*Roscoe POV* My skin tingles as I scan her body, my lycan begging for another round with the assholes who made her bleed. I know the mate bond will eventually spark to life again after some time. But this is different. This is a deeper, hungrier need to keep her safe from everyone. To keep her with me. “You don’t understand,” Bentley says, the fear weaving through his voice as it quivers. “We need her.” I smirk, taking slow, measured steps toward him, watching as his false bravado falls away with each one. His once cocky, ‘I take what is mine’ demeanor is gone, replaced by a frightened old man who just can’t let go. “What for?” I ask, glancing over at Gemini, making sure she is far enough away from Bentley that whatever I do to him doesn’t transfer to her. “We need her, my pack needs her,” He stutters. I can’t help the way my eyes roll, tired of the lies. What this asshole needs is death, and I am only too happy to give him exactly that. I sigh, finally close enough that he take

Rocky’s hands cradle me close, tucking safely into his body as a scream tears from my lips the moment we tumble off the cliff. I try to look, but he doesn’t budge an inch. It feels like we are falling forever until we slam back into the water. It swirls around me, tearing at me, my hair yanking and pulling in various directions as Rocky remains still, the two of us sinking to the bottom like a boulder. My chest burns, my lungs beg for air as panic takes hold and I realize I’m going to die here. There was no good gulp of air before we went under and my wolf whines in my head, trying to keep us alive with whatever she is capable of doing to give me more time.My muscles slowly contract and convulse, fighting against the lack of oxygen. I thrash, trying to break free from him. Shit, I need air! I need to get to the top now. What the fuck is taking him so long? His massive hands move from the back of my head and my lower back to frame my face, then he presses his lips to mine, making me

“His Beta.” She says the two words slowly, like she is trying to digest them. Like she is trying to understand what he means, but she knows the definition.Maybe she is in shock? Or maybe she is coming to the realization that her brother is truly a true alpha. There is knowing the truth and then there is believing it. Maybe she is starting to believe it.“I am Alder,” he says, locking eyes with her, taking a step forward. My lycan doesn’t like that and neither do I as I growl, the sound rumbling through my chest just louder than the roar of the waterfalls behind us.“What did you mean by he wasn’t lying? Lying about what?” Gemini asks. The kid frowns. “He wasn’t lying about your gift. Alpha told me about his older sister and her gift of healing. I thought he was exaggerating, but the way you took all of my pain healed me…”“I thought you only helped him escape.” I narrow my eyes, cutting in. “Did you have a heart to heart showing him out?”“He was in our dungeon. I was told to watch

My stomach growls loudly, and I whimper as I press on my belly. The last thing I ate was dinner the night before and my already thin body is screaming at me to eat again. Not that it is an uncommon practice for me.Usually I am too busy healing or I pass out from the stress of it all and never have the time to eat. But now that I am walking and coherent, my body knows it needs sustenance, and it is making sure everyone else near me knows it as well.“Will your pack at least have food and water?” Alder asks Rocky, his eyes glancing at me before he frowns. “I’m fine.” I sigh. “Seriously.”“This is the sixth time your stomach has made that noise and it sounds angrier every time.”“He is right.” Rocky chips in. At least they have found something to agree on. “If it growls again, mine might join it.”“I am used to going days without food.” I scoff. “Seriously, I am fine. It will eventually stop.”Rocky stutters in his step for a second before clearing his throat and walking on.“Why would

*Gemini*Panic bleeds into me. Every millisecond feels like it stretches for hours as I watch Rocky on his knees, his face contorted in agony as he cries out. His muscles are strained and his veins bulging on his neck as if he is struggling to breathe. I press on the barrier, frantic to get out, but it feels like I am stuck with every touch, every struggle.All I know is I need to get to him, and I’m not leaving this damn journal behind. The chick, Vivian, stumbles away from me in shock and Bridger runs over, first trying to pull me to him, then he tries to push me out. Nothing works as I am suspended in the in-between, not in the pack and not outside of it either. Then my head aches, a splitting feeling slicing through my brain, making my vision blur as I dry heave, suspended in the barrier, trying to vomit from the immense pain.It lingers just enough to keep me in a constant state of ache and shaking while dancing dangerously close to passing out. Alder screams, looking around, be