el

that, under normal circumstances, made me practically inv

battery icon, a phantom on my retina, was the only response before it vanished. It needed power. Either an ext

ng my frame would be a mere footnote, and these

I can't

afford. I reached instead for the original Ariel's memo

d made my s

litical pawn, bartered by the Sun River Pack into a marriage alliance with the Black Moon Pack. Her fiancé, Alpha Alphonso,

, I had

I was tolerated at best, with nothing but a dead piece of har

door cre

d another man - tall, watchful, his eyes sweeping over me with cold assessment. Chase. The name

ime on pleasantries. Hi

rke, you have no place in t

The wound on my chest was still raw. My legs could barely hold me. And outside these

ing his without a flicker of f

t, but it cut thr

out that door and die in a ditch, you'll be the Alpha who murdered his bride-

st renounced as a shield. The i

t up. He was surpris

g threatened. Hated being cornered. But he knew I

cover. And a servant who will follow my orders with

eat. A woman who supposedly did everything to marry him wou

searching for the trick. Find

uded Cottage on the east end of the estate. As

e they sent disobedient servants to be forgotte

ad slightly. Secluded meant fewer eye

r one of the useless ones. And

ut without

appeared. Trina. The name came with a flash of memory:

lly. A jolt of pain shot through me, but I didn't make

returned quickly. She was acti

Trina kept up a running commenta

e it into the Alpha's manor, even

ence unnerving her more t

. Damp, cold, and furnished with littl

d. "Dinner will be sent over.

ound screamed in protest. I braced myself again

on her lips. "What are you lo

o hers. My voice was low, barely a whisper, b

u do not enter this room

d her

t o

I used when there was no room for negotiation. For a

. The sneer faltered, replaced by a flicker of genuine fear.

sagged against the wall, sliding to the

. A narro