“The items would be completely legal,” I explained to one particularly cautious supplier. “We’re talking about safety whistles, not switchblades. And the pepper spray would be the standard strength allowed for civilian use in our territory.”I wanted these bags to provide real protection, not just a
AgnesMy heart lurched painfully in my chest. Thea’s violin recital. How could I have forgotten something so important?Elijah’s eyes swept over my chaotic office, taking in the scattered sketches, fabric samples, and prototypes. Then his gaze returned to me, and I saw the concern etched into the li
But when I turned to face the mirror, disappointment washed over me. The dress hung from my frame like a child playing dress-up in her mother’s clothes.Frowning, I tugged at the fabric, trying to make it sit right. Had I really lost that much weight? I turned sideways, studying my reflection. My ri
AgnesI stared at my father, momentarily stunned into silence. Of all the people who could have stopped to help me, of course it had to be him. The man hadn’t been there to help me with a damn thing in seven years, and yet he’d shown up over a fucking flat tire.Recovering quickly, I straightened my
AgnesThea’s violin bow glided across the strings, her face so sweet and innocent and utterly concentrated that I found myself blinking back tears.When Elijah and I had slipped into our seats just moments before the recital began, she had spotted us immediately. The brief flash of relief in her eye
By the time we arrived home, Thea was half-asleep. Elijah carried her up to bed while I poured us each a glass of wine.We met back in the living room later, settling onto the couch with a record playing faintly in the background. For a few minutes, we just sat in silence, sipping our wine.“So,” El
AgnesThe next few days passed in a whirlwind. I threw myself into finalizing the survival bag prototype, making the last adjustments to ensure every feature worked perfectly. The panic button compartment had been the biggest challenge, requiring three complete redesigns before I was satisfied with
AgnesI insisted that I was fine and didn’t need any help, but Elijah practically carried me back to the house anyway, causing more than a few passersby to stop and stare at the scene. My face heated, although not from some kind of strange magical warmth this time. Now, I was just embarrassed.“Sit,
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?