az

le feeling on my back. When I tried to move, I felt

ld understand what was happening somet

out, their laughs piercing my ears and grating against my very last nerve

face, flashing a set of serrated sharp teeth ben

f my upper arm when he shot his arm dir

ing Beauty because nighty-night time is gonna be a th

chest, but I forced

y voice cracking. "You've got

w eyes glowing menacingly in the dark. His lip

to believe that

ed me forward. My legs, still weak from the earlier atta

g the night air. "Save your breath, girl," one

u before the sacrifice. And don't worry..." He leaned in close, his hot breath

had no time to process them as we approached

jutting out of the ground

h an enormous entrance, fil

d the door for us to enter. The room we entered was large and it took a moment

sharp angles of his face, and his piercing eyes

s said, bowing his head as we a

ed to me, his expr

ked lazily, his sharp e

e in place. "Another stray dragged in by my me

raced, trying to place the faint memorie

econd, an image flashed in my mind: a night two weeks ago in my former pack, a night of desperation and

couldn'

a faceless memory, someone I'd stumbled upon in my weakes

t more gentle, this one could shred me in

enough to cut through my haze. I flinch

ds carefully. My real name was too risky. I

other places, to... explore the w

ast, thrown away like trash by Ryder. That I had no home, no family, no purpose. The weight of that s

f maybe he could see straight through me, if I would be exposed for the fraud I

drawled in a velv

ur little journey? A fairytale? Did you thin

"I'm not running," I repeated through the tremor

lames of the torches and the rustle of pants as the wolves holding

loor as he closed the distance between us. My heart hammered against my ribs,

longer inviting. He tipped his head to one side, never

ugh he was seeing right through me, into all the d

d quietly, unable to

laim me to be and I'm not a threat. Just a young woma

that it w

abruptly, his back to me as he addressed his men. "She

ch. No one touches her

t dare challenge him. As they dispersed, Orion

d with warning. "Congratulations. You've found one. But don'

gled mess of confusion and unease.

me part of me feel like I had final

ted to

room and tell the ma

said to him as I was be

, his grip firm on my arm, I tried to ke

uldn't explain-it was too much to process. But as we walked through the dimly lit cor

stop pushing into our bor

nother replied. "They've been provokin

owclaw. My former pack. My blood. The wolves I had grown u

I was really from, I wouldn

didn't rattle me to my core. I couldn't risk showing any reaction,

d. I was no one here. Just Hazel, a wandering

my gaze forward, my expression neutral. I wasn't going to tell them an

ried the blood of their enemy? It wouldn't just