d toward us, s

lv

er one said, his voice deep and controlled. His head was shaved close, and

ering with a faint curl of h

, stepping forward. "Thi

d, and after a paus

aid. "This is Alex

alling over hazel eyes. Both of them towered over us, muscle packed int

Beta in your old

r nodded

p training some of the newe

to," my fat

irley," he added, mo

she said, shaking

s sleek black BMW. "We'll escort you to the pack house. Y

em through the sleepy little town. My

ill work out," she said, her v

utes, the woods opened into a wide clearing. A horseshoe-shaped driveway curved in front of a massive sandstone mansion, its three levels wrapped in

up. It was larger, grander than the

floors gleamed beneath us. A narrow hallstand with a tall vase: probably worth more th

here were benches along the wall, and Mateo paused to k

nt

e door behind him. A minu

s first. You can wait

house was strangely quiet. No footsteps, no voices, no scent of

r emerged and sat beside me, h

hispered. "Then he'll want to speak to us in

fr

t s

ked, barely a

hed us bec

ing to

and kill us-or worse,

murmured. "You're our daughter. He wo

ind my eyes. I b

d you te

d to know why." She looked me straight in the eye. "Because y

ugh I didn't belie

doesn't?"

Her tone was

out and nodded at my mother, who stood

ting beside me. "Stronger than most

proc

to the pack. You'll ne

iled.

el it." He hesitated. "And when it breaks from your old Alpha... tha

a cry tore th

hed. The sound chilled me-it wasn't a scream

emerged, clutching her head. My

a ste

I br

forcing herself to smile thro

never shown weakness. I

me and took my arm

s our only chance to stay together. I

and that scared me

from inside the room. "Eve

eath

whispered. "Once i

. My hand trembled as I turned the handle and

ice was

documents. His head lifted as the

hing insid

des but longer on top. His silver eyes locked on me, and he inhaled sharply. A low grow

him changed-cha

orest fires are beautiful. Un

he beckoned me forward, and I

tracked every inch of me like I was prey, the bea

kno

n sme

w

pow

ut fear a

and I thought, with

ing to