e

ls wake

hile I slept. My head hurts from the alcohol of yesterday and the bells clang through my ears, forcing

the bed has me jum

her side, elated to

filled with pain a

t horrible noise?" She asks.

n my chest finally dissolving. Everything will be fine, I'll get someone

, hugging me back. She has no idea how scared I was through the night that

y do you smell funny? Wh

re nothing compared to my relief at seeing her well and

y smile drops when I see the r

she sees my horrified face

... you

mes away bloody. She pales and

abbing a shirt and pre

oes as I say, he

ng rate in all of Folkland so I h

our Father

ressure." I

hand and that's when I see h

nd my jaws dro

of her gown, tearing the gown as I

und escapes

r. The nightma

looming red shape of a lotus f

g despite that I can see her body shaki

do I tell my mother that she is going to die? Absolutely no one has ever survived

e to let th

, fearing the worst. "You are one of the stro

?" She says, lookin

uild at the back of my eyes and I blink them away. "If anybody can fi

fill wi

cups my chin.

now and I link our fingers, struggling

ct like you're leaving." It i

it. Never once did I think the goddess cruel befo

ears. "You are beautiful, kind and you are perf

op it, please." I'm

nd the door slams open. Avril runs inside

here." He

ho

as wrong. He pulls me over to the window and

say in a horr

the precarious shift between human and wolf. They are fast, powerful and deadly, with

ad sw

, fear making me weak. "

e whispers. He

?" Mother asks. "Vekra, help me up.

don't

hen she tries to sta

now she is weak. Next wil

down around my ears

r in horror. "This

me like I can spin out a solution b

ng towards the door. It is suddenly blocked by a Sentinel

" Avril yells a

with a scream, I throw myself at him. My punches don't have much e

spine as I hit the wall hard. Avril runs for me and helps me up a

!" I growl, ste

es crashing into the room an

through me fir

ops, he has Rollen's throat in his hand as the huge man hangs

nscious body drops to the ground. In one move, he rips his head f

I grew up knowing a

n at the human-wolf blend, my entire bei

nd holds me prisoner

ing at him. "I will fucking ki

yourself." He s

hands off

harshly into my ear. "He will kill you a

at the blood creeping over the floo

ou Vekra. You must think with

member of the pack in front of me

, waiting for us to

y. If I was stronger, perhaps

and they grab us, rou

ks and they don't listen. They drag us all out roughly, shoving us down in the yard with the rest of the pack. Ch

y hands fisted with outrage. The humilia

trous meld of human and wolf face fixates on me and my spine tingles. It is nothing like the daring thrill

such naked hatred that my heart pounds. "Your pack

." I say. "Our pack caus

ch your tongue can wag when I open

begging me to remain quiet. The

not be forgiven, and Olive pac

..

r will come back as quietly as he left and make everything ri

p in the silence as we w

Alpha, betraying him by stabbin

ather and Alpha Kole are friends, Father would never in a mi

set up. My father would n

eeth and strides for me. To my horror, my mother is faster, sh

, Sentinel. The enti

ng? Get up!" I pull at h

reason. I didn't want her to catch

sing long wolf teeth. The

of the pack. You look smart enough to know w

her head to

nd spare my

out?!" I pull at her desperately, not wanting to

ercy, please spare my mother. I'm cryi

r over my dead body." I say,

ower, but she is too weak from the poisoning.

. Take

e from between them and his arms

ever if you let them do this. Release me!" I claw

inel shows off long

o." I'm crying hysterically, breaking

often and

, my girl."

s flying in one direction and her body in another. And

s de

on shaky steps to where my mother's head rests and fall to my knees, barely able

ce to the sky