I couldn't sleep that night. I kept worrying about my little sister.She was only eighteen. Yet, she had suffered one of the worst experiences of anyone's life.I went to her room four times that night, and she hadn't been there. I even broke the rules and went into her tree house to look for her, but it was empty. She was hiding, presumably from Declan…possibly from everyone, but I still didn't like it.When someone was in that much pain, it didn't feel right to let them suffer alone. Even if I just sat with her, some support was better than being alone. I knew I would want someone to be there for and with me, but maybe she didn't.As I lay on Aiden's couch, listening to his loud snoring and the storm rolling in outside, I found myself texting Greyson.I wasn't surprised that he was awake. After he talked me down from searching for Ellie a fifth time, he kept me distracted with some jokes and a little flirting that had me wanting to squeal like a teenager meeting their celebrity crush

I couldn't resist dropping to the ground and wrapping my arms around him. As soon as I was pressed against him, the sickness plaguing me vanished. His touch was everything. He was everything. My body melted against his, and I smiled up at him. "What are you doing here? This is the last challenge." I looked over my shoulder, scanning the area slowly, but no one was in sight. Still, Greyson spun us around until my back was against the tree, and I was facing out into no man's land, hidden from direct view of anyone walking by between us and my pack. "I know. I just wanted to see you." He kissed me slowly and deeply, my back arched off the tree, pressing my chest into his. When he pulled away, I blinked several times to clear my vision. "Do you want to get out of here?" Yes. I gnawed on my bottom lip, considering the offer before making a rash decision. It was why I hadn't crossed the border yet. I wanted to - more than anything- but I was also weighing the consequences of what would

"She's a traitor!" Ethan's voice rang out from behind us, and the packs fell silent, all eager to hear what he had to say.It was a huge accusation. Technically, it was true, but it was still something people couldn't take lightly.There were a few gasps from the crowd, and my hand tightened around Ben's as Ethan broke the tree line. Blood had dried down his cheek from a split on the edge of his eyebrow, and his eyes were black with anger."She is a traitor!" He screamed again, his arms out at his sides. He glanced around at the crowd, ensuring he had everyone's attention. "Your princess is tainted!"My father stepped forward, his face red and his glare locked on Ethan. I hated that he didn't even look at me for confirmation. He trusted me, so his glare stayed on my accuser. "What is the meaning of this?""She's been sneaking around on your land with the Rogue Alpha!" Ethan smirked as the crowd gasped, giving him the reaction he had hoped for. He wouldn't win the games and wanted to r

The line rang and rang as I rushed down the hallway, eager to get back to my room so I could have this conversation in private. This was bigger than what I had been expecting. What my parents had told me could give Greyson closure."Come on. Come on. Pick up," I mumbled as I reached the stairwell, ready to return to my room. The conversation had distracted my parents from the punishment they should have given me, but when they asked for his name and invited him over to explain their side of the situation, I jumped at the chance.I didn't tell them who he was. I wanted to check with him first to make sure he was okay with that. Chances were he wouldn't believe their side of the story. If he still thought they were working against him, he probably wouldn't want them to know who he was or meet them in person without backup.Still, if I could just get him to meet them, they might change their minds about The Mating Games before the mating ceremony in two days.It would take a lot of convin

My fingers tapped on the counter as I glared down at the human. She shook, and the stench of stress, fear, and onions oozed from her every pore. I wanted to get as far away from her as possible.Her oily skin, frizzy hair, and smell attested to her poor diet. It had always amazed me how many chemicals humans put in their foods to replace fresh ingredients. It was no wonder they were always sick or dying."This is your specialty, is it not?" I growled, and she shrank back as she heard the displeasure in my tone."I just handle the sales. Like I said earlier, our tech team should be back from lunch shortly," She gestured over her shoulder with her thumb to the back room.My claws extended, and my nails clicked loudly against the hard surface as I took several deep breaths. She had been saying that for two hours, practically begging me to come back another time. I had the feeling this would be her last day of work at this establishment, and if I did come back, someone else would be forced