Anna remained sitting in the tent outside the trading post, eyes closed and hands together on the plain table. Only a few hours ago, her father had been sitting here and planning the attack now that they were on the last leg of the march to Tahoe Village.How things had changed. Now Anna sat here alone, Alpha gone, Luna gone, and the army looking around for a leader to replace them. Michael might be impressed by the change in her spirit, but most of the Rokley pack and sister packs hadn't gotten a chance to see or speak to her. Most of them still thought she was the same pampered, fragile princess she had pretended to be all her life.That was her fault. She had been the one to do that to herself, putting on the delicate front so everyone would rush to her side and help her, cherish her, baby her. Back then, she had thought to be loved was better than to be respected, or perhaps that they were the same things.Or maybe she had known she could never get the respect Beth did, so she had
"That's a far deductive leap for you to take," she said, voice frosty and giving nothing away. "Is it perhaps that you knew before you even asked me that? Or maybe I'm only letting you think the situation is so. You can know nothing for certain."The man chuckled. "You remind me of someone else I know, with that sharpness. Except you're even thornier if that can be believed. But make no mistake, it's a valuable quality to be so cautious. I respect and appreciate it. Then how about this? You can simply keep me captive here for as long as it takes to prove myself useful.""Useful? So you think you can do something about the situation, if there is a situation? Strange. Very presumptive of your value.""That's fair. Then here's a concession. If I can't be actively useful to you, you can keep me captive to make sure any intelligence I gather fails to make it back to whoever might have tasked me to come here. Is that a fair deal?""You make it sound like there was going to be a choice at al
Anna had pretended not to trust him, saying she needed time to think about whether she would take Adrian Heether at his word. But the truth was that she had no choice. Her mother and father were both gone, Adrian was telling her Beth might still be in danger, and even Anna herself was being set up for a trap.She had no choice but to trust this lead. If nothing else, she would use this chance to prove whether he was ally or enemy, and if he was an enemy, she would use him against whoever had sent him, either viciously interrogate him for the truth or stake his decapitated head on the outer grounds as a warning.Or something like that. Anna had been vicious with words all her life, and her mind was so numb to verbal cruelties thanks to her own personality that she didn't blink an eye at insults and insidious sayings, but she had never turned to physical cruelty. The thought made her stomach turn.In the meantime, she was scribbling down as many notes as she could manage in the short ti
Anna had heard before that habitual mistrust spoke more of one's own nature than the motives of others. And maybe that was true, since all her childhood and adolescence, she had meticulously abused the trust she cultivated and garnered in everyone around her. She'd had no compunction about smiling prettily at someone then stabbing them in the back in the blink of an eye. Especially those who hadn't deserved it.If she could go back and make different choices now, she would be a far different person than who she was today... But that said, it gave her insight into the dark nature of others, too. People who were just like how she used to be, how she could have been had she not been humbled and set on a different path.Like Adrian Heether, or so he called himself. There was no way to verify his identity and it was an idiot's move to trust him blindly, but in particular, Anna's instincts told her there was something about him that didn't add up.But what could she do about it? If she igno
"Daniel...""Beth. We talked about this already. I'm not letting you go alone.""I just have a bad feeling. This isn't safe. We had to risk our lives going to Pandemonium in the first place because you were in danger. I don't want to lose you after I've just gotten you back.""I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Daniel took her hand and placed her palm over his chest. "Do you feel that?"Beth swallowed. Fear still reverberated in her like a struck drum, and the vibrations refused to leave her no matter how she tried to reassure herself. "I feel it. It feels strong. But it's got nothing to do with your heart. What if you really do have convulsions like he said you might? All those symptoms he said might appear -- I can't drag you back all the way there alone!""You won't have to. You won't, Beth. Come here." He held out his arms, and she fell into his embrace.They were in the pass again. The snow had abated but there was no telling when the storm would pick up again; the fierce w
Daniel mumbled in his sleep, hands flexing and curling as he grabbed at imaginary wisps in his dreams."Come back," he rambled. "Come back, I can't see you. I can't see you!"His eyes were open, but when he grabbed Beth's hands as she struggled to peel the covers back, there was no light of recognition in his eyes. There was only bright panic and a too-strong gleam that made her heart sink. She wrested one hand free to press it to his forehead, and sure enough, the burning heat of it made her yank her hand back."You're burning up!" she cried. "Oh, Moon Goddess. I need to cool you down. I'll open the window! Daniel, let go!""Come back. Come back, I can't... I've been looking for you for so long but you weren't there. I looked everywhere, I swear it. I must have gone miles...""I'm right here, Daniel! Please wake up. Please!"He wasn't going to let her go. She gave up and moved closer, but what could she do? If she threw herself over him, he would only overheat, but fanning him with w
He couldn't miss his last dose. Marten had stressed how important it was to take every single one no matter what, and that if Daniel couldn't finish the treatment then it was better not to start it at all. Too late for that. Beth would get him to down the last one even if she had to pry open his mouth and have him drink it drop by drop.And that was exactly what she had to do. He had yet to say a coherent word since he had fallen into that fevered sleep, and he had fallen further into distant ramblings she could make neither heads nor tails of. His delusions were getting worse. The only thing that seemed to help was talking back to him whenever he mistook her for someone new, so she held his hands tight and played along so he could at least have that peace of mind even if his body continued to rebel.She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run out into the snow and demand that everyone find something to heal him with. Marten couldn't be the only medical professional aro
The thick, ominous fog that had filled her mind a second ago at the Moon Goddess's demand departed in a flash. The instant Daniel opened his eyes and saw her, truly saw her, Beth let out a choked scream and threw herself upon him. Terrified that she had fallen asleep and was dreaming herself, her exhausted mind conjuring up delusions of a healthy Daniel, she didn't dare even cry against him. What if that dissipated this fragile illusion? What if the slightest sound, the smallest disturbance broke up this searing happiness, and she woke up to discover Daniel hadn't made it?Only when he patted her back with a struggling grunt did she finally give herself a chance to let out the stifled emotions. The tears came fast and hard as words bubbled out of her throat, scolding ones to Daniel for terrifying her and for leaving Marten when he should have stayed behind, grateful ones right on their heels as she thanked him for being strong enough to survive, for making it through the night and be
The rogues won.Andrew smiled as he placed the tattered letter inside his stylish jacket for safekeeping. It would make for a good memento once he did the deed and ended the war for good, branding Daniel as a power-mad despot who had tried to rally the greedy Alpha Kings against the honorable Gold Nation.The rogue leader Karthen had even mentioned it might be possible to frame it as Daniel attacking the combined forces of Iron and Bronze, with Gold Nation coming to the rescue. After all, Alpha Matthew Catii was the only survivor, and he was so weak it would be no trouble bending him to his will.Now all Andrew had to do was meet with Karthen, collect the heads, and this stupid pretend war would be over."I think I'll go in ceremony," he announced to his Beta. "Gather the troops just in case since we might be stabbed in the back by the rogues... Well, either way we would have turned on them next. It's almost over, friend. You've served me well.""It's an honor to be with you at the mo
This was never going to go to Union Court. It was going to go straight to war, and Beth was ready to fight. Andrew Troy had manipulated his way to victory every time but now, he would get what was coming to him.No one knew where his father was so he was all but Alpha King of Gold Nation now, which made him the most influential party in Union Court. Like hell Beth was going to bother bringing up a grievance against the most powerful member there. That was going to be open and shut and he was just going to find a way to punish everyone involved, and with legal backing.Better to just take the fight to his face and show him what was what. Beth already had her sleeves up and claws out.... Except Daniel and everyone else forbid her from leaving the Heether pack house. Completely."I am not an invalid!" she shouted. "I can still fight!""Beth... Please. You're going to stress out the baby.""The baby is stressed out because you're leaving me behind!"Daniel held her tight, stifling her st
Daniel wasted no time in telling his mother the truth that day. That is, that he and Beth had secretly been in a relationship for weeks now, technically months since they had definitely been tip-toeing around each other in poor, secret denial long before they truly pledged themselves to each other.Beth was not ready. She was still adjusting to being back in the Heether territory, still adjusting to the relief and anger and determination to take Andrew down even though she was undoubtedly pregnant. She had only just confessed to Anna about that, and Luna Margaretta already knew? Before Beth had had a chance to ready herself?"It'll be all right. She'll come around." Daniel placed his hands on her belly, which had not yet begun to grow but would soon swell with the life of their growing baby. "It's important that everyone's on alert, keeping them in the dark will only make things more dangerous."She swallowed hard. Daniel was right, but that didn't mean it make it any easier. Anna had
As an Alpha, Beth could throw off sedatives without lasting damage. Whatever Andrew had drugged her with, it wasn't doing permanent physical harm, and the effects were reversing already. Her regenerative ability had only improved over the last year with the constant strain she had put her body through, and she thanked it now as they rolled through the streets past the growing chaos of soldiers searching the streets for their missing prisoner. With any luck, within a few days of having untainted food and drink, she and the baby would be right as rain.Andrew had discovered her absence far sooner than she had hoped, but it couldn't be helped. Someone must have checked in with breakfast earlier than usual. But for the bad luck to strand them all in the city and get them caught up in the manhunt...Matt had prepared everything, at least. She still had misgivings about him that would never go away for as long as she lived -- sounds wounds ran far too deep to ever forgive -- but he had done
The first thing Beth saw when she came to was Daniel's blurred face. Even though her head pounded so fiercely she could hardly breathe, the sight of his face swimming in her swirling vision sent such sheer joy and pleasure through her that tears sprang to her eyes."Daniel...""Shhh, Beth, don't try to get up. Rest. I just brought you to the place where I'm staying, and it's a decent place to hide for now, but we don't have a doctor here yet. You need to be seen, something's wrong." He lifted his head, looked at someone over his shoulder. "Go! Find a--""Wait!" She grasped at his shirt, fingers digging weakly into the fabric. "Wait, don't. Andrew doesn't know I've escaped. When he finds out, he'll start a search and hunt me down, and anyone would figure out that it was me if they see me like this. I'm a mess."Daniel leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Maybe, but I'll get you out of here anyway. But something's not right and we have to fix that first. Did Andrew hurt you? What did h
The Troy pack house ran on routine. Everyone had been careful to keep their mouths shut about even potentially important information around Beth, which made sense since everyone knew she was a prisoner, not a mere guest. But what Andrew Troy had so carelessly forgotten was that she had already stayed here before her imprisonment.When he had entertained her as an actual guest in the span of time she had spent waiting for Daniel to arrive here, back before Andrew requested she go to Tahoe Village to help with the fake 'espionage' mission, she had already been housed here for quite a while. Long enough to learn several important details, and details that she couldn't imagine would have changed since then.Andrew's political wheeling and dealing were unpredictable, but his home life was anything but. That enormous cart of food she always saw wheeled in every morning at four in the dark of night came in every day without fail, and she was willing to stake her escape on the guess that that
They were still talking, but they had moved off the stone path and deeper into the shadows. They were on the other side of the stone half-wall, so close that it took another five steps this way, they would find Beth and she would be discovered. She placed a hand over her mouth and nose to stifle what little sound she might betray, but there was nothing else she could do. Her only choice was to wait and hope they didn't notice her, and as soon as they left, she could make a break for it.But to her chagrin, Andrew's voice became louder -- closer. Oh, Moon Goddess. They were now standing almost on top of her, just on the other side of the wall, and if they leaned over, they would see the top of her head no matter how she tried to squash herself against the stone. Was this it? Had she been too hasty?How could her luck be like this! If she had waited only one more night, Andrew Troy might not be walking the grounds. She could deal with avoiding a measly patrol; most of the time, walkabo
The shift change came every day at nine o' clock in the morning and nine o' clock at night. Morning escape was impossible, because even if she slipped past the changing guard, it would be daylight outside and everyone from here to the outlands would see her running across the estate's grounds. She had to make it a night getaway.The good news was with the frigid weather and the frequent sleet and rough snowfall, her tracks would be covered easily, and her scent hard to follow. She was used to traveling in harsh conditions from the life before, and hadn't she managed that journey to Pandemonium City and back? It had been grueling, but she had done it. And, she thought grimly, she had already conceived by then.Proof her child was already strong. Took after its father, and its mother, too. Beth smiled at the mirror, but it was razor-sharp and vindictive, not sweet.She had no more sweetness left for the enemy. She and her child would get out of here no matter what.***One week of obser
The days were short yet passed in slow misery. Trapped in the Troy pack manor on the third floor with guards posted everywhere to keep her from escaping, Beth was a canary imprisoned in a gilded cage, never allowed a moment alone even to bathe. Andrew Troy pretended it was to pamper her by assigning her female attendants to attend to her every need, but she knew better. Much better.He even had the gal to visit her as if she were just some guest being entertained in his home. How dare he have the fucking nerve? She was a prisoner, and yet when he knocked on her door and let himself in, he was all charming smiles and gentlemanly manners. Except how he never explicitly waited until she gave him permission to enter, but maybe that was because she flatly refused to give it. After five seconds of waiting, he came in, ready or not, and it made her want to punch him in the gut for it all the more.She was fed and well-taken care of, granted, like a captured exotic animal kept for private vie