Chapter 277

• Riley stood amidst the wreckage of her pride, her body still smeared with frosting and blood. Yet even drenched in humiliation, her back remained straight, her wolf’s fire flickering in her eyes.
• Lucien Duskgrave swept into the Silverfang Den like a storm breaking through steel. He paid no heed to the cream coating her hair and skin. Instead, his arms wrapped around her with startling gentleness, shielding her battered frame. One hand stroked her trembling back, the other reaching to drape his jacket over her shoulders, cloaking her in his scent—an Alpha’s mark of possession and protection.
• Riley sagged against him, her fingers clutching the fabric at his chest as if grasping the last tether keeping her upright. She was weak from the earlier shift, her body straining against the aftermath of claws and fangs, but her spirit refused to bow.