Ten years ago...
Three months. That's how long Nikolai had been in Elizabeth's territory. Three months of pretending to court her while really gathering information for his employers.
The Shadowfang Mercenaries had been hired to find weaknesses in Alpha Thornfield's defenses. Trade route information. Guard rotations. Anything that could be used against him.
Nikolai was supposed to seduce the Alpha's daughter and get her to reveal secrets. Easy money.
Except it hadn't been easy at all.
Elizabeth was nothing like he'd expected. She was smart. Brave. She saw through people's lies except somehow not his.
And she loved him. Really loved him. Not his charm or his looks or what he could give her.
Just him.
"I've never felt like this before," she whispered one night as they lay together under the stars. "Like I could tell you anything. Like you see all of me and still want to stay."
Nikolai's heart clenched. Because he did see all of her. Every beautiful, trusting, innocent piece.
And he was
