Kavik bucked and writhed like a mad python, his young muscles taut as steel cables underneath his pup-soft pelt. A jagged snarl rolled wordlessly from his furious muzzle—one that had Kirastasia grow increasingly more distressed as the pulse-pounding seconds dragged by. She had never seen her brother this upset; it seemed as if nothing she could possibly do would calm him down. For a heartbeat, those once-playful amber eyes flickered up to the snobby ashen lad. A grisly vision of Kavik’s first “hunt” streaked across her mind’s eye. Kira didn’t know Mister Jerk, but that didn’t mean she wanted her sibling to turn the haughty stranger into yet another rust-colored smear on the border . . .

Just as the snow princess was frantically thinking nice thoughts about the smoky junior, Mister Jerk went and crossed the border. Actually, “crossed” may have been an understatement. The coal-coated boy strolled over the invisible fence with an absolutely infuriating smirk scrunching up his stupid face, eyes glittering with mischievous intention as he sidled up next to poor Kira—who was still valiantly struggling against Kavik’s rage. No way. He had not just intentionally trespassed after—

Suddenly, Kirastasia smiled. The action was slow and lovely, unfolding from her face like a work of origami despite the exertion her body was suffering. He did not realize yet, but Mister Jerk had played right along into her plan. That had been entirely too simple.

She decided to prolong the charade just a little more, however. Kavik really was out for blood—her efforts to subdue him weren’t merely a show. “Kavik, please!” the pale girl wailed, understanding full well that her brother had plunged far beyond the realm where her fragile voice could reach him. One only had to glance at his seething glare, the absolute and total mercilessness carved inside like glimmering facets in a soulless gemstone. He did not notice how badly he bruised the most precious wolf in his life as he fought against her; nor did Kavik perceive any threat to himself. The dark chocolate prince would continue thrashing about until his fangs pierced flesh—even if that meant seriously harming his own skin and that of his precious sibling in the process. Wanting to scare Mister Jerk a little, Kira pretended to slip up, forelegs skidding precariously along her litter-mate’s shoulders so that Kavik’s upper body swerved dangerously close to the intruder’s cocky form. “Mother’s going to yell at you—what if you kill him—KAVIK!”

At last Kira took the risk she knew would bring her brother back from his slide into madness for sure. She braced for impact—yet a hurt gasp tripped from her velveteen lips nonetheless when Kavik’s sleek skull swung upward and bashed her dainty chin. Pain punched through her jawbone and jarred her teeth. Some of her serrated tools clamped down hard on her tongue; she tasted the iron tang of blood. Kira parted her maw and let out a piteous cry at the same moment the scent of her life found Kavik’s senses.

The effect was instantaneous. Kavik halted as if frozen stiff, eyes wild but body rigid as if waking from a nightmare. He blinked and looked up at his sister, who had allowed bewitching crocodile tears (and few true tears) to glisten in her portals. “That . . . hurt . . .” the fishnet-wearing lady sniffled. Kavik was trying to help her immediately, slithering out from beneath her to sniff cautiously along her chin to see if he’d wrought irreparable damage. Kira? he fretted in his silent language. His tail ducked fearfully between his hind legs as he doted on her like the dedicated brother he was. Kirastasia made an enormous show of appearing tremendously wounded, at first forbidding Kavik from so much as touching her. Eventually, as Kavik was preoccupied with checking out the blood dribbling down from the corners of her mouth, Kirastasia’s luminous lanterns speared into the arrogant mug of the trespasser. All at once her smile shone through again—wicked and clever and terrifyingly mature.

“Well, well, well, Mister Groundhog. It appears to me you have stepped on the wrong side of our borders. You know what that means . . .” At this point, Kavik glanced over his shoulder, suspicion and budding hatred written upon his eerie white face. He growled menacingly, hackles spiked. Kira sashayed lightly around him, stopping as soon as she was standing nose-to-nose with the foolish intruder. “You. Are. My. Prisoner.” And she gave him a big, bloody kiss on the cheek.