cent had seeped into her skin so deeply that she barely noticed it anymore. She could scrub her hands raw, wash her c

t the ro

lves were falling to the earth. Her parents were warriors in the Bloodmoon pack snd they had fought bravely. She remembered the slash of claws, the howl

by dawn, they

ck that had failed to protect her, survived it, endured i

ega. The lowe

hes in the river even during winter and patched them herself with whatever scraps she could steal. Her room, if it could be call

.. she s

members to avoid when drunk, and how to disappear into shadows before someone tried to take advantage of her status

Lauren had lear

y. Not re

a flicker of lig

e. That the Goddess had something more in store for

ep within her heart, where not even t

**

knees ached, her back throbbed, and her fingers were red from the cold water and the harsh

y,

e didn't need to tur

a

nd. He took special pleasure in makin

, keeping her fac

he Alpha wants the training yard cleaned. Now. You'

odded. "

ding her skidding on the wet floor. She caught herself on her hands, the sting of

efore standing. Her arms trembled, but

cape this

as she grabbed a fresh rag

**

t to work immediately, collecting discarded gear and dragging it to the storage shed. Her muscles burned, but she didn't s

ure

look

in the pack who treated Lauren with anything resembling kindness

ed, pulling a small cloth-wrapped bundle

roll, soft bread and a sliver of cheese.

breathed, barely

ou're stronger than you k

*

tly, she could avoid the worst parts of the evening, the drunken gatherings, the jeers, the cruel dares. Tonight was Ryder's private

d roof of the stable an

man she'd become despite everything. She liked to imagine that her father would nod

wn her cheek. She bru

Not now. Not after

he hea

vo

t growl, coming fr

was saying, "she'll shift. And if the moon

en f

thundered

talking

er, careful not

id perhaps Beta Terron. "You

her as mine, she's mine. Fated or not, I'll bend her to my will.

ck from the roof,

ldn't b

h birthday wa

a intended t

ssession. A slave. A tool to vent his cru

dn't sur

coul

ery shadow a threat. Every corner a trap. There was no more