OSE

who caught me on the stairs is Alpha Ronan. The Alpha of Death. The same man Warren so casually

tand why he st

nd he is terrifying, don't get me wrong. There's something about him that makes the air feel different, heavier, like the atmosphere itself adjusts

is dan

. Six. And not a single one of them made it out. Whatever he is, whatever this pull is that makes my chest do strange things when

s pack is anyth

e's just this hollow quietness sitting in the center of my chest. Westbrook was never truly home, not after Father died and everything that was supposed to be mine was

side, no voice to call for help. If I run, I get dragged back. If I resist, I end up in a cell worse than Warren's

ver decided

, one hand resting on his thigh. Nikolai, his Beta, is in the front seat, and the two o

ck out th

an eerie little voice whispers at the back of m

blestone streets line every path, smooth and even. The houses are magnificent, grand, surrounded by greenery so deliberately kept it looks like the land itself is proud to be here. Pack members move throug

h something I don'

I'm petrified is an understatement, every single person we pass bows,

to me?I almo

t shameful secret. I'd forgotten what it felt like to be seen as something other than a burden. My throat tightens and I

even more extrao

ve been expecting him, which I suppose they have. The interior is warm, I barely have t

of quiet competence that tells you they know exactly what they're doing. They turn when we enter, and I'

w to bo

. Then his eyes move to me, and he bows

u

here behind my sternum

ucted during those long dark days in the cell when I had nothing

ly, efficiently, and it's only when the elderly man takes a gentle ste

scar, every bruise still yellowing at the edges, every mark that tells the story of years I've spent being someone's p

sts at my sides. I do

It's standing in front of strangers and watching their faces shift when they realize how mu

eyes on the s

t look

expression gentle. "I'm going to need you to

im, then nod