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And there it is. The grand scheme.Regardless of Io’s demands during the alliance talks, River Crest never intended to honor them. Alpha Nolan and the rest of the pack leaders were going to take the resources from Io, use them to strengthen our military force, and then suppress Io and any other pack they could. That was their real plan and why Nolan tolerated Alpha Thane’s brazen disrespect and disregard.Disgusting isn’t a strong enough word for these cowards. But now Deadrick is trying to rope me into their plans as a pawn. This, I cannot excuse.“You want to sell me to Io to swindle them?” I ask, sneering.The blow came hard and fast, sending me to the ground. The smack echoes through the trees, followed by my father’s panting breaths. Every exhale sends a cloud of alcohol breath down on me. Familiar. This is the Deadrick Pride I know, not that smiling, hugging bastard from before.“You should be thankful for the opportunity!” he shouts. “You can finally be useful for once and not
It’s dark and quiet. And strangely warm.I thought death would be cold for some reason. Empty and cold and still. But it’s none of those things. I feel someone beside me in the dark, pressing warmly against my body. And a rhythm, a rising and falling, keeps me from being still.“Makayla?”Milla is here? I thought she would split and return to the Moon Goddess when I died. That’s what the legends say. But I feel her and… see her?She stands before me in the darkness, light gently emitting from her dark fur. Her green eyes glow in the dark as she stares from the shadows.“I’m sorry, Milla. I couldn’t…”How can I explain what I did and why I did it? She probably hates me for taking us away from our mate. But I just couldn’t do it anymore.Hearing my father discuss River Crest’s plans to betray Io and use me as a pawn pushed me over the edge. After everything I’ve suffered, I couldn’t keep pressing onward. Even if I ran away and became a rogue, I couldn’t outrun River Crest and Io. War wa
Six hours later, the fog has worn off and the missing pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Rafe patiently explained everything leading up to his appearance at my mother’s grave when I “took matters into my own hands.”Apparently, when Alpha Thane sent me out of Nolan’s study, he mind linked Rafe everything that was about to happen. He instructed Rafe to pack me up and get me out of the territory as soon as I arrived at the trailer. But I never showed. It was only after Rafe brutally interrogated one of the guards at the packhouse that he discovered I was locked away in the dungeons. It took Alpha Thane and three other Io delegates to subdue Rafe and drag him out of the territory before he could tear the packhouse down.He made sure I knew that. Repeated it twelve times to be absolutely sure.“I didn’t leave you behind. I would never leave you there,” he repeated, holding my hands against his heart as if swearing an oath to me. “They dragged me away and chained me to a tree right outs
It takes two days for Rafe to move more than three feet from my side and let someone other than the doctor and a single nurse near me. My recovery is taking a while, slower still because of the weakened mate bond, the severe blood loss, and how deep I gouged my neck. The pack doctor has said repeatedly that it is a miracle I survived. Miracle. I think I’ve read that word once or twice in my life. Never has it been used to describe any part of my existence.Now, I’ve heard it probably three dozen times.Miracle. Miracle. Miracle. Goddess’s Blessings.“If your mate hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t have survived, Ms. Pride.”“The Goddess is smiling down on you that you are still here with us.”“Your bond must be incredibly strong. It seems Rafael willed you back to life.”Every update on my health comes is peppered with these statements. And Rafe squeezes me tighter every time, nearly purring into my hair or shoulder. Wide awake, recovering in his arms, I don’t doubt the doctor’s words. I
Christobel’s caring face twists in a grimace of pain as she watches me from above, squeezing me tight in her embrace. It’s as if she feels my pain beyond rote sympathy.I’ve seen this expression before when I was a child.Of course, it wasn’t directed at me but at one of my classmates at the pack school. After a rough game during recess, a little girl fell to her knees and skinned them on the hot asphalt. Her mother, one of the teachers at the school, scooped her up and soothed her immediately.The little girl recovered quickly, but her mother was still shaken for some time, refusing to let her child go once the skinned knees were treated, and she was ready to resume playing. The pain on her face… as she wept with her hurt child, even harder than the little girl. A strange sight for me, the outcast without a mother. The tainted child whose own father treated her like scum on the bottom of his boot.I knew better than to expect a display of affection and care like that. But I always wo
The air around us shifts, and Christobel’s soft voice takes on a pointed edge.“When you arrived in that state, I—” Christobel sits the bowl of soup on the side table and takes my hands into hers. “Rafael was inconsolable. It was the most gut-wrenching thing to see. My strong boy weakly crying out for help. And then he told me what happened to you.”Again, distress tents Christobel’s brows, and a pinched frown drags the corners of her lips down. She’s fighting the tears brimming, holding her composure by a thread. Mine slips at the sight of her heartbroken expression.“He told me about what your father did and said. How you spent your entire life hated in that place, treated like…” She squeezes my hands, bringing them to her lips and kissing gently on their backs. “I promise you, Makayla. You will never suffer like that again. Even if you double down on rejecting the mate bond and refuse to let Rafe into your heart, you will always be welcome in Io. We will accept you and treat you li
Christobel left after Rafe returned, giving me a warm hug before sneaking out of the room when Rafe gathered me up in his arms and kissed me too many times to count. I don’t blame her for getting out of there. His affection made me uncomfortable; I couldn’t imagine what she felt having to watch the boy she raised act like that.After calming down and remembering that I was severely injured, Rafe took a more stable position. He curled up with me on the hospital bed, holding me close. He asked about what Christobel and I talked about. He asked if I liked her. He asked a million questions, knowing I could barely answer one. But I did my best to ease his fears and wrote a few messages explaining how wonderful his godmother is and how happy I am to have met her.It must have satisfied his curiosity and eased his fears because he relaxed not soon after, and we both fell asleep.When I woke this morning, Rafe was already gone, and Christobel was patiently waiting with needlepoint by my bedsi
Why on earth did Thane just pledge to protect me?! Not only that, but he made it a formal oath! His vow stands binding in the eyes of Io and the Moon Goddess from now until his last breath. And if he fails to fulfill his duties as my protector, he can be stripped of his title and even his wolf, should the Moon Goddess deem him unworthy! This is too much! I can’t! He can’t!“I—”“It’s already done,” Thane grunts, cutting me off and rising to his feet. He dusts off the knees of his pant legs and flashes me a bright smile. “No protesting and no takebacks. I’m your protector from this moment on.”“B-But why?” I wheeze, breathless. Christobel spoons another serving of oatmeal into my gaping mouth, forcing me to close it and chew for dear life.“Don’t mind him,” she sighs, shaking her head. “He’s always been so dramatic.”“Bellie, you wound me.” When he glowers in her direction, an unnatural pout graces his lips. It fades seconds later, replaced by a smug grin. “Drama has nothing to do with