LOGINWe drive in silence for the first hour.Neither of us seems to know what to say.Every few miles I glance in the side mirror, half expecting to see a familiar truck barreling down the highway after us.Lyall's truck.Even though I know he cannot possibly have found me this quickly, I still cannot stop looking.My heart jumps every time another vehicle appears behind us before slowly settling again as it passes.Somewhere behind us, my pack is beginning to realize I am gone.I wonder who found my empty room first.Was it Lyall?Did he rush back after dropping Raven off at the hospital?Did he knock on the bedroom door before letting himself inside?Did he smile, expecting to wake me...Only to find an empty bed?The thought twists painfully inside my chest.I'm sorry, Lyall.I hope someday you'll understand why I had to leave.Honestly, we probably would have kept going if the car hadn't desperately needed gas. The farther away we get from the pack, the easier it is to breathe. Every m
Rushing through the woods toward our designated meeting place is easier than I expected.The ball cap shades enough of my face that I no longer feel the need to duck behind every tree. I still avoid the main trails whenever possible, but being alone in the woods isn't unusual for a werewolf. We hunt here. Train here. Think here.No one gives a lone wolf a second glance.Every step carries me farther away from everything I have ever known.I refuse to think about that.Instead, I focus on Raven.On the plan.On putting one foot in front of the other.If I allow myself to think about what I'm leaving behind, I know I'll turn around before I ever reach the edge of the territory.Eventually the trees begin to thin, revealing the narrow road where Raven promised to meet me.Right on cue, I spot her old car sitting on the shoulder with the hood raised.I can't help smiling.A young warrior from the pack is standing beside her, scratching the back of his neck while staring helplessly into th
When I see that the path is clear, I climb out the window and press myself against the outer wall of the pack house.One careful step at a time.I know the patrol schedules, but the pack house is different. There are always wolves coming and going—warriors changing shifts, mothers picking up children, elders stopping in to gossip, omegas bringing supplies. At any second someone could round a corner and everything would be over before I even made it home.Keeping my breathing slow, I slip around the first corner.Nothing.Another few steps.Still nothing.A tiny smile tugs at my lips as I disappear into the tree line surrounding the pack house.That was the hardest part.At least...I hope it was.Now all I have to do is get home, grab my emergency cash, and leave before anyone realizes I was never sleeping.Raven's part of the plan is just as important.She is buying me time.The blood sample is only an excuse. She admitted there is still enough of the drug in my bloodstream for her to
Making the decision to leave was one of the hardest things I had ever done.Harder than waking up in the hospital.Harder than learning I was pregnant.Harder than accepting that I might never know who the father of my child truly was.Because this wasn't just a decision to leave a place.It was a decision to leave my entire life behind.My home.My friends.My future.Every dream I had carefully built over the last eighteen years.I would never again walk through these halls without wondering if someone was hunting me.Never sit in the pack dining room without looking over my shoulder.Never train beside Lyall.Never laugh with River until we cried.Never tease Mel.Never race Troy through the woods.I wasn't simply running away.I was grieving a life that hadn't even ended yet.Raven remained silent while I processed everything.She knew there was nothing she could say to make this easier.Eventually, I wiped my eyes and forced myself to think.If I was going to survive...Then I ha
"You need to come with me," Raven said urgently."What do you mean?" I asked, confused.Raven had been absolutely insistent ever since she finished examining me.Leave.Today.Not tomorrow.Not after I had time to think.Today.The word echoed through my mind like a death sentence.Leave my pack.Leave my home.Leave my friends.Leave Lyall.All because of a child I hadn't even known existed twenty-four hours ago.A child that apparently wasn't normal.A child that had already managed to turn my entire life upside down before it was even born."You know that you can't raise this baby here," Raven said firmly.I looked away.The truth was, part of me already knew that.I just didn't want to admit it."You heard the Alpha this morning," she continued. "You heard the Luna. Something is wrong.""They were just asking questions.""No."The force in her voice made me look back at her."They weren't asking questions. They were fishing."My stomach tightened.I hated that I knew exactly what
As that feeling starts to grow, so does the look on Raven's face.At first, she just looks surprised.Then confused.Then absolutely horrified.The moment she jerks her hands away from me, I know something is wrong.Very wrong."What?" I ask immediately.Raven doesn't answer.Instead, she begins pacing the small office.Back and forth.Back and forth.Her hands tug at her hair while she mutters under her breath."No...no, that isn't possible.""Raven."She ignores me.I watch as she rushes back over and grabs both of my wrists. Her eyes close once more as she lets her magic flow through me.This time the sensation is much gentler.The warmth gathers low in my stomach.A soft golden glow that feels strangely familiar.Safe.Protected.Loved.When Raven finally opens her eyes again, they are wide with disbelief."Raven, talk to me!"She releases me immediately."Your doctor was right. Most of the drug is still trapped in your body.""I know that already.""No, you don't understand."Her
After the revelation that I received, I really expected to lay up all night with my mind running nonstop. The truth is, I end up asleep almost immediately. I manage to fall asleep so fast that I do not even hear my phone go off with a return messages from my cousin.Raven: You don't send SOS unless
For a few moments, neither of us says anything.The only sound is the quiet ticking of the turn signal and the occasional vehicle passing by on the road beside us. I keep my face turned toward the window, watching trees and storefronts blur together through watery eyes.I hate this.I hate feeling
The next few days passed with little to no excitement.At first, I told myself that was a good thing. Recovery was supposed to be boring. Recovery was supposed to mean resting, sleeping, and gradually feeling stronger.Instead, I felt trapped.My parents had begun avoiding me as though I carried so
By the time my dad arrived to pick me up, my appointment was already finished.My prescription sat in a small paper bag on my lap while I waited in a wheelchair near the front entrance of the hospital.The doctor must have called him while I was picking up my medication because I hadn't been waitin







