ec

the Oakwood desk. The glass of bourbon I'd been nu

behind her back. "I followed Serena as soon as I

She needed to make sure Serena made it through the Hallow Forest, take h

e this. My Ser

p my anger at bay, I took a huge breath and met Lia's eye

her. They were best friends. If there was anyone Serena would listen to after wha

not Lia. Seeing her shift from one foot to another would've been funny if this were another situation. She met

rena's limbs like savages filled my head. Clenching my fist, my n

slither out of my hands. It swirled through the air in thin

wrapped around her in a chokehold. Lia shook her head, her legs wobbl

woman I loved? This entire week has been a fucking shit show. I thought the finale would be sentencing Serena to exile, fooling

out what had happened inside his office that day. All witnesses died inside that room apart from Serena. She was the prime suspect, and

pping apart. All my effort went to waste? What the fuck am I going to do now? I cannot s

e. Her small frame shook as though turbulence raved inside her body. Her cheeks

a frozen, she dropped to her kne

, tears welling in her eyes. "Serena was my friend. Sh

ng from Lia. But there were a lot of scenarios

her zip-up jacket, then removed the distan

My heart broke in every possible wa

re. It was Mom's ring which I gave

g, I commanded

lp

he fuc

of bourbon on my table, taking a sip. As the liquid spiraled down my throat, anger boiled within me. I hurled the glass to the wa

r around me became heavy. A massive chain suddenly appea

telling the truth. Serena never made it out of Hallo

d at the broken furniture; the remnants of the security breach reports on the south border

eek in which we had the tightest security in place since we invited the alpha of the neighboring packs in The Ci

dn't even protect my wife? A fu

was more of a father to me than my own. Serena insisted that I u

us on the wall where her f

he first place. If I wasn't the alpha, I could've gone to her my

wards the balcony, shifting mid-air. Landing with a furious groan on

Serena was gone, everything I worked for went to waste. I was a strong fig

The trunk broke in the middle. I rolled on the ground from the impact, gaining m

up from this nightmare. I simply cannot

s and animals in the forest. My wolf refused to accept this fact. This

?" Jared's worried voice vi

eyes on everything I do. Nothing I do

crossed the border. Where the fuck are you going?" But as my best friend, he

nto the dirt, the darkness of Hal

.

Years

Embercrest is rogue-free?" Jared a

a huge change from the serenity of Embercrest. The city never sleeps. Skyscrapers pitched on each side of the

er the cufflinks of my white dress shirt.

world do,' Seth explained when I asked him what the charity was for. Seth was also a shifter, and unlike us, living a quiet and peaceful life in Embercrest

rds filling the entire space of the car. "S

wn, we wouldn't be blindsided by rogues anymore. They've become smarter as time goes by. I don't know how they did it, but their atta

dribbled out of my lips like honey. Jared pursed his

ained by playing with the radio dial. "You endured a ten-hour, excruciating drive just to atte

no mind. I'm not a bad lia

view?" In Jared's books, enjoying the view meant spending two nights drinking

ns on the side of the street go about their mundane lives. "Set

e made a fist

shook my head, doing a double take a

, soft, round jaws, and a striking blue cat's eye

re

ar!" I comm

ten minutes! Wait! Where are you going?" His protest and questions faded int