lde

to me in fragments

zy-Austen handing me a glass of sparkli

up on a hard, tr

aring. I was in a box. A glass box, roughly eight feet by eig

oat. I scrambled to my knees, my hands press

My voice sounded muffl

business partners, wealthy humans in the know. They were all holding champagne flutes,

raised platform just ou

ssessively around Debra's waist. She was wearing a red dress that looked like spi

the speakers, though I could only hear it muffled thro

ass. "Austen! Let m

long, the Blackwell Pack has been held back by outdated tr

s shoulder. "Look at her," she mouthe

It wasn't just glass. Beneath the transparent fl

mation from the Elders." He paused for dramatic effect. "The Su

rld st

ng. He was testing Austen. That

ing my mind out as hard as I could. Daddy,

of the crowd applaudi

a radio signal from a dy

... my lit

e! But he was far away,

arrogance, "The Blackwell assets and the Alpha power tra

d to face me. Hi

ould hear. "You claim to be royalty. You claim to be strong. Bu

s and reshape into a beast that could shatter this glass, bu

can withstand," Austen sneered.

n in the ceiling

voice carrying through the glass. "She w

pump into the cage. It wasn't just air

nstantly biting into my skin. "T

agne glass to me. "To th

oed, though I saw a few elders exc