IE

ng away the mud but not the shame. The massive house

oom. I began to pack. There wasn't much to take. A few worn books, a small

esses Laurence had bought for me, each one a perfect replica of Rosalie's style. In the far corner, crammed

d again. It was anoth

ontacted an Elder there, a recluse. She can help yo

the Alpha of the Silver Creek Pack. He was Rosalie's half-brother, a man who saw her for the viper she w

y to survival; it was a blade I could twist in the backs of both Laure

door opened. Laurence stood there, smelling of Rosalie's cloying

weeping over my still-damp form with

ooling my features into a mask of calm submissio

I've thought about it, and I understand my place now. I will be whatever yo

on settled into one of smug satisfaction. This was

ing. "I'm glad you've

mperceptible frown. It was annoyance. A deep, primal part of him-the part that recogniz

acy, and the stability of the Black Moon Pack, I will need an heir," he state

body to produce his heir, all while h

om his phone. He answered it with a smile, turning hi

dealing with a small pack

uments from our pack's front business, Andrews Global. He began signing them, his att

as my

ar and exhilaration. I moved silently to the desk, picki

lpha," I said, my voice steady

nowledgement, his

keover defense strategy that his legal team had sent over for emergency approval. It was a document I knew he'd never read in full, only

all, formal script, was:

energy flow into it-not enough to be magic, just enough to make the p

his pen flying across the pages. He signed trade

ched the last p

n concentration, his lips moving slightly as he

l, arrogant signature a

nce A

it. He had signed away his mate. He had severe

-