Mag-log inâYou're back,â Cole says, his voice a low, smooth vibration that sends a chill down Britney's spine.Britneyâs fingers around the phone start to tremble uncontrollably as her pulse screams in her ears.âDoes he know?ââYeah,â she says, her voice sounding too high to her own ears. âI just... I just went to get something I forgot from my old room.â She holds out his phone. âHere.âCole doesn't take the phone immediately. He just stands there, a drop of water sliding down his collarbone, studying her with an intensity that seems to strip her skin away.âYou made a phone call?â he asks.Britney's heart stops beating. She stares at him, her lips parting slightly.âGoddess, help me, he knows. Did he hear me from that far away?â Britney fights the urge to drop to her knees and plead, but she has to stick to the plan.âYes,â she answers, her voice so steady it surprises her. âI wanted to invite Caroline. Or, at least, someone from my family. I went to the guest wing, where the service is clea
Britney steps out of the bathroom minutes later, with a white towel tucked tightly around her chest.Her gaze meets Coleâs, who is leaning against the bedpost, bare-chested, and watching her. His eyes are dark and intense, burning with a possessive heat that used to make her knees weak.Now, looking at that, all she sees is the lie. Every trace of his devotion feels like a performance. She has to use every ounce of her will to keep her expression from cracking, forcing her lips to curve into a practiced smile at him before she walks toward the walk-in closet.She can feel his eyes tracking her. âHe doesnât know I know,â she reminds herself. âPlay the part.ââIâll just be a minute,â she murmurs, her voice steady enough to deceive. She slips into the closet, shutting the door, and finally lets out a shuddering breath.There is no time to fall apart.She finds a simple, soft knit dress.When she emerges a few minutes later, the bedroom is empty. She stands frozen for a moment, listening
Lucinda stands naked, her dark hair falling over her bare shoulders, a wicked, triumphant sneer curling her lips as she casts a glance in the direction of the door, where Britney stands.She looks back at Cole, standing in front of her with vacant eyes. His posture is stiff, his eyes unblinking and dazed, as if under a heavy, dark enchantment.âKneel,â Lucinda commands, her voice dripping with authority.Without any resistance, Cole drops to his knees at her feet like a puppet.Lucinda turns, walking toward the edge of the bed, and sits down, spreading her thighs wide with an arrogant smirk. She looks down at the dazed man kneeling before her.âCome,â she purrs, leaning back with one hand supporting her behind, the other outstretched to Cole. âPleasure your Luna.âCole crawls over on his knees, he leans in, his hands lifting to obey her command.Outside the door, a feral, blinding rage explodes through Britneyâs who has been watching everything unfold.Tears of pain and betrayal tear
The warm water laves gently against Britneyâs skin as Cole cups a handful of water, pouring it over her shoulders.His hands move slowly, washing her body. Yet, he feels the faint tension lingering on Britney's face.Cole sets the sponge aside, his eyes softening as he reaches out, resting his palm flat against Britney's wet back.âBri,â he murmurs softly. âTalk to me. Since you walked out of that room, you've been carrying a weight you're trying to hide from me. What did Lucinda say to you in there?âBritneyâs breath catches.For a second, she feels the overwhelming urge to confess everything. And maybe find out if Lucinda had perhaps lied to her. But as she looks into Cole's fierce, devoted eyes, she's tongue-tied.What will she do if she finds out the truth of the matter? If Cole was indeed Lucinda's first, is she going to leave him?She swallows hard, buries her deepest pain, and crafts a close to the truth instead.âI... I was just thinking about the future, Cole,â Britney whispe
The silver buckle clicks open under Britney's trembling fingers, the sound ringing in the heavy silence of the bedroom.She unzips his trousers, her breath hitching in her throat as Coleâs massive, rock-hard length springs free from his dark briefs.Up close, he is monstrous.Veins map over smooth, dark, velvet skin, throbbing with a primal rhythm, pre-cum already glistening at the tip.Britneyâs eyes widen in shock.She reaches out, wrapping her hand around the thick base of his shaft, and lets out a soft, sharp gasp, as her fingers can barely wrap all the way around him.Cole lets out a low, dark chuckle that rumbles his chest as he leans against the headboard. He reaches down, his large and warm hand covering hers over his aching length.âLike what you see?â Cole asks hoarsely, his dark eyes burning into hers with raw possessiveness. âHeâs been dying for you all day.âHeat creeps up Britney's neck as she avoids his piercing gaze.âLook at me.âBritney obeys, as if compelled. âGood
Cole doesn't pull back; instead, he lifts his head, his eyes burning with an intense devotion that leaves Britney breathless. He reaches up, his palm cradling her hot cheek, as his thumb drags over her lower lip in a rough and controlled stroke that pulls a soft gasp from Britney's throat. âYou donât ever need to hide from me, Bri,â Cole growls softly. âEvery single inch of you is mine. Every curve, every tear, every mark. I love all of it.â Before she can let out another word, Cole tilts his head back down, his hands anchoring under her thighs. Cole doesn't rush. Slow and tortuously, he presses a soft kiss to Britney's sensitive inner thigh, making her toes curl into the sheets. Her fingers dig desperately into his broad shoulders, her head falling back against the pillows. âColeâŠâ âShh,â he murmurs against her skin, his breath fanning hot across her swollen, aching core. âLet me take care of you.â With that, he hovers over her folds, and gently, he parts her soft fl
Angela:~~~I don't feel my legs when Cassian lifts me. One moment I'm standing there, staring at the dripping heart in his hand, and the next I am weightless, pressed against his taut chest as he carries me through the blood-soaked bedroom.My voice is gone. My mind is gone.Everything in me is sh
I listen, my body trembling with every growl and howl in the distance.Selene, I am scared. Protect my mate. I pray silently, rubbing my arms. I am so terrified I can't even tell if I am trembling because of the cold or because of fear.My eyes shift to Mom, who stands guard closest to the passage
Cassian: ~~~ âI will marry Alpha Brandon.â Her voice is soft when she speaks, but it hits me like an explosion. For a heartbeat, I froze; maybe I misheard her. Then the word registers, and every part of my body reacts violently. A pulse of heat rushes through my chest, and I clench my fist
âMelanie! Are you crazy?â Brandon pushes her and rushes to my side.I try to breathe through the sharp pain twisting through my stomach, but it feels like someone shoved a hot knife into me. Brandonâs arms tighten around me as he lifts me, and the world tilts for a moment.I blink hard, willing my







