Never Run

023 ::: Never Succumb

Hello jelly beans! I apologize for not updating in a while, I have no excuse other than I am a lazy piece of garbage, so there's that. Although, I did map out this story last night and got to chapter 34 - now that might change. For instance, some chapters may merge into others or break into two parts. I will try to make these chapters a certain length, but there may be shorter chapters - I won't know until I sit down to fully write it out. This chapter I was nervous about not having much to write about but then once I sat down it ended up being about 1,000 words over my goal. Even as I got to chapter 34 it still wasn't the end and I am anticipating about 40 chapters in total for this story, give or take.

However, now that it is summer and things are slowing down, I am hoping that I will be able to write more often, but I will tell you that most of the time the reason why I don't is because of depression, but that's a whole different topic.

Furthermore, y'all really got me to 7,000 reads? Like, really? I cried. You all are amazing and I have the best readers on the planet and no one can tell me any different. So thank you to everyone that has read, or commented, or voted on this story. It means more to me than I can put into words.

Please let me know if you spot any errors or inconsistencies (like when I called Sienna, SAVANNAH - I am still so mad at myself for that).

Now enjoy! :) <3

I was astonished.

To say the least.

I hadn't expected Xaler to truly heed my words within the council meeting. I honestly expected that it was taken for face value only to be dismissed the minute we walked from the room, but, low and behold, he has begun to follow through on the demands I had made for the working people, for my people. Knowing that the other wolves - powerful and influential wolves - had Xaler's ear, and, in my eyes, held more authority in their words than I did, I figured would worm their words into his head and convince them that I was wrong, that I was just a dumb human that didn't understand how the world truly worked, how their world worked.

But that was the thing they failed to realize, it wasn't just their world, although that's how they controlled it. Except cruel rein has an expiration date. They can only bend us to their will so far until we finally snap. Will it happen within my lifetime? Probably not, but it will happen at some point in time. And when it does, I hope they never forget.

Even though I wish that I had never been the mate of Xaler, I can't help but feel thankful that I was able to use my position to provide some type of relief to the human population. If I can't get out of this fated partnership then I was going to use it to my advantage as much as possible. I knew I couldn't do and say whatever I wanted, but I was beginning to barely scratch the surface of Xaler and how to dance around his mind in order to make things happen. Most recently, aside from the demands I made at the council meeting, I was able to work it into Xaler's mind to get his fellow wolf to take Sienna to see her family.

She had confided in me her heartache of not being able to see her sick mother and knowing that her mother's time left on this earth was limited. Sienna was flirting with the demon of a mental breakdown at the thought of not being able to see, hold, touch, speak to her mother ever again.

It was important to her.

So, I carefully and meticulously crafted my words to Xaler in his office, putting myself in closer proximity with him than normal and, of course, wore a top that exposed my neck and collar bones; something that he couldn't resist looking at especially when it played hide and seek underneath my hair that fell down my shoulders. It took minor convincing and I smiled sweetly at him, letting my eyes linger on his long enough to watch him try to swallow the lump of lust in his throat and his eyes dart down to my lips. I had reached out and gently squeezed his hand before taking my leave only to be held by Xaler a moment longer. His eyes had bore into mine with a fleeting juncture of intensity until he offered me a quick nod of his head, his own sweet smile and let me go.