s ru

d the night, but not a single one of them looked at me. My chest rose and fell in panic. As wolves

e me?" I whispere

avy in unison. It was like I didn't exist. My legs trembled beneath me, the

h like smoke. A chill spread up my arm. My knees buckled, and I fell to th

then

ike a knife. I turned, searching, but the

ed my e

rising and falling too fast. The smell of antiseptic and herbs clogged my nose, the one scent I had hated all my life. My head ached,

back to reality. "How

n human years, she would have been over eighty, but one of the few blessings of being a were

hoarse, and I frowned, the ache in

oice softened, concern seeping through her tone. "Nora, you've been unconscious for fifteen hours. Ar

een

sharp heel slamming into my head, the mocking laughter that follow

me to the edge of death. Sometimes I wondered if the goddess herself had made a mistake in sparing my lif

iven me enough scar

nty-two. Most wolves shifted by fifteen. Even Helen, who was my age, had shifted long ago. She had it all-beauty, strength, a perfect wol

blue-or was it grey?-making me look nothing like the others. I had heard the whis

om my thoughts. "With time, you'll heal. Just take this m

ed through me

a Jo

re gone. The only peace I had in this pack, the only one wh

id he want t

end of the hallway, someone had been watching me. For a moment, I had thought

ing. My healing was slower than most wolves. A

hts. The silence wrapped around me, heavy and suffocating

at she is. Uncle would k

awling over my skin. What

, and Alpha Johnson stepped inside. His tall frame filled the room, his aura commanding respect.

d, the words st

.." I w

oots silent against the floor, his presence overwhelm

something you

mine, sharp and heavy, as though he was deciding wh

m felt

Deep inside, I knew whatever he was a

ld continue, the

en flicking to her father. Her lips curled in

voice dripping poison. "What a

nded as Alpha Johnson's jaw clenched. His gaze lingered on m

was abou

re if I was rea