Mag-log inRain The tunnel was damp. The air tasted like old stone and rot. I stood there, my back against the cold wall, my hand white-knuckled around the grip of my gun. My heart was a hammer, beating against my ribs so hard I thought they might snap. Chloe was behind me, her breath coming in short, jagged gasps. I didn't look at her. I couldn't. My eyes were fixed on the shadows ahead, waiting for the flicker of a torch, anticipating seeing them and knowing they succeeded. Then, I saw them. Rex was the first to emerge from the darkness of the inner temple route. He looked like a giant in the dim light, his face streaked with dust. Behind him was River. And between them... a small, hooded figure in a dark cloak. My breath hitched. I felt the air leave my lungs. Debbie. She didn't run. She didn't scream upon seeing me. I watched, and it seemed like a dream. Debbie stepped forward, and for a second, time just stopped. The drums from the ritual ground outside felt a million miles away.
Chloe I stood on the ritual ground, my chest tight. The air was thick with the smell of burning wood and heavy incense. It was an open site, a massive stone circle built deep within the palace walls for nights exactly like this one. Above us, the moon was a giant, glowing eye, but right now, it was partially covered with dark clouds. I was dressed in all that huge regalia—of course, a lamb of sacrifice positioned in the midst of the wolves. In the center of the ground, I saw the procession. A figure in white was being led toward the altar. Her walk was slow and stiff. Her face was hidden behind a thick, heavy white veil that draped all the way to her chest. My heart thumped. That was her. The substitute. Meaning the plan worked. The thick veil was our biggest advantage. In this light, under that heavy fabric, no one could see that the girl acting like a drugged dummy wasn't Debbie. Black stood near the altar, his eyes shining with a greedy, dark light. Of course, he thought his
Debbie I didn't think. I threw myself at him. I wrapped my arms around his thick neck and buried my face in his chest. My eyes closed. A low moan of relief escaped my throat as his large hands squeezed my waist, holding me so tight I could barely breathe. "I'm here," he muttered into my hair. He held me for just a few heartbeats before pulling back, his expression grim. "We don't have much time. We have to move now." Before I could ask who the lady he came in with was, he motioned to the woman who was standing by the door. She was short, about my height, with my exact body structure. She started pulling off her dark cloak with trembling hands. "She is taking your place," Rex said, his voice urgent. "Wear her clothes." I scrambled out of the white dress, my fingers fumbling with the fabric. The other woman put on the ritual gown and lay down on the bed exactly where I had been. She pulled the covers up and closed her eyes. In the dim light, she looked like a ghost—like the gh
Debbie The light of the morning sun didn't feel like a blessing. It felt like a countdown. It crawled across the cold stone floor of my room, slow and grey, marking the hours I had left to live. I sat on the very edge of the bed, my fingers digging into the thin mattress. I looked down at my hands. They were shaking. They wouldn't stop. Today is the day, the Ritual day. The sound of the heavy oak door creaking open made me jump. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. It was the old lady. She walked in, her face like wrinkled leather. She carried a silver tray, and the smell hit me immediately: roasted meat, sweet honey, and fresh bread. My stomach let out a painful growl at the sight of the food. I hadn't eaten in twenty-four hours. Not because they didn't give me food, but because I wanted to follow instructions—or do more than I was supposed to. My throat was so dry it felt like it was full of hot sand. I wanted to scream for that food. I wanted to grab the
Rain.I felt River tense up beside me. If we stepped out of this car, it was over. The way we walked, the way we stood—even with the makeup—a physical search would reveal the muscle and the weapons hidden under these skirts."A physical search?" Chloe laughed, but there was no humor in it. It was sharp. "I literally just stepped out hours ago to get something with the maids. Did you not see me?”“I did,” he responded.“Okay, so why are you harassing me?” Chloe questioned. “Do you not know who I am?”"I don't care if you're the Goddess herself," the guard snapped. "Out of the car. Now. The maids too."This was one of those incidents where employees took their jobs more seriously than they should. This guard was either suddenly taking things too far, or he had some personal score to settle with Chloe.At this point, my heart wasn’t really afraid, but the tension was thick. I reached for the silver dagger hidden in the folds of my dress. My thumb traced the edge of the blade. If anything
Rain The woods went dead silent. It was a silence so heavy it felt like it was crushing us. I felt my heart stop, then start again with a slow, painful thud. Rex didn't move. He didn't blink. But I could see the way his knuckles turned white as he gripped the car door. "You know, Black told me it was a chore he had to finish. He went on lying about how Debbie would just grace the ceremony because he was still legally married to her, and that during this coronation ritual he was going to divorce her under the full moon and make full moon vows to me, then I will be crowned his Luna," she continued blabbing. "He said the baby’s remains are buried in the deepest part of the palace grounds. Only the people working with the High Priest are allowed to go there." I felt a wave of nausea hit me. A child. A baby. Our family. Black hadn't just taken Debbie; he had murdered a life before it even began. And worse, he had called it a bastard. Then, Chloe said, looking between the three of u
Rain.I was staring at Black, my mind heavy—heavy with the things I wanted to do to this stupid son of the Alpha.I didn’t want Black to take Debbie out of here, or out of my sight, and this was exactly the reason why I had suggested I buy her a house outside of this pack and stay there with her. B
Debbie.I stood there, startled. Rex had asked that I get out. He had shouted at me.It was unlike him.Should I go call Rain and River, tell them their brother wasn't well?Damn. My phone. My fucking phone. How do I call them when I had no phone in my possession?If he really wasn't well, then I s
Debbie,I perceived Black before I even saw him. And I think his brothers did too, because they instantly abandoned their food, standing up from their seats, faces focused on the floor.Rain and River moved straight towards the sitting room.“Stay back here, Debbie,” River ordered.But before they
Debbie.The brightness of the sky, the sunshine reflecting into the room, made my eyes squint back shut when I tried to open them.I stirred on the bed, lazily and… fuck.My thighs—I could feel them aching.Suddenly,The events of last night instantly flooded my head. Damn… what a night. I tossed t







