EVERETTI couldn’t stop boiling as we continued the meeting. Everyone and everything kept getting on my nerves. Alpha Horst kept glaring at me, and Joachim kept smiling. They both annoyed me. After the meeting, I stood up and walked out of the living room. I headed to my horse, and before I could get there, I heard Alpha Horst’s voice from behind me. “Alpha Everett! We need to talk.” I turned to look at him, and I saw him walk into the garden at the side of the packhouse. Volker approached me and whispered in my ear,“You don’t have to go, Alpha.”“I want to hear what he has to say. It’s either about the throne or his bloody daughter. I am interested.” “I can go with you in case…” “You don’t have to. There is nothing he can do to me. I am younger and stronger than he is.” I strutted down to the garden, and I found him standing in front of a tree. He folded his hands on his back. “To what do I owe this unpleasant impromptu meeting?” He turned to look at me, and I s

CLAUDIA“Why should she eat my food?” I furrowed my brows in confusion. I was lost. “You can’t trust her anymore. She could have poisoned the food.” I looked at Nellie unbelievably. I waited for her to tell me Clarence was mistaken. I wanted her to prove him wrong. “I didn’t poison the food, I swear. Beta Annette wasn’t aware I was bringing her dinner. I sneaked down here so that I wouldn’t be seen by Alpha Everett. He must not know I brought her food without him approving it.” There was silence after she talked. Clarence was still fuming in anger, and I wasn’t sure of what to think or say. I wanted to believe her, but I found it hard to. “Take a spoon and I’ll let you live.” She looked at my face in surprise, and I arched my brows. “Why? You weren’t expecting that from me?” She shook her head and crawled to where she placed the tray. She opened one of the dinner plates and I saw rice on it. She picked up the pewter spoon and scooped some rice. My heart skipped as she

CLAUDIA I stormed back to my chamber and shut the door against Volker’s face. I started pacing in front of my bed. I was thinking about Clarence. What if Alpha Everett killed him? What if he sends him out of his pack? I would be the cause of it all, and I would never forgive myself. I should have never asked him to stay with me. I should have never slept on his shoulders. I should have… A knock on the door threw me out of my thoughts and slammed me against the wall like a ball. “Go away!” “Luna Claudia, it’s me, Nellie. I need to clean you up.” “For what? I am not going to sit down at his bloody meeting and act like everything is okay because nothing is okay!” “If you don’t allow me clean you up, Luna, he is going to kill me. Please let me clean you up and prepare you for the meeting. It won’t take more then twenty minutes my Luna.” I stop pacing and glared at the door after hearing the word “kill”. I wasn’t going to let him kill anyone because of me. Clarence is al

CLAUDIA I heard him slam the door shut, and I jumped in terror. I looked around the dungeon again, trying to catch my breath. My chest moved up and down as I kept weeping. It was hell on earth. The torches in the dungeon were growing dim, and I knew once they went off, that was the end. I would run mad. I touched my forehead, and my blood wet my fingers. I had hit my head, and I was bleeding. The dungeon was very silent, and I could hear only my cry. I stopped crying and tried listening to any sound. It was silent as a grave, and that was scarier. I stood up from the dusty floor and dusted off the sand on my gown with my hand. I shuffled to where one of the torches was and carried the sconce. It was pretty heavy, but I didn't care. I need more light to retain my sanity. The torch had more rag that could still burn wrapped around the tip. So, I began to ignite more of the torches in the dungeon. I shuffled as I moved from one torch to another. My gown was getting in the way of

ANNETTE “How dare he to speak to me in that manner... In front of her!” I stormed out of the dungeon in rage and headed to the packhouse. I got inside the pack house, and those that saw me stared at me as if they had seen a ghost. “What are you all looking at?! Get out of my sight!” I sighted Volker in front of me as I walked to Everett’s room. He stood in front of me, and I stopped walking. “What is with you this time? Why are you so loud?” “Why don't you ask your Alpha, hun? He just rubbished me in front of that eighteen-year-old girl.” Volker heaved a sigh and shot me a weird look after I finished talking. “That eighteen-year-old girl is his mate, Annette. You should get used to that already. He won't stand up for you all the time.” I scoffed and stared at him unbelievably. I thought he understood me more than anyone else in the pack, but I was wrong. “Are you trying to insult me, Volker? I thought we were friends.” He exhaled loudly and moved closer to me. He reached f