“What does that even mean?” Nina rolled her eyes. “And what does that have to do with you being here with her?”Toya slapped the table, stood, and whirled. “It means you are a selfish vapid alpha and the man that is stuck mating you will either be just as ignorant and unworthy as you, or he earned a punishment from the goddess herself.”Nina reeled back. “What?”“No one chooses to be your friends Nina. Not unless they are just as cruel and annoying as you are. We are all told by our parents to deal with you because of your rank and nothing else.” Toya spun back and sank into her chair.Nina blinked back what looked to be tears. “Thora? Micca?”Micca turned to her. “I’m a beta, and keeping open and decent connections with all alphas is a good career move for me.”“You can’t be both of our friends.” Nina glared and pointed at me. “It’s her or me. Make your choice.”Micca stared at her for a few seconds before she sat back down. “I guess I’m choosing her.” Micca nodded towards me and I s
Nina dropped to her knees as I slowly got to my feet. She growled softly as I turned to face her. “The thing is, Nina. That I’m the stronger alpha.” I rolled my head on my shoulders. “Now I don’t say that to brag, just to state the obvious.” I finally looked at the girl that was on the ground and I knelt. “I also won’t stand for you to bully any of my people.”“They are my people,” Nina growled, but I just tsked her.“Not anymore.” Nix came closer to the surface and our voices combined. “I’ve claimed these wolves.” “You can’t claim an alpha.” Nina tried to look up. “I technically can’t claim any of them, but I have.” I patted her head. “I don’t want or need to have an alpha on the floor in front of me. But I need you to realize that I will not be pushed around. I am not your normal prey and I will not bow down to you.”“You will.” She whispered it, but I caught her words. So I got lower, and I whispered directly to her. “Even if you are selected by the council to become the mate of
The words hung I the air. One of the girls at the table whispered, “I can’t believe she called him and said it directly to him.”Another scoffed. “She is smart. Would you rather Nina had that in her back pocket, willing to warp it and use it against her?”Rowan’s voice was holding back a laugh, and he cleared his voice. “Let me get this right. You called me, your king, to tell me that you said that if I punished you for not bowing down to my nonexistent weak mate, that you would what rebel?”“No. Not rebel. Just not respect or follow you lead.”He snorted out a laugh. “Amy, why are you wasting my time?”“While I can appreciate your busy schedule. I figured it was a smart move to explain the situation directly to you, so that in the future, no one could use my words against me to you.” I crouched down in front of Nina again. “Plus, I respect you enough to say my feelings
There was a silence that descended over the table while we finished our meal. We all we a little shell-shocked about everything.Then Wendy turned to me and leaned in. “You have the king’s phone number?”Her comment broke the silence, and we all laughed. I waved my hands in the air. “It’s nothing. All alphas get his number.”Toya cut a look at me from the corner of her eyes. “I don’t have his number.”I nodded. “Your father does.” She nodded. “I got his number because during the summer there was an emergency that I needed to request permission from the council to protect my pack, and my father was out of commission. My father’s beta gave me the number, and the King told me to keep it.” I shrugged it off. “I figured, after what I said, I would rather he heard it from myself, that Nina. There is no telling how she would have twisted it.”Everyone nodded and Th
I turned to face the second woman. “And you?”She paled as she dropped to her knees. “I listened to her because she is my luna.” She pressed herself to the floor, and I wanted to step on her.I dropped low. “What pack are you from?”“The Dark Forest pack.” The girls behind me all took a breath. But I threw my head back and laughed.“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” I tucked my aura away and waited for the two to get up.“What?” The luna sat back on her heels.“You are the smallest, and poorest pack and you feel you have to right to judge anyone?” I held out my hand.“What did you just say?” The luna released her weak aura, but I used my own to block hers from reaching anyone else.“I said your pack is weak, poor, and disgusting. Because it breeds women like you who think that just because they are ranked in your
I didn’t realize that everyone was staring at me until I disconnected the call. I turned back to everyone and just huffed out a breath. “Keep checking everyone in.”“It’s too late.” Wendy was almost in tears.“No. This king will handle it.” I was certain of that.“Are you sure?” Hanna grabbed my hand and I nodded.“I am.” So we all turned back and kept checking people in.“Alpha Amy?” Someone we checked in called back to us.“Yes.”“The doors are locked.” Everyone froze and then one girl started to sob.“Please. Everyone.” I raised my hands, waving the tablet in my hand. “I swear to you that you will not be expelled.”“You can’t promise that.” Someone called out, and the room erupted in to crying.“Listen.” I raised my hands. “There is ver
The call dropped, and a few seconds later, the doors opened. Vince was fuming as he stood there. Hand clenched around the door handle. “Get inside now.” His voice was low, but no one moved. I pushed through the crowd and smiled as I touched everyone’s shoulders. I made it to the door and met Vince’s eyes. I could tell he was livid, but I just smiled. I turned to the crowd, giving Vince my back, and I raised my voice. “File inside and find a seat. Like I said before, no one is getting expelled.” Everyone moved at that. One by one they passed me and they bowed before moving past me into the auditorium. “You will regret this.” Vince’s voice was low, But I heard the words he didn’t want me to hear.I turned and faced him. I tilted my head as I let Nix come to the surface. “For a weaker alpha to threaten me and my wolf, it takes a lot of courage.”His eyes widened as I stared him down. “Did you just say I was a weaker alpha?” His voice barely contained his rage.I leaned in so that he wa
I winked as I face him, and I watched his mouth turn up on one side. I dropped to my knees quickly and bowed. “I’m sorry, my king, but it is the only way the other she-wolves leave me alone. They all seem to think that because you were my teacher for a few classes that you favor me, and they are jealous.”Rowan rubbed his face, hiding the smirk that graced his lips. “Get up. I will address the students later, but Vince, we need to talk.” I got to my feet and bowed again. “Then I will take my leave.” I turned to leave, but Rowan grabbed my arm. “We will speak about this later, alone.” I nodded my head. “Of course, my king.” I felt him tremble as I said those words, then he let me go and I walked into the auditorium. I turned behind the door and hid in the shadows to listen to the conversation between Rowan and Vince.“Tell me the truth Vincent, you colluded with the council to expel over a hundred and fifty unranked wolves from the school my father created.” Rowan growled deeply. “
The guard was pacing, nervous. He kept glancing back at me and muttering to himself. That put me on edge. Why does he keep looking back here? Nix stood and started to pace. I don’t know. But it’s not good. I moved to the clearing, checking on my magic. I had been funneling all of mine and Nix’s extra energy into our well. Building it until our flame turned into a giant bonfire. The magic was burning bright, and it took effort to keep it contained, my like my aura. How are you doing? Megan called back to me. We are ready. I shot back. I had been studying the book for days until I figured I could use a reversal rune to block the drain of our power. It will actually pull power from those chasing us and feed it into our bodies until we remove the rune. I had carved the rune into Nix and myself. Megan, I left for last. The door slammed open and Brandon strolled in. I wanted to recoil from the look on his face; it was so vicious. But I would never hide or cower from this man. “Looky l
But Megan ignored him. He stood and crowded the bars, drawing in more air and her scent. “Fuck.” Then he turned and spun away. “I’ll be back with your next meal.” He walked to the door, grabbed a tray he had left there, and came back. He pushed the food through the tray slot at the bottom of the door. Megan popped up. She walked over slowly, watching Vince. She stopped short of his hands. Then she pawed the food tray the rest of the way to her. We walked Vince’s eyes almost completely disappear into his pupils before his wolf took over. His eyes flashed to a soft chocolate brown, and there was a deep rumbling in his chest. “You smell good.”Megan rolled her eyes and sniffed the food. Each item had to be sniffed, tasted and then we had to wait for any reactions. But as soon as Megan sniffed the meat, she pulled back and swatted the tray against the bars. Vince’s wolf watched her, and then he smirked. “Smart girl. Most don’t notice the silver.” Megan let out a low growl before she tu
There was a bang, and a door slammed open. “Alpha.” The guard at the door called, and instantly we were all on guard. “Leave us.” He motioned for the wolf to leave, and he strolled down to my cell. “Hello.” He watched me with hooded eyes. “Still vicious?” Megan growled, causing Vince to chuckle. “I find it interesting that you aren’t afraid of me.” We barked out a laugh. “Why would I be afraid of you?”Vince froze. “You speak?” Megan rolled her eyes and turned out back on him. “Stupid male.” She tossed her head, glaring at him over her back. He chuckled, then turned back to the door. He grabbed the chair there and pulled it over in front of my cell. “Well, you kept your mouth shut the first day we met. I assumed you were mute.” I huffed out a sigh. “I nearly bit half of your face off. My mouth was very much open.”He threw his head back and started laughed. “You did. I will give you that.” Vince leaned closer to the bars and Megan lifted her lip. “You don’t like me, do you?”“Sho
“You are going to let me die here?” Megan let her words sound incredulous. Rick walked to the bars. “I don’t want you to die. But I have no way of getting you out of here without being seen or found out. If I could save you and only lose my own life, I would do it. You don’t deserve to be here…”“But?” Megan cut in. “But I have a pup and a mate who would be executed if I went against Vince.” He grabbed the bar and I heard the sizzle of his skin against the silver. “I can’t risk them. I hope you and Amy will understand that.” He pulled back and turned away. “Wait!” Megan called after him.He turned. “The guard is coming back in a minute. Be quick.”“Will you come back to speak with me?” She tried to get close. “I have so many questions.”Rick looked back to the door. “I can try. But Rick doesn’t like random people coming in here.”“Then why did you come in now?” Megan pushed. “Because…” His shoulders sagged. “Because I felt like a monster and I felt like I neede3d to explain. If I
He knows. Nix’s words were soft, her eyes fully focused on the man in front of us. What are you talking about? Megan turned back to us. He’s scum.Nix shook her head. Look at him, Megan. Truly look, and push away your hatred towards Brandon, Vince, and well, all the male population. Megan snorted but turned back.What am I looking for? Megan sighed, but focused. I stepped closer, trying to see what she was seeing.Nix was focused on Rick. Look at his skin. He is sweating, he’s pale, but his eyes are focused. His hand… She trailed off.He’s clutching at his neck. Megan tensed beside me. “What happened first, Rick?”He turned his haunted eyes back to us. “What?”Megan sighed as she crept closer. “What came first? You working with Vince? Or Abby getting branded?”“Does it matter?” He slammed back against the wall and dropped to his ass. “It changes nothing.”“It matters.” She growled. “It matters to me, and I know it will matter to Amy.” “Why?” He dropped his head into his hands. “It
I waited until Vince pulled out the needle and I jumped up, growling. I let my hackles rise and I lunged for Vince, but he danced back and slammed the door shut. His chuckle was infuriating, and I lunged, hitting the bars on purpose. I yelped and jumped back from the searing pain of silver. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Everything is silver in here.” Vince wagged the key in front of me. “You will just have to be a good girl to get let out.” I nearly gagged, but I lunged again, testing how hard the bars were. They bent a little, making every man jump back. I yelped again and slid against the ground, showing the burns to Vince. “Stop!” I pulled away, slowly, weakly, growling softly to show I hadn’t given up yet. Nix rolled on the ground. You are really selling this, Amy. Vince is eating this up for sure. Megan shook her head. But don’t push it too far. A wolf cornered would fight, but a weaker wolf would stay away from the silver after this. I nodded. Oh, I know. That was the l
Nix and Megan pressed against my side. What are you saying? It’s poisoned…poisoned how? Nix leaned in, trying to see it closer, but we were stuck where we were. The power that their traps were pulling from me it was transferred to this rune. The quickening. It says it right in the name. It converts your power into physical strength and speed. Like I was doing with our power, but this is for a person who doesn’t have magic. Okay…I don’t know what’s wrong still. Megan leaned against the barrier and I laughed. Do you see the line that cuts through the rune? Both of my wolves focused on the rune that was bobbing in and out of our line of sight as he ran. Yeah. Nix finally said. The part that looks infected?Yes. That’s exactly what it is. A poisoning. It breaks the limits on the rune and pushes power into the person. Normally, the person will hit a wall. The wall being that their physical body can’t go any faster or it hurt them, it will break down their bodies. Like poison.So you’re
I heard a chuckle and then a soft whispered. “Slepta noir sha dineh por clotin.” Then the world went dark. Amy, stay awake. Nix called me, but I couldn’t move. Everything was heavy. I felt like I was snuggled under the best blanket in a dark room. Amy! Megan called after me, but I was snuggled deep into slumber. A few more minutes, guys. I called back to my wolves. I heard them both growl. What is the point of having magic if we fall victim to it? Nix growled, but Megan just sighed. It wasn’t an attack, like Verity said it was a gentle spell to put her to sleep. We are still awake, and if anything happens, I’m sure we can force her awake. But there is a bright side.What’s that? Nix sounded doubtful, but open to listening.Amy will be rested and fully recharged. Then we can figure out what the actual fuck happened. Like, how did Rick catch us?I felt my wolves settled near me. And I rolled to touch them. I wanted to wake up. This seemed like something important. Something was wro
Vince turned to look at Brandon. He looked at its stumpy fingers and shook his head. “Why would you bring up the brotherhood in front of the wench?”Wench? Is he trying to be a fucking pirate or something? Nix snorted and rolled her eyes. Vince is stupid.But I watched him. Something was off in the way he watched us. Ever since I ripped off his cheek. I think…I think he likes us, Megan. She snapped her head to mine and then gagged. Absolutely the fuck not. She shook her head. But Nix watched him. I think she is right, Megan. Everytime he says something, his eyes flick to us. He is looking for our reaction. She gagged again. No, you two have to be wrong. We ripped off half his face.I think…I think he likes us because of it. The thought made my stomach clench. Sick fuck. “Wench? Dad…common we all know she is going to be dead soon. So why does it matter?” Brandon snorted as he passed me, kicking out, but I jumped up and snarled. “I would watch your self Bran. She is feisty. She alr