While my mind recognized my father and the love he had for me, my body had long been conditioned to avoid all forms of physical contact. “You’re alive and you’re here.” He exhaled, his massive chest heaving with each breath. He let out a warm chuckle that shook his beard as he said, “…and you’re bl

We spent another hour at my father’s cabin, ignoring the nightmare that was the past four years. Instead, we delved into my childhood, where the memories weren’t coated in acid, but were bittersweet. The entire time, I held back the pain that struck my chest like a bolt of lightning, smothering the

Behind the in-ground pool with its built-in water fall and curved slide was the gardens, another feature Nox’s mother had asked for. There was a gazebo where Nox and I would have picnics, along with a greenhouse full of lush plants and colorful flowers. Nox’s mother had loved gardening almost as muc

The same one she entered this bargain between us for. Just as defiant as Lilac herself, he stared at me without care, eyes boring into my own. That blank look might work on others, but not me. Not someone who could coerce him into smiling as he ended his pathetic life. Who the fuck was he to her?

Hearing the word punishment made me think back to those fleeting seconds in Lilac’s hotel room where I caught a glimpse of the scars along her back. The sight of them, puckered and raised, a myriad of slashes along her milky skin, prompted a sharp tug to the mate bond. What the fuck happened to her