Elijah stepped in smoothly before I could stammer out a response. “Just a bit careless with a cigar,” he said with a rueful smile. “Nothing serious.”Richard raised an eyebrow. “Smoking in bed? That’s a dangerous habit, Elijah.”“Hence the small fire,” Elijah replied with a self-deprecating shrug. “
AgnesI was running through the forest, branches whipping past my face. The trees were watching me, their bark peeling away to reveal eyes—hundreds of eyes, all following my every move. I could hear Elise’s voice, carried on the wind.“The trees remember,” she whispered. “They were there when it hap
AgnesThe next morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find a formal invitation slipped under our hotel room door. It was addressed to both Elijah and me, requesting our presence at the morning’s meeting. I waved it at Elijah as he emerged from the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist.“L
“It must be hard, keeping up appearances while dealing with this privately,” Elijah said.Richard’s expression shifted, a flash of something—gratitude? Relief?—crossing his face. “It is. I appreciate your understanding. Few know the full extent of her condition.” He gave Elijah and I both a meaningf
AgnesI jumped back, my heart racing.“I-I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I heard coughing and wanted to make sure everything was alright.”Richard nodded and took a step back, putting some much-needed space between us. “Of course. You were just being considerate.” He glanced at the closed door. “I hope El
I nodded slowly, but before I could say anything, Richard went on, “Which is why I’d like to propose a partnership. I believe our packs could benefit from working together, specifically on expanding your foundation’s reach into our territory.”Elijah looked at me, clearly wanting my input before res
AgnesRichard’s estate was exactly what I expected from an Alpha who valued tradition above all else—grand, stately, and dripping with old money. The long driveway was lined with ancient oak trees, and the house itself was a sprawling stone mansion that looked like it belonged on the cover of some m
“And that’s not the only issue,” another Luna chimed in. She pointed to a section of forest. “This area was decimated by fire three years ago. It’s no longer the valuable hunting ground it once was. The real value now is in the eastern section where the forest has regrown and the deer population has
AgnesThe men all stared at us with expressions ranging from shock to outrage. But I wasn’t about to be intimidated.I scanned the room quickly, spotting a door at the far end. Without hesitation, I marched across the conference room, ignoring the disapproving glares from most of the Alphas. I flung