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
Bianca“I’m fine, really.”I pursed my lips and ignored Isaac’s protests as I dipped the cloth into the bowl of water. His wounds would heal fairly quickly thanks to the advanced healing that one’s wolf provided—a luxury I didn’t have right now with my wolf in stasis and a baby in my belly, not that
He cleared his throat. He didn’t need to answer for me to know that I was right.Fastening the bandage to his split brow, I went on, “It’s time to grow up, Isaac. But you can’t expect other people to do the growing for you.” I jabbed my finger into the center of his chest, trying not to think about
Bianca & IsaacBiancaMy jaw clenched as I read the email over Isaac’s bare shoulder.“I can’t believe he’s not even willing to negotiate in the slightest,” I hissed through my teeth, my hand moving protectively to my stomach as if my father could reach through the laptop screen and rip my baby away
“His image,” Vera finally said. “And his vices.”Now they were getting somewhere. Isaac tilted his head, keeping his voice light and breezy as he murmured, “Vices? What kind of vices?”Vera glanced toward the palace, as if worried they might be overheard. “He pretends to be so proper, so traditional
BiancaThree days.It had been three days since I’d seen Isaac flirting with Vera in the gardens, and my heart still ached as if the betrayal had happened mere moments ago.I lay in my bed, staring up at the ornate ceiling, watching the shadows dance across the plaster as the sun began to set beyond
Isaac shrugged. “You wouldn’t open the front door, and you weren’t answering. I thought you were dead or something.”Despite myself, I rolled my eyes. “Great,” I muttered. “Now there’s another way for you to pester me whenever you want.”“That’s the spirit,” he grinned, although the smile didn’t qui
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