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
I wanted nothing more than to be the mother she wanted, the mother she deserved. I wanted it more than oxygen sometimes. If I could have become her real, biological mother, if I could have erased the past seven years of heartache and losing my daughter and have had a family with her and Elijah, I wo
AgnesA few days passed after that, and I never located my letter. When I asked Evelyn and Gertrude about it, they said they hadn’t seen it. I wondered if one of the staff had picked it up and tossed it out, thinking that it was trash.Either way, I supposed it didn’t really matter at that point; El
Elijah simply shrugged. “I hate to see you suffer from losing your wolf. Besides, what happened in the forest was just proof that you’re weaker without it.”My lips parted. Of course, I recalled the way I’d stumbled blindly through the woods that night, unable to see properly without my wolf’s super
ElijahWithin moments of beginning the ritual, Agnes’s head fell backwards and her eyes rolled back. Panic lanced through me and I surged forward, reaching for her.“Agnes—”“Don’t touch her,” the witch said, holding out one hand to stop me. “She’s fine.”“Fine?” I echoed, letting out an incredulous
Agnes shook her head. “I just remember…” She frowned, looking confused as she pushed her hair out of her face. “The room went cold, and I opened my eyes, and it was all… dark.” She glanced at me and added, “But then I blinked and now I’m here.”The witch looked at me then, and there was a knowing ex
I watched carefully as the candidates interacted. Some immediately gravitated toward Thea, crouching down to her level and asking about her interests—sometimes too aggressively, and a couple even talked to Thea like she was a toddler.Others were more reserved, focusing on impressing me with their q
AgnesThe following morning, after breakfast, I headed to my study and got to work on finding a nanny right away. I sat down at my desk and pulled up the pack database on my computer. All pack members were registered with their educational backgrounds, employment histories, and special skills. It wa
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