"You need to be more careful!" A woman dressed in a plain black dress sighed, the small white ribbon wrapped around the collar signifying her position as a Sister of the Lunaris Order, just as the white ribbon wrapped around the priest's forearm signified his own. "I saw the way you were eyeing up that blonde's throat..."

"I'm sorry." Genesis stared at the floor.

"Ease up on the girl, Elizabeth." Brown eyes met the woman's blue ones. "You know why she wanted to win, don't you?"

"She's more important than the church roof, Greg."

"Speaking of the prize money, though, I think you might want to clean up, Genie..." The brunette turned to her, smiling warmly at the girl. "They'll be presenting it to you soon."

"Sure." Genesis nodded, scurrying behind the curtain.

"Don't take too long."

"I won't." She said, quickly scraping away at the thin layer of grime covering her deep olive skin, washing her face with the flannel provided before she changed into her simple tunic and trousers.

"You done?" Elizabeth popped her head around the small curtain. "They're asking for you."

"Coming."

"Keep this on hand." She handed her another opaque bottle. "Just in case you get thirsty again."

"I'll be fine." Genesis smiled, letting the woman lead her out of the tent, and towards the stage. "Everything'll be fine..."

And, surprisingly enough, it was.

At least until the red-eyed Alpha-in-training came to see her.

"Hello again." He smiled softly. "Would you mind coming with me for a minute? I'm afraid one of the Alphas would like a word with you..."

"Why would they need to have a word with me?!" Genesis backed away.

"Relax." Thorn said, holding both his hands out. "You've got nothing to be afraid of..."

Unless you've broken the law.

Genesis wasn't stupid. She recognised the suspicious glint in his eyes.

"Stop looking at me like I'm a suspect or something." She folded her arms. "It's not my fault I haven't had the best experience with figures of authority."

"I'm guessing that's why you ended up in the church's care..."

Genesis shrugged.

"Fair enough." He said. "But still, I need you to come with me."

"I don't want to."

"It's either come willingly, or I throw you over my shoulder and take you there myself." Thorn sighed, staring at her intently as he waited for her decision. "Which would you prefer?"

She bit her lip, scowling. "Fine." She grumbled, following the guy into the very last place she wanted to be: a den of Alphas and their protégées.

"I'm back." Thorn called, pushing open the tent flaps. "Where's Zander?"

"He just went out." Grey eyes surveyed the two of them curiously. "And from the looks of things, he wasn't planning on coming back for a little while..."

"Tch." Thorn rolled his eyes. "He just made me go and get the girl..."

"Oh dear." Genesis spun. "I guess we'll just have to do this another time..."

Two fingers hooked under her collar, yanking her to a stop. "Not so fast."

"You might as well wait here until he gets back." The grey-eyed Alpha spoke, smiling slightly as he took a sip from his teacup with one hand – the other being busy weaving its way through the silvery strands of hair spilling over his lap.

Genesis blinked, staring at the silver-haired immortal werewolf sprawled across the Alpha's lap, paling slightly as she soon realised which Alpha was sitting in front of her.

Everyone had heard about him.

He was the complete opposite of the forever baby-faced Alpha Gray. His aging had stopped somewhere in his late twenties, and when coupled with his spiked black hair and his well-honed body... Well, it was a terrifying combination. Every inch of him screamed Alpha.

And it was for that exact reason that Genesis had no desire to be anywhere near this guy.

If there was one person she didn't want to find out about her sins, then it was him: The Alpha dressed as though he were going to a fancy dinner party.

The Alpha of Punishment.

Alpha Riley.

"Don't look so scared." Riley smirked, an unnerving gleam in his eyes. "There's only one person here who I'd bite."

"Tea?" Thorn's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I'm good."

"Oh, I insist." Riley pushed a saucer towards her, smiling at her as Thorn filled her up a cup. "So be a good little girl and stay put."

"I'm fifteen, thank you very much."

"That still counts as little in my book." One gloved hand lifted his own cup to his lips. "So quieten down and drink your milk."

Her nails dug into her trousers. "Excuse me." She stood, knowing she wouldn't be able to last a single more second in the same room as the Alpha who'd terrified her for over half her life. "I need to get back to my tent."

"I thought I told you to wait like a good little girl."

"And I'm ignoring you because you're a condescending git." She snapped, feeling her tenuous self-control slipping even further out of her grasp.

"Are you being mean to the poor girl, Riley...?" A sleepy voice sighed, silver eyes peering up at her mate.

A gloved finger was pressed to her lips in an instant. "Hush." He sighed. "I'm just trying to ask this child to wait patiently for Zander."

"Sit down." Something in Thorn's voice changed as he spoke.

"Thorn." Riley spoke sharply, his own grey eyes narrowing on his protegee's as Genesis spun around slowly.

"Release her, Thorn." Riley's mate ordered, silver eyes fixed on the girl as her hands started to shake.

"She was being a brat." The blonde folded his arms. "I just thought I'd remind her who she's talking to."

His eyes reverted back to their normal non-glowing state, but it was already too late.

Genesis sunk to her knees, her entire body trembling, her shaking hands covering her face as she felt an all too familiar liquid drip down onto her.

Beads of a burnished crimson liquid rolled down her skin, and not a single drop of it was her own as she sat alone amidst the wreckage of the town she'd once called home.

"It's not real." She shook her head, slowly counting up to ten, praying that by the time she reached that number she'd be free from the place that'd haunted her dreams for years.

"Feeling guilty...?"

Genesis spun around, her counting interrupted, shaking her head as she turned to find the glowing red-eyed figure. Reptilian pupils stared back into her rounded ones, features so much like her own twisted up into a manic grin as the girl stared down at the younger version of Genesis. Glowing red hair flickered out behind her in the wind.

"It's not my fault..." The girl smiled softly. "After all, you're the only one I can't bring myself to kill..."

-----