My heart sank lower and lower each time it happened, and suddenly, the thought of dessert felt unappetizing. Was he disgusted by me? Did he regret the night we’d spent together now that I smelled… foul?Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I quickly excused myself to the bathroom, my cheeks burning
AgnesI blinked, staring up at the familiar face smiling down at me. I hadn’t seen Mason in years, not since college, and now I had randomly run into him twice in the past few months after all that time apart.“Hey, Agnes,” he said with a lazy smile, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I thought I s
AgnesFor a few moments following Elijah’s swift exit, I just stood there, Mason’s business card clutched in my hand.Elijah looked furious when he saw me there with Mason, and although I hadn’t agreed to coffee or anything of the sort, I couldn’t help but feel…Guilty.I knew I shouldn’t. I hadn’t
The floral, woodsy aroma filled the air, and I took a deep breath, trying to gauge how it smelled. It was nice, but not overpowering—at least, not to me. But maybe other people would be offended by it just like Elijah had.I made my way to town after that, where I stepped into a small boutique. But
Agnes & ElijahAgnesBefore I could react, the man surged forward, his hands connecting with my wrists.“You,” he huffed in my ear, his breath hot against my face. “You were flirting with me earlier. I saw the way you looked at me. You want me, don’t you?”My mouth dropped open, but no words came ou
But something about her scent last night had turned me into a jealous wreck.I think it was that strange, heady scent. Whatever it was, something about it turned me into a primal animal, yearning for her like a hungry wolf might drool over a steak.And so, when I had seen her talking to Mason, jealo
AgnesWatching Elijah and Thea run away felt like a knife twisting in my gut. I wanted to go to them, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I still had to deal with Mason.I resisted the urge to slap him, although my hand twitched at my side. Instead, I took a step back, putting as much distance between us as po
“You could have asked,” I shot back with a scoff. “And don’t act like you didn’t hear the news through the grapevine. The daughter of the esteemed Blake family, crazy and wolfless. You knew, Mason. You knew.”Mason stared at me, but I went on, “You could’ve reached out. But you didn’t. And now you s
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