Before I can respond, Beta Pride swiftly intervenes. "She passed in childbirth, Alpha Thane. It's a painful memory for us both and why my Makayla is so dear to me." I would think he meant those words if I didn't know better. Maybe Beta Pride has his eyes set on a future in the arts. His devotion to his own act this evening is downright award-winning. That sad look on his face… you'd never know he curses my mother every single day and beats her daughter whenever he can. The mask is slipping. It's now or never. "Thank you for the opportunity to meet you," I say, and then, with tightly controlled composure, I turn and exit. Racing out of that suffocating study, I gasp for breath, and my body trembles with relief. The promise of the night air calls to me. I crave it against my clammy skin. Every step brings me closer to freedom, away from the oppressive walls of the packhouse and the critical gaze of everyone who wishes me dead. Pushing through the exterior doors, I nearly weep when

Smoke wafts into my face, stinging my eyes. Because why wouldn't it? What part of me hasn't been tormented in the last 24 hours?I scalded my skin and scratched at it with a rough rag until there was no trace of Alpha Nolan's touch left. The scars and bruises from Wesley and Russel are all but gone. And yet, every inch of me still hurts down to the very marrow. I barely had the energy to start the fire in my pit, but it needed to be done.Fear and worry kept me from eating at the dinner, and now that the panic has worn off from Alpha Nolan's advances in the courtyard, I'm starving. I've hunted and scavenged some meat scraps from the café in the territory. I throw them into my lone, worn-out pan, adding the few unbruised vegetables still rattling around in the bottom of my cooler. It's not gourmet, nothing close to the finery I was served in the packhouse earlier. But washed down with some tequila, it'll do.The meat sizzles in the pan as flames lick up the sides, charring the metal bl

Shaking my head, I stab my food and shovel it into my mouth, ignoring Rafael's amused gaze and lopsided grin."I am curious, though." Rafael shifts on the stoop, turning to face me directly, his leg pressing into the side of mine. Heat ignites at the point of contact and ripples through me. I hate this. And I will force myself to hate him if that is what it takes.I begrudgingly swallow the delicious and not-at-all-tough meat. "About?""How did you come out here in the first place?""I volunteered," I lie. "During training, I showed an aptitude for guard work and volunteered to be a sentry out in the deep woods. Since it's far from the packhouse and the central territory, I set up a place to stay.""You must be very dedicated to River Crest to accept such a lonely post.""With all my heart and soul," I snort."Makayla—""You want another beer?" I'm up and halfway to the cooler before he can respond. I don't know why I ran just now. It's just… the way he said my name made everything in

It's like a flip switch inside of him. Rafael's gentle, tender manners shift. He's ravenous and rough. Primal. His hands grip my hips, pulling me forward against his open mouth. Wet heat envelops me, and I squirm as his tongue laps against my skin. When his tongue dips inside the first time, it's a shock. Gasping, I rock my hips forward against him and tense as he laps at my opening again. Breathless, I try to tug my hands free from him and fail. His grip tightens, and he flashes me a warning look as if his tongue isn't curling around the most sensitive part of my body. I tense again when he begins to suck as well, adding even more sensations. My heart's pounding. I'm going mad. It feels so good. And when he moans, the vibrations send my eyes rolling. Rafe stays nestled between my thighs, devouring me, thrusting his tongue in unspeakable ways, lapping and tasting until my body spasms, and I buck against his face. "I feel…" I don't know what I feel. Tingling. Throbbing. Everyth

“Reject you, Rafael Crane, as my fated mate.” Rafe silently drops to his knees, hand clenched over his heart. Pain darkens his eyes and furrows his brows, but he doesn’t make a sound. A single tear trails down his cheek, and that is all I allow myself to see. Turning on my heels, I race from the trailer and disappear into the trees. My chest’s burning and aching. I feel like I’m dying. Milla rages within me, thrashing wildly about in pain and fury. “Why?! Why did you do this? Why did you reject him? Our mate! Our perfect mate!” she snarls, wincing in agony. “It’s better this way.” I don’t believe my own words, but that doesn’t matter. “Liar! You liar! You know we are best with him. We are strong with him!” Milla whines, “He was our freedom.” “He’ll make us weak. We’ll grow to rely on him, and he’ll turn on us, just like everyone else does when they find out about Nemora.”“That’s not true!” Milla’s fury blinds me temporarily, and she struggles to the surface, trying to take co