AnastasiaWe entered Nordelaia, the wedding venue Evangeline had painstakingly picked out.I didn’t say it nearly enough, but my best friend was a goddess send.My jaw practically unhinged as we were escorted through sprawling gardens jam packed with wildflowers by Maverick and his security team. Th
“These men in here will present during the reception,” Maverick explained. “They’ll blend in, of course, so as not to cause any alarm, but make no mistake. I chose each one specifically for their offensive abilities. Should anything happen—anything at all—they can and will protect you.”Well, that w
AnastasiaIt was a surprise to everyone (other than me, of course) when Evangeline snarled back.“Better get used to it. She was mine first, dick!”Knight popped up behind Maverick and Caius. His brows shot up as he saw Evangeline with her legs wrapped around my waist, clinging to me like a damn spi
How had I gotten so lucky?Evangeline’s lips curled into a smile. Not one borne of necessity, but a genuine smile. “Come on, girl. Let’s get you into the killer dress I chose. I can’t wait to see the look on that brute’s face when he gets an eye of you.”Ten minutes later I stood in front of the gil
Evangeline clasped a hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide.“His seer told him we’d survive the attempt, but I think he would’ve done it regardless just to make sure his daughter was safe.”“Imagine that, Ana…having a parent willing to go to such lengths to get you back.”“I know. Believe me, I k
AnastasiaFor a moment, one fleeting moment, I thought everything would be alright.That was, until Evangeline started screaming bloody murder.“NO! No, no, no. Abso-fucking-lutely not! Not you, not me, and certainly not—not this! I reject you—gah, stop looking at me like that!”Eva’s skin was glowi
“It doesn’t matter what I want, Ana. You know my mother. She will never, ever let me go. She’s already meeting suitors in private to,” Her eyes darkened, “secure me a match. Even Nyla knows that what we have is temporary.” Fists clenching, she schools her face into a mask of disdain and comes over t
AnastasiaThe ceremony passed by in a blur of faces and colors. A sweet, whimsical melody carried me down the aisle, and as much as I wanted to look around at all of Evangeline’s hard work, I couldn’t.My eyes were homed on one thing and one thing alone.My mate. My fiancé. My soon-to-be husband.Hi
The healer arrived then, knocking softly on the door. I didn’t pay them any mind as they entered, or as they touched around my forehead with cold fingers. My mind was lost, replaying Caius’s words.Once the healer left, taking with them my throbbing headache, I took a slow, steady breath and looked
AnastasiaCaius’s jaw clenched, his eyes flashing dangerously. A crack of thunder sounded from outside. “I should have torn them apart,” he growled, his voice low and menacing.I shrugged, trying to maintain my nonchalant facade. Caius’s rage was like being swept away in a storm. “You didn’t know. B
I watched in utter bewilderment as his face slowly transformed into a grin.“You steal my shirt, interrupt my hangover, and now you’re making jokes?”At some point we must’ve made it to his office, because he nudged open the door and stepped inside all without jostling my coffee. The retort died in
AnastasiaI had done an excellent job of avoiding Caius all morning. Or so I thought.Once Evangeline went home, I froze time long enough to make a mad dash downstairs. The throbbing in my head was relentless. Every werewolf knew magic and alcohol did not mix, but most of us were too stubborn to lis
“I’m doing this because I’m a good person,” I announced, purely because I was becoming more and more intoxicated, and I needed to remind myself why I shouldn’t go through with Evangeline’s revenge plot. This felt like the simplest reason. “Hype me up before I do something I’ll regret, and we both kn
AnastasiaEvangeline’s eyes shimmered with mischief. “I have a fun fact for you. The Windsor family spent upwards of 1.4 million dollars in PR firms, cybersecurity experts, and legal teams. They staged a scrub that spanned the globe, Ana. That takes money and power. It’s like CIA level shit. I’m tal
“Blackwell adventures.” As we descended into laughter, neither of us commented on the undertone of sadness in our voices, or how it fell upon the room like a dark shroud.I leaned back against the headboard and searched through the snippets of my memory. “There was something else. At one point the h
Anastasia“I’m a coward, aren’t I?” I brought my knees up to my chest with a huff. The bruises peppered along my body had healed long ago, but still I felt the phantom ache, the incessant reminder, of what had happened between Caius and I in that forest.I swore it was the mark playing tricks on me,
“This entire thing is incredibly barbaric,” I whisper-hissed. “They didn’t let me clean myself, as I’m sure you and everyone else know.”Radiating an air of pure smugness, Caius leaned down and murmured in my ear. “Because I ordered them not to.”As if on cue, an upbeat melody drifted through the ai