Ansel tore through the first wolf. Then the second. He left both dead in pools of blood. He made his way toward the kitchen, where he saw the light on, and could make out the smell of fear. The hostage. A growl came from behind him. Before he could react, a large wolf lunged onto his back, and began biting at his neck. Ansel struggled to get him off. From the kitchen, he could hear Henry’s wolf growling, the sound of claws scraping, and of furniture upturned, and then came Henry’s loud whimper.Rage poured through him. Ansel threw the wolf off. The big, silver wolf lunged again, but this time, Ansel was ready. He darted just enough to the side to avoid the full brunt of force as the wolf came at him. He reached for him with his teeth, caught him by the neck, and in one movement, shook him so hard that his neck snapped.Ansel raced into the kitchen where he found Queen Mia’s advisor tied to a chair. A werewolf in human form was nervously holding a knife against the advisor’s neck.Wor
He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but only got a couple hours of sleep before Henry rapped at his door.“No,” Ansel said, trying to ignore him. He turned over in bed away from Henry, and shielded his face with a pillow.“It’s urgent,” Henry said. “And I’ve brought in someone to help. She’ll be here in five.”Ansel threw some clothes on and staggered down to his office where, thankfully, Charles was there to hand them large mugs of coffee.“I’ll let you know what happened with Queen Mia later,” Henry said. He looked haggard. There were shadows under his eyes and his voice was hoarse.“Go home,” Ansel said.“I’ve got to catch you up to speed, and help -”“The person coming, you said she’s here to help, yeah?”“Yeah.”“And, she’s familiar with the situation?”“Very much so, but -”“It’s okay,” Ansel said. He took a drink of his coffee. “I’ll ask her to brief me. Get out of here and go to bed.”Henry looked like he would keep pressing it, but then he sighed. “Thank you,”
“He’s gone.”“Gone?” I say the word loudly enough that it echoes.“He’s been moved. Sorry, Miss.” The guard shifts uncomfortably. “And, can you keep it down,” he asks in a quiet tone.“I - I don’t understand.”He leans toward me and says, quieter still. “Maximum security.”My head is spinning.That doesn’t make any sense. “But that’s for, like, hardened criminals. Violent - “ My voice rises again, and the guard shushes me, putting a finger up to his lips.“My father doesn’t belong there,” I say.He shrugs. “I don’t know. That was the orders. That’s all I can tell you.”“B
Ansel’s face and voice are everywhere. His message gets broadcast, replayed and rehashed.He’s standing outside, in one of the gardens on his estate. A breeze blows gently at his blond hair. He looks tired, but his voice is strong. When he speaks, it’s not hard to appreciate why so many have come to care for him.“Recently, many accusations have been made about me and reported in the media as truth. My team is working to investigate the source of the misinformation. I take this very seriously, because it is not only about me. It stands to undermine the democratic process the werewolf world is building. Your vote is freely yours, and no undue influence should interfere with your choice to elect our next leader.”It’s a brief message, but more is promised. A sit-down interview has been planned with Beta Jack Myers, of all people, to discuss everything
They spread over the manor like a web. Some of the agents are outside, too, searching the rest of the property and talking to the gammas stationed at the perimeters for security.They collect statements from everyone. My interview seems to last forever. I struggle to collect the finer details of my memories while they question me. The more they poke and prod, the worse it gets. Hopefully, I haven’t made matters worse for Ansel.When they’re finished with me, I go and wait outside of Ansel’s office.Eventually, he and two agents walk out.Ansel’s eyes are closed and he’s rubbing his head like he’s in pain. “This has sent me into migraine territory,” he says, as the agents make their way back down the hall.“Ansel,” I say. “I just want you to know that I told them you didn’t have anything to do with Ethan’s accident, and that I wasn’t trapped here, or anything like that.”Ansel glares at me. “The things you left me for, I think. Nice to know you see it differently now.”“Some things,” I
“Rhett-fucking-Butler,” Joy says.We’re on the couch, my head in her lap, as she strokes my hair. We’re eating a plate of lemon cookies she baked.She stuffs one into her mouth. “He’s an alpha,” she says, with her mouth full of cookie. “And you’re fated mates. He should have ripped off your clothes, made love to you on the stairwell, and made you beg him for forgiveness, if you get my drift!”I fan myself and she giggles.She sets down the cookie she’s just reached for. “He’s the real-deal alpha. He is Rhett Butler.” She tilts back her head and sighs loudly.“Well, he didn’t say he doesn’t ‘give a damn.’”“He didn’t have to,” Joy says. “Wow. I have a major crush now.”“After you encouraged me to break it off.” I raise my eyebrow.“I didn’t want you to give in and go back to a toxic relationship!”Was it toxic?It was uneven, maybe - unequal.“Now, what do you think?” I steal the cookie Joy’s just picked back up.“I think… I think, whatever it was before, you left things better.”“We b
“Look, I think she’s waking up.”“Shhh!”My brain slowly comes back online, with a few false starts as I go in and out of darkness.My eyes are closed. I smell grass and mud. The side of my face feels damp. It’s pressed up against something hard. I hear the sound of water and a bird chirping.I open my eyes. The world is still spinning. I try to sit up, but I can’t. My hands and feet are tied.“Just stay there,” a voice says.Maybe my emotions are muted, but the sound of that voice still puts a knot in my stomach.Cherry. She’s going to kill me. I inhale sharply. It’s one thing to die. It’s another to know that this bitch won. I struggle against Duct tape I’m tied up with.“Cut that out,” a male voice says.“Let me up,” I say. “I want to see you both.”“Let’s just sit her up,” the man says, obviously to Cherry. “If you promise to sit there and don’t move.”“Fine,” says Cherry.He lifts me up so that I’m in a sitting position. I can see where we are now - in an enclosed, wooded area n
“What - what do you mean?”What the hell kind of sinister plan does she have up her sleeve? “Moon Shadow is waffling in its support of Ansel. My father’s been furious with him since he broke off our engagement. You have -“ Cherry breaks off. She’s fighting back angry tears. “You have no idea how humiliating that was. Especially to be dumped for a whore.”Cherry’s lucky I’m not at normal emotional capacity. I’d probably spit back at her - right in her face.As it is, it turns out my rational brain is better at sarcasm and comebacks.“Wah-wah,” I say in my best baby voice. I roll my eyes.Cherry growls and nearly slashes my face with her claws, but Blake is lighting fast, and grabs her.I laugh.“Cool your jets, Cherry. She’s doing it on purpose.”She looks back at me. I smile and shrug.“Here’s the deal, slut,” she says. “No one is standing by Ansel. Not King David or Prince Edwin, not Moonshadow, and sure as hell not Full Moon. We can go down the list of the Alliance. You won’t find