Stacy sat on her bed for a while after she left Leah's room. Her chest felt heavy. She whispered to herself, “Why does she always get what she wants? Well, she's the daughter of the alpha and she is selfish.”
She stood up and walked out, her steps sharp and quick. She pushed through the pack house doors and headed down the dirt path. She knew where she was going. She needed someone to hear her. She needed Mara.Mara was sitting inside her small house when a knock came at her door. She frowned. She was not expecting anyone. She rose slowly and opened the door.Her eyes widened. “Stacy?”Stacy gave a small smile. “Hi.”Mara blinked. “What are you doing here?”“Can I come in?” Stacy asked softly.Mara hesitated. Tension still lingered between them. They had not been close since that night of the fight. Still, Mara stepped aside. “Come in.”Stacy walked in and looked around. The house was neat and simple. A small fiLeah stood at the gates of the Crystal pack. Her eyes moved slowly across the tall walls, the guards standing, the clean path that led into the wide compound. She had been here before, but now she felt different. Her heart beat faster as she thought of Rina.She walked inside with calm steps, her mind full of plans. She wanted to see how Rina lived now. She wanted to see if Rina was still the poor, broken girl she used to know.But what Leah found shocked her.Rina was not treated like a slave anymore. She was walking freely, her clothes neat, her hair brushed, her face clear. Two servants even greeted her as she passed. Leah’s chest burned.“So this is what she has now? A better life? A place where she is treated with respect?”Her lips curved into a small fake smile.“Let’s see how long this lasts, Rina.”Later, Leah asked around quietly until she found where Rina was. She walked there, keeping her smile steady. W
Elara carried a tray of folded napkins through the long hall of the pack house. She walked quietly, her small shoes making soft sounds on the stone floor. She was heading to the alpha's dining room now that she had started running errands, when she heard voices around the corner.She slowed her steps. The voices were strong. She recognized one right away—it was Alpha Simon. Another voice joined in, sharp and cold. It was Rowland.She stopped near the corner wall, pressing close so she would not be seen.Alpha Simon said, “It must be perfect when she comes. We must maintain the standard they're familiar with.”Rowland replied, “Yes. The daughter of the Alpha from Sauna pack deserves to be met with hospitality.”Elara’s eyes widened. She held her breath.Alpha Simon’s voice dropped lower. “She will be arriving soon. I wanted you to know.”Rowland nodded. “I know, father.”Elara’s fingers tightened on the tray. Sau
Stacy sat on her bed for a while after she left Leah's room. Her chest felt heavy. She whispered to herself, “Why does she always get what she wants? Well, she's the daughter of the alpha and she is selfish.”She stood up and walked out, her steps sharp and quick. She pushed through the pack house doors and headed down the dirt path. She knew where she was going. She needed someone to hear her. She needed Mara.Mara was sitting inside her small house when a knock came at her door. She frowned. She was not expecting anyone. She rose slowly and opened the door.Her eyes widened. “Stacy?”Stacy gave a small smile. “Hi.”Mara blinked. “What are you doing here?”“Can I come in?” Stacy asked softly.Mara hesitated. Tension still lingered between them. They had not been close since that night of the fight. Still, Mara stepped aside. “Come in.”Stacy walked in and looked around. The house was neat and simple. A small fi
The great hall of the Sauna pack was quiet. The torches burned low, throwing long shadows on the stone walls. Alpha Glint sat on his chair, his eyes steady on Leah who stood before him. Kendrick sat to the side, his arms crossed, his face unreadable. He didn't know why he was sitting here to experience the Alpha talk to his daughter. This time, he hoped it would have nothing to do with him or his presence in the pack and what it was doing to her. Glint leaned forward. “Leah, I will ask again. Why must I let you go? Why do you think I should give you this permission?” He asked. This wasn't the first time he was asking, and now Kendrick was wondering why he didn't just allow her to go or simply ask her to stay back. Leah’s hands trembled at her sides, but her voice was soft and clear. “Father, I need time away. I need to breathe. I need to know myself again. Everything here feels heavy. I cannot find myself if I stay.”Glint’s brows furrowed. “That is
Jack knew he had a limited time to make his findings and get back on his way to the Sauna pack. His only regret was that he would not have time to rest. But he was assured that there was something to take back. Secrets seemed to be lying around for him to stumble on. What he had learned from the maids whose conversation he had overheard made him want to hear more. His mission was to find out what was happening with Rina, but if while doing that he found out a thing or two about Rowland's behavior with other members of the pack, he'll simply be armed with the information.“I must know what is happening with Rina,” he thought. “I must bring back news that matters.”He moved carefully into the busier parts of the pack. His hood was low, his steps slow, blending in. He dared to walk further than the slave quarters, watching, listening.By midmorning he froze. Rina.She walked quickly across the yard, her hair loose around her shoul
Jack walked with his hood low, eyes sharp, feet light. The road into the Crystal pack felt too wide, too open to him because he was trying to keep himself unseen, but he kept his steps steady as he went. He had never been a spy and he knew that if things went wrong and Rowland found him, then he was doomed. He had to move like he belonged, like he was nothing but another tired man drifting in.The guards at the gate hardly looked at him. He carried a small sack, just like many others who passed. When he entered, he let out a breath he had been holding.“Keep low. Do not draw eyes,” he told himself repeatedly.Jack slipped toward the lower quarters where slaves and servants moved about. The place was loud with chatter, wood scraping, pots clanging. He blended in, head down, slow steps.As he passed by the slave quarters, he heard soft whispers. He paused, leaning against a wall, listening.Two maids stood by a broken ba