YENAOn some sort of embarrassed impulse, I actually reached up to my mouth and wiped it with my hand.There was no drool.I felt my face get hot.It was unbelievable. He had such a skill for pushing my buttons. And could do it so fast.He took one step forward and leaned against the door frame. We were face to face at a sort of four-way intersection of dark, empty hallways.Nolan was tall and broad, and cast a shadow that enveloped me in darkness.“Stop fucking with me,” I said.“Well,” he replied, “you were the one eye-fucking me first.”The dim moonlight drifting in through the windows hit his eyes and lit them up. They were hard like stone, deep green in shadow, and staring down at me with the prince’s signature brand of smoldering condescension.A rush of desperate desire surged through me, starting at my throat and flooding downwards.I swallowed as quietly as I could and thought about turning around. I couldn’t give him the satisfaction of being rewarded for this kind of behavi

YENANolan was all business as we went to meet his mother.I couldn’t believe he was actually going to let it lie. He didn’t tease me about last night at all. But he was again cold and indifferent with me.Given a choice between the two, I’d take the indifference over the taunting any day.We walked a stone bridge over a big open open courtyard. It took us almost half an hour.Then the Gamma warriors unlocked a set of heavy stone doors that rolled open to reveal a glass elevator. We rode it to the top.My ears popped as we went up, adjusting to the altitude.The Lycan palace had been built into the side of a mountain. The king and queen resided in the very back, in a wing that was, in part, embedded into the actual stone and earthen slope of the mountainside.We stepped out of the elevator into a bright, opulent sitting room. Luna was sitting atop a sort of small throne, looking comfortable and effortlessly beautiful. A delicate golden crown was nestled into her thick black hair, whic

Adan first set foot back on the soil of the sovereign Lycan nation almost a week ago, and the first thing he’d wanted to do was talk to his oldest friend.But getting an audience with the Secretary of State, and doing so without leaving any evidence, hadn’t been easy.He wound up just breaking into the building the good old-fashioned way. Through a smashed window while an insignificant, paid conspirator created a noisy diversion nearby.At the reception desk he simply claimed to have an appointment. When questioned, he played it like he was fine to leave, only he’d tell Kerr later that he’d been denied entry.It may have been years since he’d lived in the palace or performed any princely duties. But Adan still had a royal swagger that commanded attention and obedience.A side door opened into the office and Kerr walked in.Adan broke out into a big, handsome grin.The two embraced. Then the Secretary led his guest out to a private balcony, taking two glasses and a bottle of whiskey wi

YENABut Nolan wasn’t actually up for it that night.He’d had too much wine, I came to realize.He got kind of childlike and cuddly. He wouldn’t stop telling me I was beautiful.I took the drunken compliments with a grain of salt. But I couldn’t help enjoying this side of him. It was cute.He wrapped us up together in one of the satin sheets, pulled it tight and held me close.He passed out holding me, with my head smashed into his chest.I’m pretty sure he fell asleep while sniffing my hair.I wriggled out of the bear hug and got myself a little more comfortable. He hugged me back into him, as tightly as I’d let him.The passion and tension I had with this man could be exhilarating. But it was exhausting, too.This felt nice tonight. His guard was down. He was being affectionate and vulnerable.I stroked his dark hair and admired his beautiful face.His eyelashes were long and deep black.His beard scruff was already growing in, though he’d just shaved this afternoon. I ran my thumb

YENAIt had been weeks since I’d drawn anything. Once I started again, I couldn’t stop.Maybe it wasn’t ideal to be doing schoolwork on our honeymoon. But it felt like Nolan had faith in me. In my talent.And I wanted to live up to his expectations. Come up with something great that showcased my talent.I stayed up late every night drawing, drafting designs of the same garments over and over again, tweaking and perfecting them.We traveled like tourists, making occasional stops on our way across the country to see the sights. The prince made sure we went to all the art galleries and museums. I knew that was for my sake, though he never pointed it out.Some of the exhibitions we saw were mind-blowing. I had never seen work in these mediums before. It was inspiring.Looking at paintings, photographs, and installations made by human artists, I suddenly came to understand just how small my world had been before.The werewolf nation was an older society, with a single dominant culture that