LOGINKrista*Jacob’s mouth curved knowingly as he noticed where my gaze was directed.My cheeks warmed. Before I could come up with a suitable response, he lowered his head intending, no doubt, to continue distracting me.Knock. Knock.Jacob paused as another knock sounded. A groan escaped him and I bit down on my lower lip, biting back a laugh at the look of dejection on his face.My shoulders shook as the knock came again, this time accompanied by a voice. "Alpha? Luna? We've brought hot water for bathing."I couldn't hold it in anymore, laughter escaped me. Jacob dropped his forehead dramatically onto my shoulder. "Of course.""Poor Alpha.""Don't start."A grin spread across my face. "Mari must have informed the staff we're awake."Jacob made a sound that suggested he would very much like to fire Mari at this moment.I patted his shoulder. "Up.""No.""Jacob, come on."Eventually he sighed and rolled away.I immediately scrambled out from under him before he could change his mind. "W
Krista*He dipped his head, clearly intending to kiss me again.This time I turned my face away and his mouth landed on my cheek instead. "Later," I said firmly.A groan escaped him. "You're killing me."The sheer tragedy in his voice made me laugh. "You'll survive.""I don't know." He rested his head against my chest dramatically. "I feel very doubtful about my chances.""You are such a liar."His only response was his arms tightening around my waist. Despite myself, I smiled. The steady beat of his heart under my hands was oddly comforting. For several moments neither of us spoke, then Jacob's voice came muffled against me. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"My smile faded as I thought over how to say the words in my mind. I didn’t regret last night and that was precisely the problem. I hesitated. The intimate position made it awkward, but strangely enough, the lack of eye contact helped. I could say difficult things when I wasn't staring directly into his face.Taking a brea
Krista*A persistent knock at the door roused me from my sleep. Groggily, I muttered for the person to go away, snuggling deeper into the sheets when all I got in response was blessed silence. The next second however, I heard Mari’s voice, saying she had an important message from Alpha Hunter.At the mention of the new Alpha of the Nightwalker pack, I cracked open my eyes and promptly regretted it. Dawn had long since risen, and sunlight poured in through the open windows, bright and unforgiving.A groan escaped me. Every muscle in my body seemed determined to remind me that I had not gotten much sleep. Carefully, I pushed myself upright, blinking hard against how bright the room was. I was almost halfway to the door before I realized I was stark naked.Glancing around for something to wear, I spotted Jacob’s black shirt strewn across the daybed. The sight alone made several memories from the previous night try to surface, and I ruthlessly shoved them away.Not now.Absolutely not no
Krista*He buried his face in the crook of my neck, scenting me. The sensation sent heat skittering across my skin as he inhaled deeply, possessively. “You belong to no one else,” he murmured against my throat. “Not while I’m still drawing breath.”In that moment, I realized there had to be something seriously wrong with me. Asher had not managed to stir even the faintest pulse out of me, not even when he flirted shamelessly or smiled at me like he wanted to peel me apart layer by layer. But Jacob, even at his most toxic, most possessive was the only thing that ever made my body feel truly alive.My heartbeat was uneven now, my body painfully aware of every point where he touched me.Jacob took my hand, the same hand Asher had held earlier, and his eyes darkened slightly. Then he brought it to his mouth and slowly licked at the pads of my fingers, overriding Asher’s scent with his own.A sharp breath caught in my throat. The tension between us thickened instantly, hot and dangerous.
Krista*“Let go of me!” I whisper-yelled, my heart pounding furiously as I looked around for any witnesses to me being carried like a sack of potatoes.“Careful,” Jacob said, gripping me tighter as he heads towards the stairs. “You wouldn’t want the others to see you like this.”Making a fist, I angrily pounded against his back once then twice, but he did not set me down. As he arrived at our room, I thanked the Goddess Nathan and Fisher had been dismissed earlier. Jacob set me down and locked the door behind him before going to stand near the window, his back to me. My eyes narrowed; this behavior activated my own defensive rage. Rubbing my wrist angrily, I said, “What exactly was that nonsense?”The muscles in Jacob’s shoulders flexed under his suit jacket. For one long moment, he did not answer me. Moonlight spilled through the tall windows behind him, silvering the hard line of his jaw and the dark fall of his hair. He stood rigidly still, breathing once through his nose like he
Krista*I barked out a startled laugh, genuinely amused despite myself. “Goddess,” I said, shaking my head. “Do all Alphas speak like characters from bad romance books?”“Only when confronted with extraordinary women.”“That was somehow even worse.”“And yet you’re smiling.”The wine warming my veins certainly was not helping matters. Still smiling faintly, I lifted my glass to my lips again but before I could drink, Asher leaned closer.One hand braced itself against the wall beside my head, effectively caging me between his arm and the corridor wall without quite touching me. I blinked up at him. The scent of wine wrapped around me. Asher’s gaze dropped to my mouth.Then teasingly, he asked, “I’m tempted to kiss you. Will you let me?”My breath caught for half a second from surprise.Bold little fool.I opened my mouth to tell him I was not interested in him, that flattering attention aside, he was very much barking up the wrong tree, but before a single word could leave me, a fist
KristaI stared at my reflection, willing the hollow look in my eyes to fade, forcing my lips to curve into a passable smile. But the result looked as tired and insincere as I felt inside. Tonight, of all nights, I couldn't afford to let my emotions slip through the cracks. Tonight was about duty,
KristaWhat had I expected? That Jacob would magically fall in love with me just because we’d spent a few years married? That he would look at me one day and suddenly see me, really see me, instead of the shadow I’d become in his life?I let out a bitter laugh, though it sounded more like a sob. Wh
KristaAs I entered the house, the door creaked softly behind me, though the faint murmur of activity throughout the manor drowned out any noise I made. Before I could even take another step, one of the maids rushed toward me, her face flushed with anxiety as she fumbled with a small notepad in her
KristaI watched from a distance as Greta chased after her three boys, her voice carrying on the wind, strained and full of exhaustion. They were darting in every direction, little whirlwinds of energy, their laughter ringing out in the warm afternoon air. It was a familiar scene, one that made me







