LOGINWe run as fast as our feet and stamina will take us. We’re so close. Goddess, I feel like I can practically taste this being over. Soon, the clearing is far behind us, and I start to notice familiar sights of the town: a building here, a water fountain there. We are back in the main part of Lycroft. I know I shouldn’t stop moving now, but I can’t help pressing myself against the cool cobblestone of the school and catching my breath. The others do the same. Hunter sets Celia down, reaching into his bag and grabbing her a bottle of water, despite the fact that he was the one who did the running. Well, it’s not like it affected him. He, Axel, Ryker, and Alex haven’t even broken a sweat, leaving Talon and me heaving like dogs. Ryker throws a playful smile my way. “I told you to get into working out.” I do work out. I’m just not a maniac like the three of them. I’m too out of breath to do anything other than flip him off, especially now that Celia isn’t watching. “Where i
This better be good.Hunter frantically woke us up to hear what that little devil, Celia, had to say. Apparently, me taking a 30-minute nap was more than enough time for the kid to fall in love with him.Why am I not surprised?Now we’re all awake and not the least bit sleepy. We stand in a line, staring at the child holding Hunter’s hand. The forest is quiet behind us, as if it's also waiting to hear what the girl has to say. “Okay, Celia. Every ones awake. Do you want to tell them what you told me, Talon and Olivia?” Hunter coos at her. You’d think he raised her.She looks up at him trustingly and nods, giving his hand a little squeeze.“Good.” Hunter gestures to us. “Tell them.”“They’re in the old town library,” Celia reports dutifully.“And who is they?” I ask, deadpan.Celia’s eyes widen, and she takes a step back, nearly behind Hunter.He runs a hand over her hair gently before turning to me with venom in his eyes.I throw my hands up. “Oh come fucking on! It’s just a questio
The little girl is faster than I thought. The further away I get from my packmates and mate, the worse I feel. I look over my shoulder once and see them a distance away. I don't like it one bit. “Celia!” I yell. “Come back!” She doesn't hear me. Or, if she does, she doesn't listen. She speeds down the clearing, and even though I'm eating the distance between the two of us fast, the kid had one hell of a head start. The ground beneath my feet becomes uneven, and it gets harder to move as the grassy floor gives way to a rocky, sandy path. There are a few sickly trees, and maybe they were sent by the Goddess, because Celia tries to disappear through them and trips and falls thanks to a vine shooting out of the tree bark. She screams as she goes down. It only takes me a few more seconds to reach her, but her screaming and thrashing doesn't stop. “Celia!” I snap, trying to hold her still. Her little legs kick at me in horror. I think about holding her legs down, but I’m not sure I’
“You okay?” I mutter by Talon’s ear.He rocks Celia, not looking at me. “I think so. It’s not ideal, but we’re all together. Nothing has gone wrong.” He pauses. “Well, nothing has gone too wrong.”I look over at Olivia and Axel by the water. I don’t know what she said to him, but Axel’s eyes are open wide. Olivia talks hastily, making small hand gestures as she goes.Eventually, Axel’s eyes go back to their normal size, and he nods unwillingly, as if she’s just convinced him to do something he absolutely doesn’t want to do.I nudge Talon till he looks at what I’m looking at. “Any idea what that could be about?”“Olivia’s annoyance with Axel kidnapping children, maybe?”I breathe out a shallow laugh. “You know something, Tals? You are super funny.”Talon’s eyes glimmer, and he turns to me, healing as much as anyone in this situation can.“Maybe you guys are rubbing off on me,” he murmurs.The wind carries a few wisps of his hair, and I gently tuck one behind his ear for him. My strange
Celia screams as we barrel down the forest. “This is a terrible idea!” Olivia screams after us, pushing branches out of the way as she and the rest of the crew follow me. “I know that.” I yell over my shoulder, because I do. But what other option do we have? “Put me down!” Celia cries, banging my back with her little fists and wailing. I feel bad cause she’s just a kid, but she did call my mate and bitch then try to stab her, so really I’m not completely mad about this. “Nothing is going to happen to you.” I still manage to affirm her. “You’re just insurance that Nester doesn’t attack us.” “Axel, she doesn’t even know what the word insurance means!” Hunter pipes up. I’d been waiting for him to tell me this was a bad idea. I stop running and turn to him. Everyone stops as well. Hunter leans against a tree and looks at me with furrowed brows. “Ax, this is insane.” “I already heard that.” “But do you know it?” My eyes darts through the trees. I can see a small cleari
“Children.” Talon says it with the amount of shock we feel. Because, of all people, children? In a war? There are a dozen of them, maybe more, scattered between the trees and blocking our path forward. Some look barely old enough to attend school. The oldest can’t be more than fourteen. They’re standing in a crooked line across our path with pale faces and gleaming hands. No, not gleaming hands. Weapons cluthed in their tiny palms. The handles are wooden, but there’s no mistaking the sharp blade at the end Silver. “No,” I whisper. One of the girls steps forward. She’s small, with two dark braids and a face that might have been sweet if it weren’t twisted with hatred. “Olivia,” she squeaks. Yes, squeaks, cause she’s that young. Alex steps forward, eyes bulging, “Celia. Nester sent you?” Celia turns toward her, her hatred sharpening. “Alex. Or should I say, traitor?” Alex flinches, and Cecilia takes a step closer. Her blade is the longest of all the children
Shoving. Pushing. Snarling. Breaking through this crowd in any way I can to reach that strawberry and cinnamon scent. She’s here. Why the hell is she here? “Move!” I snap, shoving a boy out of my way. Axel’s the impatient one. But right now, I’m not focused on manners. I
The door closes behind them, but the threat rings in my ears.*Trust me, human. I haven’t even begun with you.*All I wanted was to meet Talon, and the person who was meant to introduce me to him just walked out with the wolf that assaulted me.My chest constricts with panic. What if there is
This was a mistake.Someone pushes his girlfriend behind him, growling at me like my disgusting human genes will corrupt her.But his hatred doesn’t even match the one from the large, tattooed Lycan standing in front of me. We lock eyes.“Human.” He snarls, making goosebumps flare over my skin. W
Fuck, she smelt so good. “You’ve outdone yourself, Rye!” Clarissa shouts over the music. We grind in sync with other couples on the dancefloor. I control her hips, bucking against her ass with my hardened dick. But she’s not the one I want to sink my erection into. Olivia. It doesn’t make sen







