His tight hold on my arm would leave a bruise, but I was too scared to care. He was dragging me out of the cell and outside, my weak legs struggling to keep up with him. Fresh air filled my lungs, and my eyes closed for a second before I was yanked forward to keep up with him.โWhere are you taking me?โ He didnโt answer. โAxel, where are you taking me? Please, youโre hurting me!โI channeled what little strength I had left into pulling away from him. He released me, but within seconds he grabbed me by the hair. Fire blossomed at my scalp, my hair felt like it was going to be ripped out, and I clenched my teeth to stop myself from screaming. My eyes grew teary as I reached up to hold his hand, and I felt him loosen his hold. I could barely see his face, but his eyes were like headlights.He continued walking, and I dug my heels into the ground to not move and started screaming. If he was going to kill me, I wasnโt going to die quietly. Oh, hell, no! I didnโt ask to be mated to him, and
RubyI stared at the small window across the room that was too far up the wall for me to try and break through. Sure, Iโd be able to reach it if I stood on the table, but what would happen after I got outside? Iโd get chased by wolves that I could never outrun. Where would I even run to? I had no idea where I was to begin with. For all I knew, there was no one but wolves for a hundred miles in every direction.It was morning, but I pulled the covers up to my chin and snuggled further into bed. The small old mattress that had passed for a bed inside my cell hadnโt been much. While this wasnโt great either, there was nothing for me to do, nowhere for me to go, so why not stay in bed a little longer?I had eaten all the fruits and was still full, so I was fine for the most part. All I could do now was wait for Axel to make his next appearance.I turned onto my side, but backed up with a scream on my lips as I came face to face with Natalie. She was lying beside me with her hand under her
Anxiety had me pacing around the room, sitting on the floor, and climbing onto the table to see through the window, which revealed nothing but endless trees. Soon I settled for sitting around the table, my hunger returning. Compared to the torture I had endured up until last night, I could ignore the growls my stomach was making.Iโve thought about going to sleep a few times in hopes of Natalie returning, but she had mentioned how hard it was to reach out to me. Sheneeded her strength to get to Xavier, so I resisted my impulse to nap just for the sake of talking to her again.My fingers drummed on the stained surface of the white table as I wondered if she had warned Xavier yet.I recalled the night I had been abducted, the bliss that had come before the chaos that is, and a heavy sadness settled on my chest. Xavier and I had laid in the woods in each other's arms. I was starting to feel the bond between us, I think. Just when I began to feel drawn to him, I was ripped away. That nig
XavierI could hear a bird chirping in a tree a few meters away, but it sounded like it was resting on my shoulder. My ears twitched as another bird answered the first one's call, and I tried my best to tune them out. I focused on the wind in the trees instead as I continued to walk along the path in the forest. I was heading to the cliff where Ruby and I had sat and talked so long ago.No, it wasnโt so long ago, I thought as I shook my head. Only a week has passed with her being missing. While it was only a week, it was far too long for comfort. It felt like an eternity.Natalie has been missing for just as long, and Iโm not sure how much longer I can survive not knowing what has happened to either of them. My hands clenched at my sides as my rage began to consume me yet again.Being without Ruby and not knowing if she was hurt or not was taking its toll. My wolf has been clawing under my skin to the point that Iโve woken up with my sheets and clothes ripped by my claws and fangs out
NatalieโAxelโs a fool to think the Council won't try to dissect him as well for having a human mate. Whatever judgment falls onto our pack because one of us is mated to a human will happen to him, tooโ Xavier said.I watched him as he paced back and forth, his hand on his chin. We were filling Mathieu in on what was happening, and word had been sent to the rest of the pack to stay indoors until their alpha said otherwise.All that really needed to be said was that the Council would be visiting, and all wolves would scatter without being told to anyway. Everyone avoids contact with the Council as much as they can. No one wants their lives looked into, their privacy invaded and stripped down to nothing. That's what the Council likes to do. They feed on knowledge like rats feed on garbage.โAxel thinks heโs acting in the interest of his pack,โ I said and Mathieu, who was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his hand over his mouth, looked my way. โBut he isnโt seeing the bigger pict
He then turned to Xavier, who was standing beside me and took his hand. โAnd you must be Xavier.โXavier shook his hand firmly. "Welcome to our pack, Mr. Crescent.I hope your flight was a smooth one.โโIt was.โ The side of Olcanโs mouth curved as he spoke. "It was.And if it wasnโt, this was still aโฆnecessary trip.โOlcan turned away to stand by the Enchantedโs side, and Xavier narrowed his eyes at him, then her. He glanced over at me before lookingher way once more. โYouโre an Enchanted, yes?โShe nodded. โI amโyou can see that from my hair. However, not many Enchanteds have white hair, especially young ones.โ Her eyes drifted to me as she said that, and this time, I arched a brow in response.From what I understood, the stronger the Enchanted, the more white in their hair. She could sense the strength of my power when I should be nothing but a fledgling, so that comment was a jab at me. She looked to be in her early thirties, so she was young to have white hair as well.โWell!โ Ol
RubyAxel woke me up while it was still dark outside and ordered me to take a bath. He gave me new clothes, told me to brush my hair, and then gave me toasted bread and an apple before dragging me outside.The cold air nipped at my exposed arms and face as we walked briskly to a black SUV. My eyes danced from left to right but it was useless to try to see anything. It was too dark for me to make out anything other than the house we had just left.He opened the door for me, which had been surprising. I had expected him to throw me into the backseat blindfolded and handcuffed with the way heโs been treating me, yanking and throwing me around as if Iโm a bag of potatoes. After two and a half hours after driving what seemed like endlessly, I realized where he was taking me.The sun had finally come up, and the world around me was finally visible. We were heading back to the Blackmoon Pack. I could tell thatโs where we were going the second we drove past the Witches Brew Tavern Xavier had
That's what I wanted to say, but I kept quiet instead. For the first time, he was speaking to me as if he was talking to another person. He wasn't giving me orders or talking down to me, and I couldn't help looking at him.His expression was still one that screamed โtalk to me and get punched,โ but his voice didnโt hold as much exasperation. However, I didnโt respond. I couldnโt fault him for looking out for his packโs interests, but I was certain there were other ways for us to handle this situation without resorting to abduction and involving the Council.โWho was the man that came into my cell?โ I asked after a while.He looked over at me, a confused look on his face as he shook his head. โWhat man? I was the only one that visited you in your cell.โHad I been hallucinating or dreaming? No, someone else had visited me.โThere was someone else. I know that was real.โThe car slowed at a stoplight, and his hand fell away from the steering wheel. โI remember you asking who else would b
That's what I wanted to say, but I kept quiet instead. For the first time, he was speaking to me as if he was talking to another person. He wasn't giving me orders or talking down to me, and I couldn't help looking at him.His expression was still one that screamed โtalk to me and get punched,โ but his voice didnโt hold as much exasperation. However, I didnโt respond. I couldnโt fault him for looking out for his packโs interests, but I was certain there were other ways for us to handle this situation without resorting to abduction and involving the Council.โWho was the man that came into my cell?โ I asked after a while.He looked over at me, a confused look on his face as he shook his head. โWhat man? I was the only one that visited you in your cell.โHad I been hallucinating or dreaming? No, someone else had visited me.โThere was someone else. I know that was real.โThe car slowed at a stoplight, and his hand fell away from the steering wheel. โI remember you asking who else would b
RubyAxel woke me up while it was still dark outside and ordered me to take a bath. He gave me new clothes, told me to brush my hair, and then gave me toasted bread and an apple before dragging me outside.The cold air nipped at my exposed arms and face as we walked briskly to a black SUV. My eyes danced from left to right but it was useless to try to see anything. It was too dark for me to make out anything other than the house we had just left.He opened the door for me, which had been surprising. I had expected him to throw me into the backseat blindfolded and handcuffed with the way heโs been treating me, yanking and throwing me around as if Iโm a bag of potatoes. After two and a half hours after driving what seemed like endlessly, I realized where he was taking me.The sun had finally come up, and the world around me was finally visible. We were heading back to the Blackmoon Pack. I could tell thatโs where we were going the second we drove past the Witches Brew Tavern Xavier had
He then turned to Xavier, who was standing beside me and took his hand. โAnd you must be Xavier.โXavier shook his hand firmly. "Welcome to our pack, Mr. Crescent.I hope your flight was a smooth one.โโIt was.โ The side of Olcanโs mouth curved as he spoke. "It was.And if it wasnโt, this was still aโฆnecessary trip.โOlcan turned away to stand by the Enchantedโs side, and Xavier narrowed his eyes at him, then her. He glanced over at me before lookingher way once more. โYouโre an Enchanted, yes?โShe nodded. โI amโyou can see that from my hair. However, not many Enchanteds have white hair, especially young ones.โ Her eyes drifted to me as she said that, and this time, I arched a brow in response.From what I understood, the stronger the Enchanted, the more white in their hair. She could sense the strength of my power when I should be nothing but a fledgling, so that comment was a jab at me. She looked to be in her early thirties, so she was young to have white hair as well.โWell!โ Ol
NatalieโAxelโs a fool to think the Council won't try to dissect him as well for having a human mate. Whatever judgment falls onto our pack because one of us is mated to a human will happen to him, tooโ Xavier said.I watched him as he paced back and forth, his hand on his chin. We were filling Mathieu in on what was happening, and word had been sent to the rest of the pack to stay indoors until their alpha said otherwise.All that really needed to be said was that the Council would be visiting, and all wolves would scatter without being told to anyway. Everyone avoids contact with the Council as much as they can. No one wants their lives looked into, their privacy invaded and stripped down to nothing. That's what the Council likes to do. They feed on knowledge like rats feed on garbage.โAxel thinks heโs acting in the interest of his pack,โ I said and Mathieu, who was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his hand over his mouth, looked my way. โBut he isnโt seeing the bigger pict
XavierI could hear a bird chirping in a tree a few meters away, but it sounded like it was resting on my shoulder. My ears twitched as another bird answered the first one's call, and I tried my best to tune them out. I focused on the wind in the trees instead as I continued to walk along the path in the forest. I was heading to the cliff where Ruby and I had sat and talked so long ago.No, it wasnโt so long ago, I thought as I shook my head. Only a week has passed with her being missing. While it was only a week, it was far too long for comfort. It felt like an eternity.Natalie has been missing for just as long, and Iโm not sure how much longer I can survive not knowing what has happened to either of them. My hands clenched at my sides as my rage began to consume me yet again.Being without Ruby and not knowing if she was hurt or not was taking its toll. My wolf has been clawing under my skin to the point that Iโve woken up with my sheets and clothes ripped by my claws and fangs out
Anxiety had me pacing around the room, sitting on the floor, and climbing onto the table to see through the window, which revealed nothing but endless trees. Soon I settled for sitting around the table, my hunger returning. Compared to the torture I had endured up until last night, I could ignore the growls my stomach was making.Iโve thought about going to sleep a few times in hopes of Natalie returning, but she had mentioned how hard it was to reach out to me. Sheneeded her strength to get to Xavier, so I resisted my impulse to nap just for the sake of talking to her again.My fingers drummed on the stained surface of the white table as I wondered if she had warned Xavier yet.I recalled the night I had been abducted, the bliss that had come before the chaos that is, and a heavy sadness settled on my chest. Xavier and I had laid in the woods in each other's arms. I was starting to feel the bond between us, I think. Just when I began to feel drawn to him, I was ripped away. That nig
RubyI stared at the small window across the room that was too far up the wall for me to try and break through. Sure, Iโd be able to reach it if I stood on the table, but what would happen after I got outside? Iโd get chased by wolves that I could never outrun. Where would I even run to? I had no idea where I was to begin with. For all I knew, there was no one but wolves for a hundred miles in every direction.It was morning, but I pulled the covers up to my chin and snuggled further into bed. The small old mattress that had passed for a bed inside my cell hadnโt been much. While this wasnโt great either, there was nothing for me to do, nowhere for me to go, so why not stay in bed a little longer?I had eaten all the fruits and was still full, so I was fine for the most part. All I could do now was wait for Axel to make his next appearance.I turned onto my side, but backed up with a scream on my lips as I came face to face with Natalie. She was lying beside me with her hand under her
His tight hold on my arm would leave a bruise, but I was too scared to care. He was dragging me out of the cell and outside, my weak legs struggling to keep up with him. Fresh air filled my lungs, and my eyes closed for a second before I was yanked forward to keep up with him.โWhere are you taking me?โ He didnโt answer. โAxel, where are you taking me? Please, youโre hurting me!โI channeled what little strength I had left into pulling away from him. He released me, but within seconds he grabbed me by the hair. Fire blossomed at my scalp, my hair felt like it was going to be ripped out, and I clenched my teeth to stop myself from screaming. My eyes grew teary as I reached up to hold his hand, and I felt him loosen his hold. I could barely see his face, but his eyes were like headlights.He continued walking, and I dug my heels into the ground to not move and started screaming. If he was going to kill me, I wasnโt going to die quietly. Oh, hell, no! I didnโt ask to be mated to him, and
RubyHave you ever been so hungry that your stomach feels like itโs caving in on itself? So thirsty you can barely pry your tongue from the roof of your mouth? Your mind focuses on nothing but food and drink, drink and food. How a stale piece of bread, a glass of water, or a single French fry might save your life.If youโve never felt that, youโre lucky, and I hope you never do. I wasnโt suffering from hunger only. My hair was matted to my skull, and I was getting sick of my own foul odor. Iโd lost track of how long Iโd been chained up in Axelโs dungeon, and I was passing out more frequently due to hunger and dehydration.My eyes cracked open as I listened to the dripping water coming from somewhere inside this dark dungeon. It was making this situation a hundred times worse. Every time I heard it, I thought about how even one tiny drop in my mouth might make this situation a little more bearable.My tongue felt like sandpaper, and my back felt sore from lying down for so long. I, how