บททั้งหมดของ ALPHA REJECTION: บทที่ 91 - บทที่ 100

Chapter Ninety-TwoJenna’s POVThe next morning, Eleanor and I prepare to leave in comfortable silence. Eleanor had said we would have to practice somewhere really far away. Yesterday, she had visited Leo to borrow a gun and a few bullets. Even though she had not shown the gun to me, I had been filled with acute fear at the memories of the harm that the gun had wrought in Duskhowl. All it was going to take was one shot to render me dead. But I hoped that Eleanor wouldn't turn against me. Eleanor, who has now worn skinny jeans and a shirt tank top, turns to me. She looks effortlessly gorgeous, like some of the characters we watch on television sometimes. “Ready?” She asks. I nod, even though I feel anything but. We make our way out of the shelter, hitting the pavement. Instinctively, Eleanor and I make our way towards the forest. That's where I'll feel most at ease learning, Eleanor seems to know this and follows suit without saying a word. When we arrive at a large clearing, El

Chapter Ninety-FourViolet’s POVThe forest is alive with the sounds of our hunt—the crunch of leaves underfoot, the soft whispers of the women moving through the dense brush. My breath is steady, my focus sharp, as I lead the small group deeper into the woods. Jack and the others are back by the river, preparing the kayak and figuring out how we’ll cross the large stretch of water that cuts through our path.We’ve been traveling for days, at first, the pack had been on edge at the prospect of leaving the old territory behind, but Jack had come up with the grand idea of teaching everyone to fight and defend themselves, and that had seem to bolster everyone up. The river ahead is massive, and crossing it won’t be easy, but for now, our task is clear: we need food, and we need it fast. The women had volunteered to hunt, and I'd been more than happy to lead them. We're currently in the thick of the forest, the part where large trees grow tall, curling over themselves and blocking sunli

Chapter Ninety-SixJack’s POVThe river churns before us, its current is strong and relentless. Crossing it is our only way forward, but the prospect of splitting up the pack has everyone on edge. It’s not just the challenge of the river that’s weighing on them—it’s the idea of being separated, even for a short while. We’ve been through too much together to risk being divided now, but we don’t have a choice.I glance over at Violet, who stands a few paces away, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She hasn’t said much since she returned from the hunt, but something is off. She’s been jittery, glancing over her shoulder like she’s expecting someone—or something—to appear from the shadows. It’s not like her to be so on edge, and I can feel the tension rippling through the rest of the pack.But whatever she’s dealing with, she’s keeping it to herself. She hasn’t said a word about what happened out there, and I don’t press her. We’ve all got our own demons to wrestle with right now.I

Chapter Ninety-EightViolet’s POVThe pack has settled in; their spirits lifted after the successful river crossing. They sit in a loose circle, sharing stories of old hunts and victories. I want to join them; I want to share in the warmth that the cracking fire breeds and bond with them too. But I can’t join them. Because my mind is elsewhere—always elsewhere lately. No matter how much I try to focus on the present, the questions gnaw at me, pulling me back to the edge of the forest, to the haunting moment when the tether had intervened.Why had it saved me?What did the tether want with me? I glance over at the others, feeling the distance between us. Jack is there, watching the fire, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he listens to Derrick retell the story of the river crossing and ask some of the sea animals he'd encountered during fishing.Jack catches my eye briefly, his smile fading as he looks at me. He knows something’s wrong, but he hasn’t pushed me. Not yet. I turn away

Chapter Hundred Jack’s POVViolet's recent strange behaviors have become a source of worry for me. After the successful river crossing, while everyone had rejoiced, dancing and clapping and sharing hugs, she had been a little distant, staring from a distance, as if she wasn't one of us. She had mentioned that she had been attacked by a shapeshifter but had been saved by someone, but she didn't say who. And I'd waited, hoping that she was going to come to me in her own time and tell me what had truly happened during that hunt. But she had only seemed to grow distant, always appearing skittish and jumpy. Her behavior could be linked to the overwhelming fear she had probably experienced on the verge of near death, but I couldn't help but feel like it was so much deeper than that. I look across the fire. Jordan sits on the other side with a few of the children, Corin by his side. Corin had lost his father during the human attack, and as a new orphan, Jordan seems to have taken a great