I’d almost forgotten about the unveiling of the survival bag.“Thank you,” I told the attendant. “I’ll be right there.”I hurried to the nearest restroom to freshen up before the presentation. After splashing some cool water on my face and adjusting my clothes, I made my way to the main stage. The c
AgnesThe emails were relentless. I’d received over a dozen already that morning, most of them from our manufacturer, who was asking countless questions about the onslaught of preorders we’d received since yesterday.I’d expected a positive review of the bags, seeing as how they were both stylist an
“They bred out,” Elijah mused, reading over my shoulder. “Like any trait that loses its evolutionary advantage.”I nodded, flipping to the next page. I already knew this, of course. It was basic historical knowledge, the sort of thing every werewolf kid learned in fourth-grade history class. But I p
AgnesThe pack headquarters’ courtyard was unusually quiet today. Normally, Gertrude and I would be sitting at our usual table, sharing lunch and gossip while the sun warmed our shoulders. But she’d called out sick this morning, which left me eating alone.I didn’t mind the solitude, though. It gave
“I saw what happened at the festival yesterday,” he said after a moment. “The scorched grass.”My blood ran cold, but I kept my expression as neutral as possible. “What about it?”“That wasn’t friction.” His eyes fixed on me with uncomfortable intensity. “We both know that.”“I don’t know what you’r
AgnesI hesitated for a moment before sliding into the chair across from Elijah. The solemn expression on his face made my stomach clench with anxiety. This wasn’t a romantic dinner date, was it?“Is everything alright?”Elijah didn’t answer right away. Instead, he just signaled to the waiter, who a
“That’s not true,” I protested weakly. “I grieved. I’ve done nothing but grieve.”“You’ve felt the pain, yes. But you haven’t processed it, haven’t accepted it. You’ve been holding on to hope, refusing to let go of the possibility that she might still be alive somewhere. That she might have been The
Agnes & ElijahAgnesThe casket was tiny. Too tiny.I stared blankly as it was slowly lowered into the ground. The small clearing was quiet except for the soft rustling of the wind through the leaves.Ever since Elijah had convinced me to hold a funeral, I’d been in a haze. He and James had handled
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?