Chapter 22

KNOX'S POV "I despise Knox." The words echoed in my head as I knelt before her, roses extended like some kind of peace offering. I had thought her public coldness was just a front—a shield she put up to protect herself. But hearing her say those words to the crow, thinking no one could hear... that was pure, unfiltered truth. And yet here I was, on one knee like a fool, because the fate of our entire pack might depend on her answer. "Your answer?" I prompted when she continued to stare at me with that blank expression. My wolf stirred restlessly in my mind, pushing me to do more, to say more. "Sweet-talk her," he urged. "Tell her how beautiful she is in the moonlight. How her strength draws us in. How—" "Shut up," I thought back. I'd never been good with flowery words or emotional declarations. The roses alone felt like a stretch, something I'd seen in human movies that seemed to work. A sound broke through my thoughts. It started small, just a slight shake of her shoulders, but quickl