LOGIN“Do you remember what he looked like?”“It’s all a blur. Sorry.”I nodded slowly, looking around again. I spotted Max on the other side of the yard, returning to his work with a group of other males.“What’s the labor for?” I asked. “Are we building something?”“We think it’s for an army. The stone
Natalia’s POVBy the end of the first hour, my shoulders were burning and my palms had gone from sore to numb. The rock I’d been assigned to break with a heavy pickaxe was dense and black, and I was expected to break it into small pieces, then place them on a large wagon. One of those awful gray thi
A pair of figures crossed our path as we walked across the roadway. We fell into step behind them naturally, matching their pace. Neither of them looked back.The water trough was near the center of the settlement. I spotted a short line of people standing in front of it. It wasn’t running water, bu
Natalia’s POVI jerked awake with a gasp.The red sky was the same as it always was. Max was curled on his side a few feet away, still asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. Nothing had moved. Nothing had changed.I pressed my hand flat against the ground and steadied my breathing.The vision
Natalia’s POVThe report came back the following morning. I’d hardly slept that night, which was strange for me; usually, sleep came quickly and efficiently, serving purely as a means to regain my energy for another day of hard work.But last night, I kept tossing and turning. That pull in my chest
“It’s no use!” I heard her voice call after me. “He’s already gone, you stupid bitch! He’s not who you think he is anymore! You’ll all die here!”Her words struck me somewhere deep and painful, but I kept running. We didn’t stop until the hovel was well out of sight. Only then, once we were certain
NataliaThe moment our lips touched, it felt like a match had been struck in a room full of gasoline. Flames seemed to engulf my skin, my lips, curling around us until we were bathed in it.When I finally pulled back, my mouth felt scorched. What had I done? I’d just crossed a line that couldn’t be
NataliaAndrei turned, appearing surprised to see me. I would have been surprised if I were him, too; not long ago, I had been retching the contents of my stomach into the toilet.But now I felt immensely better. Where there had once been roiling nausea and a swimming head was now just a dull ache a
“What about the twins?” I managed.Damon’s expression softened. He reached across the counter and wrapped his fingers around mine. “They’re safe, Natalia. Grace has been with them all day, and I’ve posted additional guards around the house. The rogue didn’t even see them.”“But what if it’s not enou
We spun through the crowd, faster and faster until the room became a blur of colors and lights around us. The other dancers seemed to fade away in that blur until it felt like we were in our own little bubble, just the two of us moving together as one.I hated how my body responded to him, how easi







