rd he had fought when massive soldiers seized him. She had been a f

dripping from a broken nose he had sustained in the fight aga

when she'd tried to intervene. The settlers didn't

amount of compensation had eased the woman's despair. What was money whe

ked you, there wa

tongue the next year the Alpha invaders returned. Begging for news, the woman had run to the first soldier she'd found.

e rafters of her own humble cottage. Not when something in her gut warned that she would be taken next. Terrible dreams and pain strong enough to freeze her muscles always came as warning that Alpha arrival was imminent. A blessing and a curse she dared not share. A secret of such magnitude…

Groaning, Dainne threw her legs over the side of the bed. Supported against the bed, it took three tries before she was able to lift her torso. The movement of pitching forward sent each limb into a spasm, leaving the girl falling into a chaotic pile on the ground.

er guts into knotted agony, Dianne forced herself to be still

corner of Dianne's mouth when she par

ut by the spirits, she had to get out of t

That way, the responsibility would be squarely on Dianne'

ars, her mother had never questioned why Dianne was conveniently gone when Alphas sto

re to warn her neighbors, she would be exposed. Others would know there was something wrong with her, that she was a lawbreaker, and she knew in her h

yed fabric her mother was known for sewing? Who would collect eggs and pluck the chickens? How wo

e deserved them for keeping her secrets. T

ed the room go darker and darker, and was moments away from losing consciousness r

ould reach. Fingers twisted by cramps grabbed the laces of the gown, leaving it hanging indecently off her shoulders. There would be n