ELLE POV Running through the woods, I can feel Charity's wolf flanking my right side, already taking her task as my Gamma now. While we have both lived in this pack for years, we aren't technically a part of it anymore, and now that my actual rank has been discovered, we can never be too careful that someone might use it against me. 'I don't feel any threatening energies from the New Moon members,' Scarlett confirms as we veer to the right, with Theo's wolf soaring ahead of us, continuing his circle when I feel his energy subtly knock, trying to gain entrance via our mindlink. 'Horny Alpha at four o'clock,' Theo says, his voice oozing happiness that I had not seen from Theo since moving onto the territory; there was always an underlying sadness that had not been there recently. 'Thank you, Beta,' I reply, his title rolling off my tongue like I had said it a million times before, in a past life, and it was starting to gnaw at my insides like it's important, but I can't figure ou

DAMON POV *Beep* *Beep* *BEEP* The repetitive sound of my alarm starts pulling me out of my sleep; with eyes barely open, I hit the snooze, rolling over to find the other side of the bed empty. Again. For the third morning in a row, where the hell is Elle? Using my elbows, I sit up, resting against the headboard, brushing the sleep from my eyes when a sweet cinnamon scent fills my nose. Its owner bounced out of the closet in tight leggings and a sports bra. Her hair is in a tight bun. "Do you always wake up at the ass crack of dawn?" I ask, slightly grumpy. It's only 7 a.m., and she has probably been up for hours doing Goddess knows what, and we didn't go to bed until late with mom freaking out about the Ball in two days. It's been all hands on deck. "For as long as I can remember," She cracks a smile, making a joke of her unfortunate situation. "Don't worry, Biscuit," I say, as I watch her move and grab her shoes from their place, "after I mark you, we can get your memory an

CYNTHIA POV After days of ruthless torture, my sticky body is caked in dried blood, sweat, and dirt. My red hair is dingy, and mats are already starting to form. It feels like nails have been jammed into my throat from the endless hours of screaming in agony and very little water to quench my unbelievable thirst—only enough to keep me alive as a play toy for Tiberius and his band of rogues. The heat in the room becomes unbearable, my clothes sticking to me as I sweat like a man in the Sahara desert. Tiberius upgraded the cells in the last few years, making them much more similar to a human prison. However, he has included some perfect improvements for torturing unwelcome guests. Now that each cell is a sealed translucent box, they are more easily temperature controlled. Allowing my captures to crank the heat until this is a personal sauna. Once I am on the verge of passing out from dehydration, they provide me with enough water to keep me alive...Barely. After they almost kill me fr

*TRIGGER WARNING SUICIDE* TIBERIUS POV *****FLASHBACK CONTINUED****** ***Six Months After the rejection and death of his mate. Cynthia's Arrival at Silver Run**** Everything seems darker now that Claire is dead, Acheron and I's guilt starting to gnaw away at us like a pet dog chews a bone, slowly withering it away to nothing. The guilt we didn't think we'd feel is starting to make living unbearable. Anger consumes every waking moment, from those in my pack ashamed of my actions to my own that seem to fill me to the brink. No matter how many hours I spend in the gym working away my aggression, it never seems to wane, staying just underneath the surface, starting to concern those around me. If I am not taking care of pack responsibilities, I am in the gym or on the training field. Today is one of those where I will be in front of a punching bag until the last possible second. I must work through the rage brewing all morning before showing Cynthia around the town square. I know

DAMON POV There is electricity in the air; every pack member is busy scurrying around, helping with the decorations, and making the pack look pristine for the Ball today. Elle was up training early like she had been all week, leaving a little note beside my pillow with a little Hershey's kiss resting on top like it had been all week. I don't know where she keeps them, but I have grown used to the little tradition that developed between us. 'Damon,' my mom's voice rings through the mind link, her voice taking on that pitch, telling me she is pissed off and not in the mood to wait around on my bullshit. 'Are you coming into breakfast or not?' "Yes," I say aloud as I round the corner to the dining room, where my mom is already sitting with the Beta and Gamma families. I walk towards the table and plop down in the seat next to Elle, throwing my arm over her chair before kissing her temple in a silent greeting. I can feel my mom's frigid stare on Elle and me again, and it's been the