ve at New Year's, she had

ged back to the dungeons that had been her home for a month afte

e effects of the rejection, she had still felt his smug satisfaction as

not for her father, he would h

nd was held on the anniversary of the b

rned because she could not leave her father to c

the beautiful silk gown she was currently wearing waiting for h

father in the large hall,

Dinka pressed, g

. Be patient, D. We'll find Dad," she snappe

day, as soon as she arrived within the pack borders, he

ed him from connecting with he

e a lost child. She silently s

ant voice, so very familiar to Marian, as

n and Dinka also had not felt him, as she w

of the man who had stepped up to her – Dorien, the heir to the Lightmoon pack, adopt

ond time I'm me

his p

ted me,

his attention? Sh

ked lazily, eyeing him war

help?" He rep

im, a neutral expr

orien, is the day hell freez

her, his soft lips cu

ough the crowd, deeper into the hall, and away from the boy she

ried to say something in the mind space, but he hit

ned silent as he watched her cut a sexy path through

d then, as if by some destined hand, she tur

torm, former Alpha o

ughter was jarring, but for Marian, th

tform just two feet off the ground, and twenty feet wide, were sea

orties with chiseled features and a neat mous

a rush of warmth filled h

py as she lay her eyes on him, as she stared at her only living relat

es lit up. He smiled lightly at her just as

ed away fro

elf, and right at that

ht; the main event was starti

n was simple, when the music stops, you stand wherever you are, and the mistletoes

and you couldn'

to spin around vigorously between all bodies while a gas tha

were not part of this game, just i

not allow such laxity in their

and made to join in the fun. She had not f

ng herself be pulled into th

y be, she had so

y every year. The last one she attended was last year's celebration

e rejection that had made her run a

Christmas party, jus

ve, and he had prepared a beautiful outfit for her, a bri

daughter, that