Alice’s Pov
The air was finally still. I stood on the small balcony near the back of the Pack House, watching the black cars of the Council drive away.
I looked at my hands. They were a little bit rough now. They had dirt under the fingernails from playing with the kids at the orphanage and soap smells from scrubbing the floors. For years, I wanted to be a queen. I wanted to wear gold and sit on a throne next to Astor. I thought that was the only way to be happy.
I was so wrong. Being with those kids, helping my sister Faith, and actually being useful, that was what made me feel whole.
"They're finally gone," a voice said behind me.
I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. I knew that voice. It was deep, steady, and it always made the hair on my arms stand up. It was Liam.
