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en'
second chance, but the words die in my throat, my wolf howls inside
ack, the man I thought loved me. Or chose me, at least, unti
s blond hair, and his handsome face twists with dis
ck, reject you, Helen of R
iors, and the slaves, and they all watch me fall. The bond snaps like a
ys, loud and cruel and final. "Did you really think
me I see him clearly. He never cared. Not about me, not about the slaves his pack hol
s a
t your r
but enough. The bond does not care about rank or power. It knows on
walk past the laughing nobles, past the sneering warriors, past the slaves watching me wi
, and I collapse besid
for my mother, my father, my brother, the life I should have had, the girl I
und and look up at the ful
me," I whisper. "Yo
lf stirs, the wolf who has never once answered
a
ulders. Helen, you need to run. No matter what you hear, no matter what you see. Run and don't look back. My father's gentle voice,
yes. The po
old. I am a slave,
l can my
s. They still smell of the Red Keep. I walk back barefoot thro
hand. Everyone is awake, huddled on their mats, whisper
finally
e. She thought s
r voice murmurs
rywhere. Do not make yo
ead high and my eyes forwa
chest, and stare at the wall. I try
me into her arm. "Don't listen to them," she says, soft an
d, and kneels to take my hands, her
llow. My eyes are dry
eezes my hands. "You don't
k. *She got what she deserved. S
Her pointing hand shakes. "At least she got a mate! At leas
ook away, wi
Don't let them win. Not Derek, not the whispers,
*
lder, gentle but urge
tight with worry. Behind her,
he main house," Julia says.
. The man who rejected me
hy
ave did
ites my skin. Samantha touch
," I say, "w
nswer. She doe
d. "I'
s my hand. "He hurt you
Alpha now, and I am a slave. I don't h
on high, the stars watching a
ens bloom with flowers that smell too sweet, and fountains trickle like laughter. Perfect and cruel. I remember the first time I s
en here e
slave, the one who thought she could be Luna. In the main hall the candle
eps. I
y eyes cold, his handsome face smug. He stops a few feet away and look
ank you fo
y no
s to a cha
N
erstand. The rejection was harsh, but I am the Alpha now. I cannot have a slave as my mate. It would weaken my position.
know what is comin
en, and you will be taken care of." His smile is beautiful, and it is a lie. "Isn't that generous? I could have thro
s inside me, something that
N
e falter
not be your concubine. I will not warm your bed o
sts, and his
't have
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