MasukThe crowd cheered, but none were louder than our excited children.Ivan’s POVIt was good of Claire to invite me to her wedding. I’d thought for a while that I might avoid the whole thing, but now that I was here, that I could be surrounded by the obvious love between the pair, I was glad that I had
Claire’s POVThe day of our wedding, I couldn’t stop looking at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a flowing white dress that Leo and Nova had helped me pick out. My hair was done up in a bun. I barely recognized myself, so put together and done up.“You look like a princess,” Nova said from nearby
Gideon’s POVI kissed Claire with my full heart, then held her close. She giggled, pressed into the safety of my arms.“We can talk about it now,” she said. “Or you could kiss me again. I liked that.”“I want to,” I told her truly. “I don’t want to stop kissing you. But after all this, I want to see
Claire’s POVI was dragged out of the trunk roughly by my arms, then shoved down into the dirt at Daphne’s feet.Quickly, I glanced around, but I didn’t really recognize where I was. A forest, but I had no idea which one. Tents were set up here and there and people I didn’t know milled about. This m
George glanced over, seeing me in the dim interior light.“He loves you,” he said.“He does.”“Do you love him, too?”“Yes,” I said. It came out easier than I thought it would. “Yes, I do,” I said again, to be sure. This time was just as easy.“Good,” George said. “Gideon is a good man, a brave and
Claire’s POVWe had a handful of hours before we needed to leave for the exchange. In that time, George had me fitted for body armor.“They will likely attempt to remove it from you,” he said. “But try to keep it on for as long as you can. I don’t know what kind of torture they will attempt, but thi
Claire’s POVIt was a fresh morning, the warmth of sun spread across the ground, some trees were covering the sun but the golden light still shined through the leaves. The air was like a gentle breeze yet it felt fresh and relaxing. It carried the chatter and laughter of my young ones as I led them
I stared at her, my fury warring with the sharp, cold edge of revelation. My mind painted it too easily: Daphne standing at Claire’s bedside, her eyes cold, her lies ready. Claire weakened, isolated. Daphne swooped in, not only stealing her child but ensuring the world believed he had been hers all
Claire’s POVDinner time has always been my favorite and comfortable time for me. This time has always been peaceful because it is filled with children's laughter and chatter and debate over what tastes the best in dinner and my gentle reminders to children about eating vegetables.This time was saf
Gideon’s POVThe ride back to the pack house felt numb and blurry. The tires of the car grinding on the road, the sound of the engine, I was too distracted to not hear those sounds. My mind kept repeating the words said by Nurse Emily, and the file that showed the false as truth.Daphne.Now her nam







