I sat there at the table for longer than I ever wanted, listening to conversations that I knew nothing about. In a weird way, I liked that I was included, but I didn't want to be here at the same time. Maggie and Adam were talking about some sort of ceremony in a month's time, my Aunt Adelaide had left the table to talk with Leah and Charlotte about dresses being altered or something. So I was left alone to wonder when I would be able to leave, I was dreadfully tired still, my body even sorer right now than it was a few hours ago. I had eaten enough to fill my stomach for now, and all I wanted to do was go back to my appointed room to be alone. But that didn't seem to be an option. "Isabella," James's voice spoke from beside me, "nice to see you alive." I turned to look at him, "If this is your version of conversation, please, go make it with someone else." I rolled my eyes. Something about James made my blood boil, he was just naturally annoying for some reason. I heard Adam snort,

I was left alone in my bedroom, and Alexander dropped me off without a word. He was silent after our heart-to-heart earlier. I was baffled and hurt that he didn't bother to stay or even offer to help me find my way to the dining hall. Maggie ended up coming to gather me for breakfast, and even she was quieter than usual.  "Mags?" I murmured, encouraging her as we headed to the breakfast hall. She peeked over at me for a moment but didn't reply. "Maggie, what's up? Why are you so quiet?" I questioned, tugging her arm and forcing her to look at me. She finally sighed, "They're having to mark James." She mumbled. I made a confused face, "What? What's a mark?"  "It's something you do not want to get in this world, Bella. It's a sign of incredible disrespect." She described, picking at the hem of her shirt. "An Alpha Mark is when you are found guilty of directly going against your Alpha. And James already has one."  "What does that mea

We stood there for a moment, just staring at one another for a while before she spoke up. “I want to apologize for the things my sister has done to you or said.” She began, “I just want to let you know that we’re not all like that.” I shook my head and crossed my arms, “Mary, you shouldn’t have to apologize for what your sister has said to me- or anyone. She needs to be held accountable for her own actions.”  She smiled sheepishly at me, “I know, but I don’t want you to feel like we’re all that way… I want to be friends with you- I’ve never had friends outside of Leah’s.” I frowned, “Just because they’re Leah’s friends doesn’t make them yours, Mary.” How controlling was Leah? She giggled, “Well, you’re quite limit

I watched as Maggie peeled out of the parking lot, leaving Alexander and me alone. I puffed out my cheeks awkwardly, “So uh… what do we do?” He chuckled and shook his head, “We go home.” I eyed him as he swung his keys on his pointer finger. I nodded my head, “Right.” I followed behind him to his parked vehicle, opened the door, and let myself in. Just as I was about to close the door, it shut behind me, causing me to jump and stare at the window. Alexander stood there, a slight smirk on his face. I glared at him before he left to walk around the front of the car to climb in the driver's seat. I grumbled to myself as I buckled in, “You didn’t have to slam it.” Alexander drove back toward the pack house, driving the speed limit, much to my surprise. I thought he would be one of the types to speed everywhere. And just like the lack of speeding surprised me when he turned in the opposite direction of the house, I turned to look at him. “Where are we going? The Packhouse is that way.”

Adam and I walked side-by-side through the thinned-out part of the woods. This is where the younger kids walk to the lake near the house since they could easily get lost; this was the Pack's solution to allow them to walk throughout the woods without being managed. Children here were much more responsible than where I’m from. “Alexander gave an Alpha order, Isabella. Do you understand what that means?” He asked, causing me to glance over at him. I nodded my head, “Yes. I have to listen to it.” He bobbed his head once, “Yes. And until we get this sorted out, we shouldn’t speak about it much… All that I can say is that light-colored eyes are very important and that when you shift, Alexander must be present.” “Don’t you mean if? For all we know, I could be like Maggie and not be able to shift at all.” I shrugged, trying to hold on to hope that maybe I didn’t have to stay here, no matter how much it was growing on me. I missed my old life, my old routines, Gabe, my work. I didn’t wan