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
The alcohol made the decision easier. I took Mila’s hand and let her pull me toward the dance floor.The beat of the music was infectious. Mila immediately started moving, and after a moment of awkward hesitation, I followed her lead. It felt strange at first—I’d never been much of a dancer, too con
NataliaI carefully straddled Andrei, mindful of his injury but unable to resist the pull between us any longer. His hands immediately found my hips, fingers pressing gently into the soft flesh there, anchoring me to him like he was afraid I might disappear again.Heat swept through me just at that
What if someone recognized Andrei despite the mask? What if the twins said something they shouldn’t? What if I tripped and made a fool of myself and ruined the entire charity event?“Hey.”Andrei’s quiet voice made me look up. He’d stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his familiar scent e
NataliaThe venue for the charity fashion show was busier than I’d expected. Staff members were rushing around adjusting lighting, caterers were setting up tables and chairs, and models were practicing their walks on the runway that had been set up in the center of the ballroom. The whole place was







