The ridge was still trembling beneath the weight of my name when Ronan grabbed my wrist and yanked me away from the kneeling wolves. I stumbled after him, legs half numb, half buzzing with leftover power I was not sure belonged to me. His grip was unbreakable, not painful but absolute, like he feared if he let go I would dissolve into smoke. My skin tingled where his fingers held me, as if the power I released lingered there, unwilling to settle back into silence.
He did not stop until we reached the tree line, far enough from wandering ears, close enough the storm lit ridge still glowed behind us. The distant crackle of thunder hung over the battlefield like a warning. His chest heaved, breath rough with fury and something sharper beneath it. His wolf stood so close to the surface I swor
