ia's

shiny glass floor. It was as broken as

ed. My fight with Ryan was over. Now, so was our r

his jaw instead. His eyes narrowed as he scowled at me across

. He sounded annoyed. "They're not wolves. They're-troub

was a sharp, s

red more about plants than my broken heart. And Robert, her new husband who is a "different", h

hipped off, to a monste

fragile girl. I was Thalia Vance, and I did not flee from

was exactly what my

-

ng narrow, brush-covered roads.

acked while I was angry

grew thick and heavy. It smelled strange-dirt and wet leaves and something wild and alive. There was

reaky, old, iron gate. It

g, winding gravel driveway. Tall, gnarled trees grew everywhere. In th

econd skin. It looked as though it had been th

a strong, scary energy coming from the pla

though he was glad to be done. He got out first. He called m

o

ell grew stronger, filling my lungs. It made me dizzy. It was sweet

front door. It opened onto a dark, e

our of them. They weren'

re fuck

nd gave off more sheer power tha

eir eyes burned like embers in the darkness. Eve

announced. T

nd Milo." Robert rattled them off, a

was at the forefront, a mass of muscle and dark, dangerou

the air from the room. He did not smile. He did not move. He just looked at

ence. His black hair hung over his face. It made his face look stern. Although when

ell, yet they appeared to hold a more timeless gri

mmed with anticipation. His eyes were wide and hungry, not

trange werewolf people? Clear

I don't want to

. Thalia, just. go find a room. Occupy your

smooth, unroughened. Cooling. "I can take her to a room, Father." His

alia, I'll be in the study. Don't make trouble

led me anyway, my bag slung over my shoulde

lence was strange. There was no sound, really, except our steps. He st

" he said. He

w dro

bnoxiously, na

oss his face. It uncovered the sharp planes of his j

least ge

me "sis" was almost. familiar. Perhaps he's not so bad af

e held me close and warm.

Th

y back. It rested too long. Then it slowly, s

. My eyes narrowed

-like- He didn't just touch my ass. My own li

nge. Was it

rned and w

ia's

pounding. I hated my mom for doing this to me.

aybe this scary, crazy place, and these very disturbing men

-

n. The house was darker now. Just the same sick

spite its absurd decorations. I was ed

ent sno

. I could catch sounds other people didn't. Now, in this oddly sil

alls. Stopped at a heavy, plain wooden

ns. My curiosity pulled me closer. I pressed my ear against the wood,

d, my gasp lodgi

as J

the silver moonlight that str

he waist, his lean muscular b

s hand was wrapped around the thick, hard shaft of his

witched weakly with each stroke. And from his throat, wrung from the recesses of his ch

n

oh, Thalia

fuck!!" I

horror and a sudden, uncontrollable

. But my feet stayed. My chest burned-not just with