One of the organizers approached us then, signaling that it was almost time to begin. Evelyn and I made our way backstage, where the mothers and daughters were being lined up in their walking order. Thea was practicing waving her wand for the big turn at the end of the runway when I found her.“I’m
AgnesThe following day, I entered the design department bright and early with my presentation prepared. The rest of the department was gathered around the table, holding cups of coffee and blinking away the remnants of sleep.I, however, had hardly slept last night at all, and somehow I hardly even
The podcast host scoffed. “And is it true that she’s not even inviting Olivia to model the outfit with Thea? I heard rumors that she invited other Lunas to model with their daughters, but Olivia is being conveniently left out.”“Typical,” the model sighed into the microphone. “The very least she cou
AgnesElijah whisked us down the street before the mob could follow us. I felt a wave of relief wash over me now that he was here, but I could still feel the angry eyes on me even after we turned the corner.Up ahead, Elijah’s car was parked on the side of the street. “I was just leaving work,” he s
He shrugged. “I think you can do it if you just put your mind to it.”I looked up at him, at the way his eyes held mine, and felt something soften inside of me. “Alright,” I said, my shoulders slumping slightly. “I’ll give it a shot.”Elijah’s mouth tugged upwards. “Good. This’ll all blow over soon,
AgnesOnce I got home, I slammed the front door behind me and leaned against the wood. The tears were still flowing freely down my cheeks, and I couldn’t seem to stop them no matter how hard I tried. Covering my mouth, I slid down until I was sitting on the floor, pulling my knees up to my chest.“A
And for a moment, I almost did. My mind wandered back to the day I’d slapped my stepmother in this very room, when Elijah had kissed me against this very door. I could practically taste his lips even now. I wanted to taste them again, just for a moment.Slowly, I began to lean toward him, as if draw
Agnes & ElijahAgnesOlivia strode into my office before I had a chance to say anything.“This is for you,” she said, crossing the room and placing the basket on my desk. The arrangement was beautiful—fresh strawberries, grapes, apples, and oranges, all artfully arranged with a small jar of honey an
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