I woke up shaking and covered in sweat again. I had no recollection of my dream—or nightmare, but that was nothing new. The arm around my waist was very new though and I almost screamed when it tightened abruptly. I held my breath as I stared at the wall; I could feel every part of my alpha's body pressed right up against my back. Every part. I could hear my wolf’s amused chuckle as I tried desperately not to move. The thoughts of what Xavier might do if I woke him up right now ran through my head and it sent a trill of fear through me. Then I felt a sudden ache between my thighs. Oh fuck not this again, I whimpered. It was so uncomfortable and left me reeling in confusion. How the hell could I be scared and aroused at the same time? Maybe I am insane. “What are you thinking about?” Xavier’s voice was still raspy with sleep and the sound sent a shiver down my spine. A blush crept onto my cheeks. “Nothing,” I said. He kissed the top of my head and pulled me closer. “Sure doesn’t sm

For the first time in over a week, I woke up alone. A frown crept onto my face as I listened for any movement in the bathroom, but Xavier wasn't even upstairs—it didn't even sound like he was in the house. My stomach twisted. There were a million possible reasons he left before I woke up, but I couldn't stop focusing on the fact that it hadn't happened before. Every day he would wake me up and tell me if he had to leave, he would even ask if I wanted to go with him. I slipped out of bed and trudged to the bathroom, regretting my decision to get up almost instantly. It was starting to get colder and apparently my wolf still wasn't strong enough so it bugged the hell out of me. Everyone else was totally fine, even in the snow, but I've been shivering constantly since the leaves started to drop. Xavier moved my toothbrush and comb into his bathroom at some point, so I only returned to my room when I needed clean clothes. I brushed my teeth and took a shower, cranking up the water as ho

“How are you feeling?” I sighed. “Like I challenged my alpha, and lost,” I mumbled with a groan as I shifted on the bed. Laian laughed, nodding his head. “Yeah, I bet. I’ve fought Erys before, your wolf is stupidly brave,” he commented. The corner of my lip quirked up as he settled himself in the chair beside my bed. “Is that his wolf’s name?” He nodded again. “Mine’s name is Luka. What about yours?” “Aetrix.” His eyebrow popped up. “That’s a curious name for a female,” he commented, his gaze questioning. It was my turn to nod. “He’s male, not sure why but that’s our guess on why he’s so difficult to control. He went on a killing spree after I shifted for the first time, so I never shifted again.” “Until you got here?” “Yeah, pretty much. And now it’s a problem because Xavier has barely been able to keep my wolf subdued even though he’s still really weak. I’m scared,” I admitted. Laian offered me his hand. I carefully took it, feeling my heartbeat calm a little. “To be fair,