a's

the pit of my stomach, like I'd swallowed a live

as screaming. She clawed at the insi

and knees, the cold ti

at, but it didn't sound human.

the vertebrae pop and gri

nder the pain, there was power.

nt on Slade's breath, and the expensive, musk

artbeats as loud as d

he change was wrecking me. My gums burn

uring down my face

n stopped. Ju

ds. They were shaking. I could feel her insi

in my chest. It was hyster

to scream at the ceiling b

s for strength to kill my fa

ried happy tears. I could kil

at

in my skull, a w

y happines

hest, right behind my ribs. It was pu

ted m

me. They weren't looking at me

. His eyes, usually so cold and cruel, were wide,

r

ed and awestruck at the same time.

spered. I a

ard on my hands and feet until my

is wasn't happenin

, like he hadn't used it in day

ked. "Don't you

ly. The moment I put weight on them, they gave out. I slumped against

ke. It had

h

tripping me in the hallway. I looked at Brock, the

screamed ins

ars. I had starved. I had been

t ask for a prince. I just asked to be

ng that would destroy me. She tied

de a soft, pleading sound. M

ered, my tears finally spilling ove

slowly like he was approaching a frightened d

ith the heartbreak. "That I'm mated to my abus

looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that

his voice low, intense. "It's

ing my throat. "I am nobody's! I am going

. That was the worst part. The wolf inside me loved it. She wanted

ted them. I hated

jeans. How could hope be this cruel? I finally had the power to fight back

voice barely a whisper. "J

shut, wishing I c

chest, but I knew it wasn't mine.

of pain that made the hair on my arms stand up. Brock's hand flew to his chest

heard his molars grinding together. His eyes didn't just change color; they lo

just plunged a knife into his gut. His face went gray, then flushed red, and hi

an insult. It's torture. It's their

were marionettes and someone had yanked the string. The magnetic pull of

ered, but I wasn't going to act like prey. I curled my lip up, feeling my gums ache as the

are come closer! I swear to godde

ugh the pain. He took anothe

say?" he asked. His

d every ounce of hate I had for them, every memory of the mop w

e, spitting the words out. "I reject you

can't reject us, baby," he said, his voice thick with that dark, twisted affection he always used to t

was pacing inside my mind, whining, wanti

that. Lying wouldn't help. "Yes," My

raction. He thought he had me

cond. I used t

ttress hit the back of my legs. I didn't take my eyes off them. I wat

ard steel of the gun I'd stolen from my father. I

ing it anyw

ad snapped

was a command. It was the Alpha tone. It hit me in the chest trying to for

ng forward, ignoring my growl. "The rejection... It wi

take hold. My legs shook. I w

k. Hard. I tasted blood. Th

," I

er the pillow, my finger

erious. "I want to feel something other than pain for once

mand anymore. He looked furious. He stalked to

ed, baring his own teeth. "You are

s. "I have never," I said, enunciat

nd out from un

ed to their massive shoulders and thick necks. I knew a gun this size wo

ullet was

agazine against a piece of rough concrete. I had dipped them in

being dipped in acid. It would paralyze a wolf

h froze

angry to dangerous in a

fuck did yo

"I got it from m

tremely careful now. "P

N

t us!" Slade said but he'

ed at him and Bro

the entire pack would hun

I'm already planning to ru

plain-" Slade

TO

doesn

ed to people obeying.

r the gun but

d is cat

tching his arm. Blood se

t me, trying to snatch t

ime I

im in the shoulder,

n the ground now, b

o hard the gun nearl

top," I whispere

rything began to spin and my legs immediatel