CHARITY POVCrisp night air prickles my skin, while autumn leaves crunch underneath my feet. The moon is high, with the pack gathered to watch my friend’s first shift.Electricity dances in the air, the power rolling around the field is intoxicating, and makes a person weak in the knees. Sweat coats my brow and forehead as awareness dawns.Standing with the others in the semi-circle, my gaze meets the Alpha family, surrounding my best friend, an Omega named Elle. The entire arena is quiet, even the crickets are silent. My blood rushing through my veins is the only noise I hear while my head throbs.A cry of agony cuts through, and I watch as my friend drops to the ground. Her body convulsing awkwardly as her bones break and reform. A golden cloud hangs above, beckoning to me, calling to the primal beast locked within.The longer I stare at the fog, the more intense the pounding becomes. As if the primal beast within is trying to break free. Through blurry eyes, I stare ahead at my fri

CHARITY POVIt’s another early morning, and Alpha Elle has us trudging through the woods to meet with the Rogues. “I don’t understand why we can’t just coordinate through emails or something?”We stop in the clearing Alpha Xander, and his Beta Fletcher gave us the coordinates to. Elle remains silent, walking in a wide circle, her attention elsewhere.“I didn’t think you’d be such a snob,” Theo’s words slap me, making me reel from his words. My gaze meeting his before flashing away. Guilt rising in my stomach like bile as the truth abuses my conscious.My issues may have started with their rogue status, but it quickly became about avoiding Fletcher and the visceral reaction I have to his presence. I shouldn’t be feeling this way about him when I feel the way I do for Matt. It’s wrong.Instead of responding, I follow Elle’s lead, my attention on the forest instead. My eyes scanning through the brush, head tilting, listening for the wildlife, except it’s silent. Dead silent, not even the

MATT POV “Matt?” She asks, jumping out of her skin, as she stands in the middle of her walkway, hand clutching her chest. “What are you doing here?” “The better question is,” I stomp down the steps, the anger brewing to boiling point. “Why the fuck are you coming home so late? And don’t use Elle as an excuse. I know training doesn’t start for another twenty minutes. So where the fuck have you been?” Her blue eyes widen as she nibbles on her lower lips, but I don’t miss the way she avoids my gaze. A lapse in judgement has a pang of regret poking my heart. But it doesn’t last long when I see the inner struggle behind her pupils. She wants to lie, but doesn’t know how or what to say. “I couldn’t sleep,” she responds, eventually. Her fingers twirling her hair like it does when she’s nervous. “So, I have just been walking around trying to clear my head.” “Alone?” I deadpan, not believing her words or the truth behind them. No, she is definitely hiding more from me. “In the middle of th

CHARITY POVTwo days have passed since my mother’s enlightening revelations, where they’ve had the chance to fester and grow into a smoldering fury. Thankfully, I have been too busy preparing for the ball on Saturday to deal with any of it.“Charity?” Elle says, her stare hot and inquisitive. “You ready?”“Yeah..” I shake my head, remembering where I am, squaring my shoulders as I attempt to center myself, but it seems impossible, until Theo steps onto the training mat. He walks to the other side of the circle before turning to raise his arms in defense.The second my foot crosses the barrier into the fight zone, it’s like I transform into a different person. Each of my five senses are at hundred percent as I focus on my target, the beta.Elle stands on the sidelines, watching intently to give tips and pointers when necessary. Her plan to retake Silver Run begins the day after tomorrow, at the New Moon ball honoring their son, the alpha heir. The second the word “begin” is said it’s l

FLETCHER POVLeaves and gravel crunch under my boots as I pace back and forth in the tree coverage. Mars is in step with us, the pair of us more anxious than we usual. We have broken into enough packs to break free helpless members from cruel alpha’s but none are like this.Charity is inside and has been for the last few days. If Alpha Elle and my alpha, Xander, hadn’t planned it that way I would have been inside to get her already. Instead, I am stuck in the woods, waiting, wondering, and hating every fucking second.“You want some?” Xander asks, reminding me of his presence. I turn to find him holding out a joint.“No,” I reply, with a shake, keeping my attention on Silver Run’s territory. According to the plan Xander and Elle created tonight is when all hell is supposed to break loose. If only that hell could come sooner, so I could get to Charity faster.“You’re saying no?” Shock vibrating from his demeanor. “You?”“I’ve said no to weed before,” I snap, with the roll of my eyes. “