CLAIMING HAILEY

IL

before. I was no longer able to do it. The packhouse was a jail, not a home, with its high walls and oppressive regulations. I would waste away, invisible and unloved, if I stayed. However, fleeing was insufficient. I had to find a way to liv

s, so if I could find work, I could save up and start a life far away from here. It was risky, but what did I have to lose? The idea sat in my head for days before I finally plucked up the

ood frozen, listening carefully. Not a thing. I strolled outside into the cool night air, the damp grass feeling nice against my bare feet. The only way out of the forest was through it, despite its ominous and dark shadows. The walk to the human town took only twenty minutes. I took slow, cautious steps, keeping my senses sharp. My heart raced with each snap of twigs and rustle of leaves. At night, the patrols didn't often come this far, but I couldn't afford to be

brow raised, suspicion darting across her face. "Your timing is good. Yesterday our dishwasher broke down. Do you believe you can manage it? "Yes," I hurriedly said. "I'll put in a lot of work. "I swear." She gave me one more look and then nodded. "My name is Helen. You begin this evening. I felt a wave of relief as she ushered me into the kitchen. With the clamour of pots and pans and the hiss of the fryer, the room was small and disorganised. I was met with a massive pile of

the first step towards living my own life. But the triumph was short-lived. The quiet was disturbed with a low groan. Two people stepped out of the shadows, and I froze my blood freezing. The moonlight illuminated their faces-pack warriors. In a sarcastic, frightening voice, one of them replied, "Where do you

one of them said in a threatening, sarcastic tone. Panic set me, and I gripped the package tighter. How had they found me? "The Alpha will be so pleased with