AlyxAfter removing his clothes, Alyx let the shift come over him. He fell to his knees, the bones in his body cracking and reforming. Even though many years had passed since his first shift, it still hurt. But it didn't faze him like it did when he was little. A moment later, he stood on four wide paws. His ears twitched as the sounds of the forest washed over him.Behind him, Jeremy did the same. He nuzzled Alyx’s flank a moment later, wagging his wide tail. Alyx nodded his head at the guards, and the gate opened. He tore out into the forest, Jeremy nipping at his heels.They started on the usual loop, the ground soft beneath his paws. Snow swirled down from the sky, gathering in his fur, and sticking to the bare branches of the deciduous trees. Tall pines and blue spruce rose to the sky, dotted with bits of snow.They left paw prints behind them in the thin layer of white, tearing up clouds of it as they tore past. Alyx knew he should be weary of ice, but he was having too much fun

The compound crashed to the ground, trapping people in the rubble. I didn’t let myself feel a twinge of guilt as I lost sight of Alyx and the guard. That was for later.I dragged myself to my feet and climbed over the ruins of the garden wall. On the other side, the compound was in chaos. People ran toward the house, their shouts cutting heavily through the winter silence. Others were sprawled across the ground, bleeding or crying.I ran past them, heading for the front gate. No one noticed me. Most of the people here didn’t know what I looked like, and the ones who did were too focused on helping the people trapped in the house.The guards at the gate hadn’t left their post, though.“I need to get out,” I said, panting as I ran up to them. “Ronan’s orders.”The taller one eyed me, a frown crossing his face. “I don’t know you.”“That’s not my problem.”

AlyxHe groaned and clawed his way toward the light. A moment later, Alyx managed to shove the stones off him, and he breathed in the winter air. Around him, the house lay in ruins, and his heart rate spiked.What the hell?One moment he was standing in his room, and the next the house was shaking around him. If he hadn’t shifted then, he might have died. His arm was broken and a few of his ribs, but they snapped back into place with a loud crack. He yelped and forced the change to come over him.He had to find the rest of his family.The compound was in chaos, and people rushed toward the rubble, looking for survivors. Wolves could survive a lot, but a ton of concrete landing on you would kill anyone. He was lucky the way the stones fell, making a gap for him to cower in. That, and his room was on the top floor. All of theirs were, but he didn’t know where his brothers had been.He crawled over the rubble, calling out his brothe

It took a few days to get to our destination. We spent the nights in different motels. I had nightmares every night, but I always woke up in Matt’s arms. Every night, we arrived at the motel late and passed out within moments, then had to be up early to get on the road again. We were taking a round-about way back to town, just in case the Crescent wolves were on our tail.It was the afternoon of the third day when we finally pulled into a curving driveway. We were on the outskirts of town. The driveway took us on a winding path between the trees, and was so hidden from the road, I hadn’t even realized until we were on it that a path was there. The Jeep bounced as it rolled over rocks and down sharp dips.The house at the end was smaller than the cabin Matt took me to, but still impressive. It was a traditional cabin-style, and there were others interspersed through the trees.A few cars were parked outside the main building, including a motorcycle an

JackHe snuck away from the cabin, taking a twisting path between the trees. When he was sure he was alone, and too far from the house to be overheard, he dialed the number and brought his phone to his ear. It rang only twice before a low voice drifted through the speaker.“Jack,” Freddy said, a slight sneer to his voice. “Camping, I see.”Jack sighed. He knew his cousin was probably tailing them, but he hadn’t been sure. He was hoping their roundabout drive managed to confuse him, but apparently not.“So, Celeste is home safe and sound.” Freddy chuckled. “For now, anyway. She caused quite the stir at the Crescent compound from what I hear.”“What do you want?” Jack growled.“You know what I want, Jack,” Freddy answered, his tone dangerous. “I want your sister.”Jack weighed his options. There was no way he was giving up his sister, but he couldn