I follow Beta Calvin to a room on his floor. It’s nice, but I feel like a stranger in this room. I go sit on the bed with nothing else to do. Nothing in this room is mine. I have no clothes, no toiletries, nothing. The reality of my situation comes crashing down on me. My father was going to sell me to an Alpha to pay his gambling debts. I’ve never felt so lost or scared. I’m nervous for how my father will react when Alpha Patrick speaks to him. Will he yell at me? Most likely. Based on how he responded earlier, he will be furious and try to make this about me being ungrateful. I don’t know how my mother will feel. I can’t believe she knew anything about this. But she does what my father tells her to do. She has always been a good mother, but she never goes against my father. Now that her being a good mother and a good mate are at odds, I’m pretty sure that the mate bond will win. Will she be angry with me as well? Will she blame me for whatever punishment my father receives from Alph

I’m warm and comfortable when some rude person starts shaking me awake. “Lily, wake up, we have to get back to your room.” That jolts me awake and I shoot up. I’m outside, on the roof with Clint. I fell asleep. I’d been tossing and turning all night and on impulse, I texted him. When he brought me up here, I was ready to stomp right back to my room until he told me I was the only one he’d every brought up here. And then…..I fell asleep, almost immediately. Between Clint’s fingers in my hair and Donovan’s purring in my ear, I didn’t stand a chance. Clint is standing up, holding out his hand to me. “We have to get you back to your room before anyone notices.” “What time is it?” I ask, moving off the blanket and letting him fold it up and put it back where he stores it. “Early, but not early enough. We both fell asleep.” He gets to the slanted roof and carefully slides down before turning, reaching out for me with one hand and putting a finger to his lips. The universal sign to be qu

Dinner was strange. First, I don’t usually eat in the packhouse. Since my parents have their own house, we usually eat there unless there is a pack event. But Clint insisted that I eat with him and Anders, which meant that I am sitting with all the ranked wolves. If people hadn’t noticed that I had moved to the packhouse before, they certainly notice that I am getting special treatment by eating with our ranked members. When I sit, Luna Olivia and Beta Naomi turn their attention to me. “Lily, dear, how have you settled into your room? Do you have everything you need?” Luna Olivia turned to me. “Oh, Alpha Patrick had my things brought over today. I haven’t checked but I should have everything I need. Thank you.” “If not, please let me know, or Naomi can help you. You are closer to her room if it’s something urgent.” “Thank you both, I really appreciate it. I don’t want to be a burden.” “I was thinking it was nice to have another she-wolf at this table.” Beta Naomi whispers so only

He kissed me. I watch as he moves away from my window, but I’m so stunned, I can’t move for a moment. When I do, it’s to bring my fingers to my lips. The moment his lips touched mine, it sent a zing through my entire body. I can still feel my lips tingling. I shake my head, getting my thoughts in order and begin changing for our training session. I’m nervous about seeing him, but when I run into him on the stairs, it’s the same as yesterday. He acts like we didn’t just see each other a few minutes ago or sleep together on the roof. I wasn’t sure about texting him again last night, but I was glad I did. Lying in bed alone, I kept thinking about my father, my mother not reaching out to me and Alpha Mahli and what would have happened if he had realized I was a Guardian. Donovan’s purring helps me to sleep well, even on the roof, and I feel more refreshed today than I did yesterday. When we get outside, Clint tells me the plan as we head to the forest. “This morning we’re going to wor

Clint gave me his word as a Guardian. Again. This time it was about wanting to kiss me. I wish it didn’t make my heart flutter, but it did. I still hardened my heart and told him, basically, that I didn’t believe him, until he gave me his word. After that, all I could think about was kissing him again. So, before he left for the night, I did. Now, as I lay in bed, I want nothing more than to text him and go to the roof with him. But what if he thinks that kiss gives him an opening to push for more. I’m not ready for that, and I still don’t trust him completely. At least not in a relationship. As a Guardian and as my trainer, I trust him implicitly. I go sit by my window, opening it to smell the night air, when it occurs to me. I don’t need to text him to sleep on the roof. I can just do it. And secretly, I know I’ll be able to sleep because the blankets will smell like him. I climb out of my window, closing the window behind me before I begin to shimmy over to the where I can get