“Just Jeramiah Red,” Chris rolled his eyes. “The one and only CEO of Red Pharmaceutical. Father of the year to the outside world to his two, Golden children. Part of the top two percent. He’s a real fucking gem.”“No,” Dante shook his head, “I know that name. Jeramiah isn’t a common name. There is no way it’s a coincidence.”“Trust me when I tell you, my father may run a company, but he’s no Alpha wolf. He’s just a pompous asshole who thinks he’s better than everyone else because of his namesake,” Chris spoke through gritted teeth.His words made me frown. I’d always looked at my father like a God. He was kind, smart, and attentive. He would always smile when my mother never did. He treated me with respect when I chose to follow my own path, rather than suggesting I should be some rich trophy wife.But after our interaction about the Aconite pills, I’m not so sure how I feel. And then there is my issue with Marina. Why did my father have those photos locked away in his safe? A progres
“Can we talk?” Chris crossed his arms over his chest once we arrived back at the house.His features were stuck in a permanent state of frustration that only grew worse the closer we got to the house. Chris was never one to remain silent. The man didn’t know how. Even when he was younger, he was like a tiny politician. He had an answer for everything. An explanation for the unexplainable.But right now, he was silent.“I’ll wait in the car,” Shawn nodded with a tight-lipped smile, and just as I was about to protest, Chris offered a thanks.James pressed a kiss to my temple before his lips brushed against the shell of my ear, “I’ll be in my office.”“Would you like a drink?”“The strongest shit you have,” he muttered, sliding open the patio doors and stepping out without another word. His shoulders slumped as he gave me his back before flopping backwards onto one of the loungers.I hesitated staring at the array of liquor we had before settling on just grabbing the entire bottle of sco
“What do you want to do?” James whispered, peppering my shoulder with soft kisses.My lips pulled into a frown, “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I think today shockingly turned my brain into mush. I don’t even know how I’m going to go back to work tomorrow.”“Take the day off.” James’ voice soothed my soul as his fingertips applied just enough pressure to my aching muscles. “In three years, the only time I’ve seen you take off is when you were attacked by a shark and Dr. Orth refused to allow you to come in.”His fingers moved to my shoulders, and a groan bubbled from my chest, “But I love my job. I don’t think taking off for miniscule things is very Rosalind Red of me.”James chuckled, “Might I remind you that finding out your family are werewolves isn’t just a ‘miniscule’ thing?” There was a playfulness to his tone that instantly made me relax. That and the fact that his hands were magical.“You and Onyx really surprised me today.”I’ve seen James get jealous. I’ve heard Onyx spea
“I need a favor.”My office was quickly cleaned and put back together with new furniture and décor.Throwing my expensive leather dress shoes atop my new desk, I impatiently wait for Dante to respond. After what feels like a lifetime, I hear him sigh on the other end of the receiver, “Why is it that every time you say that, I feel a new wrinkle forming?”I groan in frustration, “Are you going to do it or not?”“Depends,” he chirps, pausing again just to piss me off. Unfortunately, Dante being my uncle makes him think that he can also be a pain in my ass. “Is this going to hurt your beautiful wife?”“This is for my beautiful wife,” I speak through gritted teeth. I want to be irritated with Dante for questioning me, but the fact that he’s willing to put Rosalind first warms my heart.‘He’s a good man. Very smart,’ Onyx mutters in my head, making me roll my eyes.“Start talking,” he mutters.“I need you to run detail on Marina for a few days. She’s gone silent, and Rosalind confessed to
I’ve never been inside of a Walmart before today. The place has far too many people moving around for my liking, and it smells like old fish.‘You’ve gone soft in your time parading around as a human,’ Onyx snarls, making me roll my eyes. He doesn’t understand the difference between a high-class supermarket versus this place. When you walk into my favorite family-run market, the smell of artisan coffee swirls around you. Baked goods linger in the air, and kind, familiar faces recognize you.Here, it’s like a swarm of bodies bustling through, tossing whatever junk they can into their cart to get out of here before the stench of old fish clings to their clothing.I need to make myself look like everyone else so that I can blend in. My face and style are far too recognizable and if I want to attempt to do what Dante does, I need to make sure that I look the part.The clothes section here has a surprising number of options, and I quickly grab a plain black t-shirt, black sweats, and a bla
James left early this morning for work and forbade me from going into the hospital. I called in with a family emergency, and there was no questioning. They knew if I was taking off, it was necessary, even though it didn't feel that way. Chris remained passed out on the back patio, and I’m not sure if I should force him awake or let him sleep off the shockwave that was yesterday. I still don't even know if I've managed to brush off the reality that I've been a werewolf my entire life and everyone I loved kept it from me..... and I've had weeks to process it.My phone buzzing against the countertop startles me, and I glance over to see that my father is calling.Begrudgingly, I grab the phone, hesitating as my finger hovers over the small green button. I’ve been avoiding talking to either of them. Since my meeting with my father and my mother’s explosion over the scathing interview I did with Mr. Arden; I’m not sure they even consider me a member of the Red family.“Hey dad,” I finally
A loud noise jars me awake and my eyes struggle to focus in my disoriented state. The sky is nearly black and rain pelts against the floor to ceiling windows at the rear of the house.The television remains on, but the show I’d been watching has long ended. Glancing at my phone, I blink away the sleepiness seeing that somehow, I’d managed to nap for the last five hours.Another loud crack startles me as the sky lights up with a flash of lightning. A few seconds later, the power goes out, causing complete darkness to blanket me. The storm raging outside is the only sound I hear, and I quickly grab my phone, illuminating the flashlight as I walk towards the rear windows.The backyard leading into the forest looks eerie blanketed in complete darkness. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and the feeling of being watched envelopes me as I squint my eyes, trying to see anything through the heavy sheets of rain.Another flash of lightning illuminates the sky, and I swear I saw someth
“Rosa,” James’ voice filters through the darkness, “Rosalind, baby.”My body shakes softly on my shoulders and my eyelids flutter. The lashes on my left eye are stuck to my face, and after a few attempts, they tear free.Bright lights above my head blind me as I blink away my disorientation.The sound of multiple different voices has my eyes panning around the room. EMS workers move quickly, rushing inside the small space and focusing their attention on Ahmed. I recognize a few of the faces rushing around me, but a relieved sigh falls from my lips as I finally focus on James.“What’s going on?”My voice sounds foreign and gravelly.“Are you injured?” James rushes out, coming back to my side and ignoring the emergency personnel shouting at him to back up.“My…” I start, trying to move the leg that had gotten bit, but it felt numb and stiff, “My leg and my ribs.”“What happened here?” The gold flecks in James’ eyes glitter beneath the harsh lights of the elevator, and his eyes soften as