One month later.There’s a knock on my door, which startles me. I wearily drag myself off the couch and trudge to answer it. I never realized how tired depression can make a person because my legs feel like they’re made of concrete, even as a five-hundred-pound gorilla sits on my shoulders. Opening the door, I lean against it as Jeon holds up a pizza, a worried expression on her face.“Hey girlfriend. You look bad. Have you been eating?”“Yes,” I say shortly, standing back to let her in.“Sure you are,” she responds, waltzing in. Her brown eyes scan my apartment.“You bought a TV,” she asks incredulously.I shrug. “So what?”“You hate TV, Eva. You’re so anti-technology that you wouldn’t even watch the TV at my place. But what do you have on?”She walks over to my couch, pushing my pillow and blanket out of the way, and grabs my remote before pushing the green “Info” button.“Friends and Lovers. Interesting. I had no idea you were into stuff like this.”I sigh and sit down heavily next
Jonathan One month later.“Jonathan, focus, my man, focus!”I look up from my steaming coffee into Raisa’s irritated face. Oh shit, was I distracted again? Nonetheless, I glare at my agent, not caring that he’s been talking at me for the last half hour. My mind is totally on Eva, the way it has been since she sailed away a month ago.“You’re thinking about that chick again, aren’t you?” Raisa sighs.“That chick has a name and it’s your fault I lost her in the first place,” I growl.“My fault? I don’t think so, pal. I’m not the one who was masquerading as a janitor.”I roll my eyes.“For your information, I was the caretaker. And I wasn’t masquerading, I just didn’t tell her everything.”He shakes his head with disbelief.“Yeah, and this is my fault. Okay.”“Alright, alright I know,” I sigh, clunking my head down on the table in the diner. “You don’t understand Raisa. She’s special.”My agent snorts.“No my friend, she’s not. She’s just another woman who’s taking advantage of you to ge
Eva“Eva, I’m at the store. Do you think yellow is a good neutral color for a baby?”I sigh into the phone and smile.“Ma, stop buying clothes! You’ve already clothed my baby for the next two years. I’m running out of storage space.”“Oh, it’s okay honey! Just one more item for my new grandchild.”I can just picture my mom in a high-end baby boutique, holding clothes and gossiping into the phone in her Cuban accent.“No Ma, if you want to help, please buy diapers.”“Eva, your father is hoarding all the diapers in the city. You don’t have to worry about that,” my mom scolds.I hold the phone to my ear with my shoulder and finish smearing cream cheese on my bagel. Now that I’m about two months into my pregnancy, I can’t stop eating and devour everything in sight.“Then buy me maternity clothes, extra-large, Ma. I’m ballooning,” I say with a wry smile. My mom merely coos.“No, my love. You are beautiful. You are growing my grandchild. Eat. Eat!” I take a bite of my bagel to oblige. “I lo
“Well, I still have a while before the baby’s born. I finished pulling the photos for my next book together, and it’s in production now. I think we’ll be able to launch pretty soon, and that’ll be a whirlwind. But after that’s over, I can take some time off and hopefully get back out there and start shooting again. I’ll probably do more local shoots until the baby is old enough to travel.”Jeon nods, sipping her tea.“So you’re going to take the baby with you when you’re working? To Africa and South America?”I merely shrug.“Yes, that’s the plan, but we’ll see. Maybe not super far-flung locations at first, but eventually yes.”My friend nods thoughtfully.“And is the father okay with this?”I sigh. I knew this was coming.“You know I don’t want to talk about the father.”My friend lets out an exasperated sigh.“I just don’t get it, Eva. You’re always so careful, so what happened? Plus, why all the secrecy? Are you going to leave “Father” blank on the baby’s birth certificate?”I shru
Like a madman, I tear through the exit of the garage and into traffic, causing several cars to slam on their brakes. Soon, I’m on the freeway cruising. Thank god. There are no cars following me and I make an executive decision to head to my parents’ neighborhood to hide out for a while. The paparazzi wouldn’t know where Ana and Ronald live, would they?The drive is a speedy fifteen minutes and as I exit the highway, I’m feeling a little bit calmer. Stopping at a red light, I quickly pull out my phone and scroll through fifteen text messages from Jeon and thirteen missed phone calls from my mom. God, what is going on? Is the world losing its head? The light turns green and I ease forward into the intersection but then a large blue sedan, coming from the opposite direction, blows through their red light and before I can react, T-bones my side of the car.There isn’t much after that. It’s a mixture of fear, pain and adrenalin. There’s silence for a little bit, and the sound of a hissing
JonathanThe flight to Miami is uneventful, to say the least. It should have taken longer but I have to admit that I pushed my plane a bit harder than advisable. I love flying, and the first thing I did out of high school was to join the Air Force. The first thing I did when I made enough money as an actor was to buy a plane.After I land in a private airport in Miami, I make my way out of the doors to get a car called. As usual, immediately I’m bombarded by the paparazzi. I try to keep my head on straight, but it’s difficult. They always know what to say to push my buttons, and how to get me to react. They’re professionals, after all, and they actually get paid more if I cause a scene on video.But then, the questions take on a new tone.“Jonathan, Jonathan! Is it true you’re dating a photographer?”“How long have you guys been together?”“Do you have a comment about the fact that you’ve been secretly wooing Eva Hale?”What the fuck? How the hell did they figure it out?“No comment,
“I’m Eva’s father, Ron.”“Sir, I…”He holds up a hand.“Don’t. We’ll talk later. Right now, Eva wants you.”He turns without another word and heads towards the elevators. I follow humbly behind him. We wait for an older couple to exit before entering the elevator, and I chance a glance at Ron’s profile.“How is she?” I venture.He frowns.“For a collision like that, she’s alright.”I feel like I can’t catch my breath and my voice cracks as it comes out.“Mr. Hale, please I never wanted this for her. I love…”“Don’t.”He exhales heavily, refusing to meet my eyes.“Look son, Eva hasn’t told us anything but the briefest details. I used my powers of deduction to figure out what you are to my daughter. I don’t understand your decision and frankly, I don’t care. All I care about is my daughter and my grandchild.”“I care about her too,” I say. “I was giving her space and also I didn’t know how to find her. Sir, your daughter…” I have to stop and take a deep breath as emotions course through
Eva“Come on, Ana,” my dad says to my mom, who’s hovering over Jonathan and I. “Let’s give them a minute alone.”She glares at him.“No, I will not leave me daughter. Anything they say, they say in front of me too.”“Ana,” my dad admonishes, his mustache quivering.My mom sighs and gets to her feet.“I will be right outside the door, mi amore,” she says and leans over to kiss my forehead. “You just holler if you need anything.”“Thanks Mom,” I whisper.My voice is hoarse and my throat is dry from the air conditioning. Ana and my father leave the room as Jeon grins at me from the corner of my hospital room.“Jonathan Masters,” she clucks, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you kept this from me, girlfriend! I’m going to get you back for this.”She pats Jonathan on the shoulder and also leaves. He looks a bit uncomfortable, but that’s to be expected. Meanwhile, Jonathan the kitten is staring at his namesake with adoring eyes, which looks a bit ridiculous since the cat is so small wherea
“Không, nhưng tôi nghĩ tối nay anh ấy sẽ cầu hôn,” Liam nói. “Nó chỉ hợp lý thôi. Hôm qua, tôi tình cờ nghe được cuộc trò chuyện qua điện thoại của anh ấy với ai đó - tôi nghĩ là một nhân viên PR nào đó. Westcliff nói rằng nhà vua sẽ đưa ra thông báo sau vài ngày nữa - ý tôi là về Hoàng tử Haydn. Westcliff cũng muốn thông báo về việc đính hôn của chúng tôi vào khoảng thời gian đó. Nó có ý nghĩa. ”Jules đã nghiên cứu kỹ lưỡng về anh trai mình.Khuôn mặt đáng yêu của Liam rất khó đọc, nhưng đôi mắt của anh ấy không hẳn là ánh lên hạnh phúc.“You don’t have to say yes,” Jules said, feeling painfully uncomfortable. He was so damn torn about the subject he didn’t know what advice to give. He didn’t want Liam to marry an alpha he didn’t love for the sake of their family, but… He was scared that if he told Liam not to marry Westcliff, it would be selfish advice.To make things more confusing, there was a small, horrible part of him that did want Westcliff as the alpha of their family. That
Except even that fantasy wasn’t enough. Thinking about the Xeus just made his broken bond ache. Ache and hurt like an old wound that was starting to bleed again. The pain somehow amplified the desire, and soon Jules was half-sobbing into his pillow, his hips pushing greedily onto the dildo. Need him, need him, can’t need him, need him. Gone, need him, gone. I need—I need—I need. It was fucking horrible. Jules had never felt worse in his life, his muscles trembling, his cock sore, his body oversensitive and needy, and his bond aching.So he tried not to think about his Xeus. He made himself think of other alphas, trying to tell himself that any alpha would do. Any alpha with a thick, hard cock would do. He was desperate enough to almost believe it.He imagined going to a ball, his cock stiff and his slick dribbling down his leg. He imagined alphas turning toward him, their nostrils flaring and their cocks straining their pants. He would be attractive to alphas for once. They would want
Julian flushed. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, after…”After sex.Devlin gave a clipped nod, clasping his hands behind his back. His fingers and his jawline itched, as they did when he was on the verge of transforming. Through sheer willpower, he managed to keep his claws in.It was a normal enough reaction, to feel protective of a young omega he cared about.It was.“But the bond took?” he said, his voice very neutral.Julian nodded, not looking at him. “We were naturally compatible.”Devlin’s claws dug into his palm. He turned away and walked to the window.He took a deep breath, staring at Dainiri’s nearly full disk, and then another, until he had his claws under control.“I see,” he heard himself say. “The risk still exists, then. Medical intervention might be needed.”“What do you mean?” Julian said. “More suppressants?”“Increasing the dose again might do more harm than good,” Devlin said stiffly. “I’m hardly a doctor, but even I know that you can’t keep changing yo
Ignoring the question, Devlin studied him carefully. “Do you feel better?”“What?” Julian said, his brows knitting together.Devlin looked at him sharply. “Your brother said you didn’t feel well.”Julian averted his gaze. “Right! Of course. I feel better now. Much better—”“You didn’t want to go with us.”The omega winced, but he didn’t even try to deny it. So it was true.It shouldn’t have bothered him. It really was none of his business.“Why?” Devlin said.Julian shrugged. “It’s not exactly fun being a third wheel.” He still wouldn’t meet Devlin’s eyes.“You’re not telling the truth,” Devlin said, becoming more certain of it the longer Julian avoided looking at him. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him.It shut with a click.“What are you doing?” Julian said. “And I’m not lying. You think it’s fun—”“Julian,” Devlin said quietly. “Look at me.”After a moment, the omega finally did as he was told. There was a half-scowl on his face but some other emotion in his eyes
“All ri—” Liam started saying, but Devlin cut him off.“Your brother can’t leave the ball with me,” he said, looking at Julian. “You don’t want any nasty rumors to start flying around, do you?”He could actually hear Julian grind his teeth.“Fine,” he said, still sounding a mix of annoyed and bewildered.The helicopter ride to the Blake house was a strange one. Liam was the only one talking, chattering non-stop about the perfection that was Viscount Nasr while Julian determinedly didn’t look at Devlin.Devlin bored his eyes into him, his fingertips tingling, his claws itching to come out. He curled his hands into fists and breathed shallowly, trying to ignore the way Julian smelled. It was impossible. Julian fucking reeked. He reeked of another alpha. Devlin wanted to fix it, run his hands all over the brat, until he smelled right.It was probably a good thing that Julian was the first to jump out of the helicopter when they arrived, because Devlin didn’t trust himself.Tearing his ga
Julian glared at him, his cheekbones a little pink. “That was a dick move,” he said, glancing back at Nasr, who was left standing in the middle of the dance floor.“He’s much too old for you,” Devlin said, stroking his thumb against Julian’s wrist.“Stop scent-marking me,” Julian gritted out, his color heightening. “And he isn’t too old. He’s half Korf’s age.”“That shouldn’t be your measuring stick,” Devlin said. “I told you I wouldn’t allow your uncle to give you to Korf. You deserve better.”Julian chuckled. “Better? Who?”Devlin’s lips thinned. “Someone better than Nasr.”“There’s nothing wrong with Viscount Nasr. He’s perfectly nice and pleasant, and he actually sees me for being me. I’ve known him forever—he has a neighboring estate. He was always nice to me when I was a child.”“That hardly says good things about him, does it? What a creep.”Julian stomped on his right foot. “You’re being an ass,” he said, his voice a mix of annoyed and bewildered. He blinked a few times. “I do
Their date that day was unexpectedly tedious.Devlin found it difficult to keep his attention on his date, his mood sour and distracted. He was aware that he was acting like a dick, his attitude probably too cold and unapproachable. Liam seemed to have given up on trying to strike up a conversation with him after a few hesitant attempts and focused his attention entirely on the aircar race. When Liam spoke, he spoke only to the beta chaperone who had accompanied them to the race.By the time the race was over, Devlin had a headache once again, his body brimming with tension and anxiety, the source of which he couldn’t pinpoint. He barely had the patience to smile for the paparazzi as they left the track, and his smile was probably very strained. Hopefully he didn’t actually look like he wanted to punch someone.He dropped Liam off, and then he hesitated, looking at the Blake house. It would be only polite to inquire how Julian was feeling.Devlin pulled his phone out of his pocket and
Several weeks passed like that. Westcliff called on Liam and took him out on dates, putting on that disgustingly charming mask he wore in public. More often than not, Jules accompanied them, serving as a chaperone, for appearances’ sake—officially. Unofficially, he kind of… he went because he wanted to be around the duke. It freaked him out that he felt addicted to the way Westcliff made him feel, but he couldn’t help himself. It felt so good, especially when Westcliff allowed him to rub his face against his scent gland—the euphoria was beyond his ability to express properly. Afterward, Jules felt so embarrassed, but thankfully, Westcliff didn’t make fun of him and always acted as if there was nothing weird about his behavior. “Better?” he would say in a quiet murmur, and Jules would flush and nod and look anywhere but at him. Every time he told himself it was the last time, but his resolve melted into a mass of goo the next time he saw the duke. It was horrible. Horribly addictive.
Jules ôm lại anh trai mình, nhưng cảm giác lo lắng, bất an dưới da anh không thể biến mất. Ngược lại với ý muốn của mình, anh thấy mình đang nghĩ đến cảm giác an toàn như thế nào trong vòng tay của Westcliff ngày hôm qua, như thể không gì có thể chạm vào anh hay làm anh bị thương. Có lẽ có Westcliff làm alpha của họ sẽ không phải là một điều tồi tệ. Có lẽ anh nên cho anh ta một cơ hội. *** Quyết tâm của Jules để cho Westcliff một cơ hội kéo dài chính xác cho đến khi Westcliff gọi điện cho họ - trên Liam - vào buổi chiều. Anh không biết điều gì ở người đàn ông này đã khiến anh nổi gai ốc, tự ý thức và chỉ trích thái quá. Đó là một sự kết hợp kỳ lạ giữa các cảm xúc, nhưng anh không thể không nhìn Westcliff bằng ánh mắt dò xét, hoài nghi khi công tước đang nói chuyện nhỏ với Liam và chú Wayne. Thằng khốn thậm chí còn chưa liếc nhìn anh một lần kể từ khi bước vào phòng. Jules khoanh tay trước ngực, sau đó không bắt chéo chúng. Nhặt chiếc máy tính bảng trên chiếc bàn trong góc, anh n