Dannie cried out as pain sliced through her head again. Her vision turned dark and she saw Sara in her mind, only the healer looked much younger, maybe late teens or early twenties.“It’s not okay,” she demanded. Her blue eyes blazed with hate and disgust as she looked at Dannie then turned to her parents, who also looked a lot younger. “Caius, Desirée you can’t trust this demon!” “Balric says we can trust her,” Dannie’s mom said, lifting her chin. Dad’s lips pressed thin as he looked at Dannie then down to her side.“But can we trust, Balric?” Sara demanded. “Look at him! This is not how rebirth works. You know this. She’s done something to him!”“I am still me, Sara,” A child’s voice insisted and Dannie looked down at her side. He was maybe seven or eight, light brown hair in a mass of curls.What was this? Dannie thought, confused. This never happened. She would’ve been a baby when Barlic was a child in his current life. Another pain shot through Dannie’s head and the images chang

It took Dannie almost five hours and a long hot shower before she calmed down enough to be willing to be around anyone. When Sara looked up when she entered the infirmary, Dannie expected her to make some kind of comment or snide remark. Instead, Sara immediately set the broom against the wall. “Come over here and sit on the bed.”

With Voss busy with Balric, Dannie crawled to her car. She needed to get the suppressant before it was too late. Dannie didn’t make it far when a foot landed on her back, pushing her down and grinding Dannie against the asphalt. “You know, this is mercy. She’s a freak.” Dannie gasped as pain tore through her. Her muscles were starting to contract. “See, too weak to even fucking defend herself. Like I said it’s a mercy. Most of my people wouldn’t be as kind.”

The ranch was the closest thing werewolves had to prison, in the entire country. Their criminal activity that didn’t carry a death sentence was very low. Currently, the ranch had twenty men and women worked there and served their time. Most of those there were paying back to the community for crimes where they lost control of their instincts or disobeyed their alpha.  Crimes like murder were rare and were what made Ian, Desi, and Balric become so notorious, not that Balric was proud of the fact. Though, only Danielle seemed to enjoy reminding him of his past.

“Shit man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” Dannie said rushing over to Balric. He grunted as she helped him sit up. Dannie dusted off the dirt and grass that stuck to him. “Are you hurt? Should I go get Sara?” “Danielle,” Balric said, grabbing her hands and holding them in his. “I’m perfectly fine.” “Are you sure?” she asked, feeling guiltier and guiltier by the minute. “That was like twenty feet.”“And? I can handle a lot more than that, Little Mason.” He grinned at her as he brushed the hair away from her face with one hand, yet still held her hands in his other one. It was only then when Dannie realized how close they were. She swallowed and tried to suppress her body’s reaction to said closeness. “I’m more concerned about you. What happened? Your heart was racing and your breathing out of control.”As Balric looked at her, concern etched in his face, Dannie felt exposed and everything she was, was out there for him to see. “I felt something. A otherness,” she admitted, tugg