POV Savannah Bowen
But….the ritual was the only way to free myself from him. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted anymore. His pack was a good place to live. And there was also Hunter, who could never get to me as long as I was under Fenrir’s protection. If I could bring my sister here, maybe staying for the rest of my days wouldn’t be so bad.
“Look, want some advice? he added, running a hand through his blonde hair, pushing it back. “I don’t know what your plans are, but if you’re thinking about the ritual or trying to run again, forget it. Fenrir will never allow it.
n’t planning anything like that.”
He shot me a sideways glance.
“Then why do you keep talking about the ritual?”
“Because I had hopes.” I spread my arms, defeated. “But… living here isn’t so bad, and I still have protection from Hunter, so
He bit the inside of his cheek, skeptical.
“Fenrir will kill him the first chance he gets,” he said bluntly, studying my
reaction
A bitter smile spread across my face.
“Only if I don’t get to him first.”
“You hate him that much?”
A frustrated laugh escaped my lips.
“Hate him? I despise him with every fiber of my being,” I spat, feeling anger searing through my veins at the mere mention of his name. “He deceived me, rejected me, humiliated me in front of the entire pack, and even killed my family,”
“I’m sorry about your family,” he murmured, and he seemed sincere.
I looked away, focusing on the tiny grains of sand glittering on the ground beneath our feet.
I blamed myself for not mourning my parents‘ deaths, but guilt wasn’t enough to make me feel anything, even st
It wasn’t like I was happy about it, either–I just… didn’t feel anything. Their deaths gave Selena and me our freedom, allowing us to be ourselves for a time.
Until I went into heat and fell into Fenrir’s grasp.
I took a deep breath.
“It’s okay, they weren’t… exemplary, anyway, I confessed, sharing another piece of my truth and hoping the pitying look on his face would disappear.
We resumed walking, strolling through the village at a deliberate pace.
“Do you have any idea what happened to your pack after your father died?” he asked after a while.
Tentir trusted him blindly, just at he did Alexandra and Andrei. I hadn’t needed to tell them anything; everything I confessed to the alpha that night had been shared with his friendı.
I believe that those who aren’t dead bent the knee to Hunter and Caspian. Many didn’t take well to their betrayal against my father and revolted. That’s Jerw I managed to escape, while they fought members of my pack.” I kicked a small pebble on the ground. “And I don’t care either. They were nothing but cruel Eknow that’s because of my father’s leadership, but I have no interest in going back.”
He nodded adently.
A few females can past us, laughing, jumping, and celebrating, holding small pouches of herbs I’d seen before.
“la there an event tonight? Lasked, watching g them and envying them.
They were young, carefree, and happy. They were everything I’d never been allowed to be because I was destined to be an alpha’s mate. I had never been
18:
young, not allowed to act like it
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.
just remembered I have something to do… I, uh… I’ll be going now,” he said, stepping backward before spinning on his heels and walking away.
That was strange. And he had clearly tried to change the subject, which only made me more curious.
I wandered through the village with no specific destination. People still avoided me, but some smiled at me, trying to be polite.
I was distracted when someone bumped into me, nearly knocking me over. I planted my feet on the ground, avoiding a fall that would’ve left me
I looked up and saw Marilyn,
mortified.
Her curly hair was tied up, and she looked at me with the same disgust I’d seen in her eyes the first time we met. She was slightly taller than me and w revealing clothes that accentuated all her curves,
“Don’t you watch where you’re going?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. The motion only highlighted the curve of her breasts even more.
She was doing an excellent job of earning a spot on my mental list of despicable, hateful people.
“I think it’s you who doesn’t watch,” I retorted.
She smiled sharply, uncrossing her arms. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pouch identical to the others I’d seen. Tossing it in the air, she caught it in her palm, repeating the motion as if playing with it to make sure I saw it.
“Did you get one of these?” she asked.
I frowned, confused.
Her laughter echoed. I clenched my teeth, imagining how lovely she’d look with her throat slit..
“And do you know what it is?
I thought about lying, but I was genuinely curious, and only Marilyn would tell me the truth–of course, if it gave her some advantage.
She licked her full lips and stepped closer to whisper:
e’s an invitation to a very exclusive party.” She winked and sighed contentedly. “A party that happens once a month and is… wonderful, for most of us.”
I’d love to go, but I wouldn’t show it. I’d never been to a party without the constant presence of my father or Hunter. And this party seemed special; it even had invitations
“Hmm,” I murmured, trying to sound indifferent
She stepped bark, her in
imile widening-
“I’m going to have so much fun tonight,” the teased, winking.
Congratulations,” I mocked.
I didn’t understand what kind of fun she was referring to, but I couldn’t care less
See you later, sier said, turning, but glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, and it looks like your garden has more visitors than expected.” She laughed loudly before walking away
My God, what was that woman implying?
I huffed, ignoring her and trying not to swell on her words. Marilyn had some kind of history with Fentir before my unexpected arrival, and it was obvious he was seething with jealousy, hating me for mating with him and becoming his partiser.
She was in love with Fenrir. Anyone could see that.
at peace and intended to stay that way…
I kept walking, ignoring what she had said and refusing to let it dirupt my peace.
drinking whiskey in the kitchen when I came home. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, dark jeans, and tall boots.
His hair was slicked back, though a few unruly curls were out of place, making him look even more handsome than he already was.
The scent of eucalyptus from his cologne filled the air.
He shot me a glance as soon as I stepped inside but didn’t bother speaking to me. He had been treating me this way since he ran away from me in the forest, leaving me alune, aroused, and confused.
I was grateful for that, actually. He had done me the favor of sparing me from waking up
p full of t
regrets the next day.
“Hello, Fenrir,” I greeted, stopping at a safe distance.
He swallowed a small sip of the amber liquid and set the glass down on the counter, his blue eyes scanning me as he arched a brow. The silver around his pupils shimmered, dancing in a way that left me breathless for a moment.
“What do you want? h
he asked, his tone bored.
I took a deep breath, trying to control my temper. He was an arrogant idiot, but he was the alpha of the pack, and anything I did would need his permission.
there’s a party tonight,” I said, intertwining my fingers in front of me. “I wanted to know if I could go.”
The silver gleamed brighter, and the corner of his mouth twisted into a sneer. Was he… irritated? I was asking for permission, trying to keep things civil between us…
“Of course not,” he growled, bringing the glass to his lips. His fingers around the glass turned white as he gripped it tightly.
“But why?” I crossed my arms and tapped my foot on the floor.
Was I supposed to spend the rest of my days in complete boredom? Wandering around aimlessly with no friends?
“Because I said so.”
“That’s not an answer,”
He narrowed his eyes at me.
“It’s the answer you deserve.
I uncrossed my arms and pressed my hands to my temples, massaging them.
“Why?” I insisted, staring
him
I wanted to go to the party in the
e party out of curiosity, but now it was more out of stubbornness, because he said I couldn’t and didn’t deserve to. And
And that hit me right
“Go to your room,” he hissed, and I could feel the alpha pheromones in the air. But, unfortunately for him, they didn’t work on me since we were mated.
“Can you at least explain what kind of ritual or party this is?” I pressed, trying another way to get the information.
He had been adamant about me not going, but he could at least explain what it was. Every pack had different customs and rituals.
He finished the liquid in his glass, poured himself more, and downed it again. He closed the bottle and slid the glass away from the counter.
“There’s nothing you need to know, Savannal”
party because it showed what I meant to him–nothing. I was so irrelevant that he didn’t even care
That hurt much more than the “no” about attending the pa
to tell me about his prople’s customs.
I swallowed hard and looked away, refusing to let him see me falter. I buried my feelings deep before he could sense anything emanating from me
18
“I won’t be around, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have men watching you. Don’t do anything stupid, nothing that disrupts my engagement.”
“Or what? You’ll kill me?” I mocked, blinking slowly.
I was so fed up with all these empty threats, with all this alpha male, authoritarian, and arrogant ego. He didn’t want me to leave, but he didn’t seem the least bit interested in helping me adjust to the pack or want to stay around.
One moment, he seemed to desire me so intensely he could barely control himself, succumbing to it. The next, he despised me, as if I was worth less than the bird poop in the garden.
“Or I’ll show you what it’s like to be a prisoner around here,” he murmured, each word sounding more clipped than the last. He ran a hand through his hair, and I noticed how his shoulder muscles tensed. He was worried, tense about something. “Anyway, behave yourself”
I can’t miss my engagement because of you.
I had so, so many questions
Was the engagement he mentioned political or professional? Maybe he wasn’t going to the party as I’d imagined but to deal with something else. Alexandra told me there were five alphas in the region. Did they already know about me? About Hunter’s threat?
But
on the other hand, with Fenrir gone, along with Marilyn and company, I’d have the house and the whole village to myself. I could do whatever I wanted–no hostility or annoying people every few meters away.
In a strange way, it was a bit of freedom. Even if just for a few hours.
“Fine,” I agreed, feeling my heart race with excitement.
Fenrir stepped closer, stopping just a few inches away. He leaned down, aligning our faces at the same height.
“Why don’t I feel the least bit comfortable with your answer?
“Because you’re an idiot, a maniac.” 1 stepped away from him, heading to the counter where he’d been standing, grabbing the whiskey bottle. I opened it and took a sip, feeling my throat burn. “I’ll drink it all and enjoy the peace, without you and all your bad mood around.” I blinked.
God, I didn’t know he’d been drinking pure alcohol because his whiskey tasted like death. I pressed my li
lips together, suppressing a coughing fit.
