Stephanie was back while the match was about to start. I sat closer to Michelle, trying not to be too obvious in how I leaned away from her. Ryan had allegedly sent her to watch over me, I would have a talk with him about that, couldn't he have found someone who didn't have a major crush on him?         "I did not look at your message as promised, and Ryan really appreciated it," the stupid girl went on and on as if I would congratulate her. I let her voice become a meaningless thrum in the background as she bragged.         I was on the edge of my seat looking towards the stadium, where I should see Ryan appear.         "Stephanie," I turned to her, and her mouth shut for the first time in minutes. "What is the first round again?"     

Jennifer's POV "I would have killed him! They should have let me. I'm the Alpha." Jacob screamed as the doctors tended his wounds. His broad shoulders where uncharacteristically hunched. His lip was torn from his nose down to his blood-stained teeth. For the first time in our marriage, I even thought he looked a little hideous, but he only needed to heal. "The elders surely won't deliberate against you," I reassured. He slammed his fist into the table, and it splintered the wood. He practically had daggers coming at me out of his eyes, and I grew quiet.  My mate was in a terrible rage after he lost the match. I hung in the background, not wanting to risk that his aggression be pointed at me. I made sure he received the Clan Clark blood required to heal and regain his strength, but there was a lot on my mind. "Someone is providing him blood, or he shouldn't have been able to beat me. Who is it?"

      Dylan was in town, but I had not had the opportunity to see him yet. I was supposed to attend a party thrown by Clan Harris to celebrate the new trade of Blood's Bane, even if I would rather sneak off to see Ryan again.         I could not get him out of my head for even one full minute. After last night especially. I was caught up in the moment yesterday, and I had forgot to ask about Stephanie since she seemed to feel important to him. I wanted some clarification.         But he had said he would love me always, so that was reassuring. He couldn't possibly even like her, but I still wanted to hear it from him.         A package arrived from Dylan with a note: This was made for you, Enjoy. Apparently, he'd ordered me a new dress, and it was the most luxurio

Ryan's POV         I woke up beside Alyson, and tried to remain calm. She had stayed the night, and I wanted to get her away from here as soon as possible. But her peaceful face during sleep was so beautiful I wished to start all days like this once it was safe.         I kissed her cheek gently to rise her. Any tension from yesterday had dissipated over night, but her story was still strong in my mind. I could not believe what this she-wolf had gone through, but I understood her so much better now.         "Alyson, we fell asleep." I said softly. "You should probably get going." Her purple ball gown in the morning would be a terrible thing to wear home. It would be too obvious that she was out all night.         She stirred and her eyes shot open at my words, "S

Alyson's POVEven as some time passed, I struggled to move around Crowalt Pack's territory because there were many faces that I recognized. Everyone only knew me as Alyson, Clan Harris' goddaughter who ran the trade operations. I was still too hesitant to wander through my old neighborhood where I grew up, no matter how badly I wanted to find my mother, she should not recognize me if Jennifer had not. Michelle and I had discovered the paths to traverse on my way to Ryan's where we would be less likely to be noticed. I was glad that his mansion was on the outskirts of all the other Alexander mansions. On one particular day, I left Michelle at home to sneak to Ryan's myself. He was not expecting me, and I knew it was risky, but I was gaining enough confidence to feel sure I could get there unnoticed. My excitement might have put some blinders on as I did not realize that someone else was about to cross my path before it