LOGIN“Do you remember what he looked like?”“It’s all a blur. Sorry.”I nodded slowly, looking around again. I spotted Max on the other side of the yard, returning to his work with a group of other males.“What’s the labor for?” I asked. “Are we building something?”“We think it’s for an army. The stone
Natalia’s POVBy the end of the first hour, my shoulders were burning and my palms had gone from sore to numb. The rock I’d been assigned to break with a heavy pickaxe was dense and black, and I was expected to break it into small pieces, then place them on a large wagon. One of those awful gray thi
A pair of figures crossed our path as we walked across the roadway. We fell into step behind them naturally, matching their pace. Neither of them looked back.The water trough was near the center of the settlement. I spotted a short line of people standing in front of it. It wasn’t running water, bu
Natalia’s POVI jerked awake with a gasp.The red sky was the same as it always was. Max was curled on his side a few feet away, still asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. Nothing had moved. Nothing had changed.I pressed my hand flat against the ground and steadied my breathing.The vision
Natalia’s POVThe report came back the following morning. I’d hardly slept that night, which was strange for me; usually, sleep came quickly and efficiently, serving purely as a means to regain my energy for another day of hard work.But last night, I kept tossing and turning. That pull in my chest
“It’s no use!” I heard her voice call after me. “He’s already gone, you stupid bitch! He’s not who you think he is anymore! You’ll all die here!”Her words struck me somewhere deep and painful, but I kept running. We didn’t stop until the hovel was well out of sight. Only then, once we were certain
I tackled the rogue from behind, driving him away from my son. We rolled across the ground, his claws searching for my throat while I tried to keep my knife between us. He was stronger than me, and with only one good arm, I was losing.“Natalia!”Andrei’s desperate shout came from somewhere behind m
A few minutes later, we found ourselves in one of the sandy sparring rings in the center of the arena. David and I had exchanged blows, moving across the ring with an uncanny familiarity that wasn’t lost on me. I’d inherited more of my family’s movements than I’d ever realized, and it showed in the
Natalia“Oh. Thank you.” I sat up a little as the maid scurried across the room and set the tray on the small side table next to the bathtub. It smelled sweet and fragrant, like hibiscus flowers. “What kind of tea is it?”The maid hesitated. With her back already turned to me, I couldn’t see her exp
NataliaThe next morning, I woke up before Andrei. He had a long day ahead of him, so I decided to let him sleep and check on Max while he was resting. The compound was quieter in the early hours, with most pack members still sleeping or just beginning their day.Max was doing much better already, a







