Rocks dug into my knees as I dropped to the ground, but I pressed my lips together to silence the whimper of protest at the action. Still, I couldn't let anyone hear me. What I was doing was wrong and impulsive.It was the kind of decision that would make my mother's head spin around on her shoulders in rage like a possessed doll.Still, I couldn't help but picture my future mate's reaction to seeing me in this position.How many times would I have to do this in my life? Would it be daily or weekly?I dropped my hands to the ground, looking over my shoulder to ensure my feet stayed hidden as I dropped down to lay on my stomach. The large shed housing landscaping materials and tools hid me easily, as did the wall only two feet away from my shoulder on my other side.My nose twitched as the mud began to dry and itch, and I squeezed my eyes shut to fight off the sneeze that would give away my location. There was no way I was showing my face today. I would rather fight a wild bear than dea

The entire pack was staring. Every person we passed turned to watch with a smile, but I couldn't fake one back. My arm was looped through Ethan's as he walked me through the pack land to the private picnic my parents had the staff arrange for us to make up for yesterday.As soon as Ethan had seen me, his jaw clenched, and his eyes lit with anger. His hands were in fists at his sides, and his nostrils were flaring. His man-bun was slicked back, and his cheeks looked sunken in from how tightly he had pulled it.He had at least dressed the part with a dark pair of jeans and a button-up white shirt. I wanted to laugh when I saw it was short-sleeved and that he had left the top few buttons open, but I was too anxious about having to be alone with him to react.Our parents smiled as I dipped my head to him in respect, publicly congratulated him on his win, and apologized for the delay in our time together. I heard a few people snicker when I explained that I hadn't been feeling well, and Eth

The edges of my vision were red, closing in fast as I thought about someone laying their hands on Sloane. My body shook, and I released her to grip the edge of the counter on either side of her hips. My head fell forward, and she pushed herself up on the balls of her feet and touched her forehead to mine."I'm okay! I promise!" The sound of her voice made me calm, and she placed her hands on my chest.Her denial of her father's involvement did nothing to convince me. Until I knew who did it, I would always have it in my head that it was Charles."Who did it?" My teeth were clenched together, and I could feel my beast trying to rise to the surface. He wanted blood as badly as I did. I wanted justice.Sloane sighed, and I released the counter to hold her to me, needing to feel her. My left hand grabbed her hip, and my right moved to hold the side of her head. Sloane hissed when my finger touched the back of her head.My eyes widened when I realized it wasn't just her wrist."Sloane," I g

Sloane:"So, where have you been sneaking off to?" Aiden asked as he plopped down on the couch next to me in the library. His red hair looked lighter as the sun hit it through the window.Breakfast had been a tense affair. Ethan had been sitting closer to me than the morning before, and I kept reliving him slamming me up against the tree and crushing my wrist. Each forkful I brought from my plate to my mouth resulted in a glare or raised eyebrow being sent my way from him.He clearly hadn't liked what I had eaten or how fast I did so, but I wanted to fill my stomach and get out of there.Every time I looked up, I found my mother staring at me, too. The worry lines on her face were more prominent, but even when I held her stare, she refused to look away. Water would just line her eyes, and she would let out a shaky breath.She knew something. I just hoped it wasn't the truth. If she knew I had been spending my days with a rogue, let alone The Rogue Alpha, I would probably live to regret

I had to press my lips together to hide my laughter when I heard Sloane stumble for the fourth time. Each time, I had to fight the instinct to turn and help her, but I knew she was strong enough to handle the climb on her own and didn't want to insult her.The bag I had packed for us was awkward and bulky but not heavy enough to slow me down. Freya had filled it with everything she thought we might like or need, but I wasn't sure what to expect tonight.Sloane had stated that she was hungry, and while I wanted to feed her, I had a destination in mind for our first date."It smells so good! Maybe if we just stop and try a bite, just a small taste…" Sloane jogged to walk next to me, and I couldn't help but smile when she grabbed my forearm with raised eyebrows and a hopeful smile on her face. She had been asking to stop for a few minutes now, but we were so close."We're almost there," I said, stopping and cupping her face as I smacked a kiss to her pouty lips. "It'll be worth it. I prom