air. Cora yawned, her eyes watering. Sleep eluded for her the entire

but please do not cry in fro

ot reply.

e, you do realize?" Gally asked

now. Your sadistic brother kidnapped my Ben. He is only ten

ned, turning to face Cora. "Cut the self-pity shit out. Get over it. Life s

"s a linked disconnect with the world and ho

gift, marry a human, and father his young if it meant keeping my family alive. You act as if we are g

motional, with every instruction from Gally slowly chipping away at her spirit. Cora couldn"t i

en rooted in Cora"s chest. This was no longer a di

r game. She would try and win this

tened the room. Particles of dust danced in the new light,

, which was held up by tying around her neck. A long, thin black leather strand cinched at the

made her

aid, bringing them al

. This will work well. Your outfit is simple so that he can see the bareness of you." She stopped and looked Cora in the eye, a gentler expression surprisin

el right now," Cora said w

w everything," Gally

ne. Waiting for Gally to return seemed to stretch into hours, but she knew it was only minutes. When

predicting which way it would go. There was a false sense of

t a dull, wooden hall, exiting onto a more decorated second landing before advancing to

hat Ludovic wou

he asks, Cora," Gally said, taking a step clos

. If Cora wanted to save Ben, let alone her own life, she"d have to become something else today. She tried to get into

he didn"t care about any Alphas.

unters, with their worldly demeanor and hardened eyes. They were hu

ded right now, but the

I can"t get into t

e would know what to do. Her father would try to kill them while telling Ben and

but the only gray metal she could

Protecting her family, at all costs, was her duty. Her mother had tasked her with that jo

ready. She

lpha over. To win him over meant that she might indeed become a lycan, which meant she woul

everyone

immediately, as most of it w

She bowed her head down in the act of submission as Ga

oor o

oor, looking at nothing in particular. She tried to steady her breathing, b

eripheral. It was important to look directly at the ground. Calculated foots

d hear him breathing; she thought she hea

oth voice that was so much more pleasing to

hat to do. She didn"t understand a word he sai

id with the t

t gray, his skin lighter than hers but not pale. He had long ash colored hair that was braided down the middle in three rows. The freshly shaven sides of hi

eyes were hardened and imperious. His nose was large, but it fit his face well.

warmth to be found. So much for my dashing go

on. She didn"t know if she felt comfort or disturbance at another participating in this. What

e as she realized she was just staring at Ludovic. She quickly

od up, and she came to his chest. He walked around her, his

e task at hand, leaving little room to think about anything else. He was close enough that s

scaped her. One of his hands grabbed her braid. His voice rumbled in Swe

" she asked, starin

rry. Forgot to say that. Bit nerv

e started

were smoldering, and she felt ridiculous for thinking that. She co

, a conversation took place about one"s role as a Luna and if one was

s figure, her attention stolen by the scars that lined him. He reached for her wrist, and she was so nervous that she jumped back when his rough hand to

ough her shoulders and arms as gooseflesh rose. He didn"t like

must like his touch, or

" she said with a small, forced smile. Manners. Respect. She ha

there. She deeply exhaled, the warmth of his body encompassing her entire right side. His voic

changing from fear to exci

e back of her dress. She

e, but he seemed more disappointed, rather than furious. In

nt than when Gally saw her naked body, as this felt private and erotic. Perhaps lycans were more open and readi

nd impatient, languidly glancin

look at your body. If you are to be entertained as a Luna, then he has to e

For any of this. Surely, he could understand that? She eyed the

r was familiar with someone. None of those things apply here. I am not comfort

ovic looked her up and down,

ranslator wordlessly followed, and when the do

d her, following th

e

rren goin