I had to know the truth.Without giving any more of the merchandise a once over, I selected my weapon. Quickly I tugged the bundle of arrows tight to my shoulder and marched back into that room like I was on a mission.Yet when I passed the threshold of the archway, it felt like my mind was playing tricks on me. My feet paused just beyond the door.The two were standing there, innocently chatting about the different flavors of tea. Their forms were relaxed and idle, in a way I wasn't used to seeing the foreboding Alpha.He was leaning back against the table, one leg crossed. Mrs. Pearl looked just as flippant, her animated hands carrying her abundance of teabags.Nowhere in between their passing conversation did the name 'Fraudian' emerge.Was I losing my mind?I fumbled, my palms wrapped securely against my arrow holster. My eyes flickered back and forth between the two adults, but only Mrs. Pearl turned to acknowledge me. I watched as her gaze drifted up to the gleam of rainbow sha

"So, how many rocks do you think I should bring?" I asked despite my pride as I chiseled away at the rockscape. It felt like it had been hours since Morax first introduced dread into my system, and the space between us had been filled to the brim with awkward silences. But now, as I sat back into the beaming sunlight, it was getting more difficult to keep my mouth shut. The sides of my hands burned from their rough exertion. It was more strenuous than I thought to break through the rubble with just the tip of my arrow, but still, I focused on any pieces that looked significant to me. If it had any sort of sheen or was just slightly off in color, I noticed. Or hell it didn't even matter if it was just the slightest difference in texture, I snagged it. The work was grueling and by the time twenty minutes had passed, the sun was baking me through my jacket. I wiped my arm across my brow, breathing in the dry air around us. It was different than the moisture in the forest. It seeme

"Are you sure he would do something--" I never got the chance to finish my sentence. Timmy came bounding out of the small shop at just that moment, his energetic steps loud against the gravel. "Missy Robin!! It's all set up!!" I glanced over at Timmy and saw the way his eyes widened, looking back and forth between me and Brandon. For a second I couldn't fathom why he looked so confused, but then Brandon's fingers moved slightly on my face. I paused, my heart rate jumping to my throat. I had forgotten he was holding me in my sudden panic. Brandon let go at the same instance that I stepped away, my ribs rattled with complex spurts of jitters as I tried to find my composure. Despite everything, I couldn't focus on much besides Morax's betrayal. Wait, betrayal? It felt like ink was being poured into my eyes, blinding me. Why did it feel like the very blood inside me was wriggling, bent in anxiety? Nothing made any sense. Morax had said so many times that he was a man of hi

It went against all of my better judgment, but I couldn't bring myself to harm the pure wolf. Its eyes were staring up at me with a soft intelligence, and something about the innocent gloss I saw struck a chord in me. The large wolf was still so close, the hot pants of its breath making it hard to even wince. So, I stayed deathly still. Back in the Copse pack, I had always had a problem with animals. Call me a rabbit dressed as a wolf, but I struggled to learn how to hunt them. It was odd as my very nature was a predator, but something about hunting those who did nothing wrong unsettled me. My father had no such issue. Back when I was young, he'd snap a bunny's neck right in front of me if I didn't shoot it. My hunting abilities had been learned, drilled into me from my desire to end the pointless suffering. That's why when given the choice, I didn't like to kill. As I stared into those charcoal black eyes, my very nature fought to find another way out of the situatio

"You can't be serious." "Oh but I am, deadly serious at that." I shrieked when Morax dragged me towards the cabin taller than the rest, farthest away from the pack on an overseeing hill. My heels were digging into the dirt now, but it didn't affect the male in front of me. I was squirming like a snake, wriggling to get out of his grip, when he suddenly gave an aggravated groan. Husky and deep, when he yanked my body forward. "Would you rather go back to the cage?" He hissed. I was perfectly aligned with his bobbing adam's apple, and the proximity brought a defiant twitch to my brow. I could feel it under my skin, the intrusive thought I had to suddenly bite it. Something about the Alpha annoyed me fundamentally, like a stir that erupted with bubbles whenever he was too close. I wasn't going to accept his punishment or precaution. Whatever he was calling it. I would go insane. "Yes! That would be MUCH better, thank you." I emphasized my plight with a harsh tug of my wr