Walking down the hallway, Gretchen looked over the murals of the Great War and looked into the faces of the kings and soldiers as they fought off their enemy. She followed the sound of the man the guarded the library speaking the old language and eventually came to the rounded wooden door. It opened slowly in front of her and as she stepped through it, her foot landed on the cobblestone road outside the castle. Gretchen turned back briefly and watched as the doors shut behind her, then continued to follow the voice. The Sentry didn't even acknowledge Gretchen as she walked past him and out the gates. While she walked the dirt path into the forest, Gretchen pulled her sweater snuggly across her body. She wasn't sure of the date anymore because time moves differently in the realm, but she figured it was some time in late fall by the smell of the leaves. The night air was chilly, even for a hot blooded Lycan like her. Not a time to be wandering through the darkness

"So tonights the night, is it?" asked Hazel as she lay on Gretchen's bed watching her go through her clothing in search of the perfect outfit for tonight. Gretchen looked in the mirror and shook her head. "Jesus, I'll never get used to you people being in my mind like this." "You're avoiding the question, deary." Gretchen rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Yes. Are you happy? Do you really want to hear about how I'm going to be riding your uncle's dick later?" Hazel chuckled to herself and looked over to Gretchen. "Now we're talking. You're so nervous though. Why?" Gretchen turned around and said, "I don't know." Hazel smirked because she knew the truth, even if Gretchen wasn't ready to admit it to herself. Gretchen breathed in deeply through her nose then said, "It's the full moon, I guess. My senses are all crazy, it's like I'm on full alert and just wait

"I'm not complaining, baby, but can we go inside now?"  Gretchen closed her eyes and savored the feeling of Damien's soft, wet lips against her neck. His hot breath on her skin made goosebumps erupt all over and her weak knees buckled as her senses faltered with each agonizing touch. Damien held her tightly in one arm as he braced them against the wall and sucked on the crook of her neck while she combed through his hair with her fingers. He slowly placed kisses up her neck and jawline until his eyes met hers. "I've dreamed of this night a million times." Damien shook his head. "I can't believe this is actually happening." Gretchen softly pushed the hair back off his face with her hands then slid her fingers down his cheeks. "You're making me a little nervous. I don't want to disappoint you." Damien kissed her lips gently and said, "You won't. I'm the one who has the burden tonight, I'm afraid." 

Gretchen's heart pounded against her chest as she heard Damien's door open and footsteps coming towards her room. She closed her eyes tightly and prayed Daniel hadn't changed his mind about killing her. Given the way he looked as he laid there bruised and naked, Gretchen thought he let her off  easy.When her door opened she caught the smell of lemon and sage and her eyelids instantly parted. "Jesus, Damien," Gretchen said as she ran into his open arms. "Oh God, I thought I killed you. Are you alright, baby?" He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face into the top of her head as he smelled her hair. "I'm alright. It'll take more than a little love bite to end me, my love." "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it, my wolf just took over and I couldn't control it." Damien smiled as he huffed through his nose, then he pulled away and looked down in Gretchen's face.  "I need to show you something, Gretchen. Y

"You're so stupid, Gretchen. Why do you keep getting sucked back into their stupid goddamn mind games?"  She paced the room as her embarrassment over being repeatedly mislead escalated into a fury that was quickly consuming her. "I can't believe I've been so fucking stupid. Rhett was right, I must be the most hardheaded woman on the goddamn planet. I must be pretty entertaining to you all." She walked to the bookshelf and grabbed a row of books then screamed as she threw them to the floor making Jason startle. "You mother fuckers are always telling me I need to remember and see the truth then you keep shit from me all the goddamn time." She pointed at Jason. "Every fucking one of you. Is this some kind of sick fucking game, Jason?" Jason shook his head. He grew up right beside Tessa and her husbands and was more than familiar with their family's poor tempers and tendency to act irrationally. He had warned Damien more than once that