LucyMatt’s eyes darted between my head and then up to Yvonne’s face. He growled. “How dare you do this to her hair!” Matt growled and stepped toward me. “It’s so short. We’ve been working so hard to get it to grow out. You—”He reached out to me. I pulled away. My heart was racing as I started to speak.“I asked her to cut it.” He shook his head. “No, you’re just saying that. You want long hair. It makes me happy. Don’t you want to make your mate happy?”I clenched my jaw. “I hate having long hair.”He flinched, stumbling back. My jaw trembled. Fear tumbled through me as he kept shaking his head. I forced myself to just keep breathing. I could do this. I could say something.“What are you saying? You… You’re our mate. You’re supposed to make us happy.” His gaze darted to my ears. “Where are your earrings?”“My ears have to heal,” I said. “And… And I didn’t—”“They did heal,” he said. “You’re a werewolf. Sure, you’re a half-breed, but it wasn’t that big of a wound. She’s just doing

LucyI woke up with a pounding headache. The smell of burning wood and something floral was still in my nose. I opened my eyes and found the room completely dark. The sheets weren’t Matt’s or Tony’s, and that made me relax. I had to be in Yvonne’s quarters. Someone was yelling outside. It sounded like an argument, but I couldn’t make out the words. I shuddered at the thought. Was it Matt? Was he still angry? Had he hurt Yvonne?My stomach turned as I swung my legs over the edge and felt for the floor. I felt around until I felt something that felt like a lamp, but it didn’t come on. A knock sounded on the door a few seconds later. “Y-Yeah?”Yvonne opened the door, and the lamp started to glow. She smiled. “Sorry, the lights require a little magic to get them going. Most electric lights are irritating. How are you feeling?”I shrugged, unsure of what to say. “Okay, I guess.”“Headache?”I nodded. “Hungry?”I shook my head and drew my knees to my chest. “I-I don’t think I can eat r

LucyWe talked a bit longer before he let out a deep sigh and stopped writing. “This is a mess, honestly, and I wish I could do more right now without having to deal with the Council on my ass.” He tutted and shook his head as he put his tablet away. “All right, Lucy, here’s what I can guarantee. It’s not the best, but it’s the best for now.”I swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”“Unless you explicitly want to have sex with them, engage in luna-related activities, or even be involved with the pack at all, you won’t have to. There will be no threat of being tossed out, sent back, or whatever else you fear might happen if you refuse them.”I swallowed and met his gaze. Yvonne put her hand on my shoulder. “Is it really that simple?”“In your case?” He chuckled. “It is hardly simple, but I can guarantee this for you.”I worried my lip and nodded. “That… is more than I could really ask for, I think.”“Well, prepare to be amazed. That’s only part of it. If, at any time, you feel as though they

LucyAfter Dagon left, I hardly left Yvonne’s quarters. The few times I saw pack members were when they came in to be treated for various injuries. They were all rude to Yvonne more often than not, but they tended to simply glare at me. “Fucking half-breed,” one of them hissed at me as they passed and left the room. Yvonne hummed as she mixed a potion and settled onto the couch beside me. “Seems like the news has gotten around about your change in status.”I smiled at her. “I’m okay with that.”“How are you feeling? I know all of this has happened pretty quickly.”I looked down at the stack of books on the table that I should be studying and shook my head. “I feel like I should feel more, but I really… don’t. I just feel kind of relieved that maybe… this will all be over soon.”She smiled. “Knowing my brother? You’ll be out of here by the end of the month. Any thoughts about where you want to go?”“Nowhere nearby… I don’t want to run into anyone I knew before again.” I shuddered. “

LucyI waited for a few more moments until my heart calmed down, and I stopped sneezing. After I got dressed, I felt a little steadier, nervous, and hopeful. I made sure I had the communication crystal Dagon had given me and placed it in the little clutch that had been sitting on the bathroom vanity. I guessed one of them had picked it out for me. It was black, so it worked enough for the rest of my outfit. I took a deep breath, looked in the mirror, and tried to calm myself. The flat sandals were comfortable. I was wearing pants for the first time in what felt like forever. I felt a bit more like myself.The reflection staring back at me was pale, but I looked okay.“You’ll be okay, Lucy.” I checked the crystal again, hoping against hope that Dagon would say something soon. I came out of the bathroom and walked into the main room with a sigh of relief. Matt and Tony weren’t there. I opened the main door and walked out just as I heard them moving around in their rooms. For a few mome