Chapter 26 · Blood Debt Refusal

"Give me your throat, Vira."

Ronin's hand locked around the back of my neck and shoved me against the reactor housing.

Metal slammed into my spine. Heat punched through my coat. Behind him, the reactor screamed in short, violent bursts, each pulse shaking dust from the ceiling.

His mask was gone. Blood ran from the cut above his eyebrow, down his cheek, and over the black line of his jaw. His eyes had gone gold.

Not human gold.

Wolf gold.

"Move your hand," I snapped.

His fingers tightened. "You heard me."

"I heard a dying commander begging for a mate he already rejected. That's different."

His mouth pulled back from his teeth. "This isn't begging."

"No? Your grip says otherwise."

The reactor gave another ugly boom. Red light flashed across the chamber. A warning siren started up somewhere behind the blast door, slow and heavy, like the whole mountain had found a heartbeat.

Ronin leaned closer. His breath scraped hot over my mouth. The bond between us flared under my skin, a burning wire dragged from my chest to his.

He wanted my blood.

His wolf wanted more.

I shoved both palms against his chest.