Page 37 of Pack Captive

I hadn't been able to provide any of that for them, but if working with the Azurans meant that they'd live a life of comfort...it'd be worth it.

It was hard to believe they'd ever trusted me at all when I'd accomplished nothing for them.

Well, nothing besides getting myself captured.

The day Ryden and Calian had put me in the ropes had to have been the best day of their life. My shackle was a light of hope at the end of their dark tunnel.

I looked down at my empty cup, feeling pleasantly languid and a little dizzy despite the dark undercurrents of my thoughts.

More wine.

Because more wine would make this go away, and I knew that by tomorrow morning, I'd do everything in my power to please the Azurans and ensure my pack kept that ray of hope in their lives.

"You're going through that awfully fast," someone breathed in my ear.

I almost jumped out of my skin, turning with a snarl, and found Calian at my shoulder.

With a fresh cup of wine.

I plucked it out of his hands and gave him my empty cup, taking a healthy swallow as I did it.

He raised an eyebrow, watching me drink. "Put a little booze in you, and you get feisty, huh?"

I lowered the cup, licking my lips. They were probably stained purple by now. And for some reason, I wanted to tell someone what I was feeling.

Even if that someone was my enemy.

Maybe it was because I'd spent years bottling up my true thoughts and feelings so I wouldn't give my pack any reason to worry.

"I think I was set up for failure." I squinted at a slice of fruit in the cup, not wanting to look him in the eyes while I confessed.

Instead of scoffing, he leaned in closer. "Why?"

I thought it would've been hard to get the words out. Instead, it all came pouring out of me. "One of my elders told me that my mother didn't train me properly. She wanted the glory for herself, but...she got herself killed. I was the only one left to defend them and I didn't even have the right tools for the job."

He was going to think I was a whiner. I sneaked a peek up at him and found those obsidian eyes focused on my face.

There was something about Calian that made me think he'd figured out a lot more about my emotions than he was letting on.

"Then you can't blame yourself, can you?" he said quietly. "This is a second chance."

I nodded, relieved that he hadn't told me to shut up. After all, he'd lost his entire pack. He'd had it far worse than I had. "I suppose it is."

He leaned back, giving me a little breathing room even though he was still studying me. "Sometimes, what seems like a curse is a blessing in disguise. Take advantage of it."

I nodded, feeling oddly comforted despite the person who was doing the comforting.

He nodded towards the dais. "Ryden is looking for you. And you should probably eat more. Your training begins tomorrow."

"Right." I started towards the table where the Alpha sat, but Calian didn't follow. He turned towards the crowd, but before he left, I heard him say something quietly.

"We found you. It was meant to happen, if you'd just go along with it."

The problem was, I'd been struggling my whole life.

It was hard to let go of that now.

"Thank you,"I told Ryden, sitting next to him again.

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