AgnesI woke to the gentle warmth of sunlight against my eyelids and the feeling of Elijah’s body curved around mine. For a moment, I inhaled deeply, letting reality filter back into my consciousness.The wedding. The confrontation with Olivia and Mason. The sweet surrender in Elijah’s arms afterwar
“Thank you,” he called back. “We’ll be down shortly.”We heard footsteps retreating, and reluctantly, we began to untangle ourselves from the sheets. After a quick shower—which almost devolved into another round of lovemaking before we remembered the waiting breakfast—we dressed in the casual clothe
ElijahThe honeymoon phase of our wedding ceremony had me walking on clouds for days. Every morning I woke up next to Agnes, her body warm against mine, her scent mingling with the sheets. Every night I fell asleep with her in my arms, sated from lovemaking and our hearts full. Even Thea had noticed
For a tense moment, we stared at each other, locked in a silent battle of wills. Then, slowly, Olivia’s shoulders sagged.“Fine,” she said. “Yes. I cursed her. I suppressed her wolf.”Despite having suspected it, hearing the confession from her lips sent a surge of rage through me. “Why?”“Because s
Agnes“Did you pack my blue swimsuit? The one with the fishes?” Thea asked as she watched me fold clothes into our suitcases.I smiled, holding up the child-sized swimsuit in question. “Right here. Along with your goggles, floaties, and sunscreen.”Thea bounced excitedly on the mattress. “I can’t wa
“And my wolf?” I blurted out, my face heating at the suddenness—and perhaps selfishness—of my question.Elijah’s features softened. “We’ll figure it out. Without Olivia actively maintaining the curse, there’s a good chance your wolf will emerge on her own over time. And we’ll keep working on ways to
AgnesThe rental car that was waiting for us outside the airport was a sleek silver convertible, and after about thirty minutes of driving along coastal roads with the wind kissing our hair and faces, Elijah turned onto a private driveway that wound up a small hill. As we crested the top, I gasped.
After swimming for a while, we walked along the shoreline, collecting seashells and interesting rocks. Thea insisted on keeping every single one she found, until Elijah gently suggested we only take the very best ones, since we couldn’t possibly fit them all in our suitcases for the trip home.We sp
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