Leaving The Cold-hearted Rich Alpha

ulling me from the black. Blinking awake, there it was-a do

a pack of feral mutts baying at my heels, me eating dirt, then that rag

I could choke it. I snatched up a

wedged myself in the corner,

or like a storm front, scooping up th

pup. If you've got beef with me, spit it out-don't go savage on her! And you're

se knee-jerk tears clinging to m

what it bought me: that poor lost soul i

nned me with a look sour as week-old milk. "Enough wi

ossing

ed button-down that hit her like a tent. Stark white, it burned my eyes-my pick

t you're thinking! Last night, Zane and I stayed up late with Snowy on her drip-crashed right

oh-duh lightbulb, eyes flicking to Zane all troubled. "Wait-my stu

it her then, hand c

a vise, his mug twisting

e a pleading g

rd-ass. I gave her the shirt. You expect her to

ping his storm-brew face-itchi

nd suddenly I'm the bu

"My closet's jammed with thr

ammed up

Your fault, big guy. Dragged me up to the roof deck past midnight for stargazing, or I wo

of

ils ble

s, sparks flying under the scopes. After we bound, I turned our top-floor

ght watch? Met with his s

rind had burne

just me he

lse to chase con

ip to keep my mask loc

d for the usual waterworks, that

ed to un

. She was spl

e hung on my blank profi

stead, some itch flared u

all fragile. "Nia, word is you're a wizard with mushroom

ice in my tone. "No

er chest as another cough rattled loose, big eyes swimming

t, like soothing a spook

he warmth evaporate

ropped to a squat, eye-level with my deadpan stare. "Cut the crap, yeah

angry red welt scorche

nning the pack's reins-slaved over custom grub every

ay

work dumped in Snowy's sl

o bolt-but his voice sliced cold as a blade. "Got you

ed. He loomed, gaze hard as

ding my mother's g

ites with me, knelt grave-side and swore moon an

e quick. He'd shed

ed, nose sti

n a flash, tossing over his shoulder: "Sh