جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

Josephine POVIt was strange being back in Kisatchie National Forest. So much had changed in five years, but the forest remained the same. I still found it beautiful and peaceful despite knowing it harbored my kidnapped son. That wasn’t the forest’s fault, though.Jules waited for us just off the road, stepping from behind the trees when Caleb parked the truck. He hadn’t changed much since I’d last seen him, his red hair standing out among the wolves he’d brought with him. More people had shown up than I expected. I thought we’d get two, maybe three. But I counted eight, Jules included. They even had two women with them. That was a pleasant surprise.Jules greeted Caleb with a bear hug, thumping him on the back with a flat hand. When he released Caleb, he turned to me.“Josephine, it’s good to see you again,” he said. He must have seen my skepticism. The last time we’d interacted, he’d dodged my questions about Caleb. “I’m sorry for how I acted all those years ago.”“You’re helping me

Caleb POVWe waited until dusk to implement the strategy. That’s when the guards changed over, and darkness would give us the best cover. James was supposed to be on watch that evening, giving us the perfect opportunity to slip into the commune. Getting in would be easy. It was the rest that worried me. We had a lot of moving parts.The rest of us stayed back while James relieved the pack protector at the guard post. Muffled chatter came from inside the booth. I couldn’t make out the words, but the tone sounded neutral—friendly. Nothing to worry about. My heart beat too hard in my chest as the minutes ticked by.Finally, the guard left the small wooden building and strolled toward the commune. I motioned for everyone to wait until he was out of sight, and then I waited a moment more just to be sure the coast was clear.“All right,” I said in a low voice. “Let’s make this quick and quiet.”I led the small group through the entrance, and James joined us. It was only a short walk before

Josephine’s POVWe hung back while Caleb’s team ventured further into the commune. I waited with my heart in my throat. I didn’t like that Caleb was putting himself in the line of fire, but his plan was our best option for rescuing Theo. I just hoped I wasn’t trading my mate for my son.I knew Caleb would shout for Elijah and bait him into revealing himself, but that didn’t stop my stomach from dropping when his voice echoed through the compound. All eyes had to be on Caleb for this to work, but I hated it all the same.“Let’s go,” James whispered.I gathered my strength and focused on the task at hand. Caleb could handle himself. It was Theo I had to think about now.We crept behind a row of houses, avoiding the main thoroughfares. It was strange being back in Moon Edge. I’d only spent a week in the commune, but my time there was seared into my brain. The emotional intensity of those days heightened everything, from my connection with Caleb to the strangeness of the pack. Caleb’s rej

Josephine’s POVSix months laterI sat on the porch of the cabin we lived in when visiting the commune, watching JULES and JAMES with a bunch of shifter kids, Theo included. They were playing a game of shifter tag. Whoever was ‘it’ changed into their animal form and chased the others. Most of the children were wolves, but more and more shifter families joined us every day.Theo, in his light-brown wolf cub form, pursued a little girl of about six. He caught up to her, tapping her with his paw and transforming back into his human form with a laugh.“You’re it!” he shouted before running away.The little girl shifted into a bear cub and looked for a target. She gained speed, running across the play area and tackling JAMES. The other kids also shifted and gathered around a laughing JAMES. There were mountain lions, wolves, and even a hyena whose family had moved in last week. They piled atop JAMES, who playfully yelled for JULES to save him.“Every man for himself!” JULES called back.Bu

Keep reading for the opening chapter of the next standalone novel in the seriesELENA POV Air whooshed into my lungs, ragged and desperate.I am going to die this time! No one is going to save me.My hands scrambled at my throat, clawing for a breath that wouldn't come. The grip lingered. The pressure of those hands is a chilling memory."Please," I choked out, voice thick with panic, even though I knew it was pointless. I knew who it was. I knew he was going to kill me."Don't kill me, please," the words rasped from my dry throat. A final, futile struggle against his tightening grip. The darkness at the edges of the vision crept closer.His voice, laced with venom, echoed in my mind. "Shut your mouth. You're worthless to me, you WITCH!... I'll send you to hell, just like your mother." The look in his eyes, devoid of any humanity, sent shivers down my spine, even in the waking world.Claws. That's what he was reaching for. He'd become the monster he always threatened to be, transform