LOGIN"What? Mira, what is it?" I whispered, leaning closer. "You're scaring me."She didn't answer immediately. She was still staring at my palm, her eyes moving over it as though she expected the skin to change back if she looked away.I slowly looked down and soon understood why she was staring.The same palm that had held a deep, swollen cut the morning before was almost smooth. A thin pink line ran across the center like the memory of a wound. The swelling was gone. The redness was almost gone completely. And the skin that should have been raw and tender looked nearly whole."It's almost completely healed." Mira breathed, and her voice cracked upward before she clamped her own hand over her mouth. She glanced at the other sleeping slaves around us, held her breath, and waited. Someone shifted on a mat, then the room settled.She lowered her hand and dropped her voice to the barest whisper, "Elena, this was a deep cut with ceramic in it yesterday, right? How does this look like a week-o
Mira's eyes swept quickly around the inside of the warehouse, checking the door gap, the windows, the corners, before she dropped her voice lower."A slave was caught stealing." She finally revealed.My hand flew to my mouth in shock, and the sharp pain that immediately shot through my palm the moment it made contact with my lips made me wince hard, my eyes squeezing shut."Oh my goodness, Elena." Mira was beside me instantly. "Don't do that.""I forgot," I said, through gritted teeth."Clearly." She took my wrist carefully and pulled my hand away from my face, turning it palm-up in hers and examining it again. The sting was already settling back into the steady throb from before, but the brief flare had left my eyes watering."I'm fine," I muttered silently."You're really not." She said flatly.She sat down on the crate next to mine, setting a cloth pouch in her lap and opening it. "Let me see properly. I should have done this before I started talking.""You were excited." I said, t
"What do you mean by that?" I asked her."Wait for me." Mira stepped back, already angling herself to leave. "I'll be right back.""Hold on." I caught her arm. "Where are you going? Am I supposed to just stand here?""Yes, just wait for me." She said simply."Mira, I'm standing in the middle of the compound with blood on my clothes. People are definitely going to stare at me. And to make matters worse, they can begin to spread false rumors about what they aren't sure about. I don't want to get into any trouble, please." I said, my tone dropping with concern.She paused, and looked at me for a brief moment. She then looked around the compound quickly, and I instantly knew she was already running calculations in her head. Then she suddenly snapped her fingers."You know the abandoned warehouse? The one at the east end, just past the market?" She asked, gesticulating with her hands."I think so." I answered slowly. "I think I've passed by it on some of the mornings we were sent out for
I spun around immediately, and saw Mira.She was standing a few feet away on the path that ran alongside the back wall of the compound with a wide woven basket balanced against her hip, her steps paused mid-stride. She was staring at me with the kind of expression of someone who had not expected to find me where I was standing and was already running a list of possible explanations through her head."Mira," I breathed, and the relief of seeing her was so immediate that I had to stop myself from crossing the distance and grabbing her arm like a frightened child."What are you doing out here?" She moved toward me, her eyes moving quickly over my face and then dropping lower, scanning the rest of my body with quick focused attention. "You're supposed to be inside working. Why are you coming out through the back? Where are you even going at this hour?"I opened my mouth to answer, but her eyes landed on my bloody apron, and then her gaze dropped to my hand."Elena." Her voice changed com
After a brief pause, Beta Tristan took another moment to stare at the whole mess. It was obvious he had a lot to say but he was refraining from saying everything he had in mind.“I really don't know what to do with you. Today is your first day, yet just look at yourself.” He sounded so disappointed.I summoned the courage to speak up, and said, “I swear to you, I was careful. She shoved me out of the way. I promise you, I'm not lying.”“Enough of the blames. It's really not going to change anything. You're still wounded.” He said sharply, and my face fell.He sighed, and then said to me, “Take the rest of the day off and get yourself treated. You can get back to work tomorrow.”I nodded with understanding, “Alright, Beta.”He then walked away.I slowly looked around me and in no time Cara and Sylvia showed up.“Oh my! This is more serious than I thought it would be.” Sylvia almost screamed in horror but Cara quickly cautioned her before she could put them in trouble with her noise.“Y
“That's enough!”I heard the voice, but it sounded different and unfamiliar. It was nothing like I had ever heard of before.I initially thought it was Beta Tristan who stopped Diane from hitting me this time because the moment she raised her hand, I had shut my eyes in anticipation for the impact, so I didn't notice who it was.The guards who had rushed to the scene earlier all dropped on one knee with their heads bowed in unison.“Alpha.” They all chorused and at that moment it felt like time stood still.“Alpha?” I thought to myself.My wolf answer
Hearing Sophia’s voice, Jackson's expression immediately turned into concern. One I couldn't find in his eyes even after we had informed him that his own son had been kidnapped.“What is going on? What's happening to Lily? She has a fever? How high?" He turned away from me, his voice softening. "Ok
The garden below was dark and empty, but there was no sign of my son anywhere."No, no, no, no." I spun around, checking under the bed, in the closet, behind the curtains. "Jake! Baby, where are you?""Elena!" Raphael burst through the door, three warriors behind him. "Where's Jake?""He's gone! Th
Honestly, I had no answer to Jake's question, because I didn't know how to explain to my son why his father kept making another woman's child his priority.That evening, after putting Jake to bed early, I went to find Jackson. He was in his study, reviewing some pack document plans."We need to tal
"Mama, why doesn't Papa like us?"Jake's question hit me like a physical blow. I stopped brushing his hair and met his innocent eyes in the mirror."What makes you think that, sweetheart?" I asked him."He's always with Lily and her mama," Jake said, his bottom lip trembling. "He bought Lily a new







