BRINLEY’S POVA bastard pup.That’s all I was.That’s all I would ever be.Alpha had allowed me to live. My new-born life in his hands, just a few breaths old, and still wet from my mother’s womb, he chose my fate. He gave me the gift of life.But his gift had not been without cruelty.He made sure of it...I was allowed to breathe, but I, along with my mother, had been shunned. Throughout the whole life we were labelled outcasts, forced to live and watch the tightly-knit, loving pack family......but never allowed to be a part of it.Torment. I could think of no better word to describe being an outcast for as social a creature as a wolf. Wolves thrived on their connection with other wolves. But not me. All my life, the only feeling I knew was loneliness. It consumed me, like a festering sore, eating me from the inside, out.I would forever pay for the sins of my father, whoever the hell he was. My mother had refused to even speak of him.And then she died.I was ten at the time she d

COAL’S POVThe night began like any other. There had been no indication that my life would irrevocably change in just a few short minutes. No omen that this night would be the tipping point for my future.And yet it was.Seated around the campfire with my brothers, my father handed me a beer, while I waited for Calla to arrive.“Thanks,” I grunted.Twisting the top off with a flick of my wrist, I turned it up and took a few swigs, enjoying the coldness of the liquid down my throat.My thoughts wandered, tuning out whatever sex joke my adolescent brother was telling, and ignoring their raucous laughter. I’d heard them all, and they stopped being funny around the age of twelve. I sighed heavily. They were sixteen and eighteen now, when would they grow up?Calla sauntered in fifteen minutes later. She wore a slim-fitting white top, and blue shorts, which revealed her long toned legs. Flipping her blond hair off of her shoulder, and flashing her million watt smile, she stepped past my fat

As I was lost in my thoughts, Calla’s hands found mine. “Coal?” She whispered to get my attention.My eyes snapped to hers. I forced myself to refocus and tried to keep the gruffness out of my tone, but still, my voice lowered, “Calla, I need to know what you’re up for. Obviously, we already know the situation with my mate.” I could barely say the word without grimacing in pain. “You haven’t found your mate yet. I understand if you would rather cool things off between us because I need to start thinking long-term.”She frowned, her face crinkling in confusion. “What does that mean...’thinking long-term’?”“It means I’m going to be Alpha one day, and I need a suitable Luna.”The hackles on her back rose. She stood. Her hands found her hips. Her voice rose in agitation, “And what makes you think I’m not a suitable candidate?”I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “You are not suitable because you still have a mate out there you haven’t found yet.”Her eyebrows rose in understanding

It took every ounce of my strength and determination to keep him at bay. There was no doubt he could end the conflict, exacting the punishment he deemed deserved. But his actions would start a war, a war we couldn't win, a war that would end in Brinley's demise. Tension ran through my entire frame, causing me to shake. Brinley wrenched free, bucking Calla off. She spun around and lunged forward, her canines finding purchase in Calla's shoulder. How quickly the tables turned. Now, Brinley held the position of power. She stood over Calla, who writhed and fought beneath her. Brinley shook her head viciously, her teeth sinking deeper into Calla's flesh. Calla stopped fighting, whining out her submission. My Wolf puffed out his chest as we watched, pride in his mate flowing through us. Brinley was shockingly fast and strong. She lacked training. Her strength and speed were a gift from nature. He moaned out his pleasure at seeing her dominating the other she-wolf. Heat burned inside of

Another long week passed. My new schedule was becoming routine. Alpha had decided I would no longer clean the packhouse, thus eliminating me from Coal's presence altogether. Instead, I was sent into town on a daily basis to gather supplies, clean homes or run errands for pack members who lived there. It was a ten-mile trek each way, but I didn't mind the walk, and I was thrilled to be away from the pack.I was weak, but thankfully, my Wolf had been successful in hunting a few rabbits. We didn't eat every day, but it was enough to keep us alive.Today, the last house on my list, belonged to a member of a neighboring pack, Onyx Moon. Frankly, I'd been surprised to get the assignment, because relations between Ravenswood and Onyx Moon were not always the best, aggravated by a fierce rivalry for land. And their alpha, Alpha Wilder, was known to be a ferocious man. Of course, I couldn't imagine a man worse than Alpha.I pulled the address out of my pocket, checking it again and turned righ