LOGINShirley’s POVAcross the table Damon said something to Hailey, low, and she gave a small nod. Kyle set his cup down harder than he needed to."You're very attentive to her tonight," Kyle said."So are you." Damon did not look at him. "Strange, with your own mate sitting right beside you." "Careful, Madfang. This isn't your territory.""No. It isn't yours either."The two of them held each other's eyes across the table. Hailey set her cup down with a soft click. "I didn't invite either of you to argue. Eat, or leave." The table went quiet. Damon sat back. Kyle picked up his cup again like nothing had happened but I saw the set of his jaw. Watching the two of them circle her all night had made rage burn in my chest. But I held it in. Kyle had told me to behave so I behaved. Why her? Why this pathetic girl who could not even shift? What was it about her that pulled two Alphas in?'Calm down,' my wolf said. 'It's all part of Kyle's plan. He's your fated mate. He won't turn on you.'
Hailey’s POVThat night we gathered for dinner. I had spent the walk to the hall rehearsing how I would say it and none of the versions sounded right. “Get out of my pack.” Simple enough in my head. Damon sat down beside me without a word, close enough that his arm nearly brushed mine, close enough that I felt it every time he moved. I told myself it meant nothing.Kyle and Shirley came in after and took the seats across from us.Once everyone was seated, I lifted my hand to Holly, the maid serving tonight. She was close to my age, shy, and loyal, which under this roof counted for more than anything."Thank you all for coming," I said, with a smile I didn't feel. "Let's eat."Holly set the plates down with careful hands. Roast venison, the good wine, all of it laid out like a celebration instead of the standoff it was. Kyle lifted his glass. "Thank you for the generous invitation."I didn’t lift mine to meet his.For a while no one spoke. Kyle ate like he had all night, helping hims
Hailey’s POVWe circled. For a while it was even enough. A hit, a block, a step back. I caught two of her strikes clean and let myself believe I was holding my own.I was wrong.Shirley fought like the title she carried. Every time I thought I found her pattern, she changed it. Soon I was only defending, my arms heavy, my breath ragged. I gave ground until there was none left to give."Is this the part where you shift?" she called, loud enough for the whole field to hear. "Go on, Princess. Show them what you can do."I had no breath left to answer her. That was answer enough.Then she closed the distance. Up close her smile was only for me. "It's about time someone taught you a lesson," she said, low enough that the others couldn't hear.I blinked. "What?"The blade strapped to her wrist caught the light. In the next breath it opened my shoulder.The pain came hot and sharp. I stumbled back, my hand flying to the cut, blood slick between my fingers."Stop!" Henry was between us befor
Hailey’s POVWe stared each other down, neither of us speaking."Alpha, please," Theo murmured. "You're being cruel.""Am I being cruel? Or am I being honest?" Damon said it to Theo, but he never took his eyes off me.There was a difference. A cruel man would always call it honesty. I wanted to tell him that. Instead I lifted my chin."Fight me, then." I held my head high. "And we'll see how weak I am."I had no idea why I said it. I had no chance of beating him. I couldn't even hold my own against Henry on a good day. But I needed him to see I had fight in me, even if I had nothing else to show.Damon laughed. It wasn't a kind sound."If we fought, you'd die.""I bet you'd like that."His jaw tightened. He didn't answer that one."She's got teeth, Alpha." Theo's grin came back. "You have to give her that.""Teeth don't win fights.""They've kept me alive this far," I said."Barely." He looked away from me. "And not for anything you did."He was wrong. I had survived more than he woul
Hailey’s POVI woke up in a daze. My wolf had been stirring under my skin a while, trying to drag me up.'Get up. You're going to be late,’ my wolf saidI pried my eyes open and looked at the clock beside the bed. Nine thirty.I shot upright. Late. I was supposed to meet Henry at nine. I'd barely slept and it was Damon's fault. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him in my room. The towel slipping from my hands. The way he looked at me for one long second then tore his eyes away like the sight of me turned his stomach.'You're dwelling,' my wolf said."He looked at me like he couldn't stand it."'Did he? Or did he look away because he couldn't trust himself to keep looking?'"It's too early for your riddles."She went quiet. Smug.I threw off the blanket, pulled on the first clothes my hands found, and splashed water on my face. Dark circles. I looked like I'd lost a fight with my pillow.Hurrying out into the hall, I nearly plowed straight into Doris, the chief maid. She was in her f
Damon’s POVMy eyes scanned her. She was small and slender but her breasts were full and perfectly peaked against her pale, flushed skin. The mate bond tugged at me low and hard. It took everything I had to keep my feet where they were. Every instinct in me said to move toward her. I held against every one of them. I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or the sight of her naked body in front of me but a sudden heat flared through me. My body answered before my head could stop it, my pants suddenly uncomfortably tight. I tore my eyes away and turned to face the door."I knocked," I said. My voice came out rough. "The door wasn't latched. I thought the room was empty."Behind me she moved. Drawers opening and shutting. The frantic sounds of a woman throwing on clothes."You could have left.""I could have.""But you didn't."I had no answer for that. None I wanted to give."You can turn around now," she said.I turned. Only halfway. I didn't dare turn the whole way.She'd pulled on s
Halley’s POVJust as Dr. Samara said, the hunting grounds sat on Madfang's southern border, deep in the forest, farther out than I had ever explored and a long way from the hospital.I ran. I ran until my healed ribs ached a warning but it was slow going against the crowd. Every wolf moving towards
Halley’s POVTwo days. That was how long it had been since I last saw Damon and how much closer Kyle's wedding had crept up while I sat uselessly in a hospital bed. I had stopped every wolf who passed my door and begged them to send word to Damon that I needed to talk. That it couldn't wait. Not o
Damon’s POVI was in the middle of training when Beta Theo stepped in front of me. "Sorry to interrupt. It's urgent.""Then take care of it." I didn't slow my strikes."I found a girl." He said it slowly, the way he did when he already knew I wouldn't like it. "In the woods below the cliff. She's i
Halley’s POVI tore my arm from Kyle's grip and shoved past Shirley, breaking into a run toward the infirmary. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't. It had to be some sick joke. I burst through the infirmary doors and found my father’s bed. He had a white sheet covering his face. My hands shook as I







