“No,” I heard Ivy cry out.It’s okay, Ivy, I think to myself, just go and live.I never wanted her to die with me, I wouldn’t be a good friend if I did.

“Please, please don’t let him kill her,” she begs someone, and I worry she will get herself in trouble.

“Please, just let him kill me.I want to be with her,” Ivy begs, and tears burn my eyes at her words.

“Stop, I want the other girl, too,” his voice booms, and I gasp.

“Hand the girl over, you heard the king,” the King’s Beta says.Alpha Brock growls but grabs me, hauling me to my feet, then shoving me down the steps.I stumble before hitting someone.Hands grip my arms and whoever it is growls at the Alpha.The Hessian bag is suddenly lifted off my head and my eyes instantly go to search for Ivy.She’s by another man who is watching her.I don’t understand the look in his gaze, but I understand the expression on her face, relief and I rush to her.

I throw myself at her, clutching her.Ivy squeezes me and I can’t help the tears.I wanted death and this man wants her but where will that leave me now?Will I be cast away without Ivy?Death I can handle, but the unknown without her I can’t?

“Thank you,” I whispered though I wasn’t sure if I should thank him yet, still I bare my neck to him, and he nods once before his eyes fall back on Ivy.

“Follow me,” he says.Turning on his heel, he starts walking.I glance at Ivy before his Beta stops next to us.

“You heard the king, follow him,” the man says, staring at us both on the ground, though his words were soft, which I didn’t expect of him.We scramble upright, rushing after him and ignoring the shocked expressions of the town’s people.

We follow the king back to the orphanage and Ivy peers around nervously, as do I.What does he want with us?Or her, anyway; the only reason I’m here is because she begged him to spare me.The king walks rather quickly; we have to jog to keep up with him.His Beta follows behind us a few steps before we stop.Mrs.Daley is standing out the front and rushes over, staring with her mouth open, gaping at us.

“Hurry up, girls.Get inside,” she says, clearly shocked, but recovering quickly.We go to do what she says when the king opens the car door of his sleek black car and steps into Ivy’s path.He grips her arm, stopping her from passing him.

“Get in,” he says, and we stop.I clutch Ivy’s arm tightly while Ivy’s fingertips hold the side of my shirt, not willing to let me go, either.

“Your friend can come, but you are coming with me, so get in the car.I don’t like repeating myself,” he says to her sternly.I swallow, worried she wil anger him.

“Gannon, sir, may I ask what is going on?”Mrs.Daley speaks up.

“No, you may not,” the king snaps, but I could have sworn he said his name was Kyson.She went to speak again when the Beta spoke behind us as we climbed in the car.

“Be wise to close your mouth, lady, the king doesn’t like to repeat himself,” his Beta warns.

“King?”she squeaks, as I slide across the leather seat.

“Yes, King Kyson,” the Beta confirms, and she drops her head.Instead, the king pays her no attention, he reaches inside the car and leans over Ivy.Instinctively I lean away from him, but he only pulls on a strap and clips it in beside her waist.

“Seatbelts,” he says before pointing to the other beside me.I quickly copy what he did and clip it in, Ivy peers at me and I stare out the window to find the man who was smoking leaning against the car door beside me and I quickly glance away.

The king speaks to his men outside the car, and I nervously glance around.

“What’s going on?”I whisper before tangling my fingers through Ivy’s and dragging her hand onto my lap.

“Maybe they are casting us out,” Ivy whispered.I squeeze her fingers when the Beta gets in the driver’s seat, and the king in the passenger’s.

The car starts moving and I clutch my seat in panic and accidentally squeeze Ivy’s fingers too tightly.She tries to pull away, making me loosen my grip so the circulation returns to her fingers.