon light. Suppressor magic radiated from it, the kind of enchantment that would cut me off from my wolf completely. "Put this on and come quietly. Your pack lives. You have my word as an Alpha."

The word of an Alpha was binding, woven into the magic that governed pack law. If he gave his word and broke it, he'd lose his power, his pack, everything. It was the only real guarantee I'd get, and we both knew it.

I took a step forward, and Marcus grabbed my arm. "There has to be another option. We can run. We can fight. We can..."

"Die," I finished quietly, meeting his desperate gaze. "We can die. All of us. Is that what you want?"

His hand dropped, and the defeat in his eyes nearly broke me. I turned back to Thaddeus, chin lifted, shoulders back, every inch of me radiating defiance even as I walked toward my own capture. The collar felt like ice in my hands when he passed it to me, the suppressor magic crawling across my skin with oily wrongness.

"Good girl," Thaddeus said, and I wanted to claw his eyes out.

I was lifting the collar to my throat when the howl split the air. Different from before. Deeper. More powerful. The sound bypassed my ears entirely and went straight to my chest, to the damaged mate bond that suddenly flared to agonizing life. Every wolf in the clearing froze, including Thaddeus's hunters, their bodies responding to an Alpha command that transcended pack loyalty.

The forest exploded with movement as wolves poured through the tree line, larger and more disciplined than Crimson's hunters, their formation precise and deadly. Shadowfang warriors. At least thirty of them. And at their center, moving with lethal grace and eyes burning gold with fury, was Raven Blackwood.

He looked at me, then at the collar in my hands, and something feral took over his expression.

"If you put that collar on," he said, voice low and absolutely wrecked, "I will burn down every territory between here and the ocean until there's nothing left but ash and memory."

The last time I'd seen Raven Blackwood, I was nineteen years old and bleeding from the eyes while my body tried to survive a rejection that should have killed me instantly.

Five years had changed him. He was bigger now, broader through the shoulders and chest, his body honed into something lethal and unforgiving. Dark hair fell across his forehead, longer than he'd worn it before, and his face had lost whatever softness youth had given him. He looked like what he was: a pure-blood Alpha in his prime, dangerous and uncompromising, the kind of wolf that made others submit on instinct alone.

He also looked like he hadn't slept in about a century.

"Blackwood." Thaddeus's voice had gone cold, all pretense of civility vanishing. "This is neutral territory. You have no authority here."

"I have every authority where my mate is concerned." Raven's eyes never left mine, and the mate bond between us pulled taut, vibrating with five years of damage and longing and rage. His warriors had formed a wall between Crimson's hunters and my pack, effectively cutting off any chance of violence. For now. "And what I'm concerned about right now is why she's holding a suppressor collar and you're standing close enough for me to rip your head off."

"Your mate?" I found my voice, though it came out sharper than I intended. The collar was still in my hands, cold and wrong, and I dropped it like it had burned me. "You rejected me. In front of everyone. You don't get to show up five years later and claim that title."

Something cracked in his expression, a flash of pain so raw it stole my breath. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by that impenetrable Alpha mask. "We need to talk. Privately."

"We need to do absolutely nothing." I crossed my arms, hyper-aware of every wolf watching this disaster unfold. My pack looked confused and terrified. Crimson's hunters looked ready to attack at the first opportunity. Raven's warriors looked like they were waiting for an order to commit murder. The tension was so thick I could taste it, metallic and sharp. "You need to take your warriors and leave. I was handling this."

"Handling it?" Raven's voice dropped to something dangerous. "You were about to collar yourself and walk into captivity with a male who's been hunting you for years. That's your definition of handling it?"

"I was saving my pack."

"You were committing suicide." He took a step forward, and every one of his warriors moved with him, a synchronized show of force that made Crimson's hunters tense. "Do you have any idea what he wants with you? What he'd do once he got you alone?"

"I'm aware, thanks. I'm also aware that you showing up here doesn't change anything. Thaddeus still wants me. My pack is still in danger. And I still don't trust you as far as I can throw you." The mate bond flared again, protesting my words, trying to pull me toward him. I ignored it like I'd been ignoring it for five years. "So unless you have an actual solution, you're just making this worse."

Raven's jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. For a long moment he just stared at me, and I stared back, refusing to be the first one to look away. The air between us crackled with everything we weren't saying, five years of hurt and anger and that damned bond that wouldn't let either of us forget what we'd lost.

"I have a solution," he said finally. "You and your pack come to Shadowfang territory. Under my protection. Crimson can't touch you there."

Thaddeus laughed, the sound ugly. "You think pack territory will stop me? I have allies, Blackwood. Three other Alphas who'd be happy to help me remove you from power."

"Then let them try." Raven's eyes flashed gold, his wolf rising to the surface. "But they'll have to go through me first. And I promise you, Crimson, I'm not the same Alpha I was five years ago." He shifted his attention back to me, and his expression softened just slightly. "Lyrix. Please. Let me protect you."

The please nearly undid me. I'd never heard Raven Blackwood say that word to anyone, never heard him ask instead of command. It felt wrong and intimate and far too close to the male I'd known for one perfect night before everything shattered.

"I don't need your protection," I said, but even I could hear how weak it sounded. "I've survived five years without you. I'll survive this too."

"You're dying." The words fell between us like stones. "I can feel it through the bond. Every day you're getting weaker. Every day the curse digs deeper. You have what, three months? Less?" His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Come to Shadowfang. Let me help you. Let me fix what I broke."

"You can't fix this." My voice cracked despite my best efforts. "You rejected me. You called me weak and unworthy in front of everyone. You destroyed me, Raven. Some things can't be fixed."

"I know." The raw honesty in those two words hit harder than any declaration could have. "I know what I did. I know what it cost you. But I also know that if you die because you're too stubborn to accept help, I will lose the only thing in this world that matters to me."

Sage appeared at my elbow, her presence grounding. She looked between me and Raven, then at the two groups of hostile wolves surrounding us. "Lyx, we need to make a decision. Fast. This situation is about two seconds from turning into a bloodbath."

She was right. Thaddeus looked ready to attack despite being outnumbered. His hunters were coiled tight, waiting for his signal. And Raven's warriors looked equally prepared to turn this clearing into a killing field. My pack was caught in the middle, vulnerable and scared.

I thought about the collar in the dirt at my feet. Thought about going with Thaddeus and whatever nightmare he had planned. Thought about the curse eating me alive, the silver veins spreading further every day, the blood I coughed up every morning that I hid from everyone.

Thought about Raven's eyes five years ago when he'd destroyed our bond, and the way those same eyes looked at me now.

"If I come to Shadowfang," I said slowly, "my entire pack comes with me. They get full protection, full rights, no questions asked. And I don't stay in your house. I don't sleep under your roof. I don't owe you anything beyond accepting asylum."

"Done." Raven didn't even hesitate. "Whatever you need. Whatever keeps you safe."

"One more thing." I met his gaze and let him see every ounce of hurt and anger I'd been carrying. "You don't get to act like we're mates. You don't get to touch me or claim me or pretend that bond means anything. You rejected me. That doesn't just go away because it's suddenly convenient for you."

Something shattered behind his eyes, but he nodded. "Understood."

Thaddeus snarled, his control finally snapping. "You think running to Blackwood will save you? I'll have you eventually, little wolf. One way or another."

Raven moved so fast I barely saw it. One second he was standing ten feet away, the next he had Thaddeus by the throat, claws extended, eyes fully gold. "If you come near her again," he said, voice dropping to something inhuman, "I will make your death last for days. Weeks. I will carve away pieces of you until there's nothing left but screaming and regret. Do we understand each other?"

Thaddeus couldn't speak with Raven's hand around his windpipe, but he managed a jerky nod. Raven released him with a shove that sent the older Alpha stumbling backward.

"Get off my land," Raven commanded, and the Alpha power in those words made every wolf in the clearing drop their eyes in submission. Every wolf except me. I'd stopped being able to submit to him the day he rejected me. "Take your hunters and leave. If I see any of you near neutral territory again, I'll consider it an act of war."

Thaddeus gathered his wolves and melted back into the forest, but not before shooting me one last look that promised this wasn't over.

When they were gone, the clearing felt too quiet and too full at the same time. Raven turned to me, expression careful. "Pack your camp. My warriors will escort you to Shadowfang. You'll be safe there."

"Will I?" I asked, the question carrying more weight than just physical safety.

His expression broke, just for a second, showing me the male underneath the Alpha. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make sure you are."

Shadowfang territory looked exactly how I remembered it and nothing like it at the same time.

The towering pines still stretched toward the sky like cathedral spires, their branches thick enough to block out most of the fading sunlight. The air still carried that distinctive scent of cedar and mountain water, crisp and clean in a way that made my wolf want to run through the forest until my lungs burned. But the security had intensified dramatically. We passed three separate guard posts on the way to the main compound, each one manned by warriors who watched our ragtag group with expressions ranging from curiosity to outright hostility.

Rogues weren't welcome in pack territory. Ever. The fact that Raven was bringing eight of us directly into the heart of Shadowfang was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.

I was betting on stupid.

"This is insane," Sage muttered beside me, keeping her voice low enough that only I could hear. She'd insisted on walking next to me despite my suggestion that she hang back with the others. Loyalty looked good on her, even when it was misplaced. "Do you see how they're looking at us? Like we're diseased. Like we might contaminate their precious pack lands just by breathing the same air."

"I know." I kept my eyes forward, my spine straight, refusing to show any weakness even though exhaustion was pulling at my bones. The confrontation with Thaddeus had drained me more than I wanted to admit, and the two-hour hike into Shadowfang territory hadn't helped. My legs felt like they were made of lead, and the silver veins creeping up my forearms seemed darker than they'd been this morning. "But we're here now. We survive this the same way we've survived everything else."

"By pretending we're fine when we're absolutely not?"

"Exactly."

Raven walked ahead of us, flanked by two of his warriors. He hadn't looked back once since we'd started moving, his shoulders tense and his stride purposeful. Every inch of him screamed Alpha, from the way other wolves automatically moved out of his path to the subtle dominance in how he carried himself. It should have been intimidating. It was intimidating. But underneath the power and control, I could feel his awareness of me through the bond. Constant and acute. Like he was tracking my every breath.

It made my skin itch and my heart race in ways I refused to examine.

The main compound came into view as we crested a hill, and I had to swallow hard against the memories that crashed over me. The central lodge was massive, built from stone and timber in a style that managed to be both rustic and imposing. Smaller cabins dotted the surrounding area, housing for pack members and visiting wolves. Everything was exactly as I remembered from five years ago, when I'd attended that gathering as a naive teenager who thought she understood how the world worked.

I'd learned better the hard way.

"Welcome to Shadowfang," Raven said, finally turning to address all of us. His eyes found mine and held for a beat too long before moving to the rest of my pack. "You'll be housed in the eastern cabins. They're normally reserved for visiting dignitaries, so they're comfortable and private. My Beta, Finn, will show you to your accommodations and get you settled."

A tall wolf with sandy hair and sharp green eyes stepped forward, offering a smile that seemed genuine despite the circumstances. This had to be Finn Ashford, Raven's second-in-command and childhood friend. I'd heard stories about him over the years, mostly about his level-headedness and unwavering loyalty. He looked like the kind of wolf who'd follow his Alpha into hell without asking questions.

"Follow me," Finn said, his voice easy and welcoming in a way that immediately put me on edge. People weren't this nice without wanting something. "We've got hot water, food, and actual beds. I'm guessing that's an upgrade from camping."

Marcus and the others moved to follow him, but I stayed rooted where I was. Sage shot me a questioning look, clearly torn between sticking with me and getting the rest of our pack settled. I gave her a small nod. Go. I can handle this.

She hesitated another second before joining the others, leaving me alone in the compound clearing with Raven and a handful of his warriors. The sun had nearly set, painting everything in shades of orange and purple, and somewhere in the distance I could hear the sounds of pack life. Children laughing. Adults talking. The normal, everyday existence of wolves who belonged somewhere.

I'd forgotten what that felt like.

"You need to rest," Raven said, his voice careful. "The healer will want to examine you tomorrow, assess the damage from the curse."

"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter. "I don't need a healer."

"Lyrix." He took a step closer, and I immediately stepped back, maintaining the distance between us. Something flickered in his expression. Hurt, maybe. Or frustration. "You collapsed back at your camp. Don't think I didn't notice. And I can feel how weak you are through the bond."

"Then stop feeling it." I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the mild evening air. "You're the one who broke the bond. Figure out how to tune it out."

"It doesn't work like that. You know it doesn't." Another step closer, slow and deliberate like he was approaching a wounded animal. Which wasn't far from the truth. "The bond is damaged, not severed. I feel everything. Your pain, your exhaustion, your fear. I've felt it all for five years, and it's been killing me just as surely as the curse is killing you."

"Good." The word came out venomous. "You deserve to suffer for what you did."

"I know." He stopped moving, staying just outside of touching distance. "I know I do. But you don't. You've never deserved any of this. So please, let the healer help you. Let me try to fix this."

"You keep saying that. Let me fix this. Let me help you." I laughed, the sound harsh and broken. "But you still haven't explained why. Why did you reject me, Raven? If you're going to stand here and act like you care, the least you can do is tell me the truth."

His jaw clenched, and for a long moment I thought he wouldn't answer. Then he looked at me with eyes that held five years of agony. "Because Thaddeus Crimson told me he'd kill your entire family if I claimed you. Your mother, your cousins, everyone you'd ever loved. He gave me until sunrise to reject you publicly or he'd start collecting bodies."

The world tilted sideways. I grabbed for the nearest tree to steady myself, my mind racing. "What?"

"He wanted you even then. He knew about your bloodline, knew what you could become. And he knew the fastest way to make you vulnerable was to break you first." Raven's hands were shaking, actual trembling in his fingers that he couldn't quite control. "So I broke you. I destroyed our bond to save your life, and I've regretted it every single day since."

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Five years of hate and anger and hurt, all built on a foundation that was suddenly crumbling beneath my feet. "You're lying."

"I'm not." He pulled something from his pocket, a worn leather journal that looked like it had been opened and closed a thousand times. "I wrote you letters. Every week for five years. Explaining, apologizing, begging you to understand. I never sent them because I knew you wouldn't believe me. Wouldn't forgive me. But they're all here. Everything I should have told you that morning."

He held the journal out, and I stared at it like it might bite me. Taking it would mean accepting that maybe, possibly, the male who'd destroyed me had done it to save me. It would mean reconsidering five years of carefully constructed hatred. It would mean letting him back in, even just a crack, and I wasn't sure I was strong enough for that.

"I don't want your explanations," I said, but my voice wavered. "I don't want your letters or your protection or your guilt. I want to go back to my camp and pretend none of this is happening."

"You can't." His voice broke on the words. "The camp isn't safe. Thaddeus will come back, and next time I might not get there in time. And the curse is accelerating. You're dying, Lyrix. We're out of time for pretending."

A wolf howl split the evening air, long and mournful, and every warrior in the clearing went tense. Raven's head snapped toward the sound, his body language shifting from vulnerable to lethal in a heartbeat.

Finn came running back down the path, his expression grim. "Alpha, we have a problem. There's a messenger at the border. From Bloodmoon Pack."

Raven's eyes flashed gold. "What does he want?"

"To deliver a message." Finn glanced at me, something apologetic in his expression. "Thaddeus Crimson has formally declared his intention to claim Lyrix Thorne as his mate, and he's challenging you for the right to take her."