Maura

Expectant faces stare at me from every direction, and it’s like my lungs are collapsing. The panic is so overwhelming that I want to disappear into the floor, just let it open up and swallow me whole. My eyes scan the room; some of the men seem angry at my delay or maybe just my presence, especially the guy who questioned them about me. The young girl stares at me with this flicker of light in her eyes, like she’s expecting a tale of bravery or something.

It’s suffocating.

“I was Godrick’s prisoner,” I say in a low voice, unable to hold anyone’s gaze. “Um, it was worse than you’re probably imagining. Beck and Alejo caught me after I escaped into the woods and brought me here. I mean you no harm, any of you. I just want my freedom.” Swallowing the lump in my throat, I risk a glance at the pack before me.

I’m sure they want details, but I just can’t. There’s a part of me that wants to protect Amber from knowing the truth of what I’ve endured and another part that doesn’t want to admit what’s happened to me to Beck and Alejo. I don’t want to find out if they think I’m pitiful or disgusting. It’s better not knowing for now.

“Fuck,” one of the other men says, “Godrick’s going to come after her.”

“Calm down, Kosta,” Alejo says with a low growl. “He’s not going to come for the girl.”

Kosta rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Yeah? Why would he just let a prisoner disappear? He’s gonna track her to us, and then we’re all fucked.”

Alejo steps forward and pins the man with a hard stare. “Enough. If Godrick comes, he will deal with me.” Huffing, he paces the small center of the room.

Beck takes a deep breath as he stops Alejo by putting a hand on his shoulder. “We have no reason to believe Godrick will find us. We’ve covered our scents and are more careful than probably necessary.” His eyes meet mine. “Plus, what kind of Alphas would we be if we left her to die alone at the hands of that monster? We’re survivors, and we’re better than that.”

My cheeks heat at the intensity of his gaze, and my eyes dart back to the floor in front of my feet.

“She gets a night in the den, provisions, and tomorrow, she’s on her way.” Alejo’s voice is emotionless, cold…uncaring.

I don’t dare risk looking at him as I try to hold back tears. I knew I wouldn’t be staying, but hearing him say it aloud makes emotions I don’t understand bubble in my chest.

“If I may ask,” Beth says in a soft but challenging tone, causing me to look up at her as she steps closer to Alejo and Beck, “how is sending an unmated she-wolf out into this world unguarded any different than handing her back to Godrick or just beheading her in the courtyard?”

I quickly swallow the lump in my throat. “I can protect myself.”

Beth’s gaze turns to me, her eyes narrowing a little. “Really? Do you know what’s out there, child? Wolves are broken by Godrick’s torture and terror. Feral and dangerous with very little humanity left in them. Are you ready to face that alone?”

Of course I’m not, but I can’t bring myself to say it. Instead, I bow my head and wrap my arms around myself as the pack continues to talk. Zoning out, I try to make a plan. It’s hard to figure out where to go when I don’t know where I am or what is in which direction. It doesn’t matter, though, because Alejo’s given me one night. The only option I have is to rest as much as I can and then go as far as possible before nightfall tomorrow.

If I die, I die. It’s better to have rogues take my life as I try to get away than to have Godrick take it after suffering in a cell and being used like a breeding mare.

Never. If I ever breed, it will be my choice, not Godrick’s.

“Maura,” a small voice says, snapping me out of my thoughts. Blinking, I find Amber in front of me, smiling gently. “I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

The girl takes my hand and pulls me into the adjoining room. Scattered around it are different piles of blankets. I can’t help but smile a little. They’re nests. It seems everyone sleeps here in their own little spots.

“Can you braid?” Amber asks happily. “Beth is the only one who knows how, but her hands ache sometimes. Beck tried once, but I don’t think Alphas should be braiding hair.”

For the first time, I can’t help but smile. “I’d be happy to braid your hair. How about in the morning before I go?”

Amber’s entire face lights up, warming my heart. I can’t remember the last time someone smiled at me like that. Beth steps up next to us and holds a blanket out to me with a gentle nod. I take it, and her scent clings to the cloth. It’s strangely comforting. The old woman has been on my side since the moment she saw me tonight, and I can’t find the right words to thank her.

Once Amber shows me where I can bunk down for the night, she scampers off to her nest near Beth. It’s endearing that this pack sleeps in sight of each other. Staring at the floor, I try to figure out the best way to curl up and get some rest. As I’m thinking, Alejo says my name as his presence presses into my back, forcing me to face him.

His eyes are dark as he scowls at me. “The pack agrees on the night but with a few conditions.” He steps closer, and my skin prickles, my breath catching my throat. “If I wake up and you’ve run, if you go back to Godrick and tell him about us, if anyone in this pack is harmed because of you, I will hunt you down and rip you apart with my bare teeth.”

I step back involuntarily, trying not to go into a full panic attack, but I can’t stop myself from flinching away from his tone. Beck steps up next to us, angling his body toward Alejo.

“You’ve made your point, Alejo.” He turns to me, his expression stern but softer than his counterparts. “We protect our pack, Maura. At all costs.”

Alejo huffs and walks away. Beck only lingers for a moment and then leaves, too. Piling the blanket on the floor, I try to get comfortable in my own little nest. The pack settles around me, and as much as I like how they are, I haven’t slept in a room with other people and felt safe in a long time…longer than I can really remember anymore. Even though I’m pretty sure this pack wouldn’t harm me in my sleep, I can’t convince my heart to fully believe it.

Lying here, I can’t help but go over every moment since I got here. Does Beth know that I’m wolfless? Can she sense it when she looks at me? Will she tell Alejo and Beck? Will they kill me if she does? Cage me like Godrick did? Grumbling, I roll on my side and squeeze my eyes shut, willing sleep to overtake me.

With my eyes closed, images of riding Beck’s back flash in the back of my eyelids. The soft swish of his fur, the strong jolt of his muscles…

My eyes shoot open, and I sit up abruptly. Scanning the room, I notice the man who was angry about me only a few feet away. How stupid am I to sleep in a room with someone who doesn’t want me around? I know better. Trust isn’t smart, not for those like me. I’m a fool to get so comfortable here, no matter what anyone says.

Despite my gut telling me that Alejo and Beck will protect me for tonight like they promised, it’s like the very walls of their den are closing in around me. It’s suffocating, the air too heavy and hard to breathe. My chest heaves as I fight to get air in my lungs while trying to stay quiet at the same time.

My hands and legs shake as I stand and grab the blanket Beth gave me.

I can’t stay in here… Damn it, I can’t breathe.

My stomach churns, and I heave, nausea waving through me like an ocean of unease and fear. Carefully, I make my way to the front door and open it, the cool night air smacking me in the face as I take a gasping breath. Doubling over, I try to take a few more deep, calm breaths to bring my racing heartbeat back to normal.

Before I can take another step onto the porch, a calming energy surrounds me, and I spin around to find Beck leaning against the doorframe with his brows knitted together.

“Going somewhere, Red?”