The den felt colder after the war council ended.
The enforcers had left one by one. Their footsteps faded down the mountain path. The fire burned lower now. Embers glowed red against the stone walls. I lay on the furs. Body still heavy from the claiming earlier. My hole throbbed with every heartbeat. The double knot had left me swollen and tender. Slick had dried in thin, sticky layers on my inner thighs. The collar at my throat felt warmer today. Leather soft from constant wear. Silver ring cool against my pulse.
Thorne stood near the entrance. He stared out into the dark. His cloak stayed fastened. Blade strapped to his thigh. He had not slept.
"Rorik is gathering the enforcers," he said. "We meet at dusk. The pack needs to know what is coming."
Aurelius sat beside me. His hand reste
