LOGINIt might have been laughable, had circumstances not been so… sad.“So your parents took it badly, I imagine,” I pointed out.Callum huffed and looked into his bottle. “My dad beat the shit out of me.”I pulled my head back. “He what?”Wordlessly, Callum turned, pulling his shirt up to reveal his bac
Liora’s POVI just barely made it into the parking space before the car let out one final groan, then sputtered to a stop, rocking back and forth on the wheels.“Sorry about that, girl,” I said, patting the steering wheel. “That was a lot more driving in one day than I anticipated.”Shirley almost s
“Twenty lashes,” he said. “We’ll see if you change your mind then.”I grit my teeth. “I don’t have to put up with this anymore.”“Would you rather take it, or would you prefer if that little wolfless whore of yours took it instead?”The moment he said those words, I felt all the blood drain from my
Callum’s POVMy father’s shadow darkened the room.There was a time in my life when my father’s presence seemed enormous and all-consuming, like a black hole filling any space he entered. When I was a child, I remembered thinking that he was big enough to reach the moon, or to blot out the sun.I’d
“The ones at the top of the list are our recommended ones,” my father added before I could say anything. “But ultimately, dear, it’s up to you.”I quirked a brow and opened the folder. There were over a dozen names on the list, along with small black-and-white headshots of each bachelor and which pa
Liora’s POVWhen I returned to the palace, I honestly expected to find that half of it had burned down in some freak fire, or that someone was dead.I didn’t find any of that.The palace was as peaceful as ever, quiet and cheerfully lit, the yellow porch lights illuminating the melting snow. The but
“A partner like me, you mean?”The words slipped out before I could stop them. Callum froze, hand tightening on my lower back, and it was only then that I realized we’d been swaying this entire time—our footsteps perfectly in sync with each other and with the music that was still playing inside.My
Sighing, I relented. Mia grinned and bounced on her toes. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” she cheered, then grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the circle.Zane looked up as we took our seats. “Ah, new recruits!” He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Couldn’t resist joining, eh, princess?”“Stop calling me
Liora’s POV“I still don’t understand, Liora. Where did this dress even come from? And how did you learn to dance like that?”Mia had hardly stopped chattering since Bianca had returned. She and Zane both wanted to know every detail. I wished I could tell them the truth; I really did. Especially Mia
“Are you okay?”I whirled around at the sound of the voice, and the motion on my bad ankle sent me pitching forward—directly into the broad plane of a chest that was becoming all too familiar.Callum.He caught me easily, his brows pinching together with concern. “What’s—”“Shh!” I pressed my finger







