I guess in the end, there was no getting around this. If Isabella knew, then Ayla would know soon enough too."It was your cousin." I'm blurting out the words before I even truly have time to reconsider. "The one that instigated the entire bet was Celia because of her jealousy."Growing quiet, I wai
[Ayla’s POV]My heart hammers in my chest as I find myself getting lost in the depths of Aera’s dark eyes as they take me in, waiting for me to give him the go-ahead to close the distance between us and kiss me.Was I actually going to allow this to continue? Was I really going to set myself up for
[Aera’s POV]It’s hard to stomach. Watching the woman who has been nothing but strong and confident since the day we met be so weak and vulnerable. Something about it reminded me too damn much of my brother, and where I couldn’t do anything to help him, I wanted to do everything in my power to help
"I am," she confirms. "I’ll go grab my luggage."Before he can respond, she is rushing upstairs, leaving just Silas, Isabella, and me alone. Only when the sounds of her footsteps disappear does Silas turn his gaze toward me."Why are you here?" he asks, eyeing me. "I didn’t get the chance to ask you
[Ayla's POV]I stand at the top of the stairs, listening on as Isabella all but spills my past with Barren. I suppose in the end, since Aera had been honest with me about the bet, it was only fair that I revealed one of my secrets too."I can take it from here," I call, startling the two that stand
I untangle myself from my aunt and uncle and give them one more look before turning my attention to Aera, whose expression is screaming with suppressed anger."Will you come outside with me?" I ask, knowing that we needed to talk. "We should have a discussion before I leave.""No," Aera snaps, his g
[Ayla's POV]"It was."As the words leave my lips, all the emotions that I felt at that time come rushing back. It had been a while since I truly let myself relive those moments with Barren since it was just too damn painful."We met when I was about thirteen, and the darkness was just beginning to
[Ayla’s POV]It had been a while since the last time that I saw the elders, but they were the same as I remembered. Three ancient-looking men with looks of annoyance and judgmental eyes that take me in as if I’m the most irritating thing on earth stare at me as I enter the room.As I close the door,
Nodding, I take a deep breath and rush to Ayla’s side while Gwen begins the operation, and after a few minutes have passed, I hear a shriek fill the air before she is lifting a tiny creature into the air and handing it over to Brian to clean while she cuts the bloody cord attached.Once she is finis
[Aera’s POV]9 months Late"Mmm, Aera, right there."Ayla’s voice echoes around me, spurring my movements even more. Knowing she was enjoying what I was doing to her was all the encouragement I needed."Ah!" she gasps, leaning more into the chair in front of her. "Not so hard."Chuckling, I lean for
When I reach my parents, their faces fill with relief, and I feel my heart squeeze. Even though they hadn’t spoken a word about everything that happened, I was sure that they were now expecting me to snap at any given second. I still had a lot of making up to do in order to gain everyone’s trust an
[Celia’s POV] I stare up into Alphonze’s dark, unreadable eyes while trying to figure out exactly what I was feeling. Was I just caught by surprise because he suddenly appeared, and that was why I suddenly felt jittery and my heart was racing? Right, that had to be it; there couldn’t be anything e
This had been proof to me that we were intended to be together since we didn’t meet just once by chance but twice.After that, I approached her and began to woo her since I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. It was a love that I never imagined could exist, let alone for me, but she made me so
[Alphonze’s POV]I stand to the side, watching as everyone present for the evening enjoys themselves, laughing, dancing, and being merry. It had been a while since I had attended something like this, so it was taking a bit to get used to it again.The last time I came to a full moon ball was when I
"It seems that your date for this evening has arrived," Alphonze announces, clapping me on the shoulder. "I wouldn’t distract you any longer."Nodding, I give him a look and don’t miss the sorrow that flashes in his eyes as he looks from Ayla to me."Hold on as tight as you can because you never kno
[Aera's POV]Soft music drifts toward me as I stand to the side of the large ballroom, waiting for my date to arrive.Despite all the chaos that had been happening in our world, Silas and Alphonze insisted that we have a small, intimate gathering for the full moon as a way to relax and unwind after
[Ayla's POV]The next day, I sit in the passenger seat of Aera's car, staring at Crimsone Tides Estate while fighting the urge to run away. When I entered that building, I'd be making the toughest decision of my life, and I wasn't exactly sure if I was ready.Beside me, Aera remains silent while hol