Sheila looked at me, then over at Alec. Then her eyes found the broken cot.“I knew it!” Sheila said.“Fine, yes, you were right. Can we get a couple of minutes?” I asked.“This is my tent,” she teased.“Please,” I said.“Fine, I’ll wait outside,” she said dramatically. “Next time put a sock on the door or something.”“Is that even possible on a tent flap?” I asked.“Alec does live alone, just saying,” she said on her way out.I looked over at Alec and the two of us burst into laughter. “I guess we weren’t fast enough.”“What did she mean by that?” Alec asked. “When she said she knew it?”I rolled my eyes. “She’s been saying the two of us should hook up for a while.”“She’s smart,” he said.I pulled my shirt over my head. “She’s pretty great.” When I poked my head out of my shirt, Alec was glaring at me.I looked around. There was nobody else in the tent. That look was aimed at me. “What’s wrong?”His eyes moved down to my still naked hips. “Were you going to tell me?”I looked down an

Sheila turned on a lantern when we reached her tent. My heart sank when I saw that the cot was back to normal. Alec had either had it fixed or found a replacement. Was that his attempt at an apology or was he simply fulfilling his role as the leader of the feral shifters?“You’ll want to get some sleep tonight,” Sheila said. “I don’t know all the details, but I think tomorrow will be a big day for you.”“If it’s still happening,” I said.“You had a fight. It happens. But we never let disagreements take us away from our plans. We have to be careful out here to survive,” she said.I swallowed down the guilt again. I shouldn’t be here. I’d put them all at risk. Alec knew it from the beginning, yet he let me stay. I should have taken my chances walking to town and found a job. Stuck to my plan. Moved on with my life as a human. My wolf seemed to growl at the notion.I sighed. I’m not going to go back to the old plan.I couldn’t now that I’d started to wake my wolf. I had to break the bond

“Lola, it’s time to go.”My eyes fluttered open to see Alec standing over me. My heart started racing and I was excited to see him. Then I remembered why he was here and all of yesterday came crashing in around me.“Shh, Sheila’s still sleeping,” he warned.I wasn’t sure how long I’d slept or what time it was, but this trip down memory lane wasn’t going to be any easier no matter when I went or how rested I was.Tossing the sleeping bag aside, I sat and tugged on my boots. Then I followed Alec to the front of the tent. I paused at the door, glancing behind me at Sheila. My stomach tightened and I suddenly wished I’d said goodbye last night, just in case.For some reason, I had a sinking feeling I might not be returning here. I wasn’t as set on running anymore, but I knew I couldn’t put Sheila, Mario, Megan, and all the others I’d met at risk. If it was too dangerous for me to return, I’d find somewhere else to go.With lingering sadness, I exited the tent. Hopefully, we’d cross paths

The trailer park was about two miles from the barn. The route was familiar, something I’d done a hundred times or more. A life spent avoiding others had taught me all the less traveled paths and given me an edge at staying invisible.I kept my head down and walked past homes and stores. I knew enough to act like I belonged without making eye contact. My fifth-grade teacher walked past me on the street. My pulse raced, worried she’d stop me and say hello. She didn’t even acknowledge me.Soon, I was out of the shopping area and cutting through neighborhoods and parks. In the distance, I could make out the trailer park that had been my home my whole life.Some of the residents were outside this morning. Ethan McIntyre, a regular of my mom’s, was sitting in a blue plastic kiddie pool with a can of beer in hand. I wrinkled my nose. How my mom was willing to even let him in her bedroom, let alone between her legs was a mystery to me.A dog barked and ran toward me, only to be pulled back by

There was minimal light coming in through what looked like thick curtains. It was likely day, but I had no idea if it was morning or afternoon. Memories came flooding back and my chest tightened as I recalled Alec’s betrayal. How could he do that to me? He knew how my pack treated me and he knew I didn’t want to be with Tyler, but he brought me back. He never had any intention of breaking the bond. He used me to get the information about the toxin, then sold me to my vicious mate.I fought against tears, knowing that whenever my captors walked in, they’d think I was emotional over getting caught. I probably should care that I was tied up but my stupid broken heart was causing more discomfort than the familiar threat of Tyler’s violence.Until this moment, I hadn’t realized how much I gave to Alec. It wasn’t even about my virginity. That wasn’t all that special growing up in a pack like I had. Sex was fun and partners changed often unless a mating bond formed. I’d held off, though. Not