~Wren~ It’s not the darkness that will drive me mad, but the silence. The complete void of noise that is so quiet that it’s deafening. My ears ring as I strain to hear anything I can, yet… nothing comes. No one comes. Just like no one stepped up to help me. After Sebastian left, I realized I forgot dad’s meds, and his soft sobbing had filtered through our paper-thin walls, reminding me I needed to take care of him. No one else would, and if I need him strong enough to withstand the rejection, I’m certain he will want once he realizes what mom has been up to. I need to keep him in prime condition. I expected to get in trouble tonight, breaking in once again to the pharmacy for the meds and herbs he needs. What I didn’t expect was to be snatched by the people following me. I mean yeah; I knew I was being followed, that Alden had even come to supervise once, so clearly I was on their radar. But I don’t know how I got there, or why. What we do is so small in the scheme of things. We a

~Sebastian~My hands twitch as they tangle into her soft auburn hair, pulling her hard against my lips. The way she melds with me feels so right it’s hard to convince myself this is all for show. But when she whimpers in pain at my lips, a menacing growl rips from me and I pull back, looking into her eyes that try to mask the pain and confusion she is feeling. Reluctantly, I pull my hands from her hair, worried that I somehow hurt her. Shit, I got caught up in the moment. I’m not a gentleman. I’m too big and brazen for my own good. My gloved hand runs along her cheeks and down to her jaw with gentle ease, where she whimpers again. My blood boils as I zero in on the bruises on her jawbone, the ones that are healing even as we speak but look like someone gripped her face with far too much force. “She’s injured,” I snarl, my eyes fiery when they land on an unbothered Alden.

Mayhem. Complete and utter mayhem. Tank is in the water thrashing around trying to get a wolf off of his back while others move forward, lying in wait for the right moment to attack. It seems like the whole scouting party is here, which means I only have to kill a few and the others will take off with their tails between their legs. I shuck my jeans, not bothering with my shirt as I shift into my enormous wolf and join the fray. Tank growls in gratitude when I bound over him, latching onto the wolf tearing at his shoulders, and taking him with me. I launch him into the nearest tree base, not even bothering to glance at the wolf again, knowing that the sick sound his bones made is enough to keep him down for at least an hour. A light gray wolf snarls at me and I take my rightful place next to Tank, preparing for more. Sure enough, the remaining five wolves leap forward, trying to overrun us. A formidable warrior can take on three wolves at once. But there is nothing formidable about

“You don’t feel it” My voice quivers. Oh holy shit, I’m such a moron. Of course, he doesn’t feel the magnetic pull I do. “I think you are afraid of good things because you have lived a shit life. Nickolai is good for you.” “And you…” “I’m not an option.” He says, standing quickly and grabbing the back of snacks. “Eat your food. You are tired and not thinking straight.” “That wasn’t what I was going to say…” I tell him with a scowl. Sebastian presses his lips together firmly in a straight line, just staring at me, waiting for me to elaborate. “I was going to say ‘And you think I’m Nickolai’s’” His jaw clenches as he glares off into the distance, probably paralyzing some poor squirrel with his angry stare. “Aren’t you?” His gaze swings to mine and I feel pinned in my spot. “I’m no one’s,” I sigh, using my hands to push myself up. “I make my own decisions. Don’t just assume that I am someone without asking me.” “I don’t care whose you are, Birdie. So long as you understand you wo

-Get Nicki and Wren out the way we planned!- I order Tank. I jump up from my crouching position, knowing full well I can’t outrun them in wolf form. There are branches I will need to reach for to launch myself over boulders too high for my wolf’s form to take on. This means I have to hall ass to the east to get these guys on my scent and after me enough to draw their attention. I leap over some upturned roots, zigzagging through the trees, being sure to touch almost everyone on the way past, hoping to leave my scent strong enough. The crashing of the brambles and branches behind me alerts me to just how much they know this area and how close they are. They had to have scouted the area well before we arrived because it sounds like they are chasing me in human form, which means they know well enough that they will need the use of hands and not paws. I should have anticipated it, known they were smart enough, but I had been holding on to that little strand of hope that now is long gone