Once Gail was sure her aunt slept, and she wouldn’t have to see that old bat’s face, she gathered up the duffel bag with what little clothing she had left. Her anger hadn’t cooled since her fight with Joel that afternoon. God, she was an idiot. How could she trust him? Or her aunt, for that matter? Did everyone see her as some gullible, naïve pawn that they could play with as they pleased?Gail slung the duffle up onto her shoulder and left the room. Despite her anger, she tried not to make any noise as she left the house. “Good Riddance,” she said to the dark house before getting in her car. No longer worried about making noise, Gail slammed the door. Pressing on the gas, she backed out of the driveway, spraying gravel everywhere. Gail sped out of the driveway and down the tiny road. She didn’t know where she was

When Gail fell asleep that night, she found herself trapped in the familiar nightmare. Her aunt woke her up with urgency, demanding she get up and pack her things before the werewolves came. Just like always, Gail heard the howls of wolves, their hot breath on her neck, and the shadows taking a bestial form. Gail whimpered, clutching her teddy bear.  Suddenly, the room went dark. Gail couldn’t see anything. The howls and hot breath disappeared. A strange feminine voice whispered in her ear, “You must save my children.” Now standing and no longer a child, Gail looked for the owner of the voice. “Your children? Who are your children?”  The voice whispered in her ear again. “Danger is closer than you think…” Gail turned around, trying to find the woman who was

Joel hugged his mother. He couldn’t believe this was real. She was alive. She was really alive. It hadn’t yet been a month since he’d left his pack that night, but for Joel; it felt like a lifetime. His mother hugged him back with a soft laugh. “Joel, my son. I’m so happy to see you’re alright.” She pulled away and looked him over. “You are alright, aren’t you? I heard the witches had cursed you or something.”“I am,” he replied. “They did, but another one freed me. How did you survive? I swore I saw those mad wolves take you down?”“They almost did,” his mother told him and showed him her neck. Scars from fangs and claws marred the skin. “Afterward, they had assumed I was dead and moved on. Lucas found me and brought me here to the healers.”

Thankfully, hiding from her aunt was easy. She remembered her aunt had insisted she go rest, so Gail could stay in her room with the excuse she was taking a nap. To be on the safe side, Gail had laid down with her back facing the door. She checked her phone, a little disappointed she had nothing from Joel, but also worried. She tried to call Elijah, but again there was one ring, then to voicemail. Did Joel’s brother have her blocked? Did Joel ask him to? Was he still feeling the effects of the spell, or perhaps, he didn’t want to talk to her now that he got what he wanted and was with his people now. She put the phone away and decided to take that nap. The training her aunt was putting her through exhausted her. A knock at the door woke her aunt. Aunt Rose walked in and smiled at her. “Hey, sweetheart, you’re still napping?”

After her breakfast, Gail got on the road again. She had a few more calls from her aunt, but she ignored those. Thoughts of Joel wouldn’t leave her during the entire drive. It shocked her that he really wanted to be with her. Whatever was between them wasn’t just some one time thing, and she couldn’t be happier. Now all of this has to end so they could be together.A snag of indecision filled her when she thought of going back. Gail wasn’t sure she wanted to live so close to her aunt or the coven. Honestly, the more distance she put between her and them, the better she was feeling. Would Joel consider coming to her when everything was over? Or was being an alpha going to force him to stay there? With a shake of her head, Gail would think about all that another day. First, Joel needed to save his people, and she needed to find a pla