nora

thought was my home, and locked the heavy door behind

ey had dried up the moment

s, a trip, a crisis. Now I knew. He was just spending it with his real family. And the "calming herbal tea" he

lk. I can compensate you," Jaxon said, his voice laced

My youth, my trust, my belief in the sacredness o

a single encrypted contact: Julian. My broth

send it

h of will. But the lock was special, reinforced. It held. I heard him snarl in frustration through th

r leave the Pack House!"

uld faintly hear the mental ch

in a mo

y's back. This is

use with a drive that takes a full minute to walk. The kitchen always smelled of bread. The older Pack members called me Miss Eleanora

e gaps around it. I remember Julian carrying me through the orchard on his shoulders, telling me the whole Pack

ember my mot

er I would choose my own life instead, and

g - that I would be the one to c

g. Something to be mov

ook off the diamond earrings, the sapphire necklace, every piece of

th eyes that burned with a purpose I hadn't seen

nside this house. Clara Montgomery. Th

lara, I'm not feeling well. Can you come

ass, their reluctance clear. The moment she saw my face, her professional ca

ch of the dried herbs Jaxon always used fo

kly, her portable analyzer humming softly. A f

ide with horror. "This contains a h

ked, a cold dread co

long period... it makes a she-wolf barren. It slowly

my heart. From the very beginning, he ha

ails digging into my

lp," I said. "Don't te

n my eyes and nodded firmly

mall, sleek satellite phone engraved with a single lett

told Clara. "But I'm not running

han simply escaping. I needed a bigger weapon. An

had always refused to even consider.

drawer. Inside lay a single, black me

ir Van

liance. Not for my fam

. It wasn't time for him to step in. I had