Bound to her destined alpha

s the sloping rooftops and stone corridors. Inside the walls, wolves slept, unawa

r breath slow but her thoughts moved like wildfire. The encounter with Lucas replayed in her mind.

dn't

from the man who tried to b

ed around the ed

as t

uld be the

th the rest of the servant caste. She passed quietly through the corridors of the main estate, taking the long route tow

er head low. She couldn't afford a

ack's rotation scrolls. Patrol leaders, guards, hunters. And at the top of t

s Gre

to drag her into the Alpha's court. He'd taken joy in the

s Beta of the

rf

a note beneath his assigned locker, sealing it with a thumbprint of ash a

sage wa

elped ruin. Meet me in the ravine clearing

the note just

Then again. His

e could've known. The girl was dead l

palm. The handwriting wasn't

ickly and shoved the

t around the ravine w

pulled low, dagger sheathed against her thigh, cloak st

ved early. S

footsteps. Heavy, i

bi

his warrior's gear, muscles tense, h

here?" h

a wa

the trees. "This b

orward slowly

inted.

ight come," she

p forward. "Who t

ognize the face of the girl you use

fro

ha

ed back

s stu

's not... Y

ppoin

oat moving with a d

bered," sh

at do yo

. Took your slice of cruelty like it was de

is sword. "Don't thi

" Clara said coldly. "I

lick of her wrist, it hit the blade in his hand, scorc

here," she said. "No on

, gasping. "You'r

g closer. "I'm your pas

You lose your voice. Your opinion. Your suspicion. You breathe a word of me to anyone

d at her

"Oh and tell your Alpha he should w

shirt as he finished his fourth set of drills. His sword was notched, th

ing wa

eel it in

anged. There was a presence hidden but undeniable. He c

he memory of her face, it slipp

he sensed som

bi

the edge of the fie

out, "Somet

pened hi

sto

Alp

rrowed h

ng wasn

eturned to the infirmary and fo

as just about to send someone for

lood chil

hands for his shoulder. To

there ar

for you

a bl

dn't be.

n through

re not going to say no

nod and turned towar

ntered, his shoulder wrapped in a makeshift bandage.

ked in

Cont

yes met

me, somethi

nowing passed

s it?" h

d, steppi

udied

any of the southe

N

n wh

don't belon

ned. "That's a dang

, removing the bandage

skin, and the spark betw

cles tw

eyes l

was charged with silenc

er di

someone I used t

. "Maybe your memor

ay

rewrapping

ou," he

rned t

oice foll

na.

pa

you really were,

xpression unreadable. "Wo

said n

without a

cent of wildflowers lingering on his skin,