“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I ask. I’m not sure if I’m asking because I’m not okay with this or because I suspect he’ll change his answer. Maybe both. I know this will hurt him. It’ll hurt me. This is all wrong, but it feels like I’m destined to be tortured like this.“I am,” Caden says, as he straightens his tie. His body is rigid though. His words are clipped. It seems like he’s struggling to hold onto his composure.“It hurts,” he admits. “It really does. But it’d hurt more to be with someone who doesn’t want to be with me. I can’t make her want to be with me.“I love Lavender, but if she can’t see it, this is for the best. I want to find someone who will love me back. And I’m starting to question if she is my mate at all. I don’t think a true mate can hurt you like that.”I nod. “I understand. That’s how I feel about Sasha. I feel it in my soul that she’s my mate, but I don’t understand how she could hurt me like that if she is. It’s all so confusing and awful.”
“You need to leave,” Lavender says, trying to take control of the situation. “Right now. You came in and disrupted everything, you hurt Zach, you’ve caused so many problems in our pack.“I’m not going to let you ruin my wedding too. You need to leave.”I don’t pay attention to her though. My gaze stays on Zach.“Please, Zach,” I say, “none of this is what it looks like. I can explain. Just give me a chance.”Zach glances at Lavender, then back at me.“Okay,” he says. “I will give you a chance. Though after what happened, I’m not sure there’s much you can say to make that better.”“I know,” I reply. “And if you don’t want to talk to me after this, I understand. I’ll leave and I’ll never bother you again.“I’m sorry for what I said. I’m sorry for hurting you and embarrassing you in front of the pack. That’s why I’m doing this here now, in front of everyone. So, you can get your revenge if you want. You can reject me or you can accept me.”I start walking down the aisle towards hi
It’s a special day for us, for the whole pack. I couldn’t be more excited. Though I know there is something we must do first to move past everything. There’s something we have to do to get a good start on our life. Zach and I walk into the jailhouse together. We’re going to face this together, just like how we face everything else. We’ll stand as a united front, as we always should be.Lavender is waiting in a corner cell. We’ve made sure she’s been cared for during this time, getting adequate food and water as needed. Her life here hasn’t been comfortable, but we’ve granted her more mercy than she should’ve been given considering all of the hurt she’s caused.She looks up at us with fear on her face as we approach her. I think after staying in her for quite some time, she has realized that Zach isn’t going to come in and save her. She has to pay for her crimes.“We’ve finally decided on a fate for you,” I say, standing in front of her.“Please, don’t let her kill me,” she says t
I close my eyes and slow my breathing, letting the sounds of the forest come to me. I smell the scent of a deer and a family of rabbits. Prey but I have more important things to focus on today.I open my eyes and scan the clearing. Red eyes glow from the darkness among the bushes.I growl at the intruder.The other wolves around me see it too, and we all crouch down, preparing for a fight.The animal steps out of the bushes, and I recognize the black fur and the white paws.He’s a wolf, but not one of us.He’s a rogue, and he looks dangerous.I step forward, baring my teeth and snarling.The rogue growls and crouches down in response to us, prepared to attack.“This is your last warning, rogue,” I say. “Run!”The rogue leaps forward and attacks.I dodge to the side and, in one motion, snap his neck as he passes me. He collapses on the ground.“Do you think he’s dead?” my best friend, Erin asks.“I assume,” I say. That’s not enough though. “Careful.”The other wolves and
I return to camp, still marked by the blood of my enemies, and dread my conversation with the Alpha. How will I answer him?As I enter the camp, everyone talks excitedly about the way I slaughtered the rouges. My pack looks at me with respect.The Alpha walks up to me, his eyes filled with pride. I feel a sense of dread."Sasha, you're an amazing fighter,” he says. “You're the most skilled fighter in the pack."I open my mouth to thank him, but don’t trust myself to speak.He continues, "I'm proud of you."I bite my lip, feeling queasy."Thank you," I whisper.He nods, studying me with a serious gaze. "Can I talk to you?" he asks.I nod. As the rest of the pack celebrates, we find privacy among a grove of trees. He stares at me with his golden eyes that all the girls love."I like you," Drake says, and it seems like the words are coming from someone else. I feel like I am about to throw up as a knot twists in my stomach."I know this is strange," he says. "But I think
"I love Drake,” she says, once we’re alone. “And he loves me.”I look up, her words are like a slap to the face."What?" I ask.She laughs, a slow, mean sound. "I love Drake and he loves me,” she repeats the words I can’t fully understand.A deep heat starts to curl from my stomach, moving into my limbs. I can feel my nails growing slightly into claws, the skin around my mouth tightening."I've loved him since before he even knew you existed,” Mallory says.The heat rises up my throat to my cheeks now. I can feel my eyes turning yellow."You don't know anything about me or Drake,” I snarl."I know everything I need to know." Her eyes glitter, her mouth stretches into a wide, vicious smile. "I know you're trying to steal him away from me.""I'm not trying to steal him away from anyone,” I insist."You don't have to try," she spits the words at me. "You're already doing it.”She laughs again, the same mean laugh.The heat rises up my neck now, searing my face. I can feel my m
I'm in a dark, foggy forest. A full moon shines down on me. I'm surrounded by dead werewolves, all laying on the ground. I try to scream but nothing comes out. I try to run, but I have no legs. I can't move.Then, I hear a voice. It's the voice of the werewolf I saw in the woods. I try to move toward it, but I can't move."What are you?" he asks. "What are you doing here? You're not welcome."I try to speak, but I have no voice. Then I realize I have a body again, and I'm standing in front of him. I try talking to him, but nothing comes out. What is going on?"I'll kill you," he says. "Now."He pulls out a gun and points it at me. My heart starts pounding. Is this how it ends? Am I going to die?My blood starts pumping faster, faster. My heart feels like it's going to explode. I want this to end. I want to die. I can’t live without the rest of my pack.I close my eyes and reach out my hand, hoping he'll kill me, hoping he'll end this nightmare. The barrel of the gun presses agai
“What do you dream about?” he asks.A voice pulls me out of a deep sleep that it feels like I’ve been trapped in forever. I try to move, but I’m reminded that I’m in a cage. I’m in a nightmare. There’s no moving. No escape.“Or maybe it was a nightmare,” he chuckles. “Considering everything that’s happened to you lately, I’m sure it was a nightmare. “So, what are your nightmares about? Am I in them? Do I haunt you even when you close your eyes? I hope I do. If I don’t yet, I will soon.”It’s him. It’s the Alpha who led the charge that slaughtered my pack. He watches me like he’s trying to figure me out. Probably so he can figure out the best way to break me.I’ll never let him break me. I can’t imagine living while the rest of my pack is dead, but I will. I’ll stay strong so I can get revenge for them.“You know, you’re the only survivor of that fight,” he says.I try not to react outwardly, but I flinch and he notices. It makes him happy to see my weakness. It makes my stoma