로그인Chris 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
AvaI turned slowly to see Chris watching me, that familiar grin of his tugging at his lips. Sighing, I felt my shoulders slump a bit beneath his gaze.“No,” I admitted. “I don’t. And… I’m sorry for freaking out like that.”To my surprise, Chris simply shrugged. “It’s alright; I can’t blame you. It’
As he spoke, he scrolled through more photos from the event—other people posing and hugging, smiling and holding hands. Men and women, men and men, women and women; it didn’t matter who was in the picture. The Elders bristled a bit at the displays of affection, but realization was beginning to dawn
AvaThe bags slipped from Chris’s fingers as he saw the picture on the screen. I felt like my legs might give out underneath me; there, on the phone screen, was a photograph of us kissing in front of the hotel.And then, just below it, was a picture from the press event looking awfully cozy.“What t
Ava Chris was silent for some time. He was silent for so long, in fact, that I was worried he might not speak at all. He sat so still, too, that I began to wonder if he had even turned to stone. Finally, he moved—but only to gently pull our hands apart and turn back to face the bar. I watched fo







