The bathroom door swung open, cutting off my reply. My heartbeat accompanied the heavy thud of Ghost’s combat boots as he stomped his way inside. His expression was one of cold murder, but that didn’t stop my eyes from dropping down to his chest.Why wasn’t he wearing a shirt? And was that blood?A
AnastasiaA spark of delight lit up her face. She sat up straighter and wiped her eyes. "Really? You'd do that with me?"I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! My mom taught me to cook too. What's your specialty?"A ghost of a smile played on her lips. "Pumpkin pie. Mom always said mine was the best
She laughed at my flustered expression. "Come on, you can tell me. I promise I won't repeat anything."I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to navigate this minefield without revealing too much. "Like you said, Caius is difficult. He can be the biggest jerk you’ve ever met, but he's also i
AnastasiaCaius's eyes flashed with anger and pain as he stared at the apron. His jaw clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might crack. Of course, because the Goddess had some sort of vendetta against me, Knight chose that moment to walk in. My heart was beating so hard and fast I could feel it s
Fallon moved confidently to take a seat beside Damon, leaving me standing by myself. My eyes darted between the empty chairs, trying to decide which one to take. There was one beside Ghost, and another next to Caius. The one beside Ghost looked safest, far enough from Caius that I wouldn’t have to e
AnastasiaThe scent of burning wood enveloped me as I entered. Velvet couches and armchairs were arraigned around a brick fireplace, so plush they looked like they’d swallow me the moment I sat down. The walls were adorned with expensive paintings and tapestries. Velvet drapes lined windows that loo
As they passed by, Knight's gaze landed on me. For a moment, recognition flickered in his eyes."Ana," he mumbled. "M'sorry. Didn't mean ...the apron...wasn't your fault."My heart clenched. Even in this state, he was trying to apologize to me."It's okay," I said softly.The week leading up to the
AnastasiaMy eyes widened as we stepped inside.The foyer was grand and imposing, with arched doorways, high ceilings, and intricate details carved into every surface. The walls were a deep burgundy, accented with a dark trim.Straight ahead was an open doorway leading into a lounge. Menacing-lookin
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