by K. de Long
Liam finger-combed the hair away from Tessa’s face, his fingertips brushing against her cheekbones. She loved the contradiction in his touch, those strong, violent hands somehow rendered safe.
Tessa laid awake next to Liam long after he’d gone to sleep, filling the room with his slow, even breathing.
It had barely been a day, but she was living a lie. She didn’t know how long she could keep it up. If Elias didn’t kill her, the stress, the strain of the deception, certainly would.
She wanted to wake Liam up, tell him of her deal with the devil. She wanted to beg him to punish her, to at least make her death mean something, if it could unify the packs against Elias rather than turning them against each other.
But she couldn’t. If she told Liam, Elias would strike out worse, at both Liam and her family. He would bring the war to them before they were ready, and many would die for it. If she told Elias she wouldn’t do it after all, it would mean the loss of many innocent lives.
No. She had to deal with this herself. She had to find a way out. Had to find a path out of her pledge.
Tessa already knew that she would be one of the casualties of the coming war. All she could do was minimize the harm done to those around her.
She wouldn’t survive, but she’d ensure that as many others as possible could.
She would be Liam’s shield, even if it killed her. She would be his arrow, fired into his enemies’ heart, even if it meant piercing her own breast.
She would bring him his enemy’s flesh.
She would bring him Elias.
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About the Authors
New York Times and USA Today bestseller K. de Long lives in the Pacific northwest, realizing her dream of being a crazy cat-lady. As a kid, she flagged the fade-to-blacks in every adult book she encountered, and when she began writing, she vowed to use cutaways sparingly. After all, that's when the good stuff happens. And on a kindle, no one asks why there's so many bookmarks in her library. Visit her website at delongkatie.com to learn more!
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton lives in Georgia with her husband and four kids, all of whom inspire her writing. Somewhere in between using magic to disappear booboos and sorcery to heal emotional wounds, she takes to her fictional worlds to see what perilous situations her characters will find themselves in next. Represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA, Rebecca has been published internationally, in three languages. Learn more and snag some free books at rebeccahamiltonbooks.com
