DelaneyMy ears are ringing from the explosion, and the windows of the car have all cracked. My head is a pounding mess, and I’m having a hard time seeing things clearly. Goddess, was the explosion meant to be that way?I look around at the car. Francesca is raising her head too, and I notice that there’s a piece of glass lodged on her hairline. I gasp, and point at it. “Francesca.”She frowns, and then she brings up her hand and feels the glass. Her face is a mask of horror, and she says to me, “By the goddess, don’t look.”I look away, and I imagine she removes the glass because when I look back at her, it’s gone and a bleeding gash is left behind. She presses her sleeve against it, and then stares out of the window. The building is up in flames, and I hate how long it takes me to process everything. Matteo is dead by now, and I’m guessing that so are the Alphas, as he’d planned. There’s no way anyone inside that building survived the explosion. It’s starting to fall apart, and th
AlecWhen I look up, my vision is completely blurry, and there’s a mess all around me, but that’s not the first thing that I notice. Carla.She’s lying beneath me, and she’s unconscious. There’s also blood near her head, which makes me think that she hit her head way too hard when I collided against her due to the explosion. I roll off her, groaning. I’m filled with a sense of urgency. I have to move. I have to do something. I check the time on my watch, and my eyes widen when I realize that this bomb went off way too early. Twenty minutes too early, to be exact. What the hell happened? Did something happen to the timer? Granted, I don’t know how to truly set up a bomb. I just followed the instructions I thought made more sense. But the timer was right. I’d made sure of it. I don’t know what happened, but there’s not enough time for this. I have to get out of here, and I have to find a way to help Carla. I rise, even though my head is fucking pounding, and then haul Carla up befo
Delaney The new location is supposedly safe, and I believe that because it’s in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think anyone could stumble upon us by accident. I look around and all I see is greenery. We must be in the middle of the woods somewhere, which makes sense because we’re living with rogues now, and they have a completely different way of living. The rogues are resourceful, I’ll give them that. There are shelters carved out of the land itself—wooden structures that blend into the thick foliage, and paths so overgrown you’d miss them if you didn’t know where to look. It’s rudimentary compared to the life I’ve known, but it’s safe. Safe. That word doesn’t feel real anymore. Not after the last few days. I’m still in shock concerning the bombing two days ago. Those of us who go into town come back saying that it’s all over the news. The Alphas have died. That’s all that’s being said. Names haven’t been released yet, and my guess is that the packs are trying to keep this
Alec“Alpha Alec,” one of my Gammas says right as he enters my office. “Here’s the list of the casualties you requested. Also, the newly appointed Alphas have accepted your meeting request for this afternoon.”“Thank you, Jason,” I tell him before taking the envelope from his hand. My whole body hurts still, particularly my back, but I’m starting to heal well. The problem with burns is that they take time to heal, and they tend to leave scars. I’m not too worried, but it is in inconvenience. I’ve stayed home for what feels like an eternity now (even though, in reality, it’s only been a few days), when I should be doing better things. I scan through the page in front of me. Twenty-seven deaths, including security and some of the cleaners who’d been on shift the day of the explosion. All the Alphas gone, except for me. Even my Beta, Carla’s father, died in the explosion. She just doesn’t know because she hasn’t woken up yet. I’m the only one who survived it. This is a mere confirma
DelaneySince Cade told me what he’d seen and heard, I’ve been in a deep, pensive state. It’s much more than just me thinking too much, though. It’s something else. It’s an overwhelming feeling of guilt that really could kill me. Guilt, helplessness, and regret, all mixed in one. It’s a truly miserable feeling. Because I had to realize way too late that Alec didn’t have anything to do with the attack, even though Carla had been leading the whole thing. He hadn’t known. This explains why I felt so guilty whenever I thought that he had betrayed me. It was because he hadn’t. He’d been innocent. He’d even tried to help the cause, which means that the second explosion had been his doing. And if Pollux had done the right thing and told us, so much could have been avoided. Alex wouldn’t be dead, and neither would Matteo. I’ve been too busy being angry to be able to cry about this. Pollux…he’d betrayed me in the worst possible way. He’d betrayed the whole rebellion in the most horrible w
DelaneyI hear Paola say my name. “Delaney?”I turn to look at her over my shoulder, and see her in Cade’s arms. I’m outside, getting some fresh air, and I’m standing right next to a metallic garden table with the polished green paint. He sets her down on one of the matching chairs, and then retreats. It’s almost like he was never here.I sit down beside her, and her eyes follow me the entire time. I stare at her face for a few beats, unsure of what to say. During my rant in there, I’d forgotten that she would be there, listening to everything that I was saying about her brother. I don’t know what came over me. The fact that he would ask me what’s wrong when he let innocent people die just touched a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. I’m angry, and I don’t trust that anger. “My brother…” she begins before trailing off. I give her some time to get her thoughts in order, and she then asks me, “Were those things you said true? Did he really do that?”I wait for a few beats, t
Alec The whole city is looking for the rebels, particularly Tobias Renner and his troublesome red-headed daughter. I couldn’t stop it or say no, not without making myself seem suspicious. I had to agree with it. Either way, I’m in control of everything that happens. Everyone’s looking up to me to take care of this and make this all go away, and this is easier to do when the people who were suspicious of me are now dead. Well, not all of them. Carla is alive still, and she suspects of me even though she hasn’t said a word about it. She hasn’t said anything since she woke up, to her precise, and I don’t know if it’s a head injury or whether she’s choosing to stay mute. As long as she doesn’t say anything, I’m good to go. She hasn’t gotten out of bed either, and the healers don’t know what’s wrong because she refuses to communicate and doesn’t want to leave the house. I check up on her only when I’m sure she’s asleep. One thing I can say is that I’m glad she’s not participating in a
DelaneyIn the morning, there’s an agitation somewhere deep in the settlement that wakes me up right away. I turn on my side, and see Paola staring at me. It seems the same noise has woken her up as well. I ask her, “Do you know what’s happening?”“No,” she says. “What time is it?”Before I can answer her, there’s a sharp knock on our door and Francesca walks in. “I’m sorry ladies. I wouldn’t have come in so quickly if it weren’t an emergency.”I sit up. “What happened?”“They’re saying something ridiculous,” she explains. “Some of the scouts that keep a close eye on the Alphas and everything that goes on in the city have just reported that Tobias Renner has been captured. Your father, Delaney. I mean, can you believe that?”My eyes widen, and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. “What?”“We’re worried because it might mean that our informants got the wrong information, which means that they’re on to us. That’s bad, and we’re trying to figure out what to do now that we can’t trus
DelaneyIn the morning, there’s an agitation somewhere deep in the settlement that wakes me up right away. I turn on my side, and see Paola staring at me. It seems the same noise has woken her up as well. I ask her, “Do you know what’s happening?”“No,” she says. “What time is it?”Before I can answer her, there’s a sharp knock on our door and Francesca walks in. “I’m sorry ladies. I wouldn’t have come in so quickly if it weren’t an emergency.”I sit up. “What happened?”“They’re saying something ridiculous,” she explains. “Some of the scouts that keep a close eye on the Alphas and everything that goes on in the city have just reported that Tobias Renner has been captured. Your father, Delaney. I mean, can you believe that?”My eyes widen, and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. “What?”“We’re worried because it might mean that our informants got the wrong information, which means that they’re on to us. That’s bad, and we’re trying to figure out what to do now that we can’t trus
Alec The whole city is looking for the rebels, particularly Tobias Renner and his troublesome red-headed daughter. I couldn’t stop it or say no, not without making myself seem suspicious. I had to agree with it. Either way, I’m in control of everything that happens. Everyone’s looking up to me to take care of this and make this all go away, and this is easier to do when the people who were suspicious of me are now dead. Well, not all of them. Carla is alive still, and she suspects of me even though she hasn’t said a word about it. She hasn’t said anything since she woke up, to her precise, and I don’t know if it’s a head injury or whether she’s choosing to stay mute. As long as she doesn’t say anything, I’m good to go. She hasn’t gotten out of bed either, and the healers don’t know what’s wrong because she refuses to communicate and doesn’t want to leave the house. I check up on her only when I’m sure she’s asleep. One thing I can say is that I’m glad she’s not participating in a
DelaneyI hear Paola say my name. “Delaney?”I turn to look at her over my shoulder, and see her in Cade’s arms. I’m outside, getting some fresh air, and I’m standing right next to a metallic garden table with the polished green paint. He sets her down on one of the matching chairs, and then retreats. It’s almost like he was never here.I sit down beside her, and her eyes follow me the entire time. I stare at her face for a few beats, unsure of what to say. During my rant in there, I’d forgotten that she would be there, listening to everything that I was saying about her brother. I don’t know what came over me. The fact that he would ask me what’s wrong when he let innocent people die just touched a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. I’m angry, and I don’t trust that anger. “My brother…” she begins before trailing off. I give her some time to get her thoughts in order, and she then asks me, “Were those things you said true? Did he really do that?”I wait for a few beats, t
DelaneySince Cade told me what he’d seen and heard, I’ve been in a deep, pensive state. It’s much more than just me thinking too much, though. It’s something else. It’s an overwhelming feeling of guilt that really could kill me. Guilt, helplessness, and regret, all mixed in one. It’s a truly miserable feeling. Because I had to realize way too late that Alec didn’t have anything to do with the attack, even though Carla had been leading the whole thing. He hadn’t known. This explains why I felt so guilty whenever I thought that he had betrayed me. It was because he hadn’t. He’d been innocent. He’d even tried to help the cause, which means that the second explosion had been his doing. And if Pollux had done the right thing and told us, so much could have been avoided. Alex wouldn’t be dead, and neither would Matteo. I’ve been too busy being angry to be able to cry about this. Pollux…he’d betrayed me in the worst possible way. He’d betrayed the whole rebellion in the most horrible w
Alec“Alpha Alec,” one of my Gammas says right as he enters my office. “Here’s the list of the casualties you requested. Also, the newly appointed Alphas have accepted your meeting request for this afternoon.”“Thank you, Jason,” I tell him before taking the envelope from his hand. My whole body hurts still, particularly my back, but I’m starting to heal well. The problem with burns is that they take time to heal, and they tend to leave scars. I’m not too worried, but it is in inconvenience. I’ve stayed home for what feels like an eternity now (even though, in reality, it’s only been a few days), when I should be doing better things. I scan through the page in front of me. Twenty-seven deaths, including security and some of the cleaners who’d been on shift the day of the explosion. All the Alphas gone, except for me. Even my Beta, Carla’s father, died in the explosion. She just doesn’t know because she hasn’t woken up yet. I’m the only one who survived it. This is a mere confirma
Delaney The new location is supposedly safe, and I believe that because it’s in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think anyone could stumble upon us by accident. I look around and all I see is greenery. We must be in the middle of the woods somewhere, which makes sense because we’re living with rogues now, and they have a completely different way of living. The rogues are resourceful, I’ll give them that. There are shelters carved out of the land itself—wooden structures that blend into the thick foliage, and paths so overgrown you’d miss them if you didn’t know where to look. It’s rudimentary compared to the life I’ve known, but it’s safe. Safe. That word doesn’t feel real anymore. Not after the last few days. I’m still in shock concerning the bombing two days ago. Those of us who go into town come back saying that it’s all over the news. The Alphas have died. That’s all that’s being said. Names haven’t been released yet, and my guess is that the packs are trying to keep this
AlecWhen I look up, my vision is completely blurry, and there’s a mess all around me, but that’s not the first thing that I notice. Carla.She’s lying beneath me, and she’s unconscious. There’s also blood near her head, which makes me think that she hit her head way too hard when I collided against her due to the explosion. I roll off her, groaning. I’m filled with a sense of urgency. I have to move. I have to do something. I check the time on my watch, and my eyes widen when I realize that this bomb went off way too early. Twenty minutes too early, to be exact. What the hell happened? Did something happen to the timer? Granted, I don’t know how to truly set up a bomb. I just followed the instructions I thought made more sense. But the timer was right. I’d made sure of it. I don’t know what happened, but there’s not enough time for this. I have to get out of here, and I have to find a way to help Carla. I rise, even though my head is fucking pounding, and then haul Carla up befo
DelaneyMy ears are ringing from the explosion, and the windows of the car have all cracked. My head is a pounding mess, and I’m having a hard time seeing things clearly. Goddess, was the explosion meant to be that way?I look around at the car. Francesca is raising her head too, and I notice that there’s a piece of glass lodged on her hairline. I gasp, and point at it. “Francesca.”She frowns, and then she brings up her hand and feels the glass. Her face is a mask of horror, and she says to me, “By the goddess, don’t look.”I look away, and I imagine she removes the glass because when I look back at her, it’s gone and a bleeding gash is left behind. She presses her sleeve against it, and then stares out of the window. The building is up in flames, and I hate how long it takes me to process everything. Matteo is dead by now, and I’m guessing that so are the Alphas, as he’d planned. There’s no way anyone inside that building survived the explosion. It’s starting to fall apart, and th
Alec I check the time on my watch. It’s 7:45 on the dot, which means that in forty-five minutes, at 8:30, this entire courthouse will go up in flames. Since the bomb has a timer, I don’t have to do a single thing. I’ll just have to show up to the meeting and then excuse myself right before it happens. It’s a good thing that I’m not the head of the meeting. One of the Alphas from our neighboring city will be giving the speech. I’ll be in the background, where nobody will see me. It hasn’t been easy to get the job done, because I had to do it myself. I put all the bombs that we recovered from the rebels under the ground, the same ground where the meeting will be held. The massive office is covered in a blue carpet, so the floor is never seen. All I had to do was remove a few tiles, dig just enough for the bomb to fit into the whole, and then cover it up. I did it last night, and all by myself. It’s incredible how easily one can slip in here when being an Alpha. Nobody questioned it,