Chapter 233

• Back to that day’s Stormridge Pack’s manor, Lucien Duskgrave pushed open the door to Riley’s chamber, the weight of her in his arms nothing compared to the weight of the things he hadn’t said.
• Her scent—light, faintly tinged with herbs from the healer’s salve—clung to him. He set her down gently upon the bed, careful not to jar her leg. The mattress dipped beneath her slight frame, the furs folding around her like a protective cocoon.
• He murmured a few low words meant to soothe, his voice rougher than usual, the kind of tone a wolf uses to calm a skittish mate. Then, without lingering, he turned to go.