Cross My Heart

Sorry to those that have read this far.....

Hello!

I truly appreciate those of you that have read this far. I'm not going to lie.... I kind of forgot about this account/ book until recently. I have been writing another story, filled with mystery and adventure that I had plans for uploading here. This story will be completed eventually, but most likely it will be put on the back burner to focus more on my new works as I plan for it to be a trilogy. I have about half of the first book written and would absolutely love for you guys to read it when it's posted! I have debated for weeks on if I wanted to upload it here or just continue to keep it to myself, but I feel like it's getting too good not to share!

If you're interested in werewolves, mates, and a badass main character, be sure to keep a lookout for my new work to be posted here shortly!

As a matter of fact, here's a little bit of a teaser:

The icy winds clawed at the bits of skin that had been left exposed by my now dilapidated dress. If you could even call it that anymore. Holes riddled the thin fabric, leaving my torso almost completely exposed. As for the pieces that were still intact, they had been worn so thin that you could see straight through them. A piece of paper would provide more coverage than this garbage. It hadn't always been like this though. It was once new, full of life and vibrant. Even though it wasn't me who had worn it while it was still new, I had loved it as if it were new. I washed it any time a speck of dirt landed on the beautiful blue fabric, folded it and put it way neatly any time I had to do chores that involved bleach, anything I could in order to keep it looking new.

At one point, this dress had fit me properly. Well, as properly as it could fit a malnourished, orphaned little five-year-old. I had considered it a treasure, but now, at almost 18, it was worn to shreds and barely covered my torso properly. I had held it together as much as I could with bits of discarded fabric I could scrounge up, needles that were dropped when the Alpha's daughter had a new gown sewn, and threads that I had managed to sneak out of the tailors' bags when they came to visit for a fitting of some sort. I honestly don't know if this could even be considered the same piece of clothing it started out as anymore.

I laid down on the stones, pulled my knees to my chest, and covered them as best I could with the fabric. Maybe keeping myself curled into a tight ball would ward off the icy temperatures for a little longer, at least until they remembered I was thrown here and someone is sent to fetch me. I lay my cheek on the stones, hoping to suck up any warmth it had absorbed during the day. To my surprise, they had been quite warm still even though it had been at least an hour since the sun had dipped below the trees. I never knew how comfortable a stone could be until that moment. Slowly, the stones lent their heat to me and lulled me to sleep. A short nap couldn't possibly hurt, right?

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I wasn't sure just how long I had been asleep for. All I know is that it was the best sleep I have ever experienced. I didn't have to worry about having ice water thrown on me, no one was yelling at me, no whips were brought out, nothing to interrupt my slumber. I felt refreshed honestly. Like I could take on the day, hell like I could take on the Alpha and win. OK, so maybe not that far. After all, I still didn't have a wolf, although part of me believes she's just in hiding. At least that's what I keep telling myself. That small little ember of hope may not be enough to light a fire, but it was enough to keep me going. The notion that one day I would be able to be a normal wolf and do everything I have seen so many others do. Even though I knew I only longed for my wolf so that I could experience the companionship that came with having your wolf counterpart entails. I'd never be alone again.

I'd have someone who would always be on my side for once. Unlike this whole miserable pack, she would actually care for my well-being. She would give me confidence to stand up to the rest of the members. With her, I could even leave the pack if I wanted to. If that were the case, maybe I'd be able to find my mate too. Then I'd have two beings that would go to the ends of the earth for me. I rolled over on my back and stretched my legs, quickly remembering I was no longer in my small room back in the pack house. Not that it was much better than here though. At least I had walls to keep the wind away for the most part there. I quickly sat up and pulled my legs back under my shirt.

The warmth I had managed to steal from the stones had left my body long ago. I was now a shivering mess. I sat there slowly looking around at my surroundings. I was sitting in the middle of what appeared to be an ancient arena of some sort. Decaying pillars encircled the perimeter of the arena, each one now a ruin of its former self. Each stone pillar was different from the next. Some still stood every bit of nine feet tall while others were nothing more than a pile of rubble. Some pillars had vines growing on them while others had moss inching into every crevasse. Some still hold remnants of the roof that once covered the arena, and some just lie broken on the ground behind where it once stood. The stone floor I was sitting on seemed like it had held up the best out of this whole arena. Some spots had a stone or two missing, while other spots looked to be untouched by the elements. The stone floor was laid out in a circle, maybe this was used as a gathering for large parties or something similar.

I slowly scanned the area, taking in every stone that had been missing and every vine that dangled off their respective pillars, until my eyes landed on a structure in the middle of the arena. My blood ran cold as I realized where I had been left. In the center of the arena stood a large rectangular shaped stone. The center of the stone had been worn down from years of repetitive use and stained red with what I can only assume to be blood. I was on the execution grounds. Tears slowly started to fill my eyes as the realization that I was never going back to that packhouse again. At this time, I wasn't sure if they were tears of joy or sadness. I was happy that I wouldn't have to go back, but at the same time, I was only 18.

My life will end here. And that's not even what bothered me the most. I was most upset that I had a mate out there somewhere that would feel our mate bond break even though we would never meet. My mate would go through the pain of losing someone that they are supposed to share a life with, someone that they are supposed to protect unconditionally, someone who was made just for them. But they would never get to meet me and have that opportunity. They wouldn't even have the opportunity to save me from my own execution. Would they even care though? If they knew who I was, would they still want to save me?