LOGINShe moaned—soft, needy—fingers tugging my hair. I moved lower, kissing across her collarbone, down to her breasts. The lace was so thin I could feel her nipples hardening through it. I took one into my mouth, sucking gently through the fabric. She arched, whimpering, nails digging into my shoulder
LUCIEN’S POV I lay back against the headboard, hands folded behind my head, eyes closed. The sheets were cool against my bare skin, the room quiet except for the soft rustle of Adele moving around. We’d just put Andrea to bed—story read, kisses given, little arms hugging us both tight before his e
ROSE’S POV My stomach was doing flips so hard I thought I might actually throw up right there on the red carpet leading into the grand ballroom. The Valkar Group annual dinner was always a big deal—black ties, sparkling gowns, crystal chandeliers that probably cost more than most people’s houses—b
LUCIEN’S POV The blanket was spread out under the big oak tree, dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves and dancing across Adele’s hair. She’d packed everything—sandwiches, fruit, little juice boxes for Andrea, even a tiny picnic basket with a checkered cloth. Her idea, of course. She sai
DAMIEN’S POV Rose’s lips were still on mine, soft and warm, tasting like the little mint she’d popped earlier. I couldn’t stop smiling against her mouth. The way she’d just tossed Scarlett out like yesterday’s trash? Pure gold. My girl was a force, and I was the luckiest bastard alive. I pulled
DAMIEN’S POV A week had passed since that nightmare in the forest bunker, and every single day felt like walking on thin ice. Rose was healing—physically, at least. But I knew the real damage was deeper. Nightmares still woke her up in the middle of the night, heart racing, body slick with swea
Blood filled my mouth. I coughed it out, spattering crimson across the floor. He raised his hand. The claws gleamed in the moonlight, ready to carve through flesh and bone. This was it. My chest seized, my pulse wild and broken. I couldn’t stop shaking, couldn’t think beyond the horrifying c
The blood moon rose. I felt it before I saw it—like a blade sliding slow and merciless beneath my skin, splitting me open from the inside. Heat, sharp and unrelenting, spread through my chest until I could hardly breathe. My lungs dragged at the air, my ribs aching with every inhale, every exhale.
The door groaned open before I spoke. Lucien entered, silent as ever, but I felt the faint tremor of caution that always accompanied him when I was like this. The scent of stone dust and iron still clung to my skin. My muscles ached from the night’s brutal transformation, every breath scraping lik
They lowered the body into the ground. The hollow thud of the casket against the waiting earth sent a shiver crawling up my spine. The air itself felt heavier here—thick with grief, with the damp scent of turned soil and dying roses. People around me sniffled into their sleeves, some weeping openl







