Mag-log in—Audrey I watched with a frown as another box found its way to the side of the road.“Yup. That's the last of 'em,” the man the landlord had sent—Fred, I think—said, grinning despite the sheen of sweat on his forehead.The scowl on my face only seemed to amuse him more. “Why the frown, baby cakes?”I said nothing, choosing to turn around and sit on the stairs leading to the door of what used to be my apartment. He wasn't important. He was just a faceless human, like the rest of them. He wasn’t special and certainly wasn't worth anything to a werewolf like me.Still, he'd been the one helping to kick me out onto the street. I watched him climb into his truck, start the engine, and drive away. As the sound faded into the distance, the reality of my situation settled over me.I'd lost my job less than three weeks ago and had been scraping by ever since, surviving one day at a time and hoping something would change before things got worse. Deep down, I'd known eviction was coming. I just
DAMON POV:I shift back to human form and don't bother looking at anyone as I stalk toward the pack house.My whole body hurts and I can feel blood running down my back from where Kade's teeth broke skin. The humiliation burns worse than any of my physical wounds though.I can hear people whispering as I pass but I don't stop to listen. I just need to get inside and away from all the staring eyes and pitying looks.The pack house is mercifully empty when I get there and I head straight for my room. My hands are shaking as I try to open the door and it takes me three tries before I finally get it unlocked.I'm barely inside when I hear footsteps behind me."That was quite a show," Alpha Richard's voice comes from the doorway."Not now," I mutter, moving toward the bathroom to assess the damage."I just wanted to say that I think Kade made a mistake out there," Richard continues, following me into my room without invitation. "Challenging you like that when you're both supposed to be wor
DAMON POV:"No," the word comes out before I can stop it. "I refuse."Kade's head snaps up from the maps and he stares at me like I just grew a second head. "What did you just say?""I said no," I repeat, and something dark and dangerous is rising in my chest. "I'm not stepping down, I'm not following your lead, and I'm definitely not letting you make all the decisions about how we rescue our mate.""This isn't up for discussion—""Everything is up for discussion!" I slam my fist on the table hard enough that some of the maps slide to the floor. "You don't get to just decide you're alpha and expect me to fall in line like some submissive beta.""I'm the rightful alpha of this pack," Kade says, his voice dropping to a growl. "I was alpha before you came back and I'm alpha now.""You were dead," I shoot back. "Or we thought you were dead, which amounts to the same thing. I stepped up and led this pack when no one else could and I'm not giving that up just because you're back now.""You
DAMON POV:Two days.It's been two days since Odessa was taken and we're no closer to finding her than we were when it happened. I'm losing my mind.I've barely slept, and I can't focus on anything except the horrible emptiness in my chest where Odessa's presence used to be. Every time I close my eyes I see her face, and hear her voice, and it makes me want to tear something apart.The guilt is eating me alive. Not just about failing to protect her, but about what happened with Aria afterward. The kiss, and the way I let myself forget about Odessa for even a second.Kade hasn't spoken to me since he walked in on that scene in my bedroom. He won't even look at me, he just moves around the pack house like I don't exist. And I don't blame him because I hate myself too.I'm pacing the length of my office for what feels like the hundredth time today when I finally make a decision. I can't sit here doing nothing anymore. I need to gather the wolves, come up with a battle plan, figure out w
ODESSA POV:Everything hurts.That's the only thing I can really process anymore, just this constant ache that radiates through my entire body. My wrists burn where the silver chains cut into my skin and my throat is so dry it feels like I've been swallowing sand and my stomach cramps with hunger that I've been trying to ignore for what feels like days.But the worst part, the absolute worst part, is the silence in my chest where the mate bonds used to be.I can't feel them anymore. Can't feel Kade's steady presence or Damon's burning intensity or anything except this horrible empty void that makes me want to scream. Are they dead? Did something happen to them? Or is it just the wolfsbane blocking the connection?I don't know and the not knowing is almost worse than the pain.I'm lying on the cold concrete floor in the same position I've been in since they chained me here because I don't have the strength to move. The thin white dress they put on me does nothing to keep out the cold a
KADE POV:I stand frozen in the doorway trying to process what I'm seeing.Damon looks like shit, his hair is a mess and his shirt is half unbuttoned and wrinkled like he slept in it. There's a fresh bruise forming on his jaw that I don't remember from last night and his eyes are bloodshot with dark circles underneath.And in his arms is Aria, completely naked, sobbing against his chest while he holds her nightslip in one hand like he just took it off her.The rage that floods through me is so intense I can barely breathe."Kade, this isn't what it looks like," Damon says quickly, trying to push Aria away from him."Really?" My voice comes out low and dangerous. "Because it looks like you're standing here with a naked woman in your arms while our mate is out there somewhere being tortured or killed.""I can explain—""Explain what?" I'm yelling now, I can't help it. "Explain why you're in your bedroom with Richard's daughter naked? Explain why you're holding her like that?""She came
DAMON:This can't be happening.The mate bond clicks into place between us and I feel it settle in my chest, like it's been waiting all this time to form. But it doesn't belong there because this is wrong, so completely wrong that I can barely think straight.Odessa stares at me with horror written
ODESSA:I'm pacing in my bedroom when I hear the shouting start downstairs. Damon has been back barely six hours and the pack has already been turned upside down.At first I try to ignore it because I don't have the energy to deal with pack politics right now, I'm still reeling from the day's event
ODESSA:The scream tears from my throat before I can stop it."Kade!"I'm running toward the cliff's edge but strong hands grab me from behind, pulling me back. I fight against them, clawing and kicking because I need to get to him, but the beta won't let go."Luna, stop! He's gone!" Marcus's voice
DAMON POV:The holding cells are in the basement of the pack house, cold and dark and smelling like old stone and fear.Kade and I stand outside the reinforced door where they're keeping the Silverfang prisoner and I can already hear him moving around inside, restless and probably terrified now tha







