Hilda
The holding room smelled like old sweat and bleach. Wood Pack clearly didn't use this space often—the corners had dust, but someone had made a halfhearted attempt to clean before throwing me in here. I paced the small space, counting steps. Eight from wall to wall. Six to the door and back.
I'd gone willingly when Robin's guards seized me. Fighting would've terrified Ava, and the kid had seen enough horror to last a lifetime. Besides, I needed to stay close to her. Couldn't protect Ava if I ran.
The holding room looked eerily similar to the one in Moon Pack where they'd kept Evelyn. Same metal chair bolted to the floor. Same reinforced door with a small window. Same bare walls painted an ugly beige. Different pack, same bullshit.
I checked the lock on the door. Simple enough to pi
SusanI sat in my wheelchair, staring at the closed door. Damon had left me behind. Left me here to rot while he went to save his precious daughter. The room felt too empty, too quiet with just the clock ticking away seconds I couldn't afford to lose.Everything was going to shit. Everything was slipping out of my control.My fingers trembled against the armrests. The first sign. I'd been through this before—the shaking would get worse, then the fever, then the pain that felt like glass shards in my blood. Without Dr. Graham's treatments, I was on borrowed time."Susan?"A voice yanked me from my thoughts. I turned my chair around, the wheels squeaking against the hardwood floor.Margaret stood in the doorway, her face flushed. "I just saw Damon heading out with Cole. Where are they going?"I sighed, the sound heavy with irritation. Just looking at Margaret made my blood pressure spike. "To fix the shit you created."Her face twisted like she'd been slapped. "How dare you blame me for
Hey guys,I apologize - I accidentally included some duplicate chapters in the last update. Sorry about that! I've fixed the issue in this version, so everything should flow correctly now.Thanks for your patience.~J
Damon"Three hours." I slammed my fist on the desk, sending my coffee mug skittering to the edge. "Three goddamn hours and not a single response."I'd ordered my communications team to contact Wood Pack every fifteen minutes. Robin knew the protocol—pack leaders answered each other's calls, especially during a crisis. His silence was deliberate. An insult.The door to my office opened without a knock. Susan wheeled herself in, her chair making that high-pitched squeak she never bothered to fix. The sound grated on my already frayed nerves."Any word?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer."Nothing.""Of course not." She positioned her chair across from my desk. Her han
HildaThe holding room smelled like old sweat and bleach. Wood Pack clearly didn't use this space often—the corners had dust, but someone had made a halfhearted attempt to clean before throwing me in here. I paced the small space, counting steps. Eight from wall to wall. Six to the door and back.I'd gone willingly when Robin's guards seized me. Fighting would've terrified Ava, and the kid had seen enough horror to last a lifetime. Besides, I needed to stay close to her. Couldn't protect Ava if I ran.The holding room looked eerily similar to the one in Moon Pack where they'd kept Evelyn. Same metal chair bolted to the floor. Same reinforced door with a small window. Same bare walls painted an ugly beige. Different pack, same bullshit.I checked the lock on the door. Simple enough to pi
Hey everyone,I wanted to take a moment to apologize for the slower chapter releases lately. I'm currently away from home with very limited power access, which means I'm working exclusively on battery life - and my laptop isn't exactly winning any longevity awards these days!I've been trying to make the most of the few hours of charge I get each day, but it's definitely affecting my ability to maintain our usual posting schedule. The chapters might be coming out a bit rougher than usual too, since my editing time is so constrained.I'm really sorry about this disruption. I know many of you look forward to regular updates, and I hate letting you down. Please know that I'm just as eager to get back to our normal rhythm as you are.The good news is this situation is temporary. I'll be back to full writing capacity soon, and I promise to make it up to you all when I return.Thank you so much for your patience and understanding during this time. Your support means everything to me.See you
RobinI watched her chest rise and fall, each breath shallow and unsteady. Evelyn lay motionless on the infirmary bed, her skin ashen where it wasn't bruised or bandaged. Elena had cleaned away the blood, but nothing could hide the damage done to her body. Wolfsbane poisoning was just the beginning."Alpha?" Mark stood in the doorway, shoulders squared in that stiff way of his. "You asked for a report."I nodded, not taking my eyes off Evelyn. "Go ahead.""We tracked their path from the eastern river all the way to where we found them." Mark stepped closer, lowering his voice. "They were definitely running from the Northern Rogues. Rennick's faction, based on the markings we found.""And the woman? Hilda?"Mark shifted his weight. "Hard to say. She doesn't talk much, but she's protective of the child. Unnaturally so.""She's not Moon Pack." It wasn't a question."No. Her scent is... different. Nothing I recognize."I brushed my thumb across the back of Evelyn's hand, careful to avoid