"Where are you going, sweetheart?" he asked as I struggled in his grasp, then added quite bitterly, "To that shaggy mate of yours?""He's not my mate," I hissed through gritted teeth, trying to squirm my way out of his grasp. He seemed not to have noticed, or didn't care, because he only looked down at me and gave me a smirk full of arrogance and exasperation. "Then who is it?" he whispered in my ear."No one," I said, wiggling and twisting. Despite my efforts, he held tight to me and almost laughed at me with a smirk dancing on his face."So there's an open position?" he winked at me and I gave him a smile filled with no humor."Actually, there is," I paused as he grinned broadly, "but I'm not into sociopaths who pin people to walls and try to have sex with them.""I wish I had gotten that far," he sighed and gripped me tighter as I tried to dart away suddenly and, in my opinion, unexpectedly, "But sadly, my victim would not allow it.""Why do you do this to me?" I asked, still twis

Ryder's POVI listened as Ruby's soft breathing slowed and I knew for sure she was asleep. I turned in the bed and stared at her through the darkness, faintly making out the shape of her body through the blanket. It was kind of weird how much I felt like I knew her. She became so important to me and I had only just met her. I wondered if she felt the same way. I mean, she acted that way sometimes, but then she would say we were just friends."Why can't I just confess to you?" I whispered through the darkness, then added, "Oh right, I only just met you."I closed my eyes and pictured her soft, delicate face in my head, the beauty of her. Her flaming red hair that matched her attitude, fiery and sparky. Her blue-green eyes that always seemed to hold positivity, never a negative thought. The small sprinkle of freckles crossing the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her soft, pink lips. With my eyes still closed, I shook my head and sighed, my chest rising.It was about time for me to get som

RUBY'S P.O.VIt's been about two hours since Ryder woke me up, one hour since Brandy left, and about twenty minutes since my panic attack ended. It was about time for me to get ready, so I padded over to the bathroom, wincing as my feet touched the cold floor.In the bathroom, I changed into a baggy shirt that was supposed to be for sleeping but I always fell asleep in my clothes, and a pair of elastic shorts that clung to my waist without the drawstring. I put on running shoes, pulled my hair back into a loose ponytail, and picked up the necklace I got from the doctor after Dawn died. It was cool between my fingers, the chain slipping through the gaps between my fingers. Quickly, I clipped it into place and glanced at myself for a moment. I looked tired, but despite my internal feelings, I walked out of the bathroom, grabbing a sweatshirt and my room key on my way out the door.As I walked down the semi-filled hallways, I got looks of all kinds - mostly negative, some sympathetic. I

Everyone in the group cheered, even Bryce, as we all exchanged fist bumps and happy jeers of positivity and eagerness. We actually found the name just in time, because as soon as we calmed down, the Luna was back on the stage, instantly silencing everyone in the crowd, all of us slowly falling silent one by one. Finally, after a signature menacing glare, Luna Celestia cleared her throat, and spoke up. "Alright, all teams, go over there," she thrust a finger in the direction of the end of the field where I could see Mrs. Lockstern and the Alpha waiting with clipboards and pens, "and get you and your team members written down, the team name alongside it too."At once, people were thrown into action, skittering around one another to get to the clipboards with their team. We had a smaller group of young wolves to mate this year, one hundred twenty to one hundred thirty, so there'd be twelve or thirteen teams. Around me, our whole team began to run in the direction everyone else was, hopin

I awoke with a slight start, pressing the backs of my hands to my eyes. My surroundings felt unfamiliar, and my wolf felt uneasy even though I still knew I was at the pack house. Almost instantly, a pair of warm, slim arms wrapped around my torso, pulling me sideways on the bed I was sitting atop. I looked over and Brandy's head was resting on my shoulder, her hair tickling my nose and causing me to sneeze."We were so worried about you," Brandy giggled, sitting back in the plastic chair that was beside the bed"Who's we?" I asked, putting finger quotations around the word, 'we.'"Ryder and I," Brandy paused for a second, chewing on her lip as if she was debating telling me something. Finally she spoke again, "And Raven and Grey.""Is that it," I rolled my eyes, though internally, my heart beat quicker at the thought of Raven or Grey being anywhere near me when I was unconscious."I know you think people don't like you, but-,""Don't like me? People hate me! They pelted me with dodgeb