Zara

Ryan sat in the back. His face was haggard, but a strange pride gleamed in his eyes. I did as Nova instructed, focusing on him. The guilt and horror of what I’d done faded into the background, but icy splinters still gnawed at my bones.

"I’m sorry..." My voice caught in my throat; thoughts I’d pushed away reared their ugly heads. "I didn’t know... we didn’t know what happened to you."

"You came," Ryan breathed, and the sound reminded me of sandpaper scraping. "You came, and that’s all that matters."

Everyone fell silent, lost in their own thoughts. Alpha Kane’s hand squeezed mine, and I realized he’d grabbed my hand the moment he got into the car.

His calloused hand, clutching mine, was the only thing holding me in place, the only thing keeping me from falling apart.

We turned onto dark country roads, keeping well off the highway in case anyone was following us. Every turn and bend sent a shudder through me. I was sure I’d see a pair of glowing eyes through the forest’s edge, an army of Marcus, ready to finish the job.

"You think we were followed?" Carter broke the silence, his eyes fixed on the forest as we sped past.

"I don’t..."

The windshield shattered, scattering shards across the car. Tiny shards caressed my skin, and then a slight, searing pain shot through my face. The small cuts were already healing, the flesh knitting together. A loud screech of tires filled the air, followed by Alpha Kane’s furious growl.

My teeth clicked painfully together, and my tongue spat blood from the harsh bite. My head hit the seat, and for a second, I thanked Alpha Kane for buckling me in. The front of the SUV crashed into a telephone pole.

The pole towered over us, mocking our horrific attempt on its life. Across the street stood a dilapidated farmhouse. It was framed by weathered wooden planks with large cracks and broken sections. Tall grass, strewn with weeds, covered the ground around the house.

Their eyes didn’t glow, but I began to notice the serene faces of the wolves who had stopped our car. A large jagged stone lay on the floor of the SUV, tiny shards of glass glinting on the dark floor. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The brown wolves stood in front of the dilapidated house, their eyes fixed on our SUV. Smoke billowed from the SUV’s hood, and we groaned in unison.

"We’re not leaving here without a fight," Alpha Kane hissed, his murderous eyes narrowed as he fixed them on the brown wolves. "Is everyone alive?"

"Unfortunately," Sophia croaked, the small cuts on her face slowly healing.

Luckily, we were all conscious and able to move. I’m sure all of us will be horribly beaten by tomorrow, but we’re alive. We climbed out of the SUV, Alpha Kane’s gaze fixed on the brown wolves.

"They’re waiting for us," Carter chuckled. "They know we can’t leave without a fight."

"Then we’ll give them what they came here for." Alpha Kane’s growl pierced the night, cutting through the crowd of the brown wolves who had come to fight. "Be prepared for change at any moment."

The group of brown wolves didn’t move an inch as we approached. Some faces twisted into cruel grins, but that was merely their reaction. A man and a woman stood in front, stepping forward like leaders of the group.

The man had long dark hair and eyes the color of the summer sky. The woman next to him looked exotic and beautiful: espresso-colored skin and long, curly hair. The scarlet mark on her shoulder was open, revealing itself to the world.

The man and his companions were clearly werewolves, judging by the sickly sweet scent emanating from them. The exotic woman turned out to be human, her scent reeking of peonies and fresh cream.

Their silky voices escaped my memory, their words playing over and over in my head.

"You don’t get to choose."

Some hissed softly, others sneered and giggled. They crawled along the ground, invisible to all but Alpha Kane and me.

"To save the one you love, you must take their life."

Thousands of silky voices swarmed in my head, all at once, merging into one. Each voice was laced with emotions of every kind. Some mocked me, others muttered softly. Some shouted these words in anger, while others cooed seductively.

"A Mate Stolen from an Innocent."

Smoky tentacles slid from my legs, heading for someone else. The icy shards in my bones wriggled, grinding painfully along my nerves. Despite the cold, sweat broke out on my skin as I watched the shadows slip away from me.

Killer, killer, monster.

"This is the price you paid, Princess."

Shadows slid, disappearing from view, weaving through the tall grass, invisible to the naked eye. Alpha Kane’s wide eyes met mine; he saw them slither, too. I was grateful he couldn’t hear their seductive whispers, begging me to call them again.

"Zara..." Maya breathed, cowering from the icy current that washed over me.

Shadows slid across the small space separating us from the brown wolves. I watched them gather, most of the wolves oblivious.

The one standing next to the woman didn’t hear. His seafoam eyes widened at the sight, and he abruptly looked up to meet mine. "He sees them..." Nova muttered in a frightened voice. "Why can’t everyone else see them?"

I couldn’t find the words to respond to Nova, rooted to the spot as the shadows slid forward.

They gathered at her feet, splashing against her high heels like murky water. The shadows gathered at her feet, growing as their number increased.

I held my breath until my lungs burned, silently begging for an escape from this bargain.

"Unbreakable... you must pay the price, princess."

The shadows cooed, their silken voices drifting in hushed waves to my ears. Neither side had yet taken a step as Alpha Kane nor did the brown wolf watch the gathering shadows in horror.

The other brown wolves shifted anxiously, waiting for their leader to call them forward. My friends cast worried glances at Alpha Kane and me, also perplexed by our inaction.