Jessie took her time in the bathroom. She dragged her heals out of fear of what lies she would hear. What would Alrick say to raise her hopes to dash again? How would she know his words were true or not? Jessie felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster with Alrick. The clothes were big but not. She assumed size seven would be too small. Clothing in size eight was a pain to find.                Time was ticking away, though. She’d even taken the time to dry her hair. The bag didn’t have shoes or boots. That wasn’t important. If she left again, she wouldn’t be doing it in human form. She watched herself in the mirror; she pondered how this would play out. If she were lucky, he’d get interrupted. Alrick would decide to stop this new line of torture.   &nbs

Alrick watched the woman who sat there. Who’d picked his life choices apart and put all his failings on display? Gods, what he’d been doing to his people? She was correct. Here he was obsessing about her and wallowing in his recent experiences. While all this time, he’d been ignoring his people’s needs.  

                Craig struggled with the order of the news he must report to Alrick as he walked up the stairs to Alrick’s apartment. With a heavy sigh, he knocked and waited for a response.                 Alrick opened the door a moment later. “I was trying to call you and didn’t get a response.”                 “My phone is dead, and I figured it was better to deliver the news I have in person.” Alrick lost his smile at the sight of Craig’s face and his words.                 “Then come in. We can talk about it. What do you have?” Craig spotted Jessica-Lyn in the room. H

   Alrick sat in the back of the vehicle while Craig drove. Two of his enforcers sat behind him, and a third sat shotgun. While Jessie sat beside him. “Jessica-Lyn. I promise I won’t hand you over to your brother. You are being loyal to your pack and the law. No one will punish you for that. The NARC Investigators saw you helping and I’m sure they will hold that to your benefit.” He couldn’t believe the amount of anxiety flowing off her. Silent, but so expressive.“I said you could call me Jessie. You don’t think he'll try to hunt me down and punish me? Or kill me?” Jessie's emotions rolled over her face so fast that Alrick wasn't exactly sure how to read them. “I believe if he tries, it’ll be his mistake. He won’t get near you. He’ll also walk into his own demise. I suspect he’ll wish soon that he’d died in that explosion of his. Jessie, I don’t believe he’s in his right mind anymore. I don’t know why. He’s become a rogue. From those drugs he was making, or by choi

                Jessie watched Kevin taken away in an SUV like the monster he acted like. The man was always a crappy person. But the flashing violence in his eyes as he yelled at her. That’s a whole new kettle of fish. His violent thoughts spewed from his mouth like venom from a snake. He held the cage walls like he would tear them down if he could. They made the cage to hold wolves the size of shifters, but that didn’t mean he’d find comfort in his human form.                Shaking, Jessie didn’t realize she clung to Alrick. Caught up in memories of past incidents, and Kevin’s words, the ramifications became real. What if Kevin was right? What if they weren’t safe here? Would they never stop looking for them to punish them for talking or leaving? Could she keep them safe in the long run? J