BiancaI suppressed a groan when we stepped into the Lycan King’s office and the first face I saw was an all-too-familiar one.“Bianca,” my father’s Beta said, standing. His eyes flicked to my bare feet, then to Isaac’s dirty clothes. “You look… Well.”I bit the inside of my cheek. My father’s beta,
“Fine,” I said, folding my arms. “If my father revokes the PR efforts he’s so obviously involved in back home—” I shook my head and corrected myself, because it wasn’t my home anymore. “Back in the Werewolf kingdom, I mean, then—”“Your father did no such thing.”My jaw tightened. “I’m not stupid, A
Bianca“I’m sorry, but…” I cupped my hand over my mouth and nose in an attempt to shield myself from the smell. “I’m not sure if I can eat this.”The woman who brought me my dinner that night, an older housekeeper by the name of Lucille, narrowed her eyes at me. I felt a wave of humiliation wash ove
Finally, Isaac nodded. “Very well.”He tossed his jacket over a nearby chair and turned on his heel, flinging open the refrigerator door. He muttered to himself for a moment, “Pasta… I can handle pasta…” before he let out a small, “Aha!” and pulled out a jar of tomato sauce.I watched as he then put
BiancaIsaac pushed open the grand doors of the library, the old wood groaning beneath the strain. The room was dark, but I could sense that the space beyond was cavernous before he even turned on the lights just from the sound of our footsteps echoing through the air.When he flicked on the lights,
I quickly shook my head, feeling suddenly cold, and wrapped my arms around myself. “Just… remembering,” I admitted. I nodded my chin toward the row of books. “My dad always hated when I tried to read anything fun.”“Ah. So he was one of those.”I nodded. “He always made me read textbooks before bed.
Bianca“Whew. You’re drunk again, Bjorn?” Isaac grinned and waved his hand in front of his nose. “Certainly smells like it. Keep it down, or you’ll scare the books.”I held back a snort, although any humor I felt was quickly blotted out by the healthy dose of fear that coursed through me at Bjorn’s
But Bjorn didn’t care. As I peeked up over Isaac’s shoulder, it was pure death that I saw in Bjorn’s eyes, as if they’d gone entirely black.He wanted to kill Isaac. And, dammit, Isaac was going to let him. For my sake.With one last growl, Bjorn yanked Isaac away from my arms. I cried out, reaching
I stared at him, speechless for a moment. He’d clearly done his research. “Yes,” I admitted. “It… It is. But Isaac—”“Let me handle this, Bianca.” Isaac’s voice lowered in that way it always did when he was being serious, and his blue eyes glinted in the sunlight streaming in through the large stain
BiancaI woke up slowly, stretching my limbs across the soft mattress and luxurious sheets. Then I jolted upright, suddenly aware that I was in my bed. Last thing I remembered, I was in the library, reading about some kind of ancient Lycan birth ritual involving howling at the moon and drinking a di
“Don’t go,” she whispered. “Stay this time. Please stay.”Isaac swallowed hard, continuing his journey back to her chambers. Her sleep-talking continued in broken fragments—pleas for her mother to stay, promises about the baby, even a few fearful murmurs about her father.When they reached her room,
IsaacThe announcement of the baby shower had spiraled into something much bigger than Isaac had anticipated. What was supposed to be a small celebration had transformed into a full-blown royal event once the King got wind of it.“It must be a traditional Lycan feast,” his father had declared, slapp
“What happened?” the doctor asked, jumping to her feet.“She fell into a pond,” Isaac explained as he set me on a cot. “She can’t swim. I pulled her out, but we need to make sure the baby’s okay.”The baby. Not me. But I was just glad to be alive, and that there was someone in my life who actually c
BiancaMy chest burned, screaming for air as the sunlight above grew dimmer with each passing second. The surface seemed impossibly far away now, wavering like a mirage as I sank further into the depths.And then, suddenly, I was seven years old again, my father’s hands gripping my shoulders as he s
It was the pregnancy hormones. It had to be the damn pregnancy hormones making me want this—making me want him—so badly that my skin felt like it was on fire wherever he touched me.But as his lips hovered just above mine, I knew I had to tell him the truth. I had to tell him before any kisses occur
BiancaThe walk from the palace to the gardens felt longer than usual, or maybe that was just because I kept second-guessing my decision to tell Isaac everything. But deep down, I knew I’d made the right choice. Isaac had given me every reason to trust him, and I couldn’t keep the truth from him any
Isaac’s eyes lit up. “That’s an excellent idea, Bianca. And if it means we can finally move past all this talk of flowers, I’m all for it.”For the next hour, Isaac and I worked together, selecting new decorations that matched the new flowers. But there was something… different between us. Despite t