Delaney“Are you going to tell me why the hell there are people after you?” Pollux asks right away. “And don’t lie to me. Don’t tell me that you don’t know what they’re talking about.”I feel extremely helpless right now. Having to explain myself to him is not something I ever thought I would have to do, but right now, he’s the one in charge, and unless I want to leave this place and try my luck elsewhere, I’ll have to cooperate. “I might have an idea,” I admit. “But I’m not sure. Nothing makes a lot of sense to me.”His rigid stance speaks volumes about his impatience. I lick my lips and say, “When I left the prison, they gave me an envelope with a new identity and instructions to leave the city. But Paola brought me here, and I fell in love with this place and what you were all fighting for, so I decided to stay.”“Who sent that to you?” he asks evenly. I shrug. “I don’t know. The letter wasn’t signed.”“Who do you think could’ve sent it?”I never really thought about it. I tell h
DelaneyAfter making our way to the surface, Paola and I don't say much to each other. I tried to convince her that she should stay behind. There's no reason why she should have to suffer because of me; because I was exiled. But Paola refuses to listen. I don't have many belongings. Everything I own fits in a plastic bag, and she mentioned the same thing. The surface feels different this time around. I didn't think I'd see the sky again, but here I am, walking down a lone road with my best friend next to me. Do we have a plan? Absolutely not. I have some money, and it'll really come in handy. I haven't told her about it yet. I guess I'll just have to see where we'll go. "I know a place," Paola tells me. "It's pretty rough, but unless we want to spend the night in the streets, that's is the only place we have to go."I agree, and we head there. Whenever I think about the fact that my plan practically blew up in my face, I feel slightly embarrassed and disappointed. I should’ve kn
DelaneyI hold in my gasp and press my back against the rough brick wall, praying to the goddess that the two men didn’t see me. The man in the alleyway continues whimpering while his assailants hover above him, raining kicks and punches down on him. I look from left to right and don’t spot a single person that I could call for help. They’re going to kill that man. I can’t do a thing to stop them. Years in prison has taught me to mind my own business. What could I do against two men? The least I can do is call for help. I decide to turn away and head back to the hotel, and I run directly into someone. A man. He’s tall and wearing a fitted black suit. A scar is running down the left side of his face, and his hair is tied back in a ponytail. The smile he gives me is wicked, and instills fear in me. Before I know it, he grabs my arm and starts dragging me toward the alleyway. No. I use my free hand to punch him in the face, but that does more damage to him than to me. My fingers ar
Delaney"Cursey," I hear Trevor Whittle say in a sing-song voice. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"Laughter follows his words. I remain hidden behind the huge oak tree and desperately try to catch my breath without making a sound. I breathe shakily behind the hand I placed over my own mouth while my heart slams against my chest. I'll never understand why these elites don't leave me alone. I've done nothing but try to stay out of their way, even at school. But regardless of how much effort I put into being invisible, I can never hide from them. Maybe it's the fact that I'm the only person in the werewolf world who was born under the infamous Black Moon and got to live, or maybe it's my red hair that makes me stand out wherever I go. Nevertheless, these elites—the sons and daughters of the leaders of our pack—follow me and insist on reminding me about my pitiful existence every day, and today is yet another one of those days. Only, there are two things that set today apart from
DelaneyThe door of the interrogation room opens, and for once, I see a familiar face.My mother. I try to stand but the chains binding my legs to the chair make it impossible for me to do so. They've bound me to make sure I don't try to escape. According to them, I'm a dangerous criminal. For hours, the detective interrogated me on what happened in the forest, and he simply wrote things down as I explained. I told him the whole unfiltered truth in a shaky voice. I didn't leave a single detail out. After he left, nobody came for me. The plain clock on the wall indicates that three hours passed before my mother walked in here. I'm so glad to see her face, however, she appears grief-stricken and her lips are pressed together in a thin line. As she takes a seat directly across from me, she asks, "What have you done, Delaney? What have you done?"Tears gather in my eyes and cascade down my cheeks. Her accusation settles in the pit of my stomach and makes me feel physically sick. "I di
DelaneyI'm sitting on the dirty floor my cell with my arms around my knees. Ten years. Ten. That's how long I'll be expected to stay imprisoned for the murder of Trevor. Due to the fact that he hurt me, I was given a lower sentence. That's the information I received afterward as I was being brought here to the prison. "Courtesy of the Alpha and the judge," the officer told me before spitting at my feet. "It's certainly more than an Omega like you deserve."Most police officers are Gammas, so they're higher in rank than us. Omegas are considered the weakest people in every pack, and I'm pretty sure we'd all be killed if they—the higher-ups— didn't need people to clean after them. I'm numb. My brutal reality hasn't sunk in yet, and so as a result, I have this feeling like all of this is temporary and I'll go home soon. I haven't quite accepted the fact that I'll be imprisoned for ten years. I couldn't say how many hours passed since I was shoved in my cell. The bottom bunk bed indi
Delaney Seven Years Later An officer knocks on the metal bars with his bat and I look up from the book I'm reading. "Time to go," he simply tells me. "Where?" I ask. He doesn't answer me; he just unlocks the door. The metallic sound of it opening fills my ears. I put my book down and he shakes his head. "Bring everything you own with you," he informs me. "We've received a court order for your release."My eyes widen and for a moment, I lose the ability to breathe. This can't be. I'm being released? Today?"Hurry up, Waters," the officer grumbles. "I don't have all day."I gather my things in my arms quickly before deciding to use my pillowcase as a makeshift bag. I don't have much; just books, deodorant that I traded for a book, a pack of cigarettes that I've started smoking in here, and a lighter. There's also the piece of paper that Paola left for me on the day she was released, which was a month ago. It's states her address and a phone number I can reach her with. We became ve
DelaneyThe sight of Paola's brother leaves me light-headed, mostly because she told me so much about him over the years and I never knew that I'd already seen him before. The man standing before me gives me a once-over. Paola has cut her hair short and has gotten rid of all the black dye on her hair, and honestly, I think the color suits her more. Her hair is now the same dirty blonde as his, making them look very alike. Only, the big difference between them is that although Paola can be explosive at times, she has this soft look to her. Her eyes are big and kind. Her brother, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. His eyes are full of curiosity and disdain as he sizes me up while a sly smile curls at the edges his plump lips. When they land on mine after his assessment, I have the feeling that he's making fun of me in his head. I wonder if he recognizes me, too. The day of the trial was such a long time ago. "This is the friend you made in prison?" Pollux asks. His voice