DAMON POV Staring at the clock, watching the hands tick by slowly, at a snail's pace. That's all I have done for the last two hours, my fingers tapping rapidly against the armrest, my mind spinning with what Andrew and Matt have told me about my parent's shadiness. I am tired of their nonsense answers. Regardless of what they say, I am getting them to tell me everything once and for all. Andrew and Matt are still sitting on the couch next to me, silently waiting for my natural impatience to get the better of me. They're surprised I've been listening to the doctor's advice this long. I can see the glaze in their eyes as they mind link with one another, a snarky smile taking over Matt's face. The little bastard is probably making some smart-ass remark because he can't help himself. Based on Andrew's amused expression, I would say I am right. 'Damon...' comes Slade's croak, making the first sound in days, relief flooding over me. I had missed my annoying companions, 'what the hell h

ELLE POV The morning after the Birthday Ball-Alpha Tiberius SUV. The grogginess from the drug we were shot with before switching vehicles has already worn off, but I don't want the man pressed against me with his obnoxious odor to notice. I keep my eyes closed, with my head lightly pressed against the cool glass, letting it sway easily as the man wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling close as his nose rests in my hair and sniffs wildly. "Ick, you smell like too many men," he groans, "that pup from New Moon smelling the strongest. It's been hours; his scent shouldn't be this strong." Lifting my head, he flicks on the light in the back, but I don't flinch even when he grips my hair in a vice grip forcing me to move my head at an awkward angle so he can examine the left side of my neck thoroughly—the side where a mate mark should be placed. Finding nothing, he yanks my head in the other direction, checking to see if there is a mark on the other side. Pulling on my skin, I can se

ELLE POV Tiberius' putrid breath fans my face and neck as he whispers in my ear, "why do you smell like that mutt still?" He questions aloud, the annoyance clear in his voice as his words get icier with each breath. "I don't know," I reply, keeping my body stiff and my face turned away from his as I sit in his lap, getting his scent all over me. I wonder how many showers it'll take to get this disgusting scent off me. "Don't lie to me, pet," he grips my face forcing me to turn and look into his eyes. Without effort, my dead eyes meet his so that he can check for signs that I am lying. Putting a finger against the pulse on my neck, his gravelly voice invades my eardrums, "why do you smell like that mutt?" "I don't know," I say again, not changing my voice's tone, volume, or urgency. Nothing in my heartbeat or breathing changed, infuriating him even more. Before I can brace myself, his hands push me roughly from his lap and onto the hard wooden floor with a thunk. In a flash, Tib

DAMON POV I catch myself looking at my phone again, the angst in my veins almost unmanageable as it gets closer to six without Andrew returning. Where the hell is he? The longer his absence, the more I start to panic; what has he found out that could be keeping him so long? Or worse, he's found nothing and is running down every last option. "No offense, Alpha," Matt says as he watches me stare at my phone like I am trying to will the time to go faster. "But if you look at that phone one more time, I will chuck it across the field. You need your focus on the upcoming match." His word drip a seriousness only used in situations like this. His arms crossed, stoic expression plastered on his face watching pack members file onto the bleachers set up for events like this. Using the mindlink, I reach out to Andrew again, trying to get a progress report and finding nothing, but resistance, so he either has his block firmly in place or is out of range. What could he have found out that took

ELLE POV Same time as the Alpha Challenge ************************************* I don't know how long we have been trapped in the cells but my body is stiff from resting on the concrete floors for days on end. Charity and I rarely speaking these last few days, instead staying in contemplative silence waiting for the jingle of cell room keys and the stomp of tactical boots to pull me from my dark thoughts. The longer we remain within the pack borders with Damon's attack the more comfortable Tiberius gets in his victory. Every evening coming into the cells to gloat about how he terminated Damon and would do the same to any Alpha who thinks they can have me. Today is no different as the keys to the cell clank against the metal framework of the door except everything is. I already feel the heat of a newfound power settling within my skin, Scarlett starting to stir deep within my mind for the first time since stepping foot onto the territory. While she remains hidden in the secret c