“If—” My throat clenched, “When we find Lilac, what will she have the Order do? I know Phineas and Alpha Gideon well enough. This is going to come to war. What will she do to help us win?” Valeria stood from the sofa and smoothed down her pencil skirt with the palms of her hands. “She has plans of
Her warning was more for Hakeem than me. A few days ago, she’d hissed in pain after projecting too far. Hakeem had panicked and grabbed hold of her, making her decent back into her body even more taxing. Taking one final swig of water, she closed her eyes and slipped away. Seconds stretched into mi
Lilac’s P.O.V. Fifteen. That’s how many people Phineas had me kill over the following, hours, days, weeks. However long it’s been since I drained the life from Harriet’s body. Each time I closed my eyes, I’d see their faces. I’d hear the screams they let out, the way their voices cracked as they
The crack of a whip cleaving the air in two sliced a path through the numbness slithering through my veins. Every muscle in my body tensed, roaring with pain from being suspended above ground for so long. The steady clack, clack, clack of Phineas’s shoes hitting the floor grew closer. “I will have
I struggled to hold my head up. The Whisperer inched closer to my side and spoke low in my ear. “Tell him about the cabin I sent you and Nox to. Tell him that’s where Nox’s troops plan to meet. I’ll make sure there’s a surprise there waiting for him. I would’ve smiled if it didn’t feel like I was be
Lilac’s P.O.V. His smoke and shadow eyes widened at the sound of my voice. “Don’t think I enjoyed any of what was done to you. It had to be this—” I rolled my eyes and shoved half of the buttered roll into my mouth. “Yeah, yeah, I already know. It had to be this way. There was no other option. Bla
“He’s a monster.” I already knew this, but I felt the need to say it out loud. “Yes, and he needs to be put down.” After Kalix’s confession, there was a tangible change between the two of us. He was trusting me to keep his identity a secret, and part of me wanted to trust him in return. With my s
Nox’s P.O.V. “Got here as fast as I could.” Hakeem panted, thundering into the room wearing nothing more than a pair of standard issue sweats. “When do we head out? Tell me it’s soon.” I looked up from the map sprawled across my desk, blinking the towns and cities from my eyes. Washington state wa
Kalix froze. In fact, I was pretty sure we all froze. “My wife is pregnant?” “Yes.” Natasha nodded. “With my baby?” “No, the mailman’s.” She snorted, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Who else would it be?” “I’m going to be a father?” A giggle bubbled past her lips. “That’s typically what happe
I recognized the look on Kalix’s face whenever his sister and Shayla were in the same room. The mixture of awe, terror, and bliss was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. We had everything we could’ve ever wanted and would do anything to keep it that away. “Where’s Natasha and Hakeem?” Shayla aske
Nox’s P.O.V. Six Years Later “You no good cheater!” I heard my mate belt from across the backyard. Her father’s boisterous laugh followed, drawing my eyes. The two of them stood in the stand pit off to the side of the pool and were currently hitting a volleyball back and forth. Jada and Brinley w
I threaded my arm through his and patted his hand. “Well, now you can focus on other things.” A gleam of nervousness filled his eyes. “So, is everything ready for tonight?” Shayla often mentioned how flustered she’d get by Kalix’s smooth charm, but she was the only one who failed to see how nervou
Mom beamed, tears blossoming in her eyes as she threw her arms around our shoulders. We clung to her side chuckling when Jada raced forward to blot her make-up with a microfiber cloth. “I’m sorry, I’m just so happy. I never thought I’d get to see this moment. Goddess, I’m so grateful. I’ve got both
Lilac’s P.O.V. Three Years Later “This itches.” I grunted, picking at the lace clinging to my rear. “Mark my words, I’m going to have a rash on my ass by the end of the night.” “No scratching!” Shayla smacked my hand away, a playful grin curling at her lips. Since disappearing on a little trip w
“Your aura has never been brighter.” She murmured quietly in my ear, a bright smile warming her face. A few minutes later, Diego called our names and invited us onto the stage. I laced my arm through Nox’s and followed his lead. No less than six cameras were stationed on us, each one set at a diff
The tension faded from her shoulders as she nodded. “Thank you for being there for me. I never meant to put you in a spot. Anyway, you came here for a reason, right? Don’t let my tears chase you off.” “You sure?” I paused, “It’s not exactly a light topic.” “None of our conversations this past wee
Lilac’s P.O.V. One Week Later “How have you been?” Natasha turned from where she sat on the balcony and smiled softly. Pain lingered behind the action. I should know considering I’d made that same expression a time or two. She motioned me forward, gesturing to the chair beside her. I sat down fo