My hands were still shaking with rage.Michael's words kept playing in my head. The way he looked at Calla. The way the whole pack turned on her like wolves on wounded prey.She's a fucking liability.I wanted have a go at him right there in front of everyone. Show them what happened when someone disrespected me.My wolf was still pacing under my skin, demanding blood."Axel." Jace grabbed my arm. "We need to talk. Now."I looked back at Calla. She stood frozen by her table, those strange gold eyes still blazing. Even from across the room, I could smell her fear.And something else. Something that made my cock twitch despite everything.That scent she got when she was aroused. When she needed me.Fuck. Not now."Everyone Out!" I ordered everyone and watched as they all filed out before turning to Jace."What's so important it couldn't wait?" I snapped.Jace pulled out his phone and showed me a message. "We intercepted this twenty minutes ago. Crimson Order communications."I read it q
I woke up alone.Again.The bite mark on my neck throbbed like a heartbeat. I pressed my fingers to it and winced. The skin was still tender, still marked with his teeth.But Axel was gone. Just like last time. And the time before that."Seriously?" I muttered to the empty room.Anger flared in my chest. Hot and sharp. Why did he keep doing this? Why did he always leave me after we...I sat up and immediately regretted it. My body ached in places that reminded me of exactly what we'd done on this floor last night.My cheeks burned with embarrassment.God, the things I'd said to him, again and again. The things I'd begged for."Bite me," I whispered, copying my own voice from last night. "Please, I need it."I buried my face in my hands. What in the carnation was wrong with me?Three times now. Three times I'd completely lost myself with him. Three times I'd acted like some kind of desperate wild animal.This was getting ridiculous.I wasn't like this. I didn't beg men to mark me. I di
"Training ground. Now."Rika's voice cut through my spiral of guilt and self-pity."I don't think I should—""I don't give a shit what you think. You want to survive, or do you want to lie down and die?"Her words stung. But she was right.I followed her to the training pit. A few pack members were already there, watching."Same rules as always," Rika said, wrapping her hands. "Hit me like you mean it."We started circling each other. But I felt off. Shaky. The emotional breakdown from earlier had left me drained.Rika came at me fast. I barely blocked her first punch."Where's that freak strength yesterday now?" she taunted, throwing another combination.I stumbled backward. My vision was starting to blur."Come on!" she shouted. "Fight back!"I tried. But my body felt like it was moving through water. Everything was slow and wrong.Rika swept my legs. I hit the mat hard."Pathetic," someone in the crowd muttered.Rika grabbed my shirt and hauled me up. "You done? Ready to quit?"Som
I woke up drowning in fire.My body was soaked in sweat just like yesterday. The sheets stuck to my skin like they were trying to pull me under. Something was wrong. More wrong than usual.I sat up and immediately felt it. The change starting again.My spine arched on its own. Pain shot through my bones like they were breaking and healing at the same time. My nails pushed out longer, sharper."No, no, no," I whispered.But my body wasn't listening.My eyes burned. In the mirror across the room, I could see them glowing gold in the dark. Bright and wild like an animal's.The shift was trying to happen. I could feel my bones wanting to reshape. My muscles wanting to stretch and grow.But then it stopped.Just like always, it stopped.The pain when it halted was worse than anything. Like someone had started tearing me apart and then changed their mind halfway through.I doubled over, biting my lip to keep from screaming.But underneath the pain was something else. Something that made me
The morning air tasted like ash and fear.I gunned my bike through the empty streets of Ravenridge, Jace riding beside me. The town looked like a ghost had walked through it. Boarded windows. Drawn curtains. Even the birds felt like they had stopped singing."Thought we'd find bodies by now," Jace called over the engine noise."Day's still young."But he was right. After last night's threats, I'd expected blood on the streets by dawn. Instead, there was just this sick quiet. Like the whole town was holding its breath."They're messing with our heads," Jace said as we slowed near the town square. "Playing the long game. Fear makes monsters out of men."Smart bastards. A scared and tense enemy was easier to control than a dead one.An old man swept his porch and nodded when he saw me. Mrs. Chen waved from her flower shop window. A group of teenagers gave me thumbs up from across the street.These people trusted me to keep them safe. And I was failing them."Axel! Axel, please!"A woman
I woke up burning.Not fever burning but something else. Something that made my skin feel too tight and my bones ache.I sat up in bed, kicking off the covers. Even the thin sheet felt like sandpaper against my skin.What the hell was wrong with me?I stumbled to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. It barely helped.My reflection stared back at me. Same face, same green eyes. But something was different.I leaned closer to the mirror. My pupils looked... weird. And for just a second, I could swear they flickered gold."No," I whispered. "Not again."I gripped the sink edge and immediately felt my nails scraping against the porcelain. When I looked down, I saw thin scratches in the white surface.My nails were longer and more sharper.I know I hadn't cut them in days due to everything, but now they looked like I'd filed them into points.My hands shook as I touched my face and my neck. My skin felt hot and sensitive. Every touch sent little sparks through my body.This was