They were back at the mansion with more questions than answers, but they still had the pendant.The three of them stepped into the mansion and were greeted by a crowd of warriors in uniform. Ash’s head rose in the crowd, and he pushed past the warriors and reached Jax in a hurry.“Tell me you found something,” Ash said in a deep tone. His eyes pierced into Jax’s, and he closed his fingers around the crystal glass. The smell of cologne and pastries was thick around the house with anticipation ringing loud.“Nothing,” Jax spat and put his hands on his sides. “What’s going on in here?” he asked and looked around.The dining room was filled with more warriors, and some pack members who were present sat in the living room and talked.They held pieces of paper in their hands. The women were eagerly discussing whatever was written and others were fanning themselves with the envelopes.Jax stepped closer and listened. He heard the conversations around him. The women discussed gowns, and the u

The music played from the speaker, filling the room with the girls’ singing voices. They walked around in their robes and took a seat at the different stations that had been arranged for the pre-party preparations. One woman did their makeup, another did their hair, and the final one was laying out their clothes and picking out matching jewelry and shoes to go with the outfits.“How are you feeling?” Melissa asked.Her hair was being braided in two thin braids that would wrap around her head like a crown. They curled her hair and made it wavy as it fell down her back.“Nervous, but I’m glad you’re here,” Lola said. She reached out her hand and grabbed Melissa’s to gain some comfort.Lola’s hair was straight and fell down her back. The woman grabbed her hair and spun it before putting several pins with crystal beading underneath to lift it. Her hair now looked half the length. Two small locks fell in front of her face, framing it nicely.The event was in a few hours. Everyone was getti

It took them less than an hour to arrive at the chateau in the neighboring town. Jack opened the door for them, and Lola was the first to get out. She looked down the road they had driven on. Each side was lined with trees that bowed at the top, making a tunnel for the cars to drive up through.When she turned around to look at the house, she was struck by its beauty. In the middle, behind a grass-filled roundabout with a statue of a woman, was a mansion the size of Jax’s. What was taking her breath away was the towers that went up behind the main building. There were more floors than she could count from the outside, with three towers of different heights.Two more buildings were attached to the mansion on either side, both were big and part of the main building. The lamps along the exterior were lit up, shining a bright, warm light over the front yard.

Lola took her time to breathe after the incidental walk-in. She knew now that someone was guarding the door and that it wouldn’t be repeated, but she hated that she was constantly on high alert.The fear she’d felt when that door opened was as though her body prepared for a fight. Not a single mistake could happen without Lola immediately thinking it was life-threatening. It felt like an internal war shadowed her reality.Lola took a breath and then another before walking to the door. She plastered on a smile and thanked the kind woman for standing guard.“No worries, sweetheart,” she said and walked away.“Aren’t you going to use the bathroom?” Lola asked.She turned around, her head full of flaming red little curls.

Jax stood an inch from Casper. His mask had been torn away to let Casper see all the hatred he felt at that moment—the rage and the pending doom. Jax grabbed Casper’s head and snapped his neck like a twig on the ground.Lola turned to see that the door she’d unlocked was wide open, and the moonlight shone through in strings, lighting up the hay-filled barn. She saw Melissa standing in the door frame, trying to make sense of the scene in front of her. Her fingers touched the pendant around her neck, and the stone was bright, a shine that mimicked the moon. Jax was quickly over to Casper’s friend and pressed his hand into his chest. The man choked and gave a final warning when he saw in Jax’s eyes that he was not getting away. “You can’t save her. He’s coming, and he won’t stop until he has her.”