AgnesI stared down at the small cake in my hands, unsure of what to make of it all.“I’m sorry.”Was this what Elijah was doing earlier when he stayed behind in the diner? Was this cake supposed to be some kind of apology for… what? Yesterday? Or everything?“Agnes,” Elijah said softly, his voice c
“Agnes—”“I want to stay,” I said firmly. “I’m not… thrilled about the situation with Olivia, I won’t lie. But I made a promise. And I think it’s best for Thea if I’m here. In the home. Full-time. As…” I hesitated, and felt a slight heat creep into my face at the thought. “As her mother.”Elijah was
AgnesI blinked at Elijah in stunned, terrified silence for a long moment.He knew. He knew the truth.He knew about my lies.I wasn’t sure if I should admit to it or not. If I did, I feared that it might alienate me from Thea for good—that perhaps he would accuse me of trying to take her away, have
“I wasn’t saying that,” I said quietly. “I just—” I stopped, shaking my head. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say.Elijah stepped closer, his voice softer now. “Then what are you saying?”I hesitated for a moment too long. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to open that door.But Elijah’s
AgnesThe sunlight poured through the large windows of the shopping mall, glinting off the polished tiles and creating a light, cheerful atmosphere. It was hard to feel anxious here, surrounded by the happy hum of families and the occasional laughter from kids darting past us. And yet my nerves were
Elijah held the door open for us, his hand brushing lightly against my back as I stepped inside. The contact sent a small jolt through me, but I pushed the feeling aside, focusing instead on Thea as she darted toward the bins of plush animal skins.“Which one are you going to pick?” I asked, crouchi
AgnesThe officer at the desk stared up at us for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth between me and Elijah. My pulse was pounding a mile a minute beneath my skin in that weighted silence, and I immediately regretted coming here. I regretted it even more when the officer said those next words
Both Elijah and the officer turned to me.I hesitated, my hands trembling in my lap. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I’d recounted this story far too many times for comfort, cried too many tears that had gone ignored. I had poured my heart out on more than one occasion, only to be faced with ridicul
The moment he stepped out, Thea launched herself at him. He caught her effortlessly, spinning her around before setting her back on her feet. I approached more slowly, although I couldn’t help but grin. I’d missed him, even though it was just a few days. It seemed that the scraps of my wolf returnin
AgnesThe silence in my living room was deafening.I had told Evelyn and Gertrude everything—about my elemental abilities, about Thea being my biological daughter, about Olivia’s deception and my father’s machinations. The story had taken longer than I expected, and now the clock was ticking well pa
The elevator was at the far end of the lobby, requiring me to walk past the entrance to the hotel. As I approached, I noticed the guy from the bar, the one who had been with the woman, hurrying after me. He wore a blue hoodie and had a pair of glasses on.“Excuse me,” he called, “Alpha Elijah? Sir?”
ElijahHotel rooms always felt the same to me: sterile, impersonal, and far too quiet. This one was nicer than most—the pack I was visiting had surprisingly put me up in their territory’s best accommodations despite our trade disagreement—but it still felt wrong. The bed was too soft, the air condit
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Thea bounded down the stairs, racing me to the door.“I got it!” she cried, yanking it open before I could reach her. “Miss Evelyn!”Evelyn swept in like a hurricane, bringing with her the scent of expensive perfume and a veritable horde of what looked like gifts in
AgnesI was buried in sketches for the next season’s line when a knock at my office door pulled me from my concentration. I glanced up, surprised to see Elijah standing in the doorway. He hadn’t mentioned stopping by my office today.“This is unexpected,” I said, setting my pencil down. “I thought y
“What do you think it was like for her?” I said after a moment. “My mother, I mean. Living her whole life afraid that someone would find out what she was.”Elijah’s thumb traced circles on the back of my hand beneath the water. “Lonely, I imagine.”“She never told me,” I whispered. “My own mother, a
AgnesThe saltwater felt like heaven against my overheated skin. I’d been soaking in my in-ground pool for nearly an hour now, but the heat that had built in my body still hadn’t completely subsided.Honestly, I was surprised that I hadn’t burned down the entire bar earlier. My finger had certainly
“Yes,” he insisted. “Because Elemental Enterprises is owned by your stepmother’s family.”The world seemed to tilt beneath me. I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself. “What?”“I’ve been keeping your true nature from your stepmother all this time,” he continued, the words coming out of him