ut he matches my pace effortlessly. Eventually, when I am out of breath, and my br

llowing me?' I

e to follow you. It's my business to know who di

you slammed your fist into th

've been through. If I knew you were telling the truth about not knowing you'

ow! Not being human? What

u?' His tone ha

n two weeks.' I try

e for four years. I'd like to show you exactly wh

ng to stay calm and avoid feeli

ounds genuinely conc

itely don't want to meet your pet wolf, or any w

rewolf before?'

, my mum and I saw a wolf in the woods. Something bad happened and I've been afraid of wolves ever since. I can't go near p

with the wolf?'

t minding your own busi

lves my mate.' Hi

a rogue as a mate. So why do you keep referring

nd it's impossible not to

d genuine. 'I want you to join my pack. You won't be a rogue anymore. We can be together.' His tone has dropped an octave again;

d away f

' I

e is su

erk to me earlier. You only want to be with me because you feel sorry for me. And you want me to joi

diner with me and I'll explain everything to you. Everything you need to k

' I ask him. He st

ursed? I'm stuck with you as

. It's a blessing from the

m sore, and I don't like you,' I spit; he stiffens at my wo

yells, gi

ng to catch my breath, and

re. I can smell your scen

es. He isn't far away from me. I can imagine him inhaling the air around himself try

I'm an hour late and I pray Dad is passed out drunk or asleep. I open the front door slowly, and cringe with every creaking noise. No lights are on; hopefully t

me by the hair and throws me to the ground. He p

. I try to shield myself with my arms from the blows to no avail. I cry out in pain with every strike, every kic

proof of the worst degree of abuse it has ever sustained. I hug my knees and cry for a while over the confrontation with Ryker last night, and the beating I got when I came home. Dad is going to kill me if he finds out about Ryker or about me not having a job. I wash t

e to be at work but I can't go back there; not after what happened the other night. I decide to go into town, a forty-five-minute walk from home, to apply for a new job. Not far from

and dark eyes, smiles in a kind way I'm not expecting. He has a weird scar near his ear; half h

u following

I always see you walking along this road alone. I'm just concerned someone might take ad

worries me out here is this car wi

tive one, now, aren't

ad week. I need to get into town, so I'd appreciate i

your job at the di

know I wor

ere when I drive pas

I turn to

.' He hands me h

ons CEO, accompanied with a contact

job, give me a

I'll be fine,' I say,

round, Astrid.' He gives me a wink before

drives off. 'How d

I don't want to walk past it, but there is no other road to take; the woods are the