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The ates of the castle and waited patiently for her fenant and living in a state of perpetual anxiety, Petra was so grateful, and wrapped her arms around the neck of her best friend "Thanks, Dani"

"Anytime, Pets," the female shifter replied, her hawk&039;s eyes filled with concern "And I lad you called We&039;ve been so worried about you"

Guilt snaked through Petra&039;s blood and she pulled her coat closer around her, protecting the growing babe She&039;d hated these past seven months away from the Rain Forest, away from her mother and father and brothers Especially in her condition But the coiven her life, protected her, was i

Now that need had increased with the shocking revelation that her birth mother was alive

She had so many questions, and she hoped the male as purported to be inside the castle on the hill before her could answer them

"Dani, will you tell lanced up at the foreboding landscape she&039;d found through Celestine and Alexander&039;s whispered conversations "But please don&039;t reveal my condition I want to tell theet back, Pets It&039;s nearly dawn and I don&039;t want to be seen Or shot at"

Petra glanced over her shoulder and sh holes in your feathers as is"

Dani laughed "Pinprick little nothings No one can see theun ere young"

"It&039;s a wonder we beca, Dani didn&039;t wait for a response She kicked off the ground and sailed beautifully and effortlessly into the air

Petra watched until she was out of sight, then hurried to the lock at the gate But to her surprise and her concern, it was drawn open a good two inches It should never be that easy Does Cruen know I&039;? she wondered as she hurried up the hill to the door But how could that be possible? She had been searching for him for months If he could sense her, he would&039;ve called for her by now, coate left open by accident

But when the grand wood door drew back before she even had a chance to knock and the uard inclined his head and said, "You wish to see Cruen?" she knew her father uard down a long, diripped her insides She&039;d waited so long, been searching so longshe wasn&039;t sure what she expected frolad to see her? Or had he placed her with the shifters for more than just the reasons her adoptive parents had claiuard ca as he drew it back, just gestured to a flight of stairs that led into a dimly lit space

A few steps down, her o? She was all alone in France Dani was gone This is what she&039;d come to do: talk with her father, know the truth about her birth, and warn hiot that chance

Before her foot hit the bottoed back into the shadows She tried to fight, to struggle, but the wall of male muscle that had claimed her wouldn&039;t relent

"Who are you?" he whispered in her ear

She couldn&039;t speak She could barely breathe Her mind sith questions and fears for the child inside her

She gasped when she felt a blade at her neck But ohher senses were going wild As her mind screamed at her to speak, to screaods, she knew that scent

"Synjon"

The male at her back stiffened Then after a second or two, lowered the blade

"Petra?" He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around "What the hell are you doing here?"

It was diht, but she saw his eyes, sunken and feral though they were, and recognized him as the lorious night with

Her gaze flickered to his right, to a barely conscious figure pinned to the wall Her skin began to prickle; her belly clenched with pain It was her father, and he was shackled to the stone Burns covered his face and neck