“Take a deep breath, sweetheart.” Kade chuckled in my ear, but I was not oblivious to the tension in his own emotions.We were being escorted down to the second floor, where the meeting would take place. The entire floor was heavily guarded, and was much wider and more open than the other floors.“Do not speak unless you’re called on.” A tan-skinned woman in a pencil skirt warned Kade and I. She walked effortlessly in her heals, swaying her hips like a runway model. “If they wish for you to speak, they’ll call on you. That’s your chance. You can also call as many witnesses as you please, so those you came with are free to speak on your behalf.”Kade and I had been debriefed as much as possible, but nothing could prepare us for what the outcome might be. Other than Marcus Novak, we hadn’t a clue what the other High Table members might want.I adjusted the dress I wore and grimaced as the rigid mat

The room was silent for a few long seconds before the room erupted in chaos. Witnesses were shouting on all sides, emotions flung like daggers at my neck and chest. Many were outraged that I dare disrespect the High Table. They hurled insults my way, blaming my upbringing.Much to my surprise, there were some coming to my defense. Though their voices weren’t as loud, they shouted that I had a right to stake claim on my life and abilities. They accused the High Table of becoming to powerful, a thought that made me shiver.I couldn’t help but notice that the Alpha and Luna with the golden hair remained silent, their emotions conveying no animosity towards me.The chaos lasted a total of five seconds before Marcus Novak silenced the room with a wave of his hand. “Enough, we cannot blame the girl for her outbursts. She was not raised on our values and customs, so she can and will be excused.” Marcus told the room. The flimsy compliment

Marcus Novak considered himself a collector, but things became difficult when your possessions were living humans with thoughts, feelings, and a will of their own.  His own son had slowly begun to turn against him, though not for the same reasons most would. For reasons completely unknown to the three of us, Zayne Novak needed a group of ten white wolves transported from his father's territory.  It was strictly a stealth mission; in and out. The white wolves would be deposited at the edge of Marcus's territory by an ally. Our job is to transfer those white wolves to our territory. Being caught would ensure a huge mess, one most of us might not escape from. Marcus Novak would have all rights to attack us for taking something of his. If we were to be the ones venturing on his territory--death sentence. So long as Marcus remained in the dark, all parties were safe. "Naveah and Isaac, they're the most important.

Jaspar Fox held the fourth seat at the High Table, and was more of an enigma than anyone else I had met. He was quite literally covered in scars. They began on his face, a previous broken nose and some stitches to the cheek. All down his arms and back were scars, rumors said there were even more beneath his pant line. Those particular words had been whispered by blushing she-wolves, witnesses to this entire debacle. They were too afraid to attempt approaching him, but had no problem whispering from the sidelines.Jaspar was the only one who seemed completely disinterested in the entire meeting. Even as Marcus and Desmond spoke of using my abilities for their own gain, he hadn’t batted an eyelash. His emotions reflected that relaxed demeanor, one that made me wonder if he had ever truly cared about anything.“I didn’t---” I began, but stopped as I met the frozen eyes of Desmond Deville.I killed a High Table member, the second to be exact.

"Welcome, everyone." Marcus called out to the room, turning hushed whispers into silence. His suit was navy blue this time, which made his eyes seem brighter and more vibrant. This man was what most strived to be; attractive, charismatic, wealthy and powerful.That's what's dangerous about the soul. No matter how beautiful you are on the outside, no matter what favors your appearance gains you, the soul can rot from the inside out.Many of the murmurs were regarding Desmond Deville's sudden absence. I listened to each and every one, forcing myself to remain calm."As I'm sure you all have noticed, we are missing a certain table member." Marcus lifted an eyebrow towards the room full of witnesses. He turned to face where I stood in particular, and though his eyes were not on me, I couldn't help but feel a bit paranoid. "Desmond Deville was called back to his pack sometime early this morning. There is nothing to worry about, simply a pack misunderstanding turned i

The entire room erupted in chaos. People on all sides shouted angrily, screaming obscenities and threats. They called me a monster--a beast that needed to be put down. Their words bounced off me, but their acid-stained emotions burned and slashed at me. There were some who did not join in on the chaos, the golden-haired couple being two who remained quiet and stoic during this charade.While horrible things were said, and death threats were thrown like spit from their bared teeth. The guards that lingered around the room were on alert, emerging from their places hidden amongst the crowd. They came out one by one, blending in with the people around them.I was genuinely surprised when each guard came to the center of the room. They stood around the High Table and the section containing my family. I knew the High Table would be first priority in a situation like this, but I hadn't expected my family and I to be included.During the chaos, Nico Deville chose his mo

"They did it? They're safe?" I gasped, my hands covering my mouth as I gaped at Kade, my happiness was overrun with confusion. "Why were you feeling grief?""We lost a few of our men out there." He grimaced, "Typically Alec and I would visit the family ourselves to break the news, but Alec's not here, and home is far away.""I've done nothing but worry this entire time, and I can't take it anymore." I admitted with a sigh, "Now that we've held up our end, Zayne has no choice but to hold up his. I wouldn't be able to live with killing him, not when he's Tori's mate. You can rough him up a bit and hand him over to her though, I'm sure she'd enjoy that.""I wouldn't do that to her, not unless she approved." Kade promised with a small smile. I knew it went against his nature to leave a threat alive, but he couldn't go around picking off the High Table. I had already offed one member unintentionally, and I refused to let that number creep higher. "We will--"A

"Men like Marcus are always hiding something, always." Kade said, his voice not cruel and demeaning, but factual. "They have piles upon piles of skeletons in their closets. They might let you see a few, but they will never give their full hand."Apart from the muffled heavy metal music blasting from Ava's headphones, the inside of the sedan was silent. The purr of the engine as we coasted down the highway was the only thing to be heard.The emotions that sat within this small confined space, were beginning to give me a headache.Only Ava seemed completely at ease, so utterly joyful that she was like a Tylenol to my aching head. Her teenage ignorance and excitement for danger felt good, like a reprieve from the weight of everyone else's emotions.Tori and Zayne were so aware of each other that every shift, every exhale or sound that came from one had the other reacting.Zayne still had an ironclad grip on his emotions, but Tori was practically an op

"You can't, not yet." Kade hissed, wrapping his arm around my waist to fasten me against his torso. This was the first I had felt from him since he was taken, and now the bond between us was pulling me forward. I only stopped squirming when I noticed Tori's red face, and how she was currently backed up against Zayne Novak. The two of them were flattened against the house. I didn't miss how his arm was wrapped around his waist, his fingers just an inch above her shirt line. His other hand still rested over her mouth, an attempt to silence her when the guard had come out to investigate. Her heart sounded like a distant helicopter, mirroring the sound of Zayne's. "Are you alright?" I asked her, when both Kade and Zayne finally let us go. "I'm fine." She huffed under her breath, which was a good enough answer for me at the moment. "Guys, I got the window open." Ava's sudden outburst made me jump, and instinctively place a hand against my chest. Av

The only thing that kept me from erupting into a revenge fueled rage was the fact that we still needed to get Alec out of here.Once Tori removed all of the tubes, including the steady drip of sedatives that kept him comatose, his eyelashes had barely fluttered. It would be some time before he actually came to, but all that mattered was that he was finally home.Both Zayne and Kade supported Alec, draping on of his arms over their shoulders.As we readied to get the hell out of here, I couldn't help but stop and place my hand against Alec's face. He had thick stubble coating his chin and jaw, the same onyx color as his hair. As I trailed my fingers down his face, I could feel that wall holding back my emotions quiver."Alright, let's get out of here." I exhaled, pulling away from Alec with what I'm sure was a pained expression on my face.If I stayed here any longer, seeing the physical effects of what they had done to him, I wasn't sure there woul