I woke up from a deep sleep when I heard muffled sounds of pain. My eyes were blurry from being tired and drunk, and I blinked them slowly to try to figure out where I was. Yellow light from the street lamps outside snuck in around the edges of the curtains. The thin fingers of light made the shadows around the bed deep and slippery. I saw Nikita's body twist in fear this time when she cried out again. She was on her stomach at the far end of the king-sized bed. Her face was pressed against the pillow as she fought blindly against an enemy she couldn't see. She pulled at the smooth sheets and jerked as if she were getting hit hard. The next cry made me feel like my heart was going to break. When my body finally caught up, it jerked forward. I pushed the blankets back and crawled across the space between us, grabbed her shoulder, and rolled her toward me, flipping her over onto her back. “Nikita!” She hit back, so I grabbed her wrists. "Nikita, wake up!" She opened her eyes wide a
While Nikita was in the shower in the morning, I made lattes. When she came out of the bedroom, she was wearing my robe and her wet hair was twisted on top of her head and clipped in place. When I saw her, my heart pounded. She walked over to take the bowl-shaped mug I offered her and told me, "That smells great." As I gave it to her, I kissed her on the forehead and looked down as she laughed out loud. "You marked it with a dollar sign!" "You should know," I sniffed, "that latte art is a very well-respected form of art." And all of the best gurus swear by making your dreams come true." She smiled, but that nervous look was back in the back of her eyes. "We also plan to make a lot of money today. “Exactly.” As I went back to the machine to start my own latte, I said arrogantly over my shoulder, "I plan to fuck you, too, but that's harder to show in foam." She snorted, but then I felt her arm wrap around me, and she pressed herself against my back. "I'm always amazed by all of y
Sebastian looked at me like I had a second head. He said "Nikita" in a slow way. "What the hell are you saying?""You said you would marry me so we could save the others." More tears came out of my eyes, and I hated myself for being such a show, but my body stopped listening to me. "Because you needed protection from your mother until I could give it to you. But now I can!" I pointed to the table where we'd signed the papers that gave me and us access to a huge amount of money that was almost unimaginable. "No, Sebastian, I am not her. Your mother is not me. I won't—I won't make you marry me and give up everything you want just to keep other people safe!"He just looked at her for a moment. I stayed put and waited for him to figure it out. He'd do it. He'd figure it all out and get it, just like Aiyssa had told me. He would know that I knew this because I didn't tell him.The time went on and on. I wobbled on my feet, tired and sad in a moment that should have been a moment of victory
One of the many great things about having your own restaurant was that it was easy to plan a wedding in less than 24 hours. I knew the menu by heart and Sam knew what Fuzion had in stock, so between the two of us, it only took a few phone calls to bring in extra staff looking for bonus pay and take care of the reception side of things. Oh, and she called the bakery to order a bunch of rainbow-colored macróns instead of a wedding cake.Finding a ring was a little harder, but the third jewelry store I went to had a platinum setting with a cluster of raw diamonds that were big enough to make Nikita's ring finger feel heavy enough. I chose a plain platinum band with a smooth surface for myself and crossed that job off the list.I chose a plain platinum band with a smooth surface for myself and crossed that job off the list.I had many suits, so I let Nikita choose one for me. I was ready to spend a crazy amount of money to buy her a dress, but she said no. Instead, she had Wynette stop by
The wedding only had a few guests. Nikita invited only Wynette and Aiyssa because the rest of the pack was unable to make contact with her. Due to the fact that my family had basically shunned me, Sam was the only other person whose presence mattered anymore.When I arrived at the Taste of Magic, where the others were waiting for us, one look at Sam was all it needed for me to see that something fishy was going on."What did you do?" I demanded."Only what I promised," he grinned devilishly at me before continuing. "Let's go, this way to the second floor."Nikita and I exchanged looks, but we went ahead and allowed ourselves to be led to the same private room that we had utilized for our presentations the day before. A recognizable face was there, waiting for us, and it had been at least two years since I'd last seen it.“Zane?” I asked in disbelief.“Sebastian!” My twin brother reached out with both arms and gave me a bear hug."Why are you even in this place?" I was relieved to find
Even though it won't be likely for several years before The Inn at Barcombe is fully finished and operating at capacity, the first steps toward fulfilling this objective are currently in the process of being taken. Whether you decide to go back to the pack or to claim your membership in the pack from a distance, you will have access to the resources and protection that have been provided. Several panthers have found a home with us, and if other shapeshifters or humans make a formal request, we will gladly open our doors to them as well.I am aware that you have all been hurt, but I am powerless to make up for what you have lost. On the other hand, if you decide to return to your family, I will do all in my power to make sure that your future is safe. The development of a succession strategy has already begun. No matter what occurs, our pack will never again be frail or susceptible to being attacked by violent elements, whether they come from the outside or from within.Sebastian moved
The swizzle sticks in the drinks were in the shape of green cactuses, because it was only natural that they would be. When I told Teagan that she could choose where we would meet, I don't know what other outcomes I should have anticipated.The pub was a jumble of kitsch and Wild West cliches, and the walls of its Mission-style interior were littered with rusted saws, horse bridles, globe-less lamps, and a lot of other stuff that I couldn't even begin to name. The stools that ran along the long bar were a faded crimson color, and the seats were made of an uncomfortable molded plastic that had been carved and etched to resemble saddles.If I had made an effort, I could not have appeared any more out of place than I did."I'm speechless because I can't believe you wore a suit." Teagan rolled her eyes and then used her teeth to remove the sliver of strawberry that was attached to her swizzle stick. "And she placed an order for a mocktail."I immediately shot back in a defensive manner, "I
That night, as the conference continued after supper, I did my best to pay attention to what was being said throughout the session.In a normal situation, I would have found something like the discussion on guest engagement that I attended to be exactly up my alley. However, it was difficult to concentrate at this particular time.After it was finished, I gritted my teeth and made myself go to the after-hours cocktail reception even though I didn't want to. As I networked with other hospitality professionals, I made my rounds of the room while keeping my self-assured professional façade firmly in place. Once more, I took a few sips of a mocktail without much enthusiasm, which was something that I was positive would have driven Teagan to despair.My eyes were gritty and burning with tiredness when I eventually made it back to my room, and my body felt raw with the type of over-peopled burnout that is peculiar to introverts who have spent too long pretending to be extroverts without a b