SHADOWS OF DECEIT

POV: Jenna.

The strands were coming apart at a startling rate, and no matter how firmly I held onto them, my control was eroding like sand through closed fingers. Managing events from the shadows until Darrel's obsession with Ivory Wells burnt out was supposed to be the easy part. Then he would come back to my side, determined only to maintain the strength of the Ludderton pack and secure my place as his Luna.

But I'd gotten lost along the endless bramble-lined trail. Become caught up in the very webs of lies and betrayal I had so deftly woven to maintain the natural order of our lives. Now, everything I'd planned for was perilously close to collapse, and instead of relishing the delicious nectar of success, I was choking on the harsh ashes of shame and defeat.

It had begun gradually, like the unnoticed jerks of a lady waking up from feverish dreams into the chilly light of day. Little clues that the steadfast Alpha I'd wooed was becoming less and less connected to the tortured soul