Maura

I bite my lip, trying not to scream as Godrick drags me by my hair, tossing me to the ground in front of him.

“Look at my new toy, wolves!” His voice is full of satisfaction, like he’s presenting a prized cow or something. “Won’t she make a pretty addition to my little collection?”

Bile rises in my throat as I glance up through my hair at the other wolves circling around us. These men are disgusting.

Damn it, I’m so screwed.

“What kind of pups you gonna get from a bitch who can’t shift?” one of the men says with a sneer.

Godrick scoffs as he grabs me and hauls me off the ground, holding me tightly by the waist against him. His free hand snakes around me and grabs the front of my throat. “She’s not for breeding. She’s for pleasure.” His tongue flicks out against my earlobe, and I try to move my head away, but he squeezes my throat. “She’s all for fun.”

The wolves around us growl a little in excitement, and my legs shake with fear. This can’t be happening to me.

Godrick lets my throat go and runs his hand through my hair and down my chest. “Beautiful and completely untouched…all for me.” The crowd of men groans, and Godrick chuckles. “Well, for now. Maybe once I’ve broken her in, I’ll share. But remember how I feel about you all breaking my belongings.”

The jeers and laughter continue as it feels like I’m being sucked into darkness. There’s no way out of this, and I don’t want to touch any of these men, least of all Godrick, but how the hell am I going to save myself? No wolf, no power…they’re going to break everything in me, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

I’m now the property of a monster.

And without being able to breed for him, goddess knows what he’ll do to me. I’ve seen the breeders with their bruised faces and bodies, the way they never lift their heads to look at anyone. It’s like they’re not even alive, they’re just empty. I don’t want to be like that.

But I don’t have a choice, thanks to my father. This is my fate.

“So, if you want to play with her,” Godrick says, yanking me back to my surroundings, “then you’ll have to play nice.”

The wolves around us make low growls and moans, making it clear they’re looking forward to Godrick’s proposed sharing.

I’m going to die here.

I wake up with a start, gasping and sweat covering my skin.

Damn it. The nightmares are starting to get to me in ways they didn’t before. Trying to shake the memory off, I realize I’m covered by nothing but silky warmth. Sitting up a little, blackness surrounds me.

Oh no.

In my sleep, I must’ve crawled to Alejo and Beck. Alejo’s tail is covering me like a fluffy blanket. The blanket Beth gave me is under me like a sheet. Panicked, I look around, wanting to move but not at the same time, and also not wanting to wake Alejo up.

My eyes land on Beck, and his are open, a sleepy smirk on his face. “What did I tell you? Best bed ever.”

I can’t calm the panic flooding my body. Did I really seek out an Alpha in my sleep for comfort? Even though I know how Alphas are, how fast Alejo or Beck could snap my neck or worse? I’m so stupid. What the hell am I doing?

Beck clears his throat a little, getting my attention. The moment my eyes meet his, he winks. “Relax, Red. Nothing to worry about.”

I jump again as a shriek of laughter echoes from inside the house. Beck just smiles wider as he sits up. Alejo’s eyes slowly open and find me. He’s such a beautiful wolf, but looking in his eyes still makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I know he doesn’t really seem to like me that much.

He turns his head toward Beck, and they stare at each other for a moment.

“Do the farthest perimeter that will take you the closest. I’ll run drills this morning, so we can swap later.” Beck turns to me a little as Alejo stands on all fours for a moment before bounding off the porch toward the forest. “We patrol every day. When Alejo gets back, we’ll know if Godrick sent anyone this way looking for you.”

Just the thought makes me shiver. “I should probably leave after that if Alejo says I can.”

“If that’s really what you want,” Beck says in a softer tone, making me glance up at him.

My brows scrunch together, a little confused. “Alejo gave me one night, and I need to find somewhere to hide before nightfall.”

Beck moves closer to me, and I can’t help but step back. I hit the house, though, and my muscles tense. He leans down and puts his lips near my ear. “He gave you exactly what you asked for, Red.” When he leans back and stares into my eyes, the confusion deepens. “I’ve got to get to work.”

Before I can say anything, Beck steps away and down the stairs, shifting as he hits the ground and takes off in the same direction as Alejo. I, on the other hand, am dumbfounded.

What the hell does he mean, Alejo gave you exactly what you asked for? Does that mean I could ask for more and he’d help me?

Shaking my head, I grab the blanket from Beth off the porch and cautiously head inside. I’m barely in the kitchen when Amber comes up and loops her arm through mine, pulling me farther in where everyone is working on making breakfast.

“I heard the Alphas slept outside with you last night,” she says in a rush, her eyebrows waggling as she smiles brightly at me. “That is so amazing! What was it like? Did you like it?”

I stop moving and stare at this kid like she’s crazy. Is she really asking me if I had sex with her Alphas and wanting details? What in the world?

“It was just sleeping,” I say carefully, my face betraying my inner mortification. I hope the entire pack doesn’t think that’s what happened last night.

Amber laughs and shakes her head. “Yeah, I know. But Alejo’s wolf is so soft. When they first found me, he used to let me snuggle him. He doesn’t now because he says I kick in my sleep and it’s not comfortable. I think he said it was annoying, but he’s annoying, so whatever.”

By the time she gets to the last word, her tone is mocking and she’s making faces, clearly annoyed with Alejo. Everything about her reaction screams that vibe you get from siblings who care for one another but annoy the hell out of each other.

I’ve never had that, but some of the guards, the better ones, used to talk about their families where I could hear them.

“Seriously, though,” Amber says, dragging my attention back to her instead of my thoughts, “wasn’t it the best? Did you love it? It’s like sleeping in the best fur comforter ever!”

I don’t know whether to be creeped out or amused, but as a smile tries to take over my lips, I realize Amber is more so cute and amusing than anything else.

“It was very generous of him,” I finally say, keeping my voice even and emotionless. The last thing I want is for anyone to get the wrong impression.

“Amber,” a deep voice says as one of the men steps up in front of us, “how about you gossip less and go eat.”

Amber rolls her eyes playfully as she lets go of my arm. “Come sit with me when you’re ready to eat, Maura!” She practically skips off toward the table of food and her fellow pack members.

The guy turns back to me with a smile, holding his hand out. “Hey, I’m Logan. Come eat before it all disappears.”

“Thank you,” I manage to say softly, following him to the table.

After grabbing a plate, I find the empty chair next to Amber. She’s practically bouncing in her seat as she waves me over. Sitting down, I watch the rowdy, good-natured jabs and conversation. The entire pack talks openly, and everyone seems so carefree and happy being here together. The only exception is Kosta, the man who didn’t want me here last night. Every time I catch his eye, he’s glaring at me like I personally insulted him.

For the next hour, it’s like being in a dream. Food is passed around, and we all eat. I don’t talk much, but I listen to everyone else and respond when they directly ask me something. Picking at my food, I wish I could eat more. It’s delicious, and even more so since I know that everyone pitches in for meals.

That’s one of the things the chattier wolves tell me in animated detail. No one is above anyone else as far as helping and providing for the pack. Women do the same jobs as men and vice versa. I don’t believe them at first—the only women here are me, Beth, and Amber—but as everyone finishes eating, several of the men stand up and start clearing dishes, and one even takes over the sink to wash them.

Amber puts away chairs despite them being twice her size, and she doesn’t complain at all. The best part is that no one tries to stop her or tell her that she’s a girl and shouldn’t do physical things. They let her have her independence, and I truly admire that. I want to help too, though, so after a few minutes, I join Beth in drying the dishes.

Beck eventually comes back, and I’m overly aware of him the moment he steps into the room. He smiles at everyone, moving fluidly from one pack member to another, checking on them, engaging about their night, how they slept, their plans for the day—he’s wonderful. As everything settles down from breakfast, though, Beck claps his hands together loudly, getting everyone’s attention.

He smiles for a moment until the voices die down. “Time to train. Everyone outside.”