Shawn blew out a weighted breath, “I did.”I expected more from him. Anything more. Shawn was never one to be at a loss for words, but right now, the only thing he said was I did. It’s been five years since I sent that letter. Five years I wondered if he’d gotten it. And I told myself it wouldn’t matter if he did. But I hoped he didn’t, because I poured my heart into every word that went onto that page. Tears blurred the writing as I laid out a nine year long crush onto a single sheet of loose leaf paper. The last line I wrote on that paper was: With you, I am home. When I’d written that line, I meant it with every fiber of my being. Shawn was always there growing up. He got me like no one else did. And no matter how things were at home, he made it seem so insignificant. He was the one person in my life that truly felt like home. He still does. None of that matters now. I moved on with James. I’m married. I’m married. It was just a stupid letter that I’d written in the heat of
I don’t know what I was thinking bringing Rosa to Blackwood.I’ve not been able to return outside of the day I left the hospital. The wound still feels as fresh as it was all those years ago. My sleep has been plagued with tiny flashes of what happened that day, but nothing that will actually help me.Each night I’ve woken up covered in a cool layer of sweat, picking apart each nightmare in hopes that I’ll come up with something, but it’s been fruitless and left me in a sour mood.Putting distance between Rosalind and I has been necessary because she doesn’t deserve to put up with my shitty attitude.I came down to my gym for the fourth day in a row, pounding my fists against the punching bag. I didn’t bother wrapping them today. The pain was a welcome change to the building frustrating that I felt surging through my body.The muscles in my arms glistened with sweat as I pushed my body to its breaking point. I needed the distraction.My phone buzzed on the weight bench, flashing with
Shawn released his grip on me, and we both slowly turned around to see James standing with his jaw muscles locked tight.In his hands, he held the most beautiful bouquet of stargazer lilies mixed with a variety of yellow and orange roses.“What are you doing here?”His eyes flicked up to meet Shawn’s and they were locked in an angry stare off.“Am I not allowed to visit my wife whenever I feel the urge?” he returned my question with a question, closing the distance between us and crushing his lips against mine. The way he kissed me felt possessive, and I wanted to push him away because of the way he’s been acting, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.Another morsel.Shawn finally broke his angry staring, turning towards me, “Thank you for fitting me in today. I really appreciate it. We’ll catch up soon,” he nodded with a smile.“Of course. It was no problem at all.” My voice came out as a breathy whisper as I was still reeling from that kiss.He walked past James, nodding on his way
“Haven’t seen that face in person in a hot minute,” my grandfather entered my office without a knock. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied as of late.”My grandfather was a workhorse, which meant I was supposed to inherit those genes. Where he was obsessive about the job, I was obsessive about a certain woman who’d taken over my every thought. “Wooing that gem of a wife you’ve got,” he winked, walking over to the floor to ceiling windows and gazing out over the city, “At least I hope so.” He tossed a look over his shoulder before returning his attention to the rising sun. I’d gotten here early in hopes that I’d get out of here early, but it seems I underestimated the amount of paperwork that I’d neglected over the past few weeks. “I took her to Blackwood.”I heard my grandfather audibly swallow, “And why’d you go and do that?”Anger bubbled beneath my skin. My grandfather has good intentions, but his distance from the werewolf world is just pathetic. Sure, he’s created something beautiful
James was back on edge when he arrived back home from work. Normally, I wouldn’t pry. But after our date last night, I felt like I was on cloud nine. He continues to give me tiny glimpses into his life, and I want him to know that I am here. For the good, the bad, and the ugly. “Did something happen today?” I leaned against the countertop, trying to sound stronger than I was. New Rosalind wasn’t going to cower in the presence of her husband. I didn’t want to be afraid to ask him questions. And I didn’t want him to be afraid to answer.James had been sitting on a stool with his elbows resting on the granite. His head was hung low and besides a quick hello, he hadn’t said anything more. His eyes lifted to meet mine, “Marina paid me a visit to my office today.”The mention of her name had my heart racing in my chest, “How is she?” James released a heavy breath, “You don’t have to pretend to like her, Rosalind.”“Okay,” I whispered, choosing my words carefully, “Why was she there?” I
As I sit here staring into James’ sparkling green eyes, I see they’re blown wide with lust. His hands hold a punishing grip on my hips, keeping me in place, not that I’d want to be anywhere other than right here. I’ve never been more turned on in my life. For years I questioned if James found me attractive. If I’d ever be the woman that he looks at and feels that undeniable desire like I have. I’ve undressed him hundreds of times in my head. Imagined what it would be like to have his body hovering above me. Sweat glistening off our skin. I’ve even wondered what he tastes like. But never have I thought those thoughts would be reciprocated…. Until now. “You might be my wife, Rosalind. But I will not take you,” he pulled back, jerking his hips again, “Until you call off the divorce.”It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my body. I’d entirely forgotten about the impending divorce. The one that I’d initiated. A perfectly straight, white row of teeth pulled Jame
James stood in the doorway of the bathroom; his lips slightly parted as he adjusted the bulge in his pants. My eyes widened when the realization that he’d just seen me pleasure myself. Did he hear me moan his name?Embarrassment washed over me like a tidal wave. I tried to cover my body with my hands, but James growled, “Don’t you dare.”Once again, my eyes widened as they met his. He continued palming at his length straining against the zipper of his pants.“Wha…. What are you doing here?” The words left my lips as more of a squeak. “Do I need an excuse to come back home to my wife?” his words reignited the heat in my core, and my legs squeezed together beneath the water. James stepped closer, his eyes leaving a trail of fire over my body. Bubbles concealed most of my nudeness, but my nipples peaked just about the surface. “The image of you coming from your fingers is going to be burned into my mind forever, Rosalind,” he ran his fingers through his hair, “The way your lips parte
“Are we going to talk about last night?” I chewed on my lower lip, staring at James. He’d just climbed out of a shower. A towel hung low on his hips, stealing my attention.Whatever happened yesterday changed something between us. His movements froze mid reach for a dress shirt, “Do you have something you’d like to talk about?”That was the million-dollar question. Did I want to bring attention to the obvious shift in our relationship, or pretend like this is how it’s always been and ignore the obvious Elephant in the room? I’ve dreamed of moments like these for years. And it all started with a kiss on the couch last night. This morning, I’m laying on my stomach in James’ bed, watching him get ready for work. His head appeared around the door frame, “You obviously have something on your mind, Rosalind.”A heavy breath slipped from my lips as they pulled down, “I guess I just feel like we went from zero to one hundred really fast….” I paused, completely forgetting what I was going t
“I’ve increased security and will be checking in hourly. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” James held my annoyed stare, knowing that nothing was getting in or out of these walls without him knowing.He held up his hands in mock surrender, “Fine. FINE. I get it,” he stepped towards me, his large frame crowding my space. My butt hit the counter and my crutches fell to the ground. James lifted me with ease and placing me atop the cool, granite countertop. A shiver rolled through my body as the chill seeped into my skin, “I’m allowed to worry about you, you know?”“Worry all you want, but don’t stop letting me live. Please. I’ll be fine and I trust that all of the additional security measures you’ve put in place will keep me extra safe,” I pecked his lips, attempting to pull away quickly, but he grabbed my face, crashing our lips together in a searing kiss.James held me there until we were both breathless, and my chest ached from the lack of oxygen.“The office can wait,” he growled
James assisted me into a house, where the smell of bleach assaulted me the moment I walked through the threshold. A crew of cleaners froze as we walked inside, but a single look from James had them scurrying back to their jobs.The glass had been removed and the blood no longer stained the white porcelain. A new pane of glass shimmered beneath the midday sun, and I found myself frozen as I stared at the picture-perfect home.“It feels weird to see looking how it was before,” I whispered, still feeling the fear of that night swim through my veins. The large floor to ceiling window overlooked the forest in the backyard, and I silently wondered if that fear would multiply once the sun went down and the shadows of the night came out to play.James pressed his lips to my temple, “I replaced the glass from before with something graded to be bullet proof. Nothing will get through those windows again.”A shiver rolled down my spine. Either James replaced the window with bulletproof glass to m
I was finally cleared to go home from the hospital, but I’m not quite sure how to feel about it. On one hand, I missed my bed and the comfort of my own home. On the other, I didn’t know how to feel about being there after the attack.Not to mention my mind has been running in circles since Marina showed up here yesterday.James came shortly after she left, but something seemed off, and I wanted to dissect everything that Marina had said before confronting James about it. But even more confusing was the fact that she’d specifically said a wolf bite, when she shouldn’t have known that small fact.She couldn’t have known that unless she orchestrated it or James had told her about it, but I was leaning towards her orchestrating the attack.“How’s Ahmed?” I glanced up at James as he wheeled me out to the awaiting car.“He’s awake and recovering. I’ve placed him on paid leave and instructed his wife to come to me if they need anything at all,” James’ voice held an edge to it, but I didn’t c
The inside of the house looked like a massacre. Tiny shards of glass decorated the floor like snow. Some of the larger bits were painted with a deep, blackish crimson from the dried blood, and the smell was nauseating.‘These were definitely rogues,’ Onyx spat through gritted teeth, his anger blending with mine the more we assessed the scene.Through it all, I could smell Rosalind’s blood, and the thought of them hurting her while I was off chasing some ignorant lead on Marina made my blood boil with anger. But the anger was directed at myself.I should have been here. I should have been the one to protect her, and Ahmed did his best, but one man against multiple wolves just didn’t succeed.Rainwater had flooded most of the evidence, causing it to spread before drying. The cops wouldn’t be able to pull anything from this mess. Not anything concrete anyways.I’d learned the hard way how easily evidence can be destroyed. If you’re not on the scene within a tiny window of time, your succ
“Rosalind,” Chris shouted, shouldering through a group of nurses who were conveniently gossiping about James. They still couldn’t believe he was married to a woman like me. Sure, I was a doctor, but that wasn’t anything special when the most eligible, billionaire bachelor in Georgia was in the running. He was like a God around here. And me? Well, I was simply an average looking woman who also happened to be a doctor. My status as a Red didn’t mean a damn thing, because I wasn’t a hot man who also happened to have enough money to buy the entire United States and not blink an eye. “What the fuck?” Chris muttered; eyes wide as he stared at my elevated leg. Blood had seeped through the bandages because they couldn’t seal the wound and for someone who doesn’t see this kind of thing on a regular basis, it was pretty disgusting. “Close the curtain,” I whispered, and he did quickly, rushing back to my side.“Was that,” he pointed at my injury, “From one of them.”“We are one of them,” I n
Pure, unfiltered rage didn’t even begin to describe the poisonous feeling flooding through my veins. The anger feels like a living, breathing thing.Like a Goddamned snake slithering its way beneath my skin, releasing toxic poison in the form of fury that bleeds into every square inch of my body.I want the heads of every single person who stepped foot on my property last night. I don’t give a shit who they were or what they were doing there. If they accidentally stumbled upon the forest at the back of the property…. I’m going to find them and make them pay.Since my driver is now fighting for his life in the hospital with Rosalind, I’m forced to call and wait for a driving service to offer me a temp replacement for Ahmed.A few painstaking minutes pass while I pace a hole in the cement out front of the hospital, sweating from the sweltering, humid Georgia heat before the damn driver finally shows up.‘He is clearly incompetent,’ Onyx spats in my head, ‘Ahmed would never keep us waiti
“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
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
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