ro

back in its place from where the royal warriors tore through my stuff. They ransacked the house, too, yelling for

eal young females from the commoner hospital wards, forcing them to be slaves unti

to convince the royal warriors that there aren’t any unmated fem

nother female later on, taking her right there in the middle of town from what my father told me. They assaulted her body and didn’t care w

orderlines, skipping over the pleasantries with Alpha Gunther and going

don’t like commoners that are mated. That’s why my mom has been safe all these years. They tell me about how they want th

lastic bag taped to my window, hiding a small crack that was created when a piece of my furniture was hauled into the wall nearby, cra

iend Ann reaches o

pe for after a raid of royal warriors. Ann, oh moon go

her closest friends, both of them unmated and thankfully just as brave to help Ann as Luke had helped me last ni

I’m still petrified of what happened yesterday. Where

esitate and mull over her words. Aurora, I need to tell you something, she sighs, something

r to see three silhouettes’ downstairs, meandering outside near my front porch.

e encounter with the royals. I give them both a small wave, hating the sight of my parents so distraught, but it’

all but Luke, and their express

brown color while his hair matches almost perfectly, combed back and wet like it’s fresh f

le, which is a sight to see, Ann only five-foot three, shorter than me by a few inches, but built with enough spunk to fuel a

s arms in front of his broad chest, his bold shoulders perked up at the sight of me,

vels through us all as I fac

ing to her worried tone in the link j

before returning her light eyes to my own.

birthday, the most important of his life, and he could very well

re going over there to meet with him on his birthday and then ma

into Luke this morning. He had a wild look in his eyes, and he

d smell his mate

ondering why he hasn

when it

the quiltmaker’s famil

together but the pieces beg to be set loose and scatter. My knees knock, wondering if they are mistaken, maybe they didn’

ve to b

to his body. He holds me still, even as I shiver, and I finally release the tears into his shirt that have been thre

I see the busy paths of our town, our pack, trying to reconcile and move on from the horrid events of yesterday.

him kissing another female utterly ripping my soul out of my

He moves behind me, his hand resting on my shoulder and if it weren’t for Row’s

parts assurance and grief. “It’s been a rough two days, g

would be a good start,”

stay upright during my incapacitating sobs. “I agree but ma

drinks from the casino?”

ever even imagined the reality of him finding his mate and it not being me. I should have been that girl, taking

,” I blurt, my voice mu

take a count of who wants to g

“We can take some of that to keep the bartenders from knowing we are underage. “It does

Row mentions, breathing

their market shop with a fresh variety of meats. He hums a noise that radiates through my ear, firmly presse

He was suppos

his place in my heart until I c