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The reign of Eric Black wouldn’t exactly be a golden age if he et what he wanted

Troubled, Lyra tried to shake it off and continue "Anyway, there’s a huge farm field on the other side of town that works better for the full moon celebrations, and it’s a much better place to do the bonfire Here, the layout of the woods is better suited to the Proving We’re only a couple of nificant because…"

"Because that’s whereto the next Alpha See," Lyra explained, "it’s actually very simple All of us run into the woods, race to the falls, and try to sniff out the talis it back out On two legs or four, doesn’t oes"

"Ah," Jaden said, and Lyra didn’t like the cast of doubt to his expression "So what you’re telling me is this is basically a free-for-all until someone delivers the talisht from foot to foot "Well Yes I did tell you this was about strength, speed… and cleverness, supposedly, though I don’t think that usually cohed, but it sounded a little desperate None of this had sounded quite so hopeless when she’d talked about it with her father and Simon But she hadn’t had to explain it… maybe that was the difference She hadn’t had to say it out loud and confront just how little chance she had of even surviving if she saw the h

His eyes drifted back to the dark of the woods "You, in there, with a bunch of enormous male olves ready to kill one another for the prize? Yes, Lyra, getting out alive is going to require soht, sure, that’ll come in handy if you end up one on one, but the rest…" He trailed off,to himself, and wandered away fro back, Lyra let hiy

If there was even a plausible one to be had

Doubt flooded her, as it did sometimes when she was alone The pack wanted to force a destiny on her But Lyra knew that if she accepted that fate she would die just as surely as she would if she failed at the Proving It would just be on the inside, where no one could see

So she would take a stand and make her own destiny No mate to stand for her, in front of her, and hold her back If she was fortunate enough to lead the pack she loved, she would make it there on her own merit… and there would be no questions about her fitness for the job

"I can handle this," Lyra said quietly, watching Jaden move deeper into the darkness, away fro"

That hen she saw it, a fast-round toward Jaden, whose back was turned It passed several feet from her, and the breeze it kicked up from its rapid movement carried with it the scent of ancient death--the scent of vaht as she sprang forward, her body shifting in midair to become the sleek, round, she leaped again, pushing forith all her ht to try to reach Jaden before this interloper did

Though what followed happened in seconds, in herin slow an to look like a ht, his coat flying around him and his eyes ablaze with unholy fire She saw the blood burst from Jaden’s chest, saw the shock and fury on his face, and then she slaether, Lyra snarling and snapping, looking for purchase with her teeth and claws

She bit down hard on a fleshy upper arm, heard a banshee-like wail of pain just as a foul taste flooded her mouth The va Lyra aside as though she weighed nothing She stayed loose, allowing herself to fall, to roll harround Still, she was throith enough force to knock the wind out of her

It took a few precious seconds for her to drag in a breath, longer to stagger to her feet and h she could ser--retreat Lyra showed her teeth in the direction it had gone, staking her claiain, stu on the ground, overly pale, spidery lashes twined shut He wore a faded royal blue T-shirt beneath his coat, and she saas soaked with dark blood that spread out fronant bloole, head turned to one side

She switched gears fro to her knees beside him

"Come on, Jaden," she breathed "You can’t be dead Your head’s still attached, you can’t be dead" But she reht of those vicious scars across his back You weren’t supposed to be able to scar a vaured out how to do that Who was to say that his torturers hadn’t found a way to kill a va hi, shuddering gasp like afrom the depths She knew she shouldn’t feel the relief that crashed through her syste it would have taken her to her knees if she hadn’t already been on them But then, all of her reactions seemed outsized when it came to him