Shit. Shit! How could she have been so clumsy! Beth scrambled to get out of bed, but Daniel's quiet signal and firm grip forced her to settle back down. He motioned for her to stay there as he got up instead, sliding off the bed as he headed for the door. He grabbed a robe folded on top of the low dresser, shook it out, and slid smoothly into it on the way, and when he opened the door, he was clothed and decent again. Mostly."Teo, what is it?""Daniel! You're usually downstairs before the pack gathers for dinner, but you were missing. I came to get you.""I'm fine. I'm not hungry tonight.""I couldn't find Elizabeth either. She was supposed to be helping with the arrangements...""Beth isn't in charge of that. We talked about that before.""Well, I remember, but Daniel - she's better suited to this kind of thing. You shouldn't go around with her so much. Leave her here at the pack house so she can help the other women do - you know, woman business, not going around doing dangerous t
It didn't take long for Matthew to put aside his panic and think coldly about the facts, however. Luckily, dinner went on for far longer than usual, probably because of the horrid downpour that began outside. None of the pack members who lived in the secondary houses wanted to go out and get drenched, so they took their time and socialized for several hours. Matthew took advantage by keeping to himself and quietly planning ahead, arranging answers for every possible question Alpha King Wyatt Troy might have for him. He still needed a powerful alliance with the man and he would take what was offered. After all, in the future, if Silver Nation's Heether pack went wild again just like before, Matthew needed guaranteed protection for his own pack...That was that, then. He had no choice but to put his faith in Wyatt Troy while he had the opportunity. And when he noticed for the first time that Daniel wasn't present, a sly plan began to form. If that man were here, he would definitely g
"You can't be serious." Wyatt's tone was utterly dismissive, the slipping of respect palpable with every word. He sat back in the armchair, eyes shadowing as he grimaced. "I know perfectly well you're not suited for Gold Nation politics. Let's not beat around the bush about that. What is it you think you can accomplish by going there, with me? Do you think you'll be any safer for having my company? You've seen with your own eyes that I have so few friends I came with none, and so many enemies that you, a stranger, had to come to my assistance or else I would have died that day. So what plan could you possibly concoct that needs your presence in Gold Nation where my most dangerous enemies will be? I can't protect you from them, Matthew Catii.""I'm aware. And I know I'm not the most gifted fighter, but I have men who will fight under me if needed. I can put out a summons back home for an entourage to accompany us -" Matthew began, but the other man cut him off swiftly."If you had su
By morning, Matt and Wyatt were already prepared for the journey to Gold Nation. No time to waste, and Matt in particular still had yet to figure out how to deal with the inevitable confrontation with Beth - he had agonized over it all night, and now it was certain she knew the secret he had tried to keep from her all this time. The flat, cold look on her face whenever he couldn't help but try to catch her gaze gave that much away. And if he had hoped deep within his heart that she had forgiven him - well, that wasn't happening.But it had been decades since she had died in his arms, thirty years. Couldn't she give him a chance? Couldn't she tell he had changed? Even if he had deceived her until now, it was only because she would never have given him a chance otherwise. So maybe...But for now, he needed distance to let her forget her hatred. Every second they were anywhere near each other, it seemed her coldness toward him only grew, so some space was the only thing that might softe
Disguises were one of Wyatt's many strengths. It should have been unsurprising when the circumstances under which he had met Matthew had already proven as much, but Matthew had never appreciated the intricacies behind just putting on a good act to fool the eyes. The business of getting false papers, remembering every facet of their false backstories, constantly being aware that he mustn't reveal too much lest someone think he was a little too interesting and start picking apart his lies - Matthew was much better at business where even if someone tried to lie and misrepresent the numbers, the numbers themselves were never the source of deception. But with disguises and falsehoods and the ordeal of pretending that he and Wyatt were mere businessmen on their way to Gold Nation to negotiate trade...It rankled his pride, especially since he had to pretend to be Wyatt's Beta.But at least he was learning more inside information about the Troy family than he ever knew, even in his fifty ye
"...I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter, since I'm being kept here." Matthew looked around the room with a meaningful glower and a tight smile. There would be no way for Andrew to take that as anything but a condemnation of his prisoner state. Neither of them were idiots, so if Andrew Troy thought he was going to mistake his circumstances for anything but forced captivity, then he must be out of his damn mind. "So what is it you want my help with?" he asked. "Assuming it's something I can assist you with in the first place.""Nothing too challenging for your abilities, I assure you," said the man. "But it's come time to choose a side at last.""A side? Against -""The rogue wolves. Their attacks are mounting, and I'm not going to sit around playing cool politics anymore when there are lives of actual innocents on the line. Before, they were only chess pieces to be played with or traded off, but things are different now. I'm not my father, or anyone else who came before me t
How ridiculously easy.Andrew had left the main estate moments ago after speaking with Matthew, the foolish heir apparent of Bronze Nation who had tried to throw his lot in with Andrew's father. If he were smarter, he would have known to side with the winning team, but there he was, trapped in a room in the middle of the Troy pack's estate until Andrew decided to let him go. It had been a toss-up in the beginning, wondering whether to play nice and fool the man or to show his cards from the get-go, but in the end, Andrew's pride had won out. He had a signature, after all. He was a persuader, a convincer. To let Matthew know that Andrew had been keeping him on a leash and collar all this time and that he would never be free of it would only set the man against him permanently, which was a bother. Allies when they were willing to subject themselves were so much better to utilize.After all, Andrew had more than enough troublemaking enemies as it was. For instance, Wyatt Troy, his fat
"And you're laughing, why?" Andrew asked testily. "You don't seem to understand your situation here. Or have you finally gone senile after the way you've been spiraling all these years?"Wyatt laughed. He laughed and laughed and laughed. Andrew had always been sharp and clever, more than he had been at his age, but Andrew had one glaring weakness he had never been able to surmount: being humiliated. And laughing in his face while held captive in a dark prison cell normally reserved only for the most scorned of criminals, betraying not one ounce of fear or the respect Andrew craved so badly but giving him disdain instead - weakness, weakness, weakness.And it was well-deserved. Because Andrew had underestimated him. Did he really think the Alpha King of Gold Nation, his father who had come before him and taught him every trick in the book even if not through orthodox means, could be so careless that he would unwittingly fall into a trap as bland as this, without preemptive measures 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