pte

ENA

one, my

y mother's voi

well enough. You always know what we want, and you a

me, I turned around and smiled. I made myself look calm, composed, as

said softly. "What are y

urs were up to." Her lips curved into a pleased smile. "But you did well. You made us very

mach t

"Mother, Father, trust me. I want nothing to do with him. I just r

urt, but I h

Asher, said calmly. "We were watchin

or take action ourselves. That is how an Alpha's daughter should behave. You need someone of st

ietly. "I know my duty.

her said, satisfied.

ed and wa

ied back to me. Werewolves had heightened he

proudly. "She would never defy us. I know t

I should have trusted you. Now

ootstep

es. My hands shook, fingers scraping the soil as I tried to anchor myself. Every h

forest spun, leaves blurring into streaks of green and gold. My he

de my mind. You're weak, Serena! St

else, so fragile, so breakable. I had been told all my life that I was destined fo

e in my chest. My mind was screaming, my heart bleeding. Every instinct, every

r I had placed between Artemis and me, he

wanted to take control, to fight them, to claw at th

e was

him becau

surged forward, her pain crashing into min

y life l

y parents

eir child's happiness. They prot

ne nev

Position. Pack alliances. What could

born only to be traded to the Alpha King of the Werewolf Kingdom

their eyes,

wo

rule or protect t

elings mean nothing. My happiness is

wrong to want them to love me as their daught

, her voice sharp with fury. "I told you to let us confront them.

red brokenly. "

s streamed freely now, soaki

ed. "I let our mate go t

idn't mean it like that. But we can't keep obeying them forever. Our mate was suppo

ice cr

e forced to reject him. And

feeling the ache puls

inued. "To them, we aren't really their child. We're someone meant

she was

didn't cha

whispered weakly. "Wha

uth was al

me. Breaking me. S

unbearable. It wrapped around my heart, crus

nown pain lik

every part of you. Even my body ached as if I had been

rted the momen

eyes on him one

s my

d aura around him that didn't match an ordinary rogue at all. Even withou

Someone with secrets. Someone fa

e was gent

to make me smile. To make

t together was the ha

arents' expectations. Forgot about duty

each other forever. Even though Jayden couldn't shift

uld still feel

tered. It hadn

hidden. Bur

to take him to

so happy.

verheard my parents' c

en everythi

ealized I could n

was whe

den meant