LOGINChris shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Unbelievable,” he hissed as I smirked with satisfaction.The trip to the clinic went by a lot faster on wheels than on foot. Chris remained glued to my side, his hair falling into his eyes as he repeatedly checked on me. I simply smiled in the backseat, and w
Epilogue — Part IIAvaAs the balloon hit me square in the face, I stumbled back, nearly losing my balance. Chris’s strong arm caught me, steadying me as a chorus of “Surprise!” filled the air.Our living room had been transformed, covered with balloons and streamers in shades of blue and silver. A
Her imprisonment in New Moon was coming to an end, and soon she would be returning to Moonstone on parole. The thought filled me with a mixture of apprehension and hope, as it did all of us.But that was not coming for another month.As the Elders filed out, I leaned back in my chair, unable to keep
Before I could comment, the Elders finally filed in, their usual robes swishing around them as they moved. Fatima was now the Eldest since Elise was gone, and so she took the end of the table opposite Chris.Claire hobbled in after her; she had been leaning on a cane lately due to a sudden onset of
Epilogue — Part IAvaMy hand rested on my belly as I waddled through the doors, half-ignoring Chris’s presence. He sighed, letting the door fall shut behind me.“What’s wrong?” he asked, following me to the circular council table in the center of the room.“Nothing.”That was a lie.It was my 40th
For a moment, Chris was silent, his gaze intense as he searched my face. Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees, burying his face in my skirt. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me close.“Goddess, I can’t wait to marry you,” he murmured, his voice muffled by the fabric.I smiled, run
The cocktail hour commenced, and I nursed a glass of wine as I watched Chris and Lily flit about the room, deep in hushed conversation. Every laugh that fell from her rose-petal lips was like a dagger in my chest, but I quelled the feelings with more wine. I was so engrossed in my thoughts, howeve
I frowned. Surprises? Visitors? This was unprecedented. “What’s all this for?” Chris asked, taking a step forward. “You never mentioned any visitors.” Elise let out a sigh. “Like I said, it was meant to be a surprise. We were planning on greeting them tomorrow afternoon, and we had a luncheon pr
Ava My heart felt lighter than air as Chris and I made our way back toward the car, our fingers brushing occasionally. My lips still burned with the sensation of our kiss, the kiss that I had initiated. And even though I knew it was wrong, I couldn’t help but smile. There was no stopping the c
The two regarded each other for a long, weighted moment, their eyes locked in some sort of understanding that was far beyond my comprehension. Then, with a knowing look in her eyes, the doe dipped her head in Ava’s direction in what could only be seen as a gesture of gratitude. Huffing out one mor







