LOGINGideon’s hand slid from my wrist to my waist, his fingers splaying against my side. He pulled me closer until my chest was touching his, our legs tangling together under the water as we treaded.I heard Sebastian’s sharp intake of breath, and then he was right behind me, nearly touching me now.I lo
Avery’s POVGideon stared at me like he had just seen a ghost, and Sebastian wasn’t much better. His mouth was hanging open slightly, his eyes wide.“What?” I asked, treading water. “You look like you’ve never seen someone take a swim before.”“We thought you were dead,” Gideon said.“I almost was.
I turned to the rogue and rolled my neck. “Don’t worry. I will.”The rogue lunged.I sidestepped and caught him by the wrist, twisting hard. He yelped and tried to pull away, but I held fast. I drove my knee into his stomach, and he doubled over, gasping.“Where is she?” I snarled.He spat blood at
Gideon’s POVSebastian and I stepped out of the tent, back into the mud and the rain, and looked around.“Which way?” he asked.I crouched down and pressed my hand to the ground. The rain had washed away most of the tracks, but there were still faint impressions in the mud. Bootprints, heading furth
Avery’s POVMy lungs burned. Every breath felt like swallowing glass and my muscles ached, but I forced my legs to pump faster.Behind me, I could hear him crashing through the underbrush. He was fast, and he was getting closer. I heard his footsteps pounding just behind me. I didn’t dare to look ba
Another rogue lunged at me from the side. I released the first one and spun, catching the second mid-air. We went down in a tangle of limbs and teeth, rolling through the mud. It clawed at my face, trying to get to my eyes. I jerked my head back and bit down on its leg, crushing bone and tendon. It
“It’s sad when one of our best Alphas succumbs to weakness,” Reynaud feigned tragedy, frowning as he stared at Gideon across the floor, “and I wish I could say that I hadn’t seen this coming, but sadly, the signs have been all too clear.” Now Reynaud spun to address the crowd who had begun to murmu
Avery’s POVThe sun was setting on another day of hard work. I stretched wearily, feeling my shirt draw tight over chafed skin. My shoulders and back ached from bending low over my tasks. I walked over to my water bottle and chugged it, grateful for the cool water.I was eager to collapse into my be
Jessica stared at me for a long moment, then inclined her head, “Go on.” “I am leaving the pack on a business trip for a few weeks,” I said, and saw her nod. She had known this already, “Dierdra is staying behind. I need someone to keep tabs on her and let me know what she does in my absence.” “Yo
Avery’s POV I didn’t sleep well that night. Flashes of my conversation with Reynaud ran through my mind on loop, causing me to toss and turn fitfully. Over and over I considered what I should do. Reynaud had been specific about what was on offer. He dangled power and prestige in front of me, and







