Free Sorority Wolf by Rebecca Royce Page A

prowled to his door and paused
     to glare over the vehicle. “Keep your trap shut about my pack and your presence there,
     or you’ll be sorry.”
    I nodded mutely, palmed the handle of my suitcase, and dragged it across the parking
     lot. The massive structure before me appeared to be some form of gymnasium or large
     meeting facility since there were no windows. I kept my gaze downward and ignored
     the jostling of the other bodies slamming into me from both sides. Surely the lone
     door offered refuge, a quiet place to breathe and absorb what had just happened.
    You’re almost there. Don’t panic.
    He threw me out of the pack .
    Knowing something was inevitable and accepting its occurrence were two entirely different
     things. Part of me wanted to race after the long-gone car or perhaps call Elise and
     beg to return. But that was crazy. They’d been done with me eighteen years, three
     months and two days ago—the moment I’d crawled into their land from no one knew where.
     I’d been two when they’d proclaimed me a freak of nature undeserving of life.
    But I’d been spared.
    Piercing shrieks and laughter drew my focus from my trudge forward to a crush of girls
     several yards away. I smiled cautiously when a few of them met my stare. Fitting in
     had never been my strong suit, but perhaps this place was different.
    Pain streamed through my core, radiating from my face when I slammed into an unmoving
     object—a massive chest adorned in a crimson T-shirt with a black-and-white snapping
     wolf. My throat constricted for a moment as I studied the muscular flesh beneath the
     shirt. He was huge.
    “Slow your roll there, mouse.” Warm fingers wrapped gently around both my arms, holding
     me up for a moment as my limbs forgot how to work. His full lips turned upward into
     a smug grin before he shoved me backward. My pulse slammed into overdrive as I met
     a metallic gray gaze. A rugged jaw line drew attention from his gorgeous face to the
     wavy mass of thick, black hair, longer than fashionable, which flirted with his shirt
     collar.
    This was someone who realized the effect he had on girls like me. I studied his shirt
     for a moment, reining in my riotous body. My lungs burned for breaths I couldn’t remember
     to take; something within me rubbed against my skin.
    The sensation made me gasp. What the hell was that?
    Could it be…?
    No. There was no way. I’d been tested. Repeatedly.
    I was inherently damaged beyond repair.
    Defective.
    “Breathe, little mouse. Nice and deep for me.”
    Fingers squeezed until I inhaled the welcoming brush of woodsy brine and earth deep
     into my lungs. I wanted to lean into his warmth, inhale deeper at his pulse point
     like I’d seen others from my pack do with the Alphas. He was utterly splendid in all
     ways.
    I knew better than to surrender to the desire, though.
    Abominations like you will not breathe the same air as my Alphas, Riletta. Don’t offend
     them with your presence. You exist because I showed mercy. Don’t make me regret my
     decision .
    “Sorry.” The squeak of my rarely-used voice made me shrivel away from the strength
     of his embrace. Could I be any more pathetic?
    I hardened my stance and waited for the slap, the shove. I’d been foolish to not notice
     him within my field of vision. I’d dared to slam into an Alpha. I closed my eyes,
     cringed, and waited.
    And waited. Chancing a peek at the gorgeous man before me, my heart flailed for normalcy,
     beating wildly until my brain could process his reaction. He grinned.
    No one ever grinned when I spoke, when they sensed what I wasn’t. I’d met his kind
     before. “If you’ll please excuse me, I need to register before they close.”
    “Of course.” He maneuvered to the side and opened the door.
    I forced a smile of gratitude and stepped into the massive room, which echoed with
     the hum of conversations and revelry. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people filled
     the large building. The