PROLOGUE.
“Wake up, Rae!”
Ravyn got to her feet with blurry eyes, scanning her bedroom, trying to make out its contents. Her twin brother, Rion, stood in front of her, waving, swallowed by a heap of bags.
“What is it?” she asked, groggily.
“We have to leave,” he said urgently. “Now!”
“What’s going on?” Yawning and stretching, she tried to concentrate, watching as Rion paced the room, searching and shoving whatever he could get his hands on.
“We’re leaving,” he said again. “I’ve already packed everything we’ll need. Get dressed.”
“What do you mean we’re leaving?”
Rion didn’t pause, or stop to look at her. Instead, he turned her bed over, picked up a hidden pouch, then stuffed it into his pocket.
She looked around at the disheveled room that now looked like it had been burgled, or used as a playpen for kids. It almost made her laugh, but this was hardly the time for jokes. And yet, it didn’t seem like her brother was attempting to make one. Rion was not one to overreact or be dramatic.
Strolling over to where he stood, Ravyn put her hands on his face and forced him to look at her. “Tell me what’s going on, please.”
He sighed, his eyes growing dim. “I’m getting you out of Bloodpine, and away from Alpha Dorian.”
Her breath hitched. It was dangerous to go against the alpha, or worse, leave the pack. “What are you going on about?”
“Rae, I let mum die. I’ll be damned if I let the same thing happen to you too.”
“But mum was killed by rogue wolves. There was nothing you could have done. It wasn’t your fault.” Remembering her mother always brought tears to her eyes. The tragedy happened five years ago, but the wound still felt fresh in Ravyn’s mind. Like it was only yesterday.
Maybe if she had been there, her mother would still be alive. It was something she had to live with for the rest of her life. She knew her brother felt the same way too.
She wiped her eyes, and frowned. “Are you okay?”
Rion was lost in thought, seething with anger. He shook his head, giving her a forced smile. “I’m fine. Rae, I need you to trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“Then please don’t ask me any more questions, just know I’m doing this for you. To keep you safe. Alpha Dorian isn’t going to stop this pointless war, and he’s not going to stop using you for his advantage. I need to get you out of here so you can live a normal life.”
“You’re coming too, right?”
“Definitely. I’d never leave you by yourself.”
“You know, Alpha Dorian did take us in when mum died. We could stay here and help him, we owe him that much.”
“We don’t owe him s**t!”
This was the first time Ravyn had ever heard her brother speak against the Alpha, and for good reason. No one went against the man and lived to tell the tale. He was ruthless and a bloody maniac, who only cared about money and power.
Something was different this morning, something had changed. She couldn’t figure out what.
In the distance, the howl of a wolf echoed through the night, halting her attempt to fish out more excuses. Soon, more warriors would troop in from battle, and Alpha Dorian would order her to care for every last one of them.
She hated it, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Maybe Rion had a point. If she left, she wouldn’t have to deal with it. She wouldn’t have to live in fear that she would one day lose herself in the process.
She nodded, swallowing hard. “Okay,” she whispered. “Okay, where would we go?”
“We’ll figure it out once we’re out of here,” he clasped his hand behind her neck and pulled their foreheads together. “It’s you and I now, Rae. I’ll protect you.”
“We’ll protect each other.”
