We climbed in, and before I even had a chance to put on my seatbelt, Olivia was flying out of the driveway with a screech of the tires. I gripped the door handle as she flew through the winding country roads.She was driving with only one hand on the steering wheel, and I swallowed, feeling anxious.
ElijahAt some point during the night, Thea began to stir. I was already awake, staring at the ceiling of the tent with one arm propped behind my head. I hadn’t been able to fall asleep at all, and had just been laying there, ruminating over everything.The more time passed since that afternoon, the
“What’s that for?”“For her poison ivy allergy,” Olivia remarked. “You shouldn’t have brought her out here, Elijah. She could go into anaphylactic shock.”I frowned. Of course I knew about Thea’s poison ivy allergy—I was her father. I knew about every allergy, every intolerance, every little quirk o
AgnesI was alone in the forest, with no wolf and unable to see. Olivia had left me there, and I felt like a fool for ever trusting her enough to follow her into the pitch black woods.“Olivia!” I called out, turning around several times where I stood. “Olivia, where did you go?”There was no answer
Or, hell, maybe she was living in the lap of luxury in a warm house, the stolen child of a person who couldn’t have one of their own.But regardless, she wasn’t in the forest. And yet I had insisted on searching for her in every nook and cranny, under every rock and behind every tree, in a desperate
AgnesAfter the world went dark, I had strange dreams. I dreamed that I was running through a pitch black forest, stumbling over roots and fallen logs. I dreamed that my throat was raw and cracked from screaming, but I kept calling out her name anyway.“Isabella!” I cried, branches and vines whippin
Either way, something about it felt… off. I trusted Elijah to consider the implications thoroughly, though.Finally, Elijah sighed, his head dropping into his hands again. I quickly decided to address the matter with Mason, even though it hurt like hell just to speak.“Elijah,” I said, struggling to
AgnesDue to my condition, I couldn’t go after Thea right away, even though I really wanted to. Thankfully, the doctor cleared me soon afterwards and I could go home. My legs were still wobbly and my skin still burned from where I’d come into contact with the poison ivy, but thanks to the medicine t
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