The first thing I notice when lucidity returns is the searing pain in my wrists. Blinking through the haze, I take in my surroundings: damp leaves beneath me and goosebumps on my skin, a tightness around my limbs.My body feels weak and my senses dulled. I hardly register the sounds and smells around me, as though my nose and ears were muffled by something. Panic sets in as I try to move, realizing my hands and ankles are bound, and I'm unable to shift into my wolf form."Wolfsbane."My head swivels rapidly to the sound of her voice.Susan.She's leaning against a tree. Her fingernails are splashed with ruby red to match her lips, and her hand is wrapped around a Starbucks cup. She smiles while she brings it delicately to her mouth to take a sip. The queen of England might have been impressed with her grace.She's always been the master of the feminine, but I think what hooked Kadeem most was her guise as a fragile thing - an innocent waif for him to rescue. Anger sparks at the painfu

Riley spoke in a low, urgent whisper. "One wrong move and you're dead, got it?"Rayburn's voice rose as he responded fiercely, "Perhaps at some point you'll realize I haven't done anything wrong and I'm not going-"Kadeem whipped around to interrupt him with an icy growl. They were on the brink of reaching Ardal, and Riley had made a dangerous gamble by freeing Rayburn.Kadeem could only hope it wouldn't backfire on them.He knew Riley well enough to guess her thought process. Intimidation was part of the game, and Kadeem showing up with his distracted beta tagging after him while she juggled a captive was no good. Riley wanted it made clear that Kadeem had back-up, and she needed to give herself the chance to fight by his side when it boiled down to it.But Kadeem also knew the reality of their situation. Now, there was nothing to prevent Rayburn from using the spell that had knocked them unconscious in the woods, killing them, or worse: going after Ardal or the kids. What were the o

Kadeem's eyes flash like lightning.The wind picks up, stirring the night air and whipping up a swirl of leaves. On the ground nearby, Susan's tresses blow gently across her face, still staring lifelessly into the darkness ahead."Guess you've got it all figured out," Kadeem says quietly, almost eerily calm. His gaze shifts to Riley, who's lying unconscious on a bed of leaves. "But you forgot her.""Collateral damage," Bob shrugs. "I was planning on having her killed anyway. No way I can trust her."A low growl rumbles from Kadeem's throat. "No deal, then."Bob laughs. "If you think you have any kind of leverage over me, you're sadly mistaken. I've got more than enough to ensure your compliance, including your sweetie over there." He gestures lazily in my direction as he approaches Riley, still hovering somewhere between life and death."I'll give her a warrior's end," he says, staring down at her. "The Council will believe she died trying to stop you, trying to protect the pack."Nex

ArdalJust like that, our goodbye is cut. I slump against the couch, head in my hands."I'm sorry," Jack says.I lift my head to shoot him a fiery glare.The first rays of sun are lighting the windows. Around us, the quintuplets are Energizer bunnies- getting cranky, maybe, but still going. I'm scraping by on their fumes and my emotional torment.Guilt is splashed across Jack's face.What am I actually seeing?I scrutinize him, hard. The emotion looks utterly real. For a second I am so disgusted, it renders me speechless."You’re pathological," I spit out.He flinches at my words. I picture myself wolfing out and tearing him to bits.Well, it’s a split between that, and throwing myself into his arms to melt into him. Inexplicably, my confusing feelings for him will not die. It only makes me hate him- and myself- more. My hands ball into fists and I battle the urge to scream.Sasha pockets her phone. Next to Jack, Lottie and Milo fight over the box of cookies."Sit tight for now," Sash

Orange and yellow leaves dot the sidewalk outside of the pack headquarters where I huddle with the kids as we prepare for our next move. Despite the chill in the air, beads of sweat are dripping down the back of my neck.Thanks to Jack’s magic and a shit ton of luck, we left Sasha, Gabe, and the rest of our captors unconscious and tied up in Kadeem’s cabin. Jack stayed behind to help Riley before setting out to slay his mother. Talk about an Electra complex.I take a moment to catch my breath when the sounds of a growing commotion come from the Council building. Without warning, Erbao bolts off, charging up the concrete steps, his eyes blazing with determination.“HEY!” I belt out. Bob could have dozens of henchmen stationed inside. Worse, he could have already seized control of Red Moon.Erbao ignores me and his siblings rush after him. My heart is a race car, but my legs are still Jello from wolfsbane. All I can do is stumble after them as they burst through the doors of the crowded