It was a simple interaction. I walked past a worker carrying warm linens, and the scent of lavender wafting off of them was calming. My linens didn’t smell like that, and I would like it if they did, so I stopped her. “Excuse me,” I said. “Do you work in the laundry?”“No, Luna,” the middle-aged w
I laughed in his face.“What’s changing, Elroy? What changes are you even trying to make?”“The high council was set up to avoid a dictatorship, I can’t just—”“Set up by who? Let me guess, the ancestors of the people who are currently on the council? There’s nothing you can say or do that will make
My fingers hovered over my phone, trembling slightly as I responded to the email from Lycanthrope Life magazine. The prestigious publication's request for an exclusive interview burned brightly on the screen, a beacon of opportunity... and risk.I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "This is it,"
I smiled, full of pride for the beautiful creation that Jordan made me. Now she could get the recognition she deserved for it.“It turned out so much better than I’d imagined,” I said honestly. “I had the idea, but the actual creation was done entirely by Jordan Hanna, my personal maid. Can you beli
I felt my eyes flash with cold fury, my hand clenching by my side as Rita’s father kept yammering on about how ‘unfair’ and ‘excessive’ his daughter’s punishment was. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, and people were already starting to gather."Mr. Blackwood," I began, k
A burst of energy surged through my veins as I faced the crowd, their faces open with disbelief. The newfound power of my presence hummed beneath my skin, intoxicating yet controlled. I squared my shoulders, chin lifted high."I stand before you as your Luna," I declared, my voice ringing clear acro
I retreated to the Pearl Room, leaning against the door the moment it clicked shut behind me. Now that I was alone, the adrenaline starting to peter out, all I could think about was that scent.It still lingered in my nose, the same way Elroy’s enraged profile seemed seared into my eyelids. My hands
My footsteps echoed through the stone corridor, each footstep matching the pounding of my heart. The council room loomed ahead, its ornate wooden doors a silent sentinel guarding my fate. Beside me, Elroy's face was a mask of concentration. His brow was furrowed in thought but I knew better than t
It seemed to take a long time, but eventually the air shimmered as Elroy's massive wolf form melted away, revealing his chiseled human physique. His eyes, still wild with primal energy, locked onto mine with laser focus. "Olivia," he breathed, pulling away from me just enough to assess that I wasn
Fay pursed her lips together, looking away from me as a single tear escaped down her cheek. The sight tore at me, and I knew there was absolutely nothing I could do to undo what I’d done to her. Just as awfully, there was nothing I could say. All the justifications in the world didn’t change what
It felt like I sat there for a long time, with Elroy slowly calming in my arms, though it was probably really only five minutes. Then I caught sight of Fay's fingers twitching once, a barely perceptible movement that sent Elroy into a frenzy. Before I could blink, he was on his feet, looming over me
Olivia’s POV My vision was gray around the edges when the pressure on my chest suddenly vanished. I gasped, cool air rushing into my starved lungs as I gulped it down greedily. For a split second I was so grateful I didn’t even bother wondering what happened. Then my vision cleared, and as I wat
Elroy’s POV The neon lights of the casino blurred together as my eyes finally broke open. I was alone in an empty casino, and Olivia was gone. I was groggy and uncoordinated, barely thinking as I struggled to push myself standing. My neck hurt where they’d buried the needle in, and whatever they
"Every single person here came on their own," Fay told me, her fingers absently tracing loops in the coarse dirt beneath us. “I never meant for this place to become a sanctuary, but one person came to us and then…" She trailed off, her gaze distant. My chest tightened. "How did they all find you?"
Cory nodded, his silver hair catching the dim light. "If you're comfortable, Luna Olivia." I hesitated, my hand instinctively moving to my belly. This could easily be a trap, but after the physical struggle of last night plus my panic attack, I couldn’t deny that I was terrified for my baby. Just
My bound hands trembled in front of me, the plastic tarp walls of the hut seeming to close in around me, matching the tightness in my chest. Ines's words echoed in my mind as I sat there alone, staining my previous views of the world. The realization sunk in deeper every second. The Omegas I’d bee
I truly believe that panic attack would have never stopped, if it weren’t for my body’s eventual exhaustion. I would have cried and screamed until my heart gave out, I would have died right there, but by the Goddess’s grace I passed out first. My whole body hurt when I woke up, and my wrists burne