Stepping into the brightly lit waiting area of the infirmary, a younger girl with creamy caramel skin and bright eyes, peaks over the top of her computer at me. She smiles at me so big, it reaches her eyes, “Luna, what can I do for you?” “I’ve been having some spells lately and the Alpha insisted I come to see Dr. Ausitn, is it possible for her to see me?” “Of course, why don’t you take a seat over there and I’ll let you know when she’s ready.” Smiling back at her I tip my head and take a seat in over padded black vinyl chair in the far corner, pulling a kid's comic book from the well-stocked shelf to flick through. The waiting room is surprisingly cozy, with warm tan walls with pictures of the pack's infirmary and those that have worked here through the years in sleek frames on all the walls. It’s hardly been five minutes when I hear my name being called. I walk over to the doorway where the doe-eyed nurse is holding the door back with a hip as she jots more down on the clipboard

The overly bright rays of the morning sun penetrate through my eyelids, causing me to stir. Begrudgingly, I blinked open my eyes only to squeeze them shut again. The dull stabbing in my head was fighting the ringing in my ears for dominance. I swear my whole body was aching like I had spent the night in battle. What the fuck happened to me? Reality smashes back into me without warning, and my eyes fly open. The harsh light no longer slows me. My heart lodges into my throat; I look around and realize I'm still in my office. I stretch and draw in a deep breath. The faint stale stench of whisky and blood permeates the air around me, cocking an eyebrow and sitting up to find the source. I see the bar cart, and its contents have been knocked over, well mangled, actually. Once filled with different liquors, each glass decanter now covered the floor in pieces. Glass shards caught the light like a dangerous version of glitter. Trailing around the room, my eyes continue to take in the damage

The darkness is so familiar. It used to be the thing that comforted me, but I want nothing more now than to escape it. Zac has become my safe place. Small glimpses of reality interrupt the darkness every now and then, but I know I haven't had a chance to regain consciousness fully. The burning sensations that accompany each new image, I'm guessing that they keep injecting me. I really hope it's not hurting the baby... The pain is the first thing to come back to me. I feel like I've been hit by a Mac truck, and then he threw it in reverse for good measure. Blinking my eyes open, I groan out in pain, my mouth no longer covered.It looks like a basement. There are no windows, concrete floors, and walls, each just as filthy as the other, and a door with a gap at the bottom letting light creep in. My muscles are so stiff I try to stretch, only to be met with the resistance and searing of the silver chains. How long have I been here? Where even is here? I don't have much time to dwell o

My muscles are rigid, the weight of my own body anchoring me to this mite palace of a mattress. I don't know how much time has passed since I've been in this musty crypt. Drifting in and out of restless sleep and bouts of consciousness, the days or weeks, whatever it's been, have bled together. They avoid me, leaving me alone...I'm not sure which is worse, alone with my thoughts and fears or in the presence of my captors and my father. It's been seven years since I've seen that face in person. His hair was buzzed short now, but there was enough to see how the grey hairs blended into the black. The stubble on his face was the same. His eyes...what used to be pale blue eyes, icy and cold, were dark and murky, showing his wolf was forward- just like the day in the cells when they took me away. They say when a mate bond breaks, it can make a wolf go crazy, feral even; it's even been known to kill. I think when that bond broke, the cracks in his soul bound with that of his wolf, and they m

As I pulled it from the heat, the tea kettle's hissing slowly dwindled. "Ouch, fuck, mmmm." I mutter out as the steam scalds my hand. "Isla, are you okay? Why are you out of bed" An overly concerned Zac says as he tucks the towel around his waist. "I'm fine; I wanted a cup of tea, that's all." I try to hide the annoyance in my voice. "I would have made it for you once I got out of the shower." My eyes raked over his still-dripping body. The water droplets followed every hardline on his body, each glistening muscle rippling with his moves. Pushing back his wet ringlets with one hand, the other holding the towel that hung low on his hips. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth, biting down on it as I admired the sight before me. I swear these pregnancy hormones have me squeezing my legs together at just the thought of Zac. "I know you would have, but I can't possibly lay in that bed all damn day." I sighed. Closing the distance between us, his scent, so much stronger these days,