Heart of a Wolf

“But we have pack surgeons on staff,” I reminded her.

“Who probably messed everything up in the first place.

Not all wolves are pack. You hire strays.”

I opened my mouth to say something but thought better of it when one of the guards gently placed a hand on my shoulder

and shook his head. Challenging Fallen now would only make matters worse, so after closing the divider between us, I sat back on my bench and did everything I could to calm myself down.

My heart rate was on this side of normal by the time we turned up the hill toward the manor. I knew we’d arrived as soon as the smooth drive on asphalt turned bumpy. I still had no idea where they’d originally parked, but there was obviously a path through the woods all the way up to the back door.

As soon as the guards opened up the back of the van, Fallen was there to see me out. “Trevor, take her to her quarters and keep watch. You, come with me and bring that human with you.”

“Wait,” I said, reaching out to touch one of the guard’s arms. “Where are you taking her? I know she can’t stay with me, but—”

“She’ll be safe,” Fallen cut in, not looking at me. “We’ll update you once she wakes.”

“If she wakes up and I’m not there—”

“At least she’ll be alive,” Fallen finished for me, heading back to the front of the van so she could get Ash.

“Come with me,” Trevor said, his eyes focused on something I couldn’t see. “We should have word on her condition in the morning.”

He didn’t say anything to me after that, keeping watch just as Fallen had asked.

Locked in my cell and with no way of knowing the whereabouts of my sister, I sat back in the corner of my cage and wept. The tears I’d been fighting back ever since we left the city slowly rolled down my cheeks. I cried for my sister, for letting her see my wolf, and for putting her life at risk. I also wept for Ash, who was once my Alpha but might never be again.

And then I wept for the pack, for the family that I was slowly winning over only to take two steps back.

Even if Ash woke up, even if she forgave me, my standing within the pack would never change.

They’d always see me as an outsider, a lone wolf taken in by their Alpha and nothing more.

As much as it hurt for me to realize that, I’d happily accept it so long as both Ash and my sister survived.

Please let them be okay.

Chapter Eleven

I woke to the sound of the shed door opening, a bright light filtering in behind whoever decided to join us. The guard, Trevor if I remembered his name correctly, stayed with me the entire night. He never said a word. He also never left his post, not to eat or otherwise.

Like me, he must’ve been starved and out of his mind.

Sitting in my cell might’ve been okay for the first handful of hours, but the longer I had to wait, the more anxious I became.

At least I’d had some clothes waiting for me that I could change into. Trevor wasn’t so lucky, changing from human to wolf once the shed got too cold.

“You may go,” the newcomer said, her eyes directed at Trevor who lay with his chin on his paws. “Go get something to eat and rest. I can take the next shift.”

Rising to his paws, Trevor bowed his head in understanding, then walked out the door before Fallen let it close behind him again.

“You’re a welcomed sight,” I said with relief. “He isn’t much of a talker, and when no one came last night to tell us—”

“I’m not here to talk,” Fallen said, cutting me off. Her words were hard, but looking at her worried gaze, I could see she didn’t mean it.

Glancing past her at the now-closed door, I lowered my voice so only she would hear. “You need to know I never meant to harm her.”

“I know, but the other wolves won’t see it that way.