Zane


    Xander and Mason were busy with the leadership council meeting and probably would be all day. The fact that | hadn’t been


    invited to attend or participate rankled in my gut, and not just because the leadership council didn’t seem to think my presence


    was valuable.


    My own two Alphas didn’t seem to think it was necessary to tell everyone else that they wanted me there.


    There were some wolves here at Brightsky, just like there were some of every kind of supernatural. Even some I''d never heard


    about, much less believed really existed. But the wolves who''d been a part of the enve for a long time also hadn''t had any


    dealings with pack business or how things were run in a long time, and most of them had been Rogue beforeing here. So


    even if they did remember how packs were run, they were generally not the sort to hold onto traditional pack structure.


    That was why | could possibly forgive Mason for not taking me into consideration. There was no excuse for Xander, though. We’d


    been partners since we were pups, but suddenly he didn’t seem to need me by his side. As much as finding out about Mason


    also inheriting Orion’s Alpha powers had enraged him, you’d think he wouldn’t be tossing me over for someone he considered a


    rival.


    But here | was, wandering the halls of Brightsky alone to act like | had somece to go and something to


    do, while my Alphas ignored me.


    | could spend weeks exploring every nook and cranny in this ce and still not find where all the corridors. and staircases led. I''d


    learned quickly enough that the elevators were the fastest way to travel between levels but not the most efficient. There were


    plenty of ces that were still only essible via back stairwells or tunnels or even through rooms that led to other rooms and


    had no other entrances or exits...at least none th


    I could see.


    That didn’t seem to be very safe to me. In the event of a full-scale attack, anyone in one of those back rooms would be trapped. |


    made note of the ones | found and reminded myself to do more than keep a menta


    map, but also draw a physical one. Of course, the enve probably had maps aplenty...but making my ownN?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    would mean | got it right and didn’t have to trust the ones they let us see.


    Today I''d discovered a series of stairs behind a nondescript metal door at the end of a hallway with


    nothing else in it. The stairs went down. They were concrete with stainless steel railings. Very industrial.


    Nothing on the walls to indicate floors or location in the enve overall, but also no signs of any


    security preventing entrance. Honestly, I’d only stumbled on them because | decided on a whim to take a left instead of


    a right.


    It didn’t look like anyone else had been through here in a long time, either, based on the strings of dusty cobwebs in the corners.


    As | rounded onending to see another three sets of stairs, | considered going back up. That''s when | heard the tiny voice


    whispering.


    The hairs rose on the back of my neck, and my wolf instantly went on high alert. | had one hand on the railing, and | looked over


    it both up and then down to see if someone had followed me in there. Nobody.


    The voice whispered again, a little louder this time.


    | went very still and let my wolf rise. My senses heightened. | smelled dust, stale air, and cleaning


    but old. A faint breeze tickled my cheeks from some overhead air vents, but the cirction in this stairwell wasn’t the best. The


    lights were also dim behind and in front of me, brightening only where | walked.


    | wasn’t afraid. Whatever was lurking in this mostly abandoned stairwell probably wasn’t going to attack me. Not in the enve.


    But still, it was unsettling to hear a voice murmuring and now yeah, it was straight up.


    chuckling at me.


    “Who''s there?”


    “Look up!”


    | did, scanning the sloping ceiling but saw only the concrete bottom of the stairs above me. “Where are


    invisible?” you? Quit fooling around. If you want to talk to me, show yourself. What are you,


    | didn’t know what kind of supernatural could do that other than a witch. Theughter got a little louder. |


    looked all around me and still didn’t see anything.


    “lm not invisible!” The voice tinkled like a small bell.


    “I''m just small. Wait a second. I''ll get bigger.”


    Motion caught my attention from a high corner. A shadow stretched. Long legs. Bright, sparkling eyes...


    By the Moon..it was a spider!


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