1 follow Beta Calvin to a room on his floor. It’s nice, but | feel like a stranger in this room. | go sit on the bed with nothing else to


    do. Nothing in this room is mine. | have no clothes, no toiletries, nothing. The reality of my situationes crashing down on me.


    My father was going to sell me to an Alpha to pay his gambling debts. I’ve never felt so lost or scared.


    I''m nervous for how my father will react when Alpha Patrick speaks to him. Will he yell at me? Most likely. Based on how he


    responded earlier, he will be furious and try to make this about me being ungrateful, | don’t know how my mother will feel. | can’t


    believe she knew anything about this. But she does what my father tells her to do. She has always been a good mother, but she


    never goes against my father. Now that her being a good mother and a good mate are at odds, I’m pretty sure that the mate


    bond will win. Will she be angry with me ast well? Will she me me for whatever punishment my father receives from Alpha


    Patrick?


    I''m getting myself more and more worked up as | sit here thinking of everything. I’m on the verge of tears when there is a knock


    at the door.


    I go to open it and | smell apple pie. Clint.


    As soon as | open the door, he opens his arms and I rush into them. He holds me, rocking me side to side, before kissing my


    hair. “Come on.” He says, guiding me into my room.


    “Door stays open, Clint.” | hear Beta Calvin say from the hallway.


    Clint growls softly, making me giggle.


    He smiles at me, tucking my hair behind my ear. When he looks around the room, he must see what | did. That it’s stark and


    there’s nothing for me to do in here.


    but think.


    “Do you want to go for a run?” He asks me.


    “Yes.” That’s exactly what | want to do.


    He takes me down the back stairs, I’m assuming to keep me from running into my parents. We head outside, strip and shift.


    Andra is happy to see Donovan and they begin to run through the forest. Instead of being a training run, this is a fun run.


    Donovan lets Andra lead the way, but eventually guides us to a ce where we can rest and look out over the canyon.


    The lights from the human town in the distance and those from the nearby


    17


    Shadow Falls Pack are beautiful. The moon has risen, and it shines brightly in the sky.


    “How are you doing Lily bud? Clint asks me through the mind link. Andra has curled up against Donovan, who hasid his head


    over her protectively, keeping watch on the forest around us.


    “| don’t honestly know.” | tell him. “I’m scared and | feel lost. I’m thankful for you, Donovan and Andra or I''d be feeling pretty


    lonely now too.


    “You''re not alone Lily. You’ll never be alone again.”


    It''s quiet for a moment. “I was thinking, since Patrick put me in charge of your training, I’d like to move away from the warriors.


    That way, we can train in peace, but you also won''t have to deal with your father.”


    | think about it for a minute. “I’d like that. Do you think Alpha Patrick will agree?”


    “I''ll speak to him tonight. | don’t want your father distracting you from training. And Patrick knows | take training very seriously. He


    may want us to show him what you''re learning regrly to prove that we’re actually training and not fooling around, but that’s


    fine.”


    I''m thankful that I’m in Andra’s form so he can’t see my blush. The rumor mill will be even worse now that I’ve moved into the


    packhouse, and I''ll be spending lots of time with Clint individually. But it can’t be helped. No one else needs to know what


    happened with my dad, so let them talk.


    “It''s gettingte, we should head back.” He says, before standing up.


    We run back to the packhouse, shift and change before heading inside.


    “You little slut! After everything | did for you, this is how you repay me.” | stop dead in my tracks. My father steps out of the


    shadows, like he’s been waiting for


    1.me.


    Clint steps in front of me. “You need to back off, Aaron.”


    “Like hell | will. Don’t think you’ve won here, Guardian.” He sneers Clint’s title. ” She’s my daughter.”


    “And you


    pay lost the right to be her parent when you tried to sell her to an Alpha to


    debts.”


    “That’s all a misunderstanding. I’ll get that straightened out and then Lily wille back home.” My stomach clenches at the


    thought. | know it’s not a


    misunderstanding.


    + 15 BONOS


    “By the time you get this straightened out,” Clint uses his finger to make air quotes, “your daughter will be an adult and able to


    make her own decisions. Until then, Alpha Patrick is her parental guardian, so if you have a problem with me or Lily, take it up


    with him.”Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    “Let''s go Lily.” He reaches behind himself, to encircle me with an arm, guiding me toward the door, but keeping himself between


    me and my father.


    As we go to step inside, my father gives me his parting shot. “I hope you’re proud of yourself, Lily. You made your mother cry.”


    It''s a well-aimed shot that hits home. | never wanted my mother to be hurt by all of this.


    Clint gently pushes me inside before turning to my father. “She didn’t make her mother cry. ept responsibility for your actions.


    You did this. You did it to yourself, you did it to your wife and you did it to Lily. You have no one to me but yourself.” He says


    before letting the door m closed.


    Clint walks me to my room. “I’m sorry, Lily. I''ll talk to Patrick.”


    | shake my head, trying to hold back my tears. “You have nothing to be sorry about. | hope you don’t mind, but | just want to be


    alone.”


    “Of course. You have my number. You can text me at any time. I''ll check on yourter.”


    “Thank you.” | tell him before closing the door. The minute the door shuts, the


    tears start to fall.


    Cooper


    Author


    OR ￡15 BONDS.