"19"

“I have to go home — why?”

“Alpha’s orders.”

We were pacing out of the Castle when I asked Emery. We were threading through the darkness. The thistles and bushes of the forest remained unkind, piercing and scratching my bare feet. Emery was in a rush, telling me to pack up only what I needed. Unlike the other times he assisted me out of the Castle, my guard wasn’t walking me with a leash.

I began to wonder what was going on. Emery had always been a man of few words. Now his answers were either a series of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or a two worded statement. He’s even more secretive than Martha’s secretary.

“I thought my blood contract with her meant forever.”

Emery stopped walking, turning back to me and his eyes were dark. Clearly he was pissed off. “It is.”

I breathed in deeply, not taking anymore step and tried to put on a brave face. Slamming my feet against the dry ground, I opened my mouth and screamed; “Then I’m not leaving until you give me an answer I’ll believe — or else, I’m