Is Mommy . . . gone? The unspoken question rang like an alarm in Kavik’s brain, drowning out all other thoughts under a wave of loud blaring panic. The white knight—Arcadian, Kira’s favorite—had noticed that Queens had not traversed the territory in a long while. The whole pack had noticed. What did that mean? Was she gone forever? What were they going to do?! Kavik bit one of his jowls so hard he tasted the faint taint of blood. He attempted to gain Kira’s attention, but his sister abruptly appeared to have entered her own worries, face creased in a frown as though she couldn’t imagine a life without their Mother somewhere close. They were . . . alone. No one to protect them. Truly abandoned!

Kavik did not want to be around all of these strangers.

Despite the fact that every wolf present wore the stamp of Malignant like a luxurious cloak—the same dark and sensuous scent that lined Kavik’s espresso-hued fur like the breath of a lover—he couldn’t shake the fact that each face belonged to a stranger. Here was a dark male with cruel eyes and wounds kissing his flesh; there a female whose vicious voice cut holes out of the air; there a pair of wolves with something that might have been love or hate stringing webs of tension between them. Kavik shuddered and pressed himself impossibly closer to Kira’s side, meshing deep chocolate fur with her coat of snow. A vague look of pain tightened his bone-colored mask and he refused to meet anyone’s gaze. He wanted to leave this pack meeting. Now.

Kira . . . A pleading, high-pitched whine whimpered from the back of the little prince’s throat. His sister glanced over her shoulder, intelligent eyes roving over every inch of Kavik’s frame in order to catch those minute nuances and gestures that created the lad’s silent language. It wasn’t that Kavik couldn’t speak—nothing was wrong with his vocal chords, as far as Kirastasia knew. But from the moment both pups should have been chatting up a storm, sharing views of their world in piping voices, the white-barred boy had been silent. So far, only Kira understood his foreign speech. Let’s leave, Kira.

“What are you doing?” the saucy girl murmured in a tender voice reserved only for her sibling. Her tail whisked comfortingly over his spine, where his fur lifted in soft puppy hackles. “This is our family, silly. We’re going to be okay.” Suddenly, the large silver-white male who had called the meeting beckoned the littermates nearer. Kira’s sunlit amber eyes glowed brighter and her tail left Kavik’s back in favor of wagging a mile a minute, her paws already moving and forcing Kavik to trot with her or else be left alone in the middle of the gathering. How could she be so happy when Queens was gone?! “Of course! Kavik and I want to kill things! Right, Kavik?” Always outgoing, obviously Kirastasia had a reply ready. Kavik rolled his eyes. Not with them, he told her scornfully. I’d rather rot in the nursery. Or eat a bug.

At that, Kira stiffened. She glared at her brother warningly. Nothing terrified the snow princess more than bugs—specifically spiders. “Kavik would LOVE to help out,” she trilled, purposefully mistranslating his words. No I wouldn’t! I want to LEAVE. This is STUPID. He bared his teeth: no mistaking that message. A venomous glower of mistrust threw itself toward Arcadian’s handsome face. Kavik could care LESS that the entirety of Malignant was here. He just wanted Queens—he wanted Kira—and he wanted to be free of all the strange gazes and unfamiliar pelts and the stress of dealing with others. A growl started to simmer dangerously in the deepest part of Kavik’s chest—but then Kirastasia had swiftly knocked him off his paws and plopped herself promptly on top of him, waving her tail as if she’d done nothing more than playfully bat at his ear.