OliviaI stared down at the note that had been sent by Nathan, and felt my mind whirling with a thousand different thoughts. “Emergency at pack,” the note said. “Return home immediately.” “E-Emergency?” I murmured, slowly raising my gaze to meet the envoy.The
NathanI mingled among the crowd of southern socialites and pack leaders, sipping occasionally from my glass of champagne as I made small talk. Dan, of course, was never far; he always seemed to be schmoozing some Alpha or another.“Alpha Maurice!” Dan exclaimed, stretching his arms out wide as an elderly Alpha with a head of wiry gray hair approached, hobbling on a cane. “When did they bring you back from the grave?”
OliviaThe wind caught my hair as I leaned over the side of the boat, causing it to whip around me in a small torrent. A slight rain had started to drizzle down—not quite enough to cause me to seek refuge inside the cabin, but enough to make me squint my eyes against the horizon.We had been on the water for some time now; the ride was typically about six hours, but it had been longer than that. I had lost track of exactly how much time it had been, but if the setting sun was any i
NathanAs Alpha Montgomery and I stepped out into the courtyard, I felt a soft breeze, thick with the earthy scent of impending rain, blow through my hair. Montgomery strode beside me, his hands in his pockets, unfazed by the chilly wind.“So, Alpha Nathan,” Montgomery said as we wandered through the tall stone cloisters of the courtyard. “How are things faring in your pack?”
OliviaI awoke with a pounding ache in my head and a burning sensation in my wrists. Something warm and wet was caked to the back of my skull, and when I tried to lift my head, I felt my vision begin to reel as a low, involuntary groan escaped my lips.“Stay still,” my wolf’s voice echoed in my mind. “He’s close.”
OliviaAfter what felt like an eternity, the boat finally broke through the storm and pulled up against the dock with a jolt. I lifted my head from where I had it tucked into my knees, shivering against the cold and the wind and the rain.Finally, we had made it. But it was so late now—a quick glance at my phone, indicating that it was well past midnight and I still hadn’t received any word from Nathan, sent my heart pounding. I needed to hurry.
NathanMy vision swam in and out of focus as the guards dragged me down a dimly lit corridor. Blood gushed from my broken nose, dribbling down my chin and splattering on the concrete floor. Each ragged breath sent white-hot lances of pain through my battered ribs.But all the while, even through the pain and the betrayal, I only thought about one thing.
OliviaThe baton cracked against the side of my skull with a sickening force. White-hot lights exploded across my vision as I crumpled to the floor, the world tilting violently around me for the second time that day. Deep voices barked orders, heavy bootsteps thundering across the cheap linoleum.I blinked sluggishly, my eyes refusing to focus. Four… no, five bulky shapes loomed over me, indistinct in the hazy gloom. One of the figures reached down, seizing a fistful of my hair to