"So why are they after you?""I don't rightly know.""Really? You have no idea?"The man shook his head, and Matt knew in an instant he was lying. Or at the very least, he had to have some suspicion. People didn't put up a dogged chase through smoke to mug a complete stranger. Had this man ducked into the chaos to try to get away from them, hoping to lose his pursuers in the mob? Not a stupid move, but unsafe considering he had been panting and heaving and taking in so much of the smoke. Matt could still feel the effects of inhaling it even now, even after his healing had kicked in to recover his lungs. Whatever those thugs were chasing after him with such single-minded devotion for, the man had to have an inkling about. A bit too old to be messing around with sisters and daughters. Maybe gambling debts?"Really," the man said at his long, skeptical stare. "I don't know. But I didn't want to stick around to find out. They were meaning to kill me no matter what I said or did.""Kill
Daniel was right to think something would happen, in the end. Beth had mastered stalking her quarry in the past life, but in the almost three seasons she had spent in this new one, she had become utterly out of practice. Perilously so. And she realized it only when the man stiffened, turned his head, and sniffed the air over his shoulder. She tried to slink back behind the closest corner only to find that they were both in the middle of a narrow brick alleyway, and there was no escaping detection.The smog that muddied the air was thinner than two and a half streets over where the flames had grown to a raging conflagration, and there was no hiding within it. Beth and the man locked gazes as he turned, and adrenaline thickened in her veins, warning her: fight.The man was trained. Highly trained. The span of time between the instant he saw her and the instant he leaped to attack was less than a second. He didn't just know how to fight; he lived like this, constantly struggling, consta
There was no way they were going to bring this stranger with them. Beth was slower to judgment than anyone else here, which was ironic considering she had already seen what the future could bring, but even she was against the idea of Matthew keeping some old unknown merchant in tow as they fled the vicinity for safer waters. And given Matthew's track record of trusting the wrong people - she hoped in the other life, he and Annalise had torn each other new ones, and plenty of them at that - she wasn't fond of falling into step and going along with his idea that his new friend could be of use to them.Boris was a weathered thing, but it might have been only recent times that had treated him poorly. He had the slightly saggy look of someone who had lost too much weight too fast, but he had the sophisticated manners of someone of the upper economic class, and he still had the jewelry here and there that quietly advertised the wealth he possessed. Well, not at the moment. He had admitted
It had been an exhausting journey made at double-time, and the strain showed on everyone except Daniel. His stamina was unbelievable - impossible, even. Beth had long trained for strenuous work in the other life and had even become good at it despite her utter lack of training in childhood, but she as well as everyone else were on their last leg. Daniel, however, stayed up to guard the captive no matter how anyone protested, and he ordered the other Heether pack members to get some rest. The sister pack werewolves who had accompanied them to and from the botched mission were sent home outright with orders to disclose nothing. And Beth - Beth slept. She slept so hard she didn't even dream, and she woke up with a startled jerk when she realized it was no longer dark in her small room at the end of the large cabin. She must have napped for at least two hours, maybe more. She scrambled out of bed, heart pounding, and sprinted down the hallway, out the door, and toward the cellar doors
"It's Boris, I just got up to go look for him and he was already gone!""And his belongings?" asked Daniel. "Don't overreact. Explain."Matthew raked his fingers through his mussed hair, agitated. "I was the last to see him before he went into the room you lent him. And he said he was going to sleep. He didn't leave through the door either, he left through the window. Otherwise your men would have seen him. The one with the birthmark over his eyebrow already left the back way to see if he can find him, but there's no trail to track! Your people can't find him."The accusatory note in his voice didn't go unnoticed. Daniel narrowed his eyes. Who was Matthew to criticize when Boris was his guest, not theirs? He was the one who should have been keeping proper tabs on the old man since he had dragged him along without even consulting Daniel or Beth. He had been so insistent that the man could be useful, but what now?Matthew could be overreacting indeed, high-strung as he was. But if the
It was true they had gone to try to find Wyatt Troy in the first place when they went to the border village. He was supposed to be in disguise - that too was true. But never had Beth guessed that the doddering, talkative, nervous merchant man was Wyatt Troy after all. And here they had thought Matthew had rescued a bumbling man whose only use might be his connections to the other Alphas of Gold Nation, though even that would have been limited to just fellow merchant-class packs instead of the true warrior packs that would be the most fruitful.And now it turned out Boris wasn't Boris after all, but the man himself, the Alpha King of Gold Nation?Beth stared, but Matthew was far more shocked than she was. When her gaze darted to him to take in his reaction, all he was doing was numbly staring at the man who had all but undergone a complete transformation in the short time he had slipped their leash. There was nothing physically transformed about him - only the increased height and w
They left Matthew stunned on the patio. Or rather, Daniel left him stunned on the patio as he yanked Beth bodily back into the house to pull her down the hallway. His fingers were digging into her wrist so hard they hurt, and she scrambled to loosen his grip when she regained enough of her senses to understand what was happening."What are you doing?" she hissed. "Let go of me! Daniel!"But he said nothing, and no matter what she did and said, he refused to loosen his grasp. They were already nearly to the front doors, and how they hadn't run into anyone, she didn't know, but she wasn't going to let others see Daniel manhandling her like this. She wasn't going to let others see anyone at all manhandling her like this.At last, she shoved at him with her other hand, catching up with a lunge so she could overtake his long, swift strides that outpaced her own. He was not going to drag her around. But her strength was nothing compared to his, and all she succeeded in doing was making him
Beth could think of nothing to say.Daniel? Daniel Heether, who in the other iteration of this very life had become the most bloodthirsty, ruthless, terrifying dictator in werewolf memory, who had become a force of nature beyond all possible redemption or reasoning, who had been more a monster and a storm in reputation as Beth had known it than an actual man. Daniel Heether, that very same one just several years younger - all but confessing to her on the steps in front of the Heether pack house where anyone could have walked in on them and heard his words.She had to be imagining it. There was no way he would cross that line. Luna Margaretta had just been here with them less than two minutes ago. Daniel could never confess to the widow of his eldest brother who hadn't even been buried a year, whose death had still not gone avenged even now. No, Daniel could never confess to the woman who had married his mother's other dead son when she had barely left their presence - his sister-in
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