Meadow

ch, tending to a pot of ferns that looked decidedly unhappy. She l

ce gentle. "I could smell the displeasure in b

d wrapped my arms around her waist, burying my f

niquely maternal wrapping around me like a blanket. "Your brother

of his beat-up pickup truck for me. The gesture was polite,

b was thick with unspoken tension as I clicked my seatbelt into place. Silas slammed

ing wheel as he focused on driving. I couldn't stand the sil

ly burst out, turning to face him

smoothed it out. "This isn't about 'liking' him, Elara," he said, his voice a l

ere a curse, each syllable dripping with

th, I'd only ever seen Alpha Ryker from a distance. He was a te

e. In this pack, family is everything. A single word from Alpha

ervous, ingrained habit he'd picked up since

ight now, and the entire pack has to bend over backwards

neliness. My heart clenched. It was true. Cole had been distant, an

I said, my voice defensive. "A

ed with scorn. "Or be ordered? No one

for the first time that morning, he looked at me fully. His gaze w

do it just to watch you get sucked into that whirlpool of power

e cab feel thin. Lyra, my own wolf, whimpered and shrank back in my mind, intimidated by his inte

ice was quiet, but it was filled with a convict

is gaze fixed on the road ahead again, his jaw tight. He kn

ur past. A part of me knew Silas had a point. I wasn't stupid. I understood the power dynamics of the pack. But my heart refused to l

e high school. "I'll pick you up after yo

added one final,

Blackwoods, Elara. E