Sold To The Monster: The Wolfless Bride

INE

treated worse than a stray dog while my younger

d to substitute me for Bristol and sell me to Kaleb Caldwell

ribs cracked, while my parents watched with co

my mother handed me a cheap co

ted me an ornate box filled with moldy, f

al about your old things," she mocked, playing

unishments and loved a family th

broken, fearful substi

faces, the terror inside me finall

cry or be

ercent of the pack's wealth and forced him to

with the secret healing power newly awakened in my blood, I

*

way up my throat, bu

hed against my cheek. Darkness pressed in, thick and suffo

ssure still c

cing the tender skin. It felt bruised, achi

angled around my legs. A man in a silver mask, his grip like ir

y ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the room.

ark I'd always been told was a curse-throbbed with a dull, insistent heat. The visions had started the night it first

t as chilling. Cold. Final. "Bristol is too delicate fo

to be

ck. A man whispered about in terrified tones, a monster, a cripple who ruled his territ

a sliver of light cut

n. She held a glass of water, her fa

d you cry out. A

It used to soothe me. Now, it

. "I'm so sorry about this, truly. It's no

f my own fear, I saw it. A flicker of something in the depths o

ctory and a

isted into a

nd of my black hair behind my ear. "Alpha Kaleb

tter you than me. The pity in her voic

her touch, a small,

toward the half-open door: "I know you hate me for this, Adaline, but please-don't take it out on me. I

ignore it. This was the sister I had protected, the on

side the door. I heard a sharp intake of breath-Brennen had been

eft ajar, was kicked fully op

ame blue as Bristol's, were storm clouds. "I heard her crying," he snarled, jab

face dissolving into tears. She sc

ng with practiced innocence. "She didn't me

lawless. The damsel i

as the

exploded. "Upset? This wolfless

hand clamped onto my shoulder, fingers diggi

rom sleep and fear, o

te-hot pain, and the room swam with black spots. The glass of water

eath was hot and smelled of stale coffee. "You remember your place

p. It sounded less like fear and more like a

, and collapsed onto the worn rug. The shards of

me. "It's the only thing that might keep that cri

y shoulder, my hand-it was a symphony of agony. But it was

anothe

ilar rage. His hands, not on my shoulder, but around my neck. The life d

ity. It was a future. My

en't random. They were the Goddess's gifts-warnings of what would come if I remained passive. The

but something else rose wit

a

It was a power I had never felt before, a fire in my ve

the Goddess's wa

glass in my palm. I lifted my head, letti

nnen's fu

led with the familiar terror he loved t

ock on his face. That momentary hesitation, t

d back into anger. "What

nen,

d, and cut through Bren

s were crossed over his chest, his expression one of utter boredom. He looked at the scene-the

is eyes finally landing on me. There

ing interrupted. He shot me one last veno

h down her cheek. As she passed me, she leaned down,

luck,