Chapter 1
The nightmare always started the same way.
A forest.
Dark. Endless. Silent in all the wrong ways.
Lily Harper ran barefoot through dead leaves that cracked beneath her feet like breaking bones. Moonlight spilled through twisted branches overhead, turning the woods silver.
Somewhere behind her, something was following.
Not chasing.
Following.
Like it already knew she'd never escape.
Her lungs burned. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
"Run."
The voice drifted through the darkness.
Male.
Deep.
Dangerously familiar.
"Run, Lily."
She stumbled over a root.
The ground vanished beneath her.
And she fell.
Straight into darkness.
—
Lily jerked awake with a gasp.
Her bedroom ceiling swam into focus.
For several seconds she simply lay there, tangled in blankets and sweat, trying to remember where she was.
Dorm room.
University of Washington.
Not creepy murder forest.
Good.
Her pulse slowly settled.
"Fantastic," she muttered.
Another nightmare.
That made six this month.
Maybe seven.
At this point she should start charging admission.
She rolled onto her side and grabbed her phone.
2:37 A.M.
Of course.
The official hour of bad decisions and emotional damage.
A cold breeze brushed across her skin.
Lily frowned.
Her window was open.
Except...
She distinctly remembered locking it before bed.
A strange uneasiness crawled up her spine.
The room felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too still.
As if something were watching.
Slowly, she sat up.
Moonlight spilled through the open window.
The campus outside was empty.
Trees swayed gently in the darkness.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing threatening.
Then she saw them.
Two glowing eyes.
Floating between the trees.
Lily froze.
The eyes didn't blink.
Didn't move.
Just stared directly at her.
A chill swept through her body.
"What the hell..."
The eyes vanished.
Gone.
Like they'd never been there.
She jumped out of bed and slammed the window shut.
Hard.
"Nope."
Click.
Lock engaged.
"Absolutely not."
Maybe it was a raccoon.
Or a deer.
Or her sleep-deprived brain slowly collapsing under student loans.
Whatever.
Problem solved.
She climbed back into bed.
Pulled the blanket over her head.
And spent the next three hours pretending she wasn't terrified.
—
The next morning sucked.
Not unusual.
Mornings generally sucked.
Especially when you survived on four hours of sleep and caffeine-powered optimism.
Lily dragged herself across campus clutching a giant coffee.
Students rushed past.
Bicycles zipped through crowded walkways.
Someone was playing terrible acoustic guitar near the library.
Life felt normal again.
Which should have been comforting.
Instead it made last night's glowing eyes feel even weirder.
Her best friend Emma fell into step beside her.
"You look like death."
"Good morning to you too."
Emma eyed her.
"Nightmare again?"
Lily sighed.
"How do you always know?"
"You get this serial-killer look."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
Lily rolled her eyes.
Emma had been hearing about the nightmares for months.
Unfortunately, Emma also enjoyed turning every problem into entertainment.
"Maybe you're secretly psychic."
"Maybe you're secretly annoying."
"Both can be true."
Lily laughed despite herself.
At least Emma made things bearable.
Most people didn't understand how exhausting it was to live in Lily's body.
Doctors certainly didn't.
Years of tests.
Scans.
Specialists.
Nothing.
The only thing they knew for sure was that medication barely affected her.
Painkillers.
Anesthetics.
Sedatives.
Most simply didn't work.
One doctor had called her a medical mystery.
Another called her a statistical impossibility.
Lily preferred freak of nature.
Shorter.
More honest.
She finished her coffee and tossed the cup into a trash can.
Perfect shot.
Unlike her GPA.
The afternoon passed without incident.
Classes.
Notes.
Boring lectures.
A professor who clearly hated happiness.
Normal.
Completely normal.
Until sunset.
—
The library closed later than usual during finals week.
By the time Lily finished studying, campus had mostly emptied.
The sky was dark.
Streetlights glowed along the pathways.
Cold wind rustled through the trees.
She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and headed toward her dorm.
Ten minutes.
That's all.
Then she could shower, watch trashy reality TV, and forget her existence.
A growl echoed behind her.
Lily stopped walking.
Slowly turned.
Nothing.
The pathway stood empty.
Her stomach tightened.
Maybe it was a dog.
Maybe—
Another growl.
Closer.
Much closer.
The sound didn't belong to a dog.
Every instinct screamed danger.
She started walking faster.
The growling followed.
A branch snapped somewhere in the darkness.
Her pulse spiked.
"Lily..."
The voice was barely a whisper.
Yet somehow she heard it perfectly.
She spun around.
No one.
The pathway remained empty.
Then something moved between the trees.
Huge.
Fast.
Wrong.
Lily's breath caught.
A massive black shape emerged from the darkness.
Not a dog.
Not a wolf.
Too large.
Its shoulders reached nearly her chest.
Yellow eyes burned in the night.
Saliva dripped from enormous fangs.
The creature stared at her.
Hungry.
Predatory.
Human intelligence gleamed behind those eyes.
"Oh hell no."
The beast lunged.
Lily ran.
Adrenaline exploded through her body.
Her backpack bounced against her shoulders.
Footsteps thundered behind her.
No.
Not footsteps.
Paws.
Massive paws tearing across concrete.
The growls grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
She risked a glance over her shoulder.
Big mistake.
The creature was almost on top of her.
Its jaws opened.
Rows of teeth flashed beneath the streetlights.
Lily screamed.
The wolf leapt.
A dark blur slammed into it from the side.
The impact sounded like a car crash.
Both creatures crashed through a nearby bench.
Wood exploded everywhere.
Lily stumbled backward.
"What the—"
The second figure rose slowly from the wreckage.
Not a wolf.
A man.
A very large man.
Well over six feet.
Broad shoulders.
Black hair.
Black clothes.
Black everything.
He looked like danger had decided to become attractive.
The wolf attacked again.
The stranger caught it by the throat.
With one hand.
One hand.
The beast snapped and snarled.
The man's expression never changed.
Golden eyes flashed.
Not brown.
Not hazel.
Gold.
Pure molten gold.
The wolf suddenly froze.
Fear flooded its face.
The stranger spoke one word.
A command.
An order.
An execution.
"Kneel."
The creature whimpered.
Actually whimpered.
Then collapsed onto the pavement.
Lily stared.
Nope.
Nope.
Nope.
Reality had officially broken.
The stranger stepped forward.
The wolf tried to crawl away.
It never got the chance.
A sharp crack split the night.
The creature went limp.
Dead.
Just like that.
Silence returned.
The stranger turned toward Lily.
Every survival instinct she possessed immediately panicked.
He was worse.
Far worse.
The wolf had been a predator.
This man felt like the reason predators feared the dark.
His gaze locked onto hers.
The world seemed to stop.
Something strange tightened in her chest.
A pull.
An invisible thread connecting them.
His nostrils flared slightly.
As if he were breathing her in.
His expression changed.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Possession.
"Impossible," he murmured.
Lily took a step backward.
"Okay. Listen. Whatever this is, I don't want any part of it."
He ignored her.
Typical male behavior.
Just with more murder.
The man approached.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like she was something precious.
Or dangerous.
His eyes never left hers.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
A faint smile touched his lips.
The expression transformed his face from intimidating to devastating.
That somehow felt worse.
"My name is Marcus Blackwood."
The name meant nothing.
The confidence behind it meant everything.
"You should leave."
"No."
She blinked.
"No?"
"No."
"That's not how suggestions work."
His smile widened.
"You're mine."
Lily stared.
Several responses came to mind.
None of them were polite.
"I'm sorry?"
"Mine."
"Did you hit your head during the wolf fight?"
The amusement vanished from his face.
Instantly.
The air itself seemed heavier.
More dangerous.
Marcus stepped closer.
"Lily Harper."
Her blood froze.
"I never told you my name."
"I know."
"How?"
"I've known it for years."
Every alarm bell in her brain started screaming.
Years?
She'd never met him before.
Had she?
No.
Impossible.
She would definitely remember a man who looked like that.
Before she could speak, another voice cut through the darkness.
"Still lying to her, Marcus?"
Both of them turned.
A figure stood atop a nearby stone wall.
Tall.
Lean.
Silver eyes glinting beneath moonlight.
Unlike Marcus's controlled power, this man radiated chaos.
Danger wrapped in charm.
A wolf disguised as a smile.
He jumped down effortlessly.
His gaze landed on Lily.
For a brief moment something vulnerable flickered across his face.
Then it disappeared.
"Hi, Lily."
She pointed between them.
"Do random strangers always know my name now?"
The newcomer laughed.
"You have no idea."
Marcus stepped forward.
Immediately placing himself between them.
Protective.
Possessive.
Hostile.
The silver-eyed man's smile sharpened.
"See? That's exactly the problem."
Marcus's voice turned cold.
"Leave."
"No."
Apparently nobody understood suggestions tonight.
The newcomer shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Lily deserves the truth."
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"You don't know what that means."
"I know exactly what it means."
The tension between them became almost physical.
Like standing between two loaded guns.
Lily cleared her throat.
"Anyone want to explain the giant murder wolf?"
Neither answered.
Fantastic.
"Okay. New question. What are you?"
Silence.
Then the silver-eyed man spoke.
"Wolves."
Lily laughed.
Nobody else did.
Her smile slowly disappeared.
"Oh."
The man nodded.
"Oh."
She pointed toward the dead creature.
"The giant furry nightmare?"
"Wolf."
She pointed at Marcus.
"Him?"
"Also wolf."
Marcus looked mildly offended.
The silver-eyed stranger grinned.
"I think she's taking this well."
Lily considered screaming.
It felt reasonable.
Instead she asked, "And you?"
"Wolf."
"Of course."
The universe officially hated her.
The silver-eyed man looked directly at her.
"My name is Jace Nightshade."
Something about him felt familiar.
Not safe.
Definitely not safe.
But familiar.
Like a memory she couldn't quite reach.
Jace's expression darkened.
"Whatever Marcus told you, don't believe him."
Marcus moved instantly.
A growl rumbled from his chest.
Actual growling.
Normal people did not growl.
"You shouldn't be here, Jace."
"I could say the same."
Lily looked from one man to the other.
"Anyone want to explain why you hate each other?"
Jace's smile vanished.
"Because he murdered your father."
The world stopped.
Lily stared.
"What?"
Marcus's face hardened.
Jace continued.
"He never told you, did he?"
"Lily—"
"No." Jace cut him off. "Tell her."
Marcus remained silent.
That silence felt louder than any answer.
Fear twisted inside her stomach.
"What is he talking about?"
Neither man spoke.
The wind howled through the trees.
For the first time all night, Marcus looked uncertain.
Jace stepped closer.
"Your blood isn't normal, Lily."
She swallowed hard.
"What does that mean?"
"It means people will kill for it."
Marcus cursed under his breath.
Jace ignored him.
"Your blood can heal wolves."
Lily stared.
"What?"
"It can strengthen them."
"What?"
"It can start wars."
"WHAT?"
The two wolves exchanged a grim look.
And somehow that terrified her more than anything else.
Marcus finally stepped forward.
"Lily."
His voice was softer now.
Dangerously gentle.
"The reason medication doesn't affect you..."
She backed away.
"No."
"Lily."
"No."
Every instinct told her to run.
Unfortunately, her body refused to move.
Marcus reached out.
His fingers brushed her wrist.
Heat exploded beneath her skin.
Instant.
Electric.
Wrong.
His eyes darkened.
The same invisible pull tightened between them.
Stronger.
Older.
Ancient.
Jace swore under his breath.
Marcus moved closer.
Close enough for her to catch his scent.
Pine.
Smoke.
Rain.
Wildness.
The smell wrapped around her senses until breathing felt difficult.
He pressed one hand against the wall behind her.
Trapping her.
Not touching.
Yet somehow everywhere.
His gaze dropped briefly to her throat.
To the pulse hammering beneath her skin.
Then returned to her eyes.
The world narrowed.
Just her.
And him.
And the terrifying certainty that nothing would ever be normal again.
Marcus raised his hand.
His thumb brushed the sensitive skin over her racing pulse.
A shiver ran through her entire body.
Then he leaned down and spoke in a low voice.
“You know why all drugs are useless on you? Because the Wolf King’s bite is the only thing that can make you addicted.”
