“You’re Agnes, right?”The sound of a soft voice caught my attention, and I turned to see a petite, stunning woman with red hair that trailed all the way down to her hips and a striking set of blue eyes. Thea gasped as soon as she saw her.“Luna Evelyn!” Thea cried out, releasing my hand and rushing
AgnesI hesitated, wondering if I had truly heard someone crying or if it was just my ears playing tricks on me. But when I heard it again, a soft sob coming from the stall at the end of the row, I quietly moved forward and lifted my hand to knock.The stall door swung open before I could knock, and
She snorted. “You’re braver than I am, then. I’m too afraid to go out into the world with no savings and no job opportunities. I need to prepare first.”“Then prepare,” I said, chewing my lower lip. Suddenly, I had an idea. “You know, Olivia was supposed to model the star outfit for the fashion show
AgnesOver the following weeks, every waking moment went into the finishing touches on the fashion show.What had started as a small charity event for single mothers and families had grown into something far bigger than I had ever imagined, all thanks to the support and enthusiasm of the other Lunas
When I didn’t answer, Elijah took a step closer and said in a softer voice, “You were always admirable. But I’m even more proud of you now. You’ve taken on so much, and you’ve handled it all with such grace. You’re a natural leader, Agnes. The pack is lucky to have you.”His words caught me off guar
AgnesRuined.Everything was ruined.All of the hard work, all of the weeks spent perfecting the garments, all of the dedication of the designers who had slaved night and day to ensure that this show would go according to plan…It was all destroyed.The very first thing I did was fumble for my phone
ElijahThea was bouncing on her toes by the front door, practically vibrating with excitement. She had been talking about the upcoming fashion show nonstop for days, asking me a million questions about what Agnes had designed and whether she would get to see the models up close.We were supposed to
“I’m not the one hurting her,” she snapped, her eyes blazing. “You are. You and that… that woman you’ve replaced me with.”I opened my mouth to say something more, but just then, Thea tugged on the lapel of my suit jacket. “I’ll go,” she whispered in my ear. “Just for half an hour. Okay?”I looked d
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