**** Alyssa **** Tonight the pack is throwing a huge end-of-school bonfire party by the lake, about a five-minute walk from the pack house. I hadn’t seen any of the pack lands yet as I barely left my room. I knew it was here of course, you can see the incredible lake from the pack house. I’d wanted to sneak down here and cool off in the sparkling waters since the pool was apparently off-limits. I follow the trickle of people headed down toward the lake, escorted by Jamie — obviously. Even though it’s already 7 pm, it’s still light outside. The sun is slowly sinking behind the lake and the sky is just starting to set ablaze with fiery colors, especially with the columns of smoke from the bonfires. It’s a warm summer night, the bonfires were to provide entertainment and ambiance, not heat. One of the two bonfires is attended mostly by families, and the other mostly by young adults. Smart thinking, that way the families and younger kids still got to celebrate without as much exposure

**** Alyssa **** It’s been two weeks since I’ve seen him. During this time, I’ve not been allowed to leave my room. Food has been delivered to me, and I’ve been exempted from training. I did not even attend Ava’s mom’s funeral. It’s not that I knew her, but I felt like I needed to be there for Ava. I’m miserable, bored, and annoyed. There are only so many books you can read before you start wondering if a violent escape of some kind is in order. When I was finally able to get an answer out of Jamie as to why I was locked in my room, he told me the Alpha was worried about me, and it was for my own safety. He refused to tell me any more than that. Ava was, however, allowed to visit me a few times. She kept calling me Luna, which made me nervous. I was petrified that the Alpha would hear about it in case it caused her trouble or he’d lose his mind at me over it. Ava insisted though, and she’s so freaking adorable and sweet that I couldn’t deny her anything. For the first time tonigh

**** Alyssa **** It’s been a week since I saw him. Well, I’ve seen him, but not actually spoken to him, which is fine, perfect really! At least he hasn’t made a point of saying something hurtful to me or shoving his latest beauty in front of me constantly. I requested to see him several times throughout the week only to be told he’s too busy. It’s not that I actually want to see him, I figure, perhaps, if I pester him enough, he’ll agree to a quiet divorce just to get rid of the annoying nagging wife. I certainly hope so. He also did not have my door replaced during that time. I assume that’s my punishment for gifting him with a well-deserved slap. Losing my door equates to losing the only means of privacy I had here, and it is a blow to what’s left of my tattered dignity. I have no friends, no family, and now I can’t even close my damn door to cry alone about it. He’s broken my door twice in the time I’ve been here. Both times he had it repaired immediately — so yes, definitely pun

**** Alyssa **** Mustering the remnants of my energy, I turn and lunge over the cliff’s edge. For one wild moment, I feel gloriously free. Until a split second later, a sharp pain grips my arm at the elbow. I flail and twist like a hooked fish on a line, desperate to wiggle free, but I’m definitely stuck. I know it’s him pulling me back up. With his jaws clamping tight and his teeth puncturing my skin, I can feel my skin tearing from my futile resistance. He tosses me back on the dirt and away from the cliff edge like a discarded flipping chew toy. I roll across the ground, my leg muscles aching from the run, my chest heaving, my skin burning from the abrasions, and now my arm is a bloody ragged mess. He steps toward me and sniffs my arm, I see sadness swirling in the golden orbs of his wolf. Maybe his wolf is less of a dickwad; still, on impulse, I yank my arm away from his nose. I do not want to be touched by either him or his wolf in any way or ever again. He whines before backin

**** Alyssa **** The first few days of my solitary confinement were spent in my bed, seeing no one except the young girl assigned to bring me my food and gather my plates when I was done. I tried talking to her on the first day, but she’s a frightened little mouse that won’t speak to me. I vaguely wondered if my darling husband had ordered her not to engage with me. I wouldn’t put it past him to punish me by making this isolation as painful as possible. Then I remembered what a volatile basket case I’ve been since my failed escape. I probably frighten the flip out of her. Well, the not seeing anyone part is not exactly true, although the volatile basket case thing seems to have become my new reality. To be fair, my husband has been to see me several times and tried to talk to me, nicely even. I continue to completely ignore his existence, so I don’t count his visits as seeing people. He’s not a person. He’s a monster. On the first day, the doctor also tried to see me, but I kicked u