ElijahThea’s laughter rang out through the house as she darted behind the couch. Her stuffed bear, newly dubbed Mr. Snuggles, was clutched tightly in one hand. For my part, I had been tasked with “the hunt”—her words, not mine—and despite the sharp ache in my knees from crawling around on the floor
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I blinked, struggling to find a response. Thea just stared back at me, her chin jutting out in defiance, as if daring me to disagree with her.And truthfully, I couldn’t.“Thea,” I began, but the words wouldn’t come. How could they? What could I possibly say
AgnesThe cold wall slamming against my back sent a sharp jolt of pain barking through my body, but it wasn’t enough to clear the haze that was creeping into my mind.I tried to push the man away, but my limbs were suddenly feeling sluggish and weak. It was like trying to fight through the onset of
Agnes & ElijahAgnesThe first thing I noticed was the dull, throbbing ache behind my eyes. It pulsed with every beat of my heart, like a rhythmic reminder of the drugs coursing through my veins.The second thing I noticed was the nausea. My stomach churned violently as if I was stuck at sea, and as
A cold chill swept through me, despite the warmth of the blankets. The thought of that man touching me, marking me like some kind of tool for his twisted revenge, made fresh bile rise up in my throat again.“But it didn’t work,” Elijah continued. “I destroyed his phone. None of those photos will eve
AgnesI woke up to the sensation of something small and warm nuzzled against my belly. Looking down, a small smile touched my lips.Thea.She was fast asleep, her hair a tangled mess around her face and her teddy bear squished between us. She must have crawled into bed at some point when I was recov
“Mommy, can we have waffles?” she asked by way of greeting.I chuckled, but nodded and began to pull out the ingredients. Waffles sounded good, honestly.As I worked, Thea noticed my faraway expression. “What are you thinking about?” she asked, furrowing her brow. “You look like you’re thinking a lo
AgnesThe moment Elijah stepped through the doorway, his sharp gaze scanned the disaster that Thea and I had made in the living room. Fabrics were draped across the furniture, spools of thread had rolled onto the floor, and pieces of paper with Thea’s colorful designs were scattered everywhere.His
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