Leila
I couldn’t be here. Couldn’t breathe. Naineeve came sprinting down the hall, ushering Ethan back into his room.
I sprinted down endless corridors until I came to a set of double doors, bursting into the lobby.
“You need to check out!” Lorrie called after me, but I didn’t care. I needed to get out of here.
I ran around the back of the building, locating a small trail. And I ran.
Perrin
I spent the first hour sparring and warming up. Spurred by the elation of Ethan’s pending recovery, I was recommitting myself to train and ensure that I was ready for the Sacred Call. I was sweeping everyone who stepped into the ring, and that felt great. Empowering.
LeilaIt took me several minutes to realize that I had shifted into wolf-form. The pads of my paws kicked up dirt as I ran faster and faster--away from the disaster.Running in my wolf-form was freedom. It came to me that I hadn’t actually phased since I had moved to the Aperture pack. It was only a couple of weeks ago, but at this point--it felt like much longer. My muscles needed to stretch. I loved the feel of the wind as I ran, rustling my white fur.And I ran. Hard.I wasn’t sure where I was, but I ended up near the ocean. It was beautiful with the run reflecting ripples across waves miles out from shore. I enjoyed my heightened vision in my wolf form, and decided to keep running. Running helped me think. And process.What the hel
LeilaWhat is going on? “Why not call my father?”“Because if this Gamma knows who you are, I’d rather not risk heckling a Beta with this type of business.”I stopped, confused. But this was apparently the Ididorahd’s Beta. Wasn’t he being heckled?“Janas will know who I am.”One of the guards snickered down the hallway. “She sure talks like the member of a Beta family. She doesn’t even use the honorifics.”I hadn’t meant to speak so informally about Jana
Ethan “How are you feeling?” “Better. Hungry. When do I get real food?” My mother sat in the chair that Lo had occupied a few hours earlier. I still wasn’t sure what had happened, but it didn’t sound good. Lo looked terrified and Jaz looked capable of murder. Not that it would be the first time. That girl was crazy. And not necessarily in the too-hot, can-get-away-with-it kinda crazy. Just freakin nuts. “The healers said you can’t have solid food for another few days.” “Can’t you see me withering away?” “I can see you just fine. And seeing how you are now versus a week ago, you’ll stick with the jell-o.” I clicked the little button that sent pain med
JasmineI had thrown my phone at the wall when I had gotten back to my apartment. Well, that is, just after I had called Perrin and left him a voicemail that probably would have had me exiled had I been just another wolf in the pack.But that’s really what I was now, wasn’t I? Just another wolf in the pack?I was seething. I didn’t care that I skipped the rest of the lecture. Fuck. And why had Leila… Lo… fuck, WHATEVER her name was. Why was she at the infirmary?I paced back and forth in my apartment, unsure of what to do. Yes, I skipped out on the lecture, but I needed to get back for my rotation after lunch.I sat down, tr
Jasmine Seeing as I had no idea where Irene went, I could take my time wandering the halls, checking every patient room just in case. And of course, putting off the inevitable. What more did she really have to say? She had already taken my rotations away. I can’t imagine how it could get any worse. I finally went to reception and found Lorrie. “Hey, can you tell me where Irene is?” “In her office. Actually I think she’s waiting for you.” “Shit. Thanks.” I stalked off down the hall towards the offices of the Ascended. Each was unique, completely decorated to the personality of each Ascended. Once you had this office, it was yours for…. Well, life. Nai
PerrinI had always wondered what it would be like to find your true mate. I had to admit to myself that I had been really curious about it when Kira had first mentioned it. But now...Justin? Of all people. How could the Goddess have--No. No questioning the Goddess. My father taught me that a long time ago.But I admitted to myself that this felt like some kind of sick joke. How could Kira not accept what the Goddess had in store for her? It had been harder than I expected when I told her that she shouldn’t reject Justin. That was the type of decision my father would have made. Alpha’s could never dictate what pairings the Goddess would make, but rather, endorse them. An Alpha would never tell
Perrin “Have you talked to Jaz today?” Her words echoed in my brain. I had tried calling her twice this afternoon, just as an excuse to talk to her or make plans. I left her room and wandered down the hall to my own suite. It was so frustrating how Lo had to keep poking into my relationship. It was all so stupid. I had a missed call from Jaz and a voicemail. She rarely left voicemails, so I pressed the playback icon and listened. My stomach dropped. Her words cut hard, name-calling and profanity aside. Betrayal? Coward? Cheating? This wasn’t happening. I tried calling her back, but every single time it started to ring I got an automated voice m
PerrinI’m not honestly sure how I got home.I remember getting in a car. Leaving Jaz’s apartment. Tom opened the door for me I think.Charlie was there too, I think. I was in too much of a daze to really notice.I found myself strolling the grounds of the pack house, lost in my own thoughts.I had no idea what time it was.How could it really be over? Jaz and I… after more than two years together? No, this has to be a bad dream…How could she end it? My insides felt empty and dark. My whole body felt… hollow.I get that the news article was messed up. That’s why I tried to
EPILOGUEMarge shuffled through the archive, her shoes making the only sound in the quiet stone building, echoing all the same through the high vaulted ceiling of the church building above. She raised a gnarled hand to the shelf and deposited the book after two tries, her hands shaking slightly with the cold. There were only a few books to return tonight. Far fewer than there had been when Leila had been here.So why had she waited until this late in the evening to do it? She just shrugged and pushed on, the slow creaking of the cart’s wheels punctuating the silence, her old watch on her pale wrist noting the time; 1:45 a.m.She really had no business being there so late. But she had gotten caught up in one of her research projects, spread out across her circulation desk and totally lost in thought until the rumble of her empty sto
Perrin“How long is it going to take?”I sat on Lo’s bed as she shoved clothes into her suitcase. “Maybe a week? I’m not sure.”“Why don’t you just leave all of that stuff here?” I pointed at the suitcase. “It’s not like you’re not going to bring it back.”She heaved a heavy sigh, full of fake exasperation. “I still have to pack it to move it down the hall. It’s just easier if I do it all at once.”“Nah. Let’s just throw it all in some garbage bags and unpack later.”She laughed. “Hand me those shoes?”I strode over and picked a pair
Perrin “Because I never want to create a monster like my father.” Silence hung in the room. I digested each word, the implications of it. “But you’re not…” I said, more for myself than for her. “No, I’m not. He never got his hands on me. My little brother made sure of that.” And even though she spoke in a viscous, quipping way; there was a hint of something grateful in her tone. “So he won’t be anything like him!” I said, assuring myself more than anything. “Does it matter?” She snapped, regaining her typical composure. “If my father’s insane lust for power is hereditary, then it’s best that the blood line ends with me. At least my brother won’t be breeding any offspring considering he’s gay–” sh
Perrin I glanced at my phone, then at Lo. We had made love for several hours, refusing to stop until we had our fill of each other. But each time hadn’t felt like enough, leaving us drained and happy but wanting more. After one particularly hot session in the middle of my bed involving whipped cream, I pulled her close to me, blissfully peaceful with her cradled in my arms. I felt her stomach growl against my hands. And apparently hungry. I swept my mouth to her ear and felt her shiver against me, goosebumps appearing up and down her body. I fought the impulse to warm her with every inch of mine. “Do you want me to get you a snack?” I said, and waved the small can of whipped cream in front of her face so she could see. She hummed lazily in my
PerrinAnd it had happened like that.I recalled the broad strokes for my friends.“You what?” Ethan said, shocked and nearly angry. “You can’t make that kind of promise!”Justin shook his head sagely. “That’s free reign, Perrin. And a dangerous move, backing out of every challenge. It puts you at a huge disadvantage if anyone trespasses on your territory.”“Or attacks on your land,” Ethan said.“Or poses a border dispute,” said Kira.“How will you expand?” Ethan asked, c
PerrinI tried to cover the nail marks she had left on my shoulder with a spare set of scrubs from Deidre’s office. It was no use. The scrubs were too small, tugging comically at my shoulders and Lo’s pink cheeks and ruffled hair couldn’t be fixed.We had retreated long enough to ourselves, and I pulled us back into the world of the living and down the hall, walking hand in hand as we rejoined our friends.Ethan smirked when he saw us. “Nice.”Kira rolled her eyes, glancing at her imaginary watch. “Couldn’t you two wait?”“At least get a shirt,” Ethan added, eyeing my bare chest. I had ditched the scrubs, unable to get them over my chest.
PerrinWe didn’t talk as much, even though that had been the plan.I had taken one of the chairs opposite Deidre’s desk, hoping to keep my brain thinking platonically for as long as possible. But part of me was still in shock. I could smell the smell of her coconut shampoo. See the glimmer of her earrings in the desk lap. And I had felt the tips of her fingernails as I held her hand; the short ones that she chewed on when she was reading and lost in thought.But I knew it was definitely her the moment I felt my head slightly dizzy with the draft of warm honeysuckle, intoxicatingly perfect.I wasn’t shy, needing to have her by my side. I pulled her easily into my lap, and she didn’t protest, as if still quite unsure that all of this was really happening either. She swun
PerrinAs soon as Mark dismissed the crowd, the crowd had begun to descend from the stands in droves. It hadn’t taken long for Lo to find me, fighting the current and pushing her way against the flow of teaming bodies and up to the platform.I sensed her, long before she ran up the platform stairs, Justin hot on her heels. I dove past my father, darted behind Mark and ran to meet her, not caring for any protocol or public indecency. I needed her.Her scent hit me first. It made my blood sing and my heart beat so fast I thought it would stop.And then there she was. The sight of my home and my heart, running and slipping across the wet platform towards me.My weight almost buckled beneath me, the unexpected reality of seeing her here st
Justin The arena was packed. I could hear an excited roar from the crowd from behind the Lodge, drifting over the top of the massive building and floating through the chill evening air. Lo parked illegally in front of the entrance to the building. Now was not the time to point it out. A series of battered and limp-hanging banners and signs showed the way around to the back. It had rained today, apparently, and we made progress towards the arena as quickly as we could, sludging through mud and the trampled pathway. A stadium had been erected, filled to the brim with stands of onlookers, cheering and applauding in a range of darkened colors, soaked from the rain. Despite the bad weather, it hadn’t dampened their spirits. The crowd had been here all night, awaiting the results. Colored tents for each challenging pack were spaced ou