The moonlight cast long shadows across the terrace as I made my way to the Ruby Room, my footsteps muffled by the plush carpeting. It was late—much later than I’d intended, yet again. This investigation was eating up all my waking hours and then some. The band lead wasn’t panning out, and that put
The dungeon's musty air clung to my skin as Astor and I descended the winding stone staircase. Flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows on the damp walls, and I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched by unseen eyes. Ugh, creepy. They probably kept the dungeons like this to demoralize prisoner
Astor, apparently, didn’t feel the same. A low growl rumbled from his chest, almost making me trip in my surprise. Was Astor really going to step in just because of one half-baked insult? Rita must have been surprised too, because her voice was tinged with shock and betrayal as she said, "I though
Elroy’s POV Sam was a wonderful pack Beta. Smart, hardworking, level-headed, had a memory like a steel trap—all things I needed in a right-hand man. I liked to think we even got along. I never thought that would bite me in the ass. It was biting me in the ass because the very same attributes t
Olivia’s POV The acrid taste of bile rose in my throat as I rolled over, my hand instinctively reaching for Elroy's warmth. Instead, my fingers met cold sheets, and I jolted awake. If Elroy was awake then I had overslept, and I had too much to do for that kind of irresponsibility. A groan escape
Elroy's lips pursed. "I know it’s bullshit, Olivia. We just need to put some distance between you and Astor for the foreseeable future.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Unfortunately Elroy was right, and all three of us knew it. Even Astor didn’t deny it, even though he lo
"So none of those leads panned out?" he asked, leaning forward. I nodded, rubbing my eyes absently. We'd been at this for hours. "Not one,” I admitted with a sigh, “but the lack of bodies—" The library door creaked open, interrupting my train of thought. Jordan appeared, balancing a tray of stea
Whatever else I might have to say about the Ruby Room, it had one hell of a comfortable bed. Talking to a maybe-cannibal had really been the icing on the cake for my anxious body, the residual discomfort still keeping my shoulders tense hours later, but at least tonight I could actually sleep at a r
The movement outside grew louder in the background, and eventually my skin tightened with anticipation and unease. It seemed like everybody was waking up, and I desperately wanted to check on everyone but I didn’t dare. "We can't just walk out there," I worried, biting my lip. "We’d scare the shit
The silence hung heavy between us for a few moments until I opened my mouth, desperate to say something—anything—to break the tension, but Elroy beat me to it. “I’m so sorry,” he said. My breath caught in my throat. This was the last thing I'd expected. Elroy ran a hand through his disheveled
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