a's

smells like r

de behind my eyes. The silver chains drag acro

rusted chair. "The Alpha will de

da. Planning their future w

ying me. "I thought you'd cry m

t? You already t

p his phone, recording. "Those burns? That reac

my veins.

or five hundred thousand dollars. You're not

oses. "Kade

of him. He's been very agreeable late

k eyes. Trembling hands. Marcus al

poison

de has been under tremendous stress since his father died. The debts, the Council pressure, the pack's

nd out. The pack

ho

by morning, sold to the highest bidder. Maybe a breeding program that wants to see if your... condition is hereditary. Maybe a research facility that'll cut you open to find out

rds come out desperate, plea

g to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream. "Then explain this. Explain why silver affects you when you have no wolf. Explain why your grandmother spoke in an

oice breaks. "Dement

e my wrist against my chest. "And that makes you dang

traightens immediately, composing his face i

wrinkles that somehow doesn't make her look frail. She moves like a predator. Like something that's forgotten how t

ce sounds like dry lea

er seen him show deference to anyone except Kade. "Just as you

gs about fallen Moon Priestesses who turned away from the Goddess. Who hunted special bloodlines,

ust stories. Fairy ta

me like she's tasting it. Testing it. "Granddaughter of Celeste Moonstone, last known survivor of the Silver Creek bloodli

ord is barely a w

my forehead, never quite touching, and I feel something shift beneath my skin. Something ancient and sleeping. "You're not wolfless. You're sealed. Your grandmother

t under

he buyers are waiting at the border. And bring extra chains. Strong ones. If the seal breaks during

he bond breaking has left me weak as a newborn. "Ple

u should have stayed forgotten, little omega. Should have died quietly in obscurity like your grandmother wanted. Now

t. I kick and scratch and bite, anything to break free. My nails rake across

connects wit

come. He has me pinned against the wall before

my ear. "Please. Give me an excuse

m for oxygen. I'm going to die here. In this basement. Reje

I hea

side my head, echoing through my consciou

let them ta

ible. She's been dead for five

in response. Something that's been sleeping deep inside me, wrapped in chains

w

lver light pulses beneath my torn skin, matc

ip loosens just slight

s outward in a wa

kward like a ragdoll. He crashes into the far wall with a sickening crack. The priestess screams somethin

from my wrists, the met

t and desperate. Run now, and don't look ba

I r

en up, and it floods my limbs with strength I've never possessed. I take the stai

ders. Hear Marcus groaning as he struggles t

ning toward the forest li

se it