Page 3 of Chasing Dawn

What else do you like to do? What color is your wolf form? Talbot says that’s rude to ask, so you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.

Can’t wait to hear from you.

Love,

Franklin xo

SIX MONTHS AFTER THE GATHERING

Dear Franklin and Talbot,

Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply to your letter, but things have been turbulent around here, and I’ve been keeping my head down and staying out of the way.

It’s spring right now, which is my favorite season. Everything looks new and filled with possibilities, and it’s warm enough for me to swim in the springs, and the small garden bed of flowers I planted in the darkest parts of winter has finally bloomed. Growing things is probably my favorite thing to do, though I haven’t tried much else.

Maybe when I’m twenty-one and can leave this place, I’ll discover a million other things l like to do, like skydiving or something. I love to read, and there are many adventurers in my books. One day, I want to be someone who has adventures too.

How about you? Would you and Talbot like to travel? You guys sound close. Maybe you’ll find mates who are twins too. It would be sad for twins to go to separate packs, especially when you’re as close as you guys and Vance.

Thanks for the postcard of him in the woods. I hid it in the tiny cavern where I keep all the things that are precious to me. There isn’t much, but I don’t need much. As an Omega, I’m pretty far down the hierarchy to receive things. Food is enough, and if I don’t cause any drama, I can usually ask for a new book in each ration delivery. Do you guys like to read?

The cubs, my cousins, are getting bigger, and they are super cute now. The little Alpha pup keeps giving his food to his Omega sister, so I’ve been giving them some of my meals because they are growing cubs!

I don’t know for much longer I’ll be here though, because the Alpha says that he’s arranged for me to get mated. Apparently Omegas are sought after in the supernatural world, outside of my pack anyway.

The guy is old, but anywhere has to be better than here, right? In some packs, the Omegas are even revered. Can you imagine?

Love,

Dawn

P.S. My wolf is white!

SEVEN MONTHS AFTER THE GATHERING

Dear Dawn,

I hope you can read this. Franklin says my handwriting is illegible because I’m dyslexic.

I could use the computer, but the Alpha won’t let me in his office after the last time. I hacked the DMV and got Franklin and me fake IDs, but it wasn’t hurting anyone, right? Vance is nearly old enough to go to clubs, and who’ll watch his back if we can’t go?

It’s been ages since you wrote, and we were kind of worried about you. I talked to Vance and told him what an asshole your Alpha is and suggested maybe you could come and live here in the sleuth with us. Vance said you’d have to call or email him yourself, and when I said your Alpha wouldn’t let you have a cell, which is why we are still writing letters like it’s the 20th century, he said to write him a formal request. Do it, so you can live here and be happy.

We really want you to be happy. We’ll protect you—me and Talbot and Vance too. He likes to pretend he doesn’t remember you, but I know he does. He asks all the time if we’ve heard from you.

The old Alpha is talking about retiring, which is good for Vance, but I can tell he’s stressed. He needs a good Omega to calm his beast, but not because you’re some kind of punching bag. Seriously, I want to junk punch your Alpha so hard that he’ll taste his own dick cheese.

Vance was made to be Alpha, and he’ll be a good one, and he’ll also have some clout.

Despite what Franklin said about a nerd not making a good beta, I have the skills our pack will need in the future to protect ourselves in the age of technology. A fist won’t protect us from a smartphone capturing our shift, will it?

Plus, if you come to Black Mountain, you won’t have to marry some gross old fuck who your Alpha basically sold you off to.

Please, PLEASE think about it. You’ll be happy here. There are hundreds of miles for you to roam as your wolf, and the only neighbors we have are a bunch of lions, but they keep to themselves, mainly because they know we could kick their asses. And do you know it snows here? How much would your wolf love the snow?

Think about what I said.

Love,