Agnes“Because I love you.”The words hung in the air between us, simple and profound all at once. I stared up at Elijah, my mind struggling to process what I’d just heard.He… loves me?My heart seemed to expand in my chest, swelling with an unexpected emotion that I could barely contain. The fog f
With trembling fingers—shaking partly from the aphrodisiac still coursing through my veins and partly from nerves—I fumbled with the clasp. It took three tries before the little door swung open.A delicate silver ring tumbled out, landing in my palm. It caught the light from the few remaining candle
AgnesThe force of my kiss sent us tumbling backward, Elijah’s solid frame catching me as we fell against the bed. My skirts billowed around us, tangling in a swirl of fabric that trapped our legs together.Our mouths locked desperately, lips bruising against each other as I pressed myself closer, m
Elijah’s hands gripped my hips, steadying me as I adjusted to his size. “You feel so good,” he rasped out. “Do you know that? How amazing you feel, every time I’m inside you? It’s like a drug.”His words made me begin to move instinctively, rocking against him with slow, deliberate rolls of my hips.
AgnesBy the time we made it back downstairs, I’d managed to smooth down the remainder of the wrinkles in my skirt and quickly fix my hair. Thea was already chattering to Elijah about the tasty cakes she’d eaten while we were gone, even though he’d told her not to ruin her dinner.But right now, nei
The crowd cheered. Warmth washed over me, and for a moment, I almost forgot that Olivia and Mason were watching. But then Elijah’s expression hardened, and he pointed to where they were standing at the back of the room, James and a few other pack members flanking them.“But our celebration was nearl
AgnesI placed my hand in Elijah’s, my heart fluttering in my chest as he led me down the steps from the stage. The crowd parted, forming a circle around the dance floor. His arm slipped around my waist, drawing me close.It still amazed me just how perfectly our bodies fit together.And then we wer
Elijah grinned, looking incredibly pleased with himself. He looked almost impish, a flicker of the young boy within shining through. “It wasn’t easy. James helped a lot, and so did Evelyn and Gertrude. Plus, you’ve been rather distracted with your sewing.”Just then, Thea appeared at our side, tuggi
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
AgnesI fidgeted in the passenger seat as Elijah pulled into the dive bar’s parking lot. The place looked exactly as I remembered it from my past life—grimy windows with neon beer signs, chipped paint on the exterior, and a crooked sign hanging above the door.Years ago, I’d spent many nights here t
“Elijah, wait.”I froze, expecting to feel the tug of the mate bond, that infuriating compulsion she’d used so many times to force me to listen to her, to stay when I wanted to go. But it never came. For the first time, she hadn’t used the bond to control me. Today was full of surprises, wasn’t it?