LOGINEvelynI walk from the bathroom to my dresser in my usual state of undress. This time, I have my recent shower to blame.Emma worked me hard when we trained this morning. She kept teasing me that I’m getting soft spending so much time in her brother’s bed instead of on the mat.I pointed out that it
EvelynI couldn’t say how many days it’s been. All I know is that my wound is healed, and I got the sign off from Dr. Zorinski to be more active.Alexander and I have certainly been taking advantage of that.I wake up like I have been every morning: Alexander and I snuggling, one of us hard, the oth
EvelynI wake up in the hospital wing attached to an IV. My stab wound is bandaged back up. My stomach sinks at the sight of both as I put it all together.Alexander was fine. I’m clearly not. It was some sort of false alarm.I’m still dying.“Hey, sweetie.” I turn toward the sound of Alexander’s vo
EvelynI wake up to a sliver of light cracking through the curtains like I’ve slept all night and into the next day. Part of me is sad to have slept away so much of my last remaining hours, but I also know there’s nothing to be done about it now.I stretch out my arms, sitting up and rolling my shou
Alexander grips my shoulders tightly, less with affection and more with the fear of losing me. I grip his jacket just as steadfastly.I really need to get back to bed. I hate that my days outside are over—because I know now that they are. I’d like to squeeze every second out of this last ever outing
EvelynAlexander looks out over the water as the river carries us back the way he rowed, slowly drifting past the dock where we started off. He looks out at the people walking by on shore. He gazes down at our intertwined hands, kissing mine over the gloves.He doesn’t look me in the eye.“Do you no
EvelynBy breakfast the next morning, Alexander is doing well enough to take the meal in the sitting room. Dr. Zorinski just left after having rebandaged his shoulder and apologizing profusely for the incident with Sophia. The doctor promised to deliver the pain reliever herself from now on.“Thank
AlexanderEvelyn is still behind the closed bathroom door when Emma blows me a kiss followed by a rude gesture and departs. By that time, the pain in my shoulder has become so intense that it nearly blocks out Emma’s thoughts.It would be a relief if the pain weren’t so all-consuming.A few minutes
EvelynAlexander rolls off me and falls asleep. For an hour.When he wakes up, his eyes are blue again. We’re under the covers in bed, still naked and holding each other. He smiles at the sight of me, but then as if remembering what happened last time he was awake, he sits up in a panic.“Where’s So
“Your Majesty,” he greets with a nod from where he’s sitting, “and the ever-lovely Evelyn.”“I once ordered two of my best guards to confine the ever-lovely Evelyn,” Alexander uses Alpha Jackson’s words as he tells this story for who knows what reason. “She incapacitated them both, forcing me to han







