For a brief moment, Caleb’s entire face goes slack with shock. In that instant, I feel vindicated, like maybe he’ll learn something now. However, in the next second, his face hardens instead. His words like ice, he says, “What did you just say to me?” Any other day, maybe I would have backed dow
That’s… odd. I was expecting more fight from him. At the very least, I thought he might just storm off and leave me alone. But now he wants to… help? Maybe my words got through to him. Does he now see how important it is for us to work together to survive? Containing my pride, I return to my wor
Caleb’s wounds are healing nicely. That’s the first thing I think looking at Caleb’s chest. The second is much less innocent. As much as I want to hate Caleb, and as many viable reasons as I have to do so, his body always manages to provide an excellent counterpoint. He may only be an alpha werewo
“Stand like this, with your feel slightly further apart. You don’t want to stumble when you are forced to move quickly,” he says. Disappointment flushes through me, and I hate myself for it. Caleb showing me what to do is what should be happening. Sex was never the intention here, no matter how ho
The shock of water up my nose cools my passions enough for fear to set in. What have I done? I basically shoved Caleb under the water. He’s going to be furious. He’s going to – My rush of thoughts is abruptly halted as Caleb yanks me up and out of the water. I brace myself, expecting to be yelled
“Grab your tits,” he says. “Like we did in the river. Play with those nipples. Give yourself pleasure while I fuck you like an animal.” At once, I raise my hands. Cupping my breasts, I flick my thumbs across my nipples, sending zips of pleasure through me. “Good,” he says. “Don’t stop. I want a
Samuel stands beside his wife in the Hall of the capital as he has several times before since his arrival here for the Alpha Council – a council which has failed totally, if recent events were anything to go by. This time, compared to the other times Samuel has been in this room, however, the King
Back at the house, I force Caleb to sit on a chair so that I can clean and bandage each of the wounds he dirtied by being in that river. He’s surprisingly pliant, considering his usual aversion to being told what to do. But after the earth-shattering sex we’ve had, it seems nothing will break the ai
My heavy heart persists into the evening. I haven’t talked much since speaking with Kira, retreating to my room soon after. Not even Bethany could encourage me to speak. Kira’s words cut into me, straight down to the bone. I don’t want to believe that Caleb only wants me for sex, and that’s all he’
None of that matters now. Annabelle looks at me sharply. “What are you doing here?” I step into the room, Bethany following along, my silent support. Glancing away from her in my dream gown, I try to stoke my rage again. Remembering the letter, I retrieve it from my pocket. “I’m tired of being th
The next morning, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, dreading another day of doing nothing, I hear a swishing sound near my door. Sitting up, I look at the door and find a slip of paper laying near it on the ground. Did someone slide that underneath? Curious, I pull myself out of bed and walk
“I want to apologize to you for how I acted before,” Annabelle says. With her head down, she also droops her shoulders, seeming for all the world like she might drop to her knees at any moment. He really doesn’t need that kind of dramatics, so he’s relieved when she continues to stand. “I let my
She looks away. “While I cannot save those condemned to the coliseum, I can help prepare them to hone the best of their abilities. I give them the best possible fighting chance, so when they step into the ring, they might survive. Many do not, but some succeed.” Looking back at me, she continues, “
I awaken the next morning to a loud, confident knock on my door. Rising up from bed, I pull on my housecoat and walk to the door, opening it. I’m half-expecting Bethany, though she doesn’t usually knock quite that loudly. Instead, I find the Pitmaster there. Her expression is severe as always but d
Much, much later, after Caleb ravaged me on the stairs again and then twice more in my bedroom, once we are relatively cleaned up, though I still carry his scent all over me, Caleb sits on the edge of my bed, staring at me as I recline there, jelly-like and sated. We need to have a talk, and I know
Seeing Caleb rush towards me, fury in his gaze, I already know what’s happened here. Bethany. She might have seemed compliant when I told her to stay behind, but I should have known she wouldn’t just sit idly by while I placed myself in danger, even if I instructed her to do so. She is my friend b
“That is a terrible idea,” Bethany says, not holding back. “What could you even hope to gain by doing that? Best case scenario, Leah has no way of delivering the message. Worst case, Samuel lures you out somewhere and has you killed.” “He won’t kill me,” I say. Despite his threats, he cares for me,