Prologue
***
Somewhere over the horizon, at the point where the earth curves and slips into oblivion, a silver lining can be seen, shimmering in the distance and melting into the sea.
I grab the reins and turn the horse east, away from the setting sun. A chill hangs in the air, the kind which seeps into my bones and causes me to tremble. I glance down at my hands, and the blood on them is just starting to dry. I am disgusted by the sight, but I cannot bring myself to wash it off. It's a horrible reminder of what I've done, and I have to deal with the consequences. Davion must hate me, and I shudder to think what he will say if he finds out what I've done.
'Maybe we should go back,' Yelena whispers in my head. 'Davion is our mate. He will side with us.'
"You don't know that for sure," I reply. "What we did was unforgivable. He won't forgive so easily."
'He will,' she says. 'I know he will.'
"You know nothing," I say. "You don't know what it's like to betray someone."
I set off quickly, afraid of what's to come once the sun sets. Tonight will be a full moon, and Davion will come after me. I know that as surely as I know that the sun will set in a few minutes. I cannot hope to outrun him if he catches up to me. But what I can do is put as much distance between us as possible. That way, before he catches up to me, I will probably be in Genera by then. I can seek asylum there, and he won't be able to get to me.
Darkness settles over the earth slowly, and with my heart racing, I continue to gallop forward. But then, suddenly, I feel a shiver run down my spine, and goosebumps spread all over my arm. I feel the warmth of his presence, and I know that his eyes have found me. I turn around, and I see him perched on a low hill behind me, his snowy white coat glimmering in the fading sunlight. Fear settles in my heart, and his golden eyes stare down at me as everything else fades away at the sight of him. I don't know why, but everything seems insignificant when he's nearby.
's**t!' Yelena exclaims. 'Run!'
I turn around and spur the horse forward, digging my hills into its sides. We set off quickly, and I stoop down and pray to God that he won't catch up to me.
But then I look over my shoulder and there he is, closing the gap between us rapidly. He moves so quickly that it's almost impossible to see when his feet ever actually touch the ground. I nearly cry out in fear, and I grip the reins so tightly that I feel like my lungs are about to explode.
Suddenly, he's beside me, and he leaps up and knocks me off the horse cleanly. I crash onto the sand, closing my eyes as the earth and sky tumble into one huge mess all around me. I grit my teeth as I ignore the pain exploding in my side, and I scramble to my feet right as I stop tumbling. I flee towards the trees, ignoring the snarling behind me as Davion turns around and faces me. His growl is loud and ominous, and I don't look back to see what he's doing. I sprint as fast as i can towards the trees, but he's too fast.
Right as I reach the first tree, he knocks me to the ground and towers over me, a vicious look in his eyes. His scent is all over me, and his canines are bared for me to see as a low growl escapes from him.
'Hello, Isabel,' he mind-links me. 'We need to talk.'
***