ve. Selene gripped the blanket tighter, as if it could

aid finally. "What do you m

olf bites aren't always fatal, but they're never harmless.

f it d

ightened. "Th

hurned. "There has

re i

deception but found none. Fear clawe

k, crossing his

r w

he ful

r head. "But th

first shift will happen soon-maybe days,

here, waiting for her body to betray her. S

can

t him. "You can

understand. If you leave, you're p

rough her. "Wh

If you turn, and you can't con

idered that. The thought of harming her

posed to do?"

train. You learn to control it. And you pray that w

ingers digging into the rough fabric of the blanket draped over her shoulders. The throbbing in her wound

as ch

t know if she

_____________

her veins. Her skin was on fire, every nerve screaming in protest. Sh

arms crossed, his expression unreada

a deep ache settling into her bones. "Make it s

" Rowan said. "Fighting i

ng was unbearable, and deep inside, somethi

hing compared to the new urges creeping into her mind. Scents overwhelmed her-the smoky wood of the fire, th

ot an animal. But her body betrayed her, her mu

closely. His gaze was unreadable, but th

t you?" he said, v

say the words out loud. But she nodded, gripping the edge of the wo

spered, her voice hoarse. "I

ed forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "The hung

rified her. The thought of losing control,

ok his head. "You have to learn to control it, Selene. If you don't,

her gut like stones. "How?" she asked, her vo

ore answering. "You don't stop

g with this monstrous hunger, of feeling it claw at her insides day

nt snap of a branch. Her head whipped toward the door, her pulse hamme

antic

rm, drifted in through the open window. Se

o, no. She shoved herself up f

g her carefully. "Selene." H

er head violentl

the cool night air. The moment she stepped outside, the scents overwhelmed

hear the faint heartbeat of something small-probably a r

r palms against her temples. No. I

arker voice whispe

a grounding force in the chaos of he

e snapped, spinning to face him

g moment before saying,

could feel the beast inside her, clawing to get free.

d of what would happ

_____________

tle with her growing hunger is just beginning. Will

_____________