Once the Alpha signs off and my dress is finished, I am taken back to my cell. I am relieved to find Ajax is still there."How was it?" he asks."Dreadful," I say, sitting down on the edge of the cot, my hands folded in my lap."I'm not surprised," he says. "Brian is the worst.""Brian?" I ask."The Alpha," Ajax clarifies. "His name is Brian.""Oh," I say. "I hate him already.""Me too," he says.For a moment, there is a silence between us. I wonder what he is thinking."But you're still going to go through with the wedding?" he asks, finally."I have to," I say. "I don't have a choice."Again, there is silence. I find myself wondering about Ajax and Brian-- wondering if Ajax being down here has anything to do with his hatred of the alpha. I decide to ask. After all, he asked me about how I got here. It seems only fair for me to be allowed to ask too."Is Brian why you're down here?" I ask."Yes," he says.He is quiet again, and for a moment, I think that's all he's goi
Ajax looks at me. It's clear that he doesn't want me to stay, but he understands."I can't just leave you here," he says."You have to," I say. "They won't come for you the way they'll come for me. The Alpha would never admit you escaped. It would make him look weak. You have a chance at a life.""But what about you?" he asks."I'll be okay," I say, and I wonder if he knows just how much I don't believe that."Go," I say, firmly. "You don't have much time."He stares at me. I can tell he's torn. But he also knows I'm right."Just go," I say. "Before they come looking for you-- before they come looking for me."He hesitates, and then runs out into the forest, disappearing into the trees.The second he is gone, I see the guard coming towards the mouth of the cave. He has an expression on his face that tells me he knows exactly what I've done. And he is furious. "Where is he?" he asks, coming towards me.He is about to hit me when I decide I'm going to have to fight back. The
I turn and am stunned to see Ajax. He's standing in the distance, watching from the back of the crowd.I look back to the Alpha and I see the confusion on his face. He doesn't know how Ajax got past the guards. He doesn't know what he's doing here.I'm overcome with relief at the sight of him. I can't believe he came back for me.Ajax is walking towards the Alpha and me. He's taking his time. The Alpha sees the movement, and then he notices the guards trying to move in on Ajax.I can see the rage building in the Alpha's eyes. He doesn't know what's going on, but he knows that Ajax is dangerous."Don't you dare hurt him," I scream. I'm starting to realize what Ajax was planning.The Alpha doesn't listen. He starts to order the guards to attack Ajax, but before he can, Ajax pounces. He leaps at the Alpha, and the crowd freezes.The Alpha is knocked to the ground, and Ajax stands over him, growling.He bares his fangs, and the Alpha is too shocked to respond. Before h
I am still too wiped out to make it very far, but the sound of a branch breaking has woken me up. My head is pounding, and I feel like I'm hungover, even though I didn't have anything to drink last night.Still, I don't have time to wallow.I am terrified that the guards are going to find me, and I know I can't defend myself against them. I'm not strong enough to take down even one of them, and there's no way I could take on all of them at once.The Alpha was their leader. They won't hesitate to attack me if they see me.There's a snap of another branch, and I know I have to get away. I don't know if it's the guards, but I can't stay here.I get up and start running, hoping that I'll be able to outrun whoever it is.I run as fast as I can, but I don't get far. Within seconds, I have lost my footing and fallen into a mud pit.I feel the mud seep into my skin and clothes, and I know this is it. Whoever, or whatever, this is, they're going to find me. I'm stuck here, and there'
MAXI look over to check on her and realize she's in trouble. The guard is on top of her, and he's getting ready to strike.I have to help her. I don't know why, but I feel drawn to her. I feel compelled to keep her safe.I run toward the guard and tackle him. Before he knows it, the guard is on the ground, and I'm over him, ready to fight.I can hear the other guards yelling and looking for something to use to help. They see a branch nearby, and I know I'm in trouble. I look back and see that the other guards have picked up the branch, and they're running toward us.I have to get this guy off of me. I push him away and jump to my feet. I know I only have a few seconds before the guards get to me, so I move back and get ready for the attack.One of the guards throws the branch, and I bat it away. I can see the others ready, and I know they're going to all attack at once. I have to be ready, so I crouch down, and brace for the attack.I take one guard out before the othe
It's a long walk back to the cabin, and I'm sure Max can see that I'm struggling. I'm so weak that I can barely stand up. I lean against him, and he puts his arm around me to support me."I'm fine," I say."Don't be ridiculous," he says. "You're hurt and you're exhausted. You need to let me help you."I know he's right, so I don't argue. Instead, I just lean against him. He's warm and strong, and I can feel his heart pounding. He's a fast walker, and I can tell that he's clearly in shape. I'm grateful to him for saving me.Without him, I'm sure I would have died. I try to remind myself that he's not my true mate. But something inside tells me that he is. It's too strong to ignore.Something about him calls to me and makes me feel like I can trust him. I lean against him and take in the smell of his skin. It's rich and earthy, and I can smell the scent of the woods on him. It's just like the musk of a bear. So strong and manly that I feel weak in the knees.I look up at
I stand there, frozen, watching them for a moment. I feel hurt and confused, and it takes a moment for my brain to process what I'm seeing.They're kissing and holding each other, and I can tell that they're more than just friends. The way he's holding her tells me everything I need to know. He's leaning into her, his body pressed up against hers.I can feel my eyes begin to tear up and I try to fight it. I can't let them see me. I have no idea why I decided to open the bathroom door, but I did. I can't pretend that I didn't.I'm frozen, my feet glued to the ground, but I have to do something. I can't just stand here and watch them kiss. I can't stand by and watch them be together.I finally convince my feet to move, but as soon as I do, the floor creaks. They pull away from each other and turn towards me.Max looks me in the eyes and the other woman backs away. I take in the woman standing before me. She's petite and curvy, with long brown hair and a beautiful smile. I can tell t
"What did you just say?" I ask.She stares at me as I feel my eyes growing wide. I'm trying to figure out if I heard her right."I said I want you gone," she laughs. "Isn't it obvious? I want Max all to myself. And I don't want you hanging around distracting him."I stare at her in disbelief. I mean, I'm not surprised she feels that way, but I can't believe she's just coming right out and saying it. I'm so shocked I'm not even sure how to respond. "Don't look so surprised," she says. "You think that Max would want someone like you? Someone that he can't trust? Someone that isn't loyal?""I'm loyal," I say. "Oh, yeah?" she says. "Then why don't you have a pack? Why were you out there alone?""Because they were all murdered," I say.That shuts her up.She steps towards me and looks me up and down, as if she's trying to decide if my words are true or not. She seems to decide that they are, and she backs up."Well, whatever," she says. "I'm sure you're a very nice person, but M