/Reed's POV/  "Take this." The sound of the letter hitting the desk almost broke me out of my thoughts. I stared as my father leaned back in his chair, lines marring his face. He looked older than his age, purple hues under his eyes and shoulders drooping.     My brother was quick to tug at the folded envelope, pulling out a single piece of paper. His eyes widened as he read it over, mouth parting in a low gasp.     "Dad...this is..."   "What is it?" I asked, peering over his shoulder when he handed me the paper. Gripping at the edges, I roamed my eyes around, mouth forming in a thin line.     

I weaved through the throngs of people and made my way outside the hall, breath caught in my throat.The question irked me, a sad, bitter reminder that’s it is, in fact, the truth. Reed and Rowan put forward the proposal for their sake, and I jumped on it to save my company.    On the way to the top floor, I saw Damon leaning against the elevator. It almost startled me, a low gasp slipping out, my hand reaching out to automatically steady my pounding heart.    “Hey,” The Alpha said after clearing his throat, pushing himself off the wall and closing the distance between us.    My head snapped up, allowing our gazes to meet. Damon looked tired, I thought distractedly, a hint of pu

I felt small looks thrown my way but somehow managed to prevail, holding my head high. There was no way I was going to let them affect me anymore. Before I could take a step further, a little girl came bundling down and almost crashed into my legs. My arms steadied her before she could hit the ground.   "Are you quite alright, my love?" I asked delicately, bending down to her level. She couldn't be more than five, dressed in a set of pyjamas with teddy bears printed on them.    The pup's eyes widened, almost glimmering underneath the ceiling lights as she pouted. "I am so sorry for ruining your pretty dress."   I shook my head. "You didn't. It's fine. See." I did a little twirl to assure her when her lips broke out in a wide grin.  

My eyes fluttered again, facing the inky darkness of the ceiling. I made a pitiful sound, fingers curling into the blankets and tugging them closer. Nothing worked. Ever since I got back from the dinner and tried to drown my sorrows by sleeping, it was not helping. I turned to face the nightstand, meeting the blaring red numbers.    It’s four in the morning.    Before I could stop myself, my legs worked on their own, up and out of bed, being pulled forward by an invisible string. The air in my room turned chilly when I pried the doors of the window open, shivering slightly.   With my arms crossed together, I stared at the hazy sky, a lazy swirl of orange and red, light barely breaking out of clouds. The dawn was filled with tension that made me

/Reed’s POV/  “Reed, wait for me!” I laughed at the grumble in her voice, racing through the trees, my feet letting me leap and sprint easily over the soft earth in the forest. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the omega running, struggling to close the distance between us.   Usually, we played hide and seek, having known more spots in the forest to hide places that would conceal my fur perfectly but make Erin’s pure coat stick out like a sore thumb when she tried to copy me. This time we had chosen tag as our game, and while I could run through the trees, shifting in and out of four furry legs to two sleek ones, Erin struggled to catch up on her pudgy, short legs, and had to stop entirely and concentrate on shifting, giving me more time to run away.     By the third time she