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Not yet, Lily, I answered silently, and she stilled, mesmerized by a power I’d never asked to hold over anyone

"Lily, I told you to wait" The voice that issued that staterieved, and the look on its owner’s face was one I recognized all too well from my own childhood

Conized all too well frolad that Chase and I had heeded Mitch’s warning and put a little space between my body and his

"Hey, baby," Ali replied, a twin on each hip "Everyone’s been fed, but I uarantees about their state of mind"

For most of ing an entire brood with the same efficiency hich she’d once transfore student into my protector within Callum’s pack Ali was human, but the words force of nature still applied, and I would infinitely rather have tangled with an irritated olf than Ali in ht on cue with Ali’s disclaier olves’ state of mind "No?"

"Shhhh," I said, and Lily closed her ainst htfully, "if Lily mindedrena her Bryn Two"

"Ha-ha," I retorted "Very funny"

Ali s a word, he walked over and took Katie and Alex from her arms Not even a year old, Ali’s babies already looked more like toddlers, and in identical motions, their hands found their way alot the the twins and turning to walk back out of the woods Ali never stayed to run with the pack

As far as I knew, she never had

Now, Bryn? Now?

Lily refrained froh the pack-bond all the same, and this time, the answer--soon, soon, soon--seemed to come from outside my body, from instincts I couldn’t have explained to the hu, whiently over her bright red hair and she began rocking back and forth on her feet Within , and the effect was nified a hundred tihteen there that night--but the air was electric, and as their thoughts swirled withthing I felt them, all of theest to the oldest, fro more in life than to run …

They were mine

Devon slid in beside ainst mine, I knew

It was time

In other packs, this was formal There were petitions and ceremonies and marks carved into flesh, but here and now, I didn’t have words, and they didn’t need thee any ht across our faces, and I inclined my head That was all it took

At any other ti bones wasn’t a pleasant one, but under the fullof a drum

Run Run Run

All around me, they could taste it They could feel it Furred bodies pushed at each other to get closer to me, to touch me, to sniff me, to be with

Alpha Alpha Alpha

I forgot about Chase, about Devon, about each and every one of the other than my brothers, my sisters, my people, my pack

Mine