Inside, painters were finishing up the walls, and electricians were installing the last of the light fixtures.“The master bedroom is done,” the foreman told us as we walked through. “Just need to move in your furniture. Same with the kid’s room. We’re putting the finishing touches on the bathrooms
AgnesI covered my eyes with my hands, feeling a bit silly but deciding to play along. Elijah’s warm palm pressed against the small of my back, guiding me forward through what must have been the doorway. The air felt different immediately—cooler, with a slight mineral scent that reminded me of a spa
I pulled out one of the volumes, a thick leather-bound tome with gilded lettering on the spine that read Principles of Elemental Control. The pages were old and brittle, filled with diagrams and cramped handwriting in faded ink.“Where did you find these?” I asked, carefully returning the book to it
AgnesWe broke apart from our kiss breathlessly, my body humming with a different kind of heat now. Elijah’s eyes darkened as he stared at me.“Want to test the space out?” he asked huskily, glancing toward the pool.I bit my lip, instantly catching his meaning. “Right now?”“Why not?” His hands sli
“I need you,” he groaned, positioning himself between my legs.“Yes,” I agreed, wrapping my legs around his waist once more. “Please.”He entered me in one slow thrust, both of us groaning at the sensation. After my orgasm, I was sensitive and hyper-aware of every movement, every inch of him stretch
AgnesOnce we looked at least somewhat presentable, we headed upstairs, Elijah locking the door behind us with the security code. A few workers were still bustling around the house, putting finishing touches on various rooms.James wasn’t inside. We found him waiting in the garden, standing beneath
“We have to tell her,” I said, pulling back to look at Elijah. “On her birthday, like we planned.”“Two more days,” he agreed, wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb. “Goddess, Agnes, I can’t believe it. All this time...”Pure joy bubbled up inside of me, and suddenly I was laughing through my t
AgnesOlivia stood pressed against the wall of her cell, her eyes darting from me to the tray of tea and cookies I’d set on the small desk.“Would you like to sit?” I asked, gesturing to the lone chair at the desk. When she didn’t move, I added, “I promise I’m not here to hurt you.”“Right,” she sco
I watched carefully as the candidates interacted. Some immediately gravitated toward Thea, crouching down to her level and asking about her interests—sometimes too aggressively, and a couple even talked to Thea like she was a toddler.Others were more reserved, focusing on impressing me with their q
AgnesThe following morning, after breakfast, I headed to my study and got to work on finding a nanny right away. I sat down at my desk and pulled up the pack database on my computer. All pack members were registered with their educational backgrounds, employment histories, and special skills. It wa
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