ant resting against her collarbone, its cool surface pulsing with something that felt unnervingly alive

. Coffee didn't help. Neither did the eggs and rice she barely touched at the café aro

of them. She was a Bahamian mother of two. She organized bake sales. She paid school fees and clipped coupons. She was not a

a

ink I might be magically bonded to a supernatural wolf king who

ng the truth-if the pendant really was protecti

e exhibits-Korean dynasties, traditional clothing, folk tales. One display in particular caught her eye: an ancient scroll with pai

turned. She

r the blanket, the moonstone pendant resting above her heart. She clutched it tig

d, hands open to the night air. The magic around him stirred

f through the invisible tether betwee

e fou

eld of soft, silver grass swaying beneath a full

hadows, tall, steady, eye

reathed. "Am

"Yes. But I'm really here. This is..

pendant. "It's c

"A part of my pack's legacy. It's why

rifying," s

you let

und. "Why here

your spirit sees

en Marisa looked up at him, the dreaml

pens if I

still protect you. Your children. Your world. Nothing abo

f I sa

l still protect you. Fr

eyes. "Why does th

ws the truth-even whe

on his chest. She could feel the beat of his

give me t

s forehead to hers. "A

n he wa

p, heart thudding, c

endant? I

lled faintly of

he scrambled from bed to grab it.

ir drew you a pict

in, but she smiled. The si

. His words. His presence. T

being more than she was told she could be. But now, there was s

wildes

ed to fo

hotel balcony. The city buzzed below, but up here, wrappe

e soft wash of daylight-and whispered, "Wh

ers laced, eyes staring unseeing at the maps laid out bef

Border Pack will be here by noon.

move. "I dr

nked. "

low

nd

didn'

gave a rare smile. "The

ts. If she says yes, she'll need prot

"You've already claim

t I breathed her in. The res

her bed, her phone in hand. She'd typed and de

ell you somethin

le

es Grandma used to tell us abo

le

tossed the pho

ready to

ready to s

d the moonstone. "Okay, Kai

om door-no return address, only her name written in elegant,

ea House at sunset.

was anticipation-a strange sense of stepping in

behind a quiet garden, lit by golden lanterns and warmed with the scent of roaste

on in traditional hanbok. He looked regal and ca

," he sai

id I

seat across from

usly, hands fo

or the note,

u for ans

a polite bow. They sat in silence f

ards or shadows this

you. Not the ki

gaze softening. "And

f bound by fate. But with y

"Then tell me everythi

d

rst time, she

ng before the world cared to acknowledge their existence. He told her about the first F

e spoke of betrayal-of allies who turned to enemies, of a rival she-w

sed to someone

ld infatuation-nothing more. But her ego... h

nd rustled thro

e those who would use our bond as a

crossed t

a fli

k. The door slid open, and Ju

of the eastern emissary guards. We e

at. "They're watching me more closely

unded. "And if I'

e said. "Protected, b

d hard. "And

sted near them," he said qui

t was too much-and yet it

cross-legged on the floor with colored pencils sca

dly, "and the man from my

eside Marisa had golden eyes and somethin

but her he

g was ha

hing

w staring at Tamir's drawing. Her instincts prickled. There was more to this tr

tapped out a message: You okay

hotel, thoughts swirling. The wind carried the scent of jas

y of her new world. Kai's truth had shattered everything she thought she knew, but strangely, it

soft footste

a

ur quiet," he said, stopping

did

he spoke again. "Do you ever wish the bond

ong beat. "I used to

m, lips trembling. "A

but sure. "Then I'll spend my

dn't a

leaned

od-two souls caught in the pull o