FAZER LOGINChelsea’s POVThe next day, Erin unexpectedly announced that I was going to the Lyre, a cave at one part of the pack with a rocky entrance, and inside it was Era’s almighty Merisa— which she could not be more mesmerized by. I myself was also extremely curious to see what would happen and how it would feel, since it would be my first encounter with magic aside from fairytale stories back at Jordan’s pack. Thank God I was free from that beast now.I followed Erin and the entire group of healers through a rocky path surrounded by bushes that led to the Lyre. Gregory had wanted to come, but only the healers and Alpha were allowed to enter unless you were the one being treated, like me. All through the walk, I’d feel Lyra through the corners of my eyes, staring daggers at me. I wondered why she hates me.When we arrived at the cave, Erin led me inside while the rest waited outside. I found myself standing in a sitting-room-sized space inside the cave, with large gardens of herbs at eve
Chelsea’s POVAfter dinner, I followed Erin to take a walk outside in the garden, which was lush with planted roses.“You shouldn’t have let her beat you,” Erin suddenly said. “Everyone must think you’re weak now.”“Who are you talking about, Maya?” I asked, and she nodded in affirmation.“I didn’t let her beat me. She was simply stronger,” I said, sounding rather calm and sheepish.“But you didn’t partial shift, ’cause if you did, Gregory and the others would have felt your energy and your claws could have come out,” she said, then continued, “I get it. If you don’t want any problems. But a weak wolf getting a free pass into the warriors’ guild just makes people hate you all the more.”“I can’t shift or partial shift,” I reveal, half expecting her to scream or something.“How? You are a wolf. Every wolf can,” she replied.“I have only shifted once—the night the Alpha rescued me,” I explained.“So you don’t know how to shift?” Erin asked, nodding, hoping she could see my head moving i
I woke up to find myself back at Erin’s room, with her and her brother, Gregory, arguing.“Are you sure the potion you gave her was the right one?” Gregory asked in a worry-filled voice, still pacing the room.“Yes,” Erin said, running her fingers through her hair. They were both so worried that they didn’t notice my open eyes.“Perhaps the potion was not rightly mixed. Maybe you—”“I did not make a mistake. The potions were mixed right, and you had better stop questioning my efficiency,” Erin fired back.“Well, if your drugs were working, I would not be lying so—” Gregory replied hotly, and Erin was about to respond when I found my strength and tried to get up, making the bed creak and getting their attention.“You’re up?” Gregory asked, rushing to my side.“I am not dead,” I said jokingly.“We have not told you otherwise,” Erin said, smiling.“I’m really glad you survived it. I don’t know what would have happened if they kept letting you fight,” Gregory said.“I told you he hates me
The next day, I found myself walking alongside Gregory toward the Warriors’ Guild, my heart beating so hard I thought he could hear it.“So normally, before you are allowed to join us, you would have to go through trials—combat, mental readiness, and stuff like that. But since I’m bringing you in, you don’t have to deal with that,” Gregory said, and I instantly paused in my movements.“That sounds like favoritism,” I said. “I am already hated around here. The last thing I want is to give them more reason to hate me.”Gregory paused as well and looked into my eyes, his gaze burning deep into mine. “I don’t care what anyone thinks as long as you are happy. And I don’t care if you have become used to being treated less, like you said earlier, but I won’t allow anyone to bully you or make you feel bad. So don’t worry about what they are thinking about you,” he said, and his concern toward me left butterflies in my stomach.As we walked into the guild, the inside was more of what a gorilla
“That went better than I thought it would,” Erin said as we sat down in her room, but I wasn’t paying attention. My mind was on Gregory, who was probably asleep in the next room. After Turner had put me in his care, he had moved me out of the shabby room I’d been staying in and into their own home. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve been used to being researched all my life, so this is child’s play compared to what I’ve experienced,” I reassured her. “You still haven’t told me your story,” Erin said. “Nothing is interesting to tell,” I said. The events after the horrible ones that followed my forced marriage to Jordan came flooding back into my mind. “I think I should sleep. It’s been a long day,” I said, lying down on the bed. *** I found myself back in the bushes surrounding my house, and suddenly the goons appeared again. This time, the wolves were tall—the size of horses—and larger than hippopotamuses. Scared, I turned and ran, and they followed, surrounding me with every step th
“Fifteen against fourteen. I guess you’re staying then,” Lady Victoria said, and a wide grin spread across my face. I turned to the Beta—the man whose vote had just saved me. He smiled at me, and his handsome features, which the tension-filled moment had stopped me from noticing, dawned on me. Before I could rush over to say thank you, he had already left. One of the elders who voted against my staying walked up to me. He was the same one who had come to inform me that the Alpha wanted to see me. “I hope my vote does not draw bad blood between both of us,” he said. “No, not at all,” I replied, lying through my teeth. If I could, at that moment, I would have spat on his face and then proceeded to tear him to pieces. “Good. You are a fortunate one. I don’t know if it is fate or if the Beta is drawn to you, but he never uses his vote in these meetings. He has only voted once—to save his sister from being removed as one of the healers. And for that, you should consider yourself incredi







