“I really fucked that up, didn’t I?”Ansel fell into his seat in the car. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hand to try and cope with the pulsing headache. His chest hurt and he still felt like he couldn’t get a good breath in.Jeff whimpered. Fear began to tug at him. What he felt with his breathing was the scary part. Two old devils had come to visit today, it seemed. This one took him right back to his sanitorium past.Henry climbed in and shut the door. “The Full Moon Pack will always spell trouble. We’ll deal with her later. It’s you I’m worried about.”“Don’t be.” Ansel, still with closed eyes, addressed the gammas up front. “I need to talk to my brother. I’m sure he’s skulking around the royal estate. That’s where I need to go next.’The gamma shifted the car into ‘drive’ and they began to leave the Full Moon Headquarters behind them.“You can’t be serious,” Henry said. “Surely this can wait.”“Your opinion wasn’t asked for,” Ansel snapped. “And it can’t.”It was

When we wake up, it’s me, instead of Ada, pressed tightly to Ansel, but I feel Ada more than ever. Just as with Jeff, she doesn’t have to speak. It’s a knowingness, a heightened sense of the two of us that is linked in a new way.Ansel begins to rouse around noon, I scurry over from the table near the window where I’ve been trying to brainstorm plans for a dance class.“Hi,” I say, leaning close. His breathing is still shallow and his face is pale.He tries to sit up.“Here, let me help you,” I say.“I’m fine,” he says with a growl.I ignore his foul mood and call for someone to bring him lunch. They bring in a tray of food, but he pushes it away.“I can’t eat this,” he says.“At least drink something,” I say, handing him a glass of juice.Thankfully, Ansel drinks it. I try to help him get up to make his way into the bathroom, but he won’t let me.“I don’t need any help,” Karin. His eyes are clouded with anger.He wobbles for a moment, but then he’s able to take some weakened steps.A

Ansel groaned. The groan turned into a coughing fit.He was propped up in his office chair, already miserable, when Henry delivered the news that half of the pack’s children were now expected to arrive tomorrow for Karin’s dance class.Ansel’s breathing was still ragged, even without a coughing jag. It took him a minute to speak again.“Obviously, we have to call this off,” Ansel said, his voice hoarse.“The gamma I spoke with said the news is all over the pack, and there’s a great deal of excitement that the children are being invited to tour your manor - ““Tour the manor,” Ansel shouted.Henry nodded.“Did she promise them ice cream, too? College scholarships?” Ansel threw his head back. “I’m going to kill her.”“Look, I don’t know what was originally said, but I get the feeling a lot of this has grown as it’s spread through the grapevine.” Henry sat down in the chair across from Ansel’s desk.“The staff may - okay - they will - hate us for all the last-minute work that’s about to

“Where’s the newspaper?”I’m eating breakfast downstairs. Or trying to, anyway. I can barely stomach it. Ansel’s rage-a-holic behavior has everyone jumpy.“Um, I’m not sure, sir.”I watch as Charles edges the paper further behind his back. The rest of the staff has gone silent.Ansel whips forward and yanks for the paper Charles is clutching, jerking him almost off balance.“Hey,” I shout, standing up. Charles is trembling. I rush to check on him, feeling sick inside.“Stay out of it,” Ansel warns, his eyes a menacing yellow.Even Ada pulses with fury. My fingers become sharpened claws, and she’s ready to make a move, but Ansel’s staring at the newspaper in shock. I turn to Charles and hug him tightly.“I’m okay,” he whispers.I’m not okay.Charles and the rest of the servants leave. Ansel’s sitting down, seemingly oblivious to me. I watch him as he reads. His face takes on a defeated, crushed expression. He puts the paper down and walks out. I get up to look at it.Prince Ansel: Fit

“Tell me how that makes you feel.”Ansel folded his arms across his chest. “Very funny. Which part, Aron? The part where I almost strangled Edwin to death? Where I lost all of my father’s support? Coughed up a lung on live television? Or threatened to maim multiple journalists?”“Yes, yes, yes, and yes.” Aron kicked his feet up onto his desk.“I’m going to need more than our hour together, then.”“Try me,” Aron said, putting his arms behind his head.“Okay.” Ansel sighed. He counted them out with his fingers. “Edwin - not sorry. My father - not sorry. The reporters - I also don’t give a shit.”“And the TV interview?”Ansel paused. “Humiliated. Beyond humiliated.”“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere,” Aron said. He looked down to scribble a note.Ansel leaned away to cough into his shoulder. Then he covered his face in his hands and groaned, exasperated.“You’re not going to get me sick, are you?” Aron eyed him suspiciously.“No,” Ansel said. “It’s my own fucked up lungs and immune syst