*Estelle* "Are you sure you're feeling better?" Lucky asked. She looked skeptical as she pulled the stethoscope away from my chest. It had been nearly two weeks since the day Charles was banished. It was strange to think of how much everything had changed in that time. I was finally feeling better and Gabe had brought me to Lucky for one more check-up. He was hesitant to believe that the danger had really passed. I didn't really blame him, but I couldn't help but tease him for the overprotective and doting way he'd cared for me. "I'm not at 100%," I said. "But I do feel much better." "Alright," she said with a sigh. "Then you're free to go with no further restrictions. If you notice any heart palpitations or weakness, you are to tell me right away," she said sternly. "Yes, ma'am," I said with a laugh. "Thank you, Lucky." I turned to Gabe and smiled. "You hear that?" "I heard," he said with an eye roll. "So you'll have to stop hovering over me like I'm some Vict
*Estelle* The scent of herbs and smoke was strong in the dimly lit room. Edwyna had left me alone in the small ritual room. I had flowers woven in my hair and I was dressed in an elaborate embroidered white gown. I was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room and staring at a candle as it flickered. I was supposed to pick a spot to look at and clear my mind. Edwyna assured me that a vision would come, but she wasn't able to tell me how long it would take. I had no idea how long I'd been sitting in here. I could hear that the feast in the town square was in full swing. The sound of music and laughter was muffled through the walls, but it was present. I loved hearing the pack celebrating. Their joy made me proud. It wasn't as though all of our problems were over. There were still mysteries that haunted us. There were fears that wouldn't be easy to assuage. Now that we knew the Bear Lake pack had survived in the form of the Bear Island settlement, many in the pack were u
*Estelle*It's frustrating, not being the person you want. I walked along with the rest of the group, touring a university I had thought about attending. I was only half-listening to the presentation, paying more attention to the conversations of others as we'd pass by.I knew that inside of me was a powerful, confident woman. When I was stuck in all the halfway houses or foster homes I was raised in, I would imagine myself that way. But now I was eighteen and out on my own. In theory, there should have been nothing holding me back. But I'd never been so filled with anxiety and self-doubt. Did I even want to go to college? I'd always thought that I did. But this was the third university I'd toured, and it just doesn't feel right.For one thing, it was too boisterous and crowded for me. It made me feel like I was in a cage. In addition to the unease of the crowds, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was imminent danger around, that something was lurking nearby and jus
*Estelle*I stumbled down the sidewalk and looked repeatedly over my shoulder at the chaos behind us. There were people cluttering the street and shouting at us to come back. Police sirens were blaring, and I could see the blue and red lights approaching quickly. People were crowded into doorways and windows, looking out to see what the commotion was. The blue-eyed man didn't react to any of it. He just kept walking, facing straight ahead. My head was buzzing with confusion and the insistent keening of my instinctual side. It was too much for me to process. I trailed after the man, not sure what else to do. "Who are you?" I asked, trying to keep up. "Who was that man? Why was he attacking me?" "You talk too much," he muttered. "Wha–" I stammered. I'd been criticized plenty of times for being too quiet, but never for talking too much. The man came to a stop so suddenly that I nearly walked right into his back. In my attempt to avoid hitting him, I stumbled and fell f
*Estelle*It was the middle of the night and the streets were silent. The scent of flower boxes and foliage filled the crisp, clean forest air as we continued down the cobblestone walk. We passed a butcher shop, a bakery, and a coffee shop. It was like something out of a romance movie. It was the kind of place I always dreamed of settling down in. Awestruck, I asked, "Home?" This cute little village was his home? It didn't seem possible for someone so cold to come from a place that seemed so warm. Then again, I knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Gabe's cover was undeniably alluring, but inside was a different story. "This is where our pack has settled," he said softly. "It's not much, but it's safe. I've worked hard to make sure that we have everything we need. You'll be staying here." "You can't just decide that for me," I said. The thought of staying was actually nice, but I definitely didn't belong here. A cute little village like this being run by an isola
*Estelle*The idea of being in love with Gabe would have been laughable if it didn't send a cold dread down my spine. I pictured the intensity in Gabe's eyes last night, when he'd been just inches from me. He'd looked at me like he could see right into my mind. It was unsettling. I wrapped my arms around myself and shook my head. Val seemed like a nice guy, but there was no way he was talking about the same man who had brought me here. "Where is Gabe, anyway?" I asked softly. There were a few people out and about now, and it seemed like more of the little shops were starting to open up. I didn't really want to be seen wandering around the village. This seemed like the kind of place where a stranger would stick out, and I didn't want to be the center of attention. "He's taking care of some business. He asked me to get you up to speed on pack basics while he was busy. Do you have any questions so far?" Val motioned for me to turn right when we reached the end of the block. We
*Estelle*Gabe was smirking triumphantly at me, and I couldn't think of a way to react. The knowing look in his eyes made me feel exposed. I wanted to hide, but I couldn't move. "Look me in the eye and tell me not to touch you," Gabe repeated. I opened my mouth, but to my mortification, all that came out was a breathy whine. "You can't, can you?" he said victoriously. "Because you want me to touch you. You want it so much it scares you." "That's not true," I said shakily. Every part of me was telling him that I was lying. My breath was ragged, my heart was thundering in my chest, and my face was flushed. The smell of cedarwood was overpowering. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from whimpering. He hadn't even touched me yet. Just his proximity was enough to make me weak. "If it's not true, then just say the words," he said again. I could feel his body heat and it made me feel too warm. I had enough self-control not to move, not to close the distance between
*Estelle* Gabe left me waiting around his house all day. I guess Val was serious when he said that the Alpha was busy. Eventually, Val had found me flipping through books in the library and offered to take me back to the inn for the night. "Tell me about the role of the Luna," I said as we walked along. I wanted to understand why Isolde was convinced that I was trying to steal that position from her. "It's quite important," he said. "She doesn't lead the way the Alpha does, but there are many decisions that are entirely her domain.""That does sound important," I said quietly. He nodded and continued, "part of the Luna's job is to help care for the pack's children. This means that if the worst happened and a child is orphaned, it falls to the Luna to find that child a stable home. Now, this is a rare occurrence, but it has become an issue. After we were attacked nearly twenty years ago, many families were fractured."I looked over at him and saw the sadness in his ey