"I think... I think this is the dress," Nayla whispered reverently.A resigned breath escaped me. "You've thought about ten dresses 'were the dress,' Nayla."She pursed her lips. Then said with a wave of her hand towards my direction. "No, but I'm sure this one is. It's simple, elegant and just...perfect."Removing my hands from my waist where I'd kept them in exasperation, I took in myself before the full length mirror, agreeing to her statement after a while, "It is perfect." The skirts of the simple blue evening gown fell down to the floors in a pool of fine, watery silk. The strapless gown--that looked demure from the front--had an open back that stretched down to my waist. Wicked.I took it off, letting Nayla do my makeup and style my hair. She talked as she worked, "Goddess, this is really exciting! I wonder how you must feel right now. Oh what I would give to be in your shoes righ

When he pulled me to my feet, I asked, "Where are we going?""To swim."I stopped in my tracks, looking down at my clothes. "But I can't ruin this dress."Unbuttoning his shirt, he motioned to my dress. "Then don't. Take it off."My mouth opened and closed.He appeared impatient. "I've already seen it all, princess. There's no use hiding what's mine from me."Even as some traitorous part of me flushed with pleasure, I glared at him. "I'm not yours."He rose a brow, taking off his shirt. My mouth fell open. "The way you're looking at me now would beg to differ."I tore my gaze away from his broad chest. "How?""Like you want to do more than stare.""I stare at a lot of guys like that, and yet it doesn't mean that I belong to them."His face hardened. Undressing down to his boxer briefs, he slowly approached me. "Do not court my anger, Hilda." He stood behind me, the pads of his fingers trailing down my expos

I rapped off yet another row of knocks on the towering oak doors, and still no one answered. The neighbourhood was stiffly quiet and my knocks were the only sounds that could be heard in a distance, asides the dogs barking.The barking of the dogs gradually grew louder, and very soon a tall, lanky boy holding the leashes of two German shepherds became visible. When he spotted me standing by the door, his pale face contorted into fury.He barked in a heavily accented voice, "Why the f*ck is there a bloody werewolf standing in front of my bloody door?!" The dogs started to growl viciously.Wasn't this just the warmest welcome I've ever received.My hands automatically went up into the air. "I'm not here to attack you! I'm here to f--"He brought out a gun from his low slung jeans. "Go! Go back to your bleeding slum, you bloody dog!"Okay, now I was

The seer had informed us she had something really important to tell us all. So while we waited for the Alpha to return, she'd told me to go freshen up. My room was still as I'd left it. Cold and empty. The painting of the king seemed to watch me accusingly as I headed into the shower, striping as I went. Silence surrounded me as I lowered my sore body into the warm, jasmine scented water someone had drawn for me. Images bombarded my mind. Me hastily getting into a cab. Dmitri letting me inside his candle-lit home. Isabella's knife hurtling straight for my shocked face. Isabella's unconscious form falling face first... Splashing water on my face, I tried to clear my thoughts. For all it was worth, the images stopped flickering through my mind, only to get replaced by words. Dmitri's. "The werewolf that'd betrayed your pack had put a condition to the vampires..." I wondered who would, although why they had done so didn't surprise me that much. I mean, father wasn't exactly the best

A single lightbulb lit the long hallway. On the other end of the narrow corridor was Vaughan's cell. My heart twisted when I saw him, and for a moment I just stood there staring at him.He was sat on a large, throne-like stone chair, with heavy manacles connected to his wrists, and iron fetters to his legs, his black hair plastered with sweat allover his chiseled face.Seated there, on the throne-like chair with tortured eyes, he looked just like the painting back in my room.A thought occurred to me. "Do you...do you paint?"Thrown off guard by the question, he momentarily lost the freezing look he'd trained on me. "Why do you ask that?"I stilled the urge to tuck my hair behind my ear. "Because there are these, er, paintings that are in my room and... and last week it was one of this sick little b..." I trailed off, feeling ridiculous. I went back to the matter at