CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
With deliberate grace, Ryan bares his fangs, and the primal part of him gleams in his eyes. I extend my other palm towards him, the beat of my heart a thunderous echo against the still desert air. His fangs pierce my skin with surgical precision, and a sting shoots through my hand. Warmth trickles down, blood beads forming and falling to kiss the parched earth below.
"By Mother Earth and Sister Moon," he murmurs, voice low and resonant.
"By Mother Earth and Sister Moon," the pack echoes, their voices weaving through the twilight.
The scent of petrichor seems almost tangible, a promise hanging on the edge of possibility as the first drop of my blood darkens the dust at our feet. I can't help but wonder if it's enough, if I am enough.
"Focus, Lily," Ryan commands sof
