nder'

den light over the quiet clearing. The air smelled faintl

h, my boots crushing

led from running my hand through it over and over

ked like a man carved from stone, broad shoulders, tall and

strength was coiled tight

I muttered un

brown hair gleamed under the sunlight, tousled in a casua

ense. He had a confident build and easy swagger, bu

d, folding his arms. "Ch

and then turned,

nd repeated gently

then, my fists cl

r skin? She literally passed out in the woods. Goodness knows what the hell

appeared. Darren, the Gamma, walked in,

ar frame, and he took a slow seat on one o

look up

utes ago. Her wounds have already been cleaned,

s silenc

toward the dark line of trees that sur

she had been attacked

cious in my pack house. I wou

na's

utching my head. The light was warm and golden and it stabbed into my eyes, and I flinched,

ody ached in more places than I could count. Everything felt sore, from

rest, my eyes adjuste

om was

ding. I was lying on a plush bed with thick, velvet cover

a polished wooden dresser and an elegant reading chair. The floor was marble and

. "What...?" I wh

he hell

or any sort of shelter I remembered. Then it al

claws, the

oot steps.

I whispered,

someone else had captured me? Someone just as cruel, just as twisted

the unfamiliar space. My breathing quic

xit. Find something sharp. Figh

pounding li

ks came at

muffled, feminine voi

eyes shot to the door. I di

ed slowly and the

londe hair stepped

ake," she said. "I'm L

ole body was tense, ready to lunge if I n

her, not even

p closer, her sm

was sharp

ome clos

a soft chuckle and waved a hand a

dear. You'

My heart was a h

sed again, louder this t

respond, the door

ore a dark button-down shirt rolled to his elbo

elite enforcers and the Head of

en us, eyebrows

ked, his voice calm but

sigh and nodded h

that I shouldn't

ed his ga

ck at him i

ression, offering a

. How are y

re was hard, cold. I d

a slow ste

he said carefully. "I just wa

't listeni

ng around the room. Asses

t something: a silver tray, a bowl of fruit

nder'

. in the tr

ad low in thought. I had mentally blocked the mind link to keep my

phone buzzed

e. I snatched it

ike's voice, la

ter. My body sti

What i

t's her,"

st tig

quickly. "You

Luna, sh

scraped loudly across the fl

t?" I asked. "

eplied. "She

bit. Keep her calm. Give

re was

t need anything. Actually, i

snapped l

what,