"If I wanted respect, I had to fight, not run."

I woke the next morning with every muscle protesting yesterday's collapse. The bond energy overload had left me feeling wrung out, like I'd been running for hours without rest. But underneath the soreness, my wolf paced with restless determination. She hadn't been beaten. Just caught off guard.

Yesterday's weakness wasn't from lack of strength. It was from not knowing how to control what was happening between Darius and me. And if I wanted ...