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
I realized how close I came to being Iris. I hadn’t thought about it in what felt like ages, but some of Elroy’s past words drifted back to me. I whispered, "You threatened to do the same to me." Elroy flinched as if I'd struck him. "Olivia, I..." He reached for my hand, hesitated, then let his
The heavy oak door creaked open, revealing Elroy's office. Sunlight streamed through the single window, illuminating shelves lined with leather-bound tomes and casting a warm glow on the polished mahogany desk. It wasn’t a huge space like the library, and something about being able to see the whole
“Yes, Iris told me,” I said. “Well, all that time Astor had our father to himself. It was like I didn’t even exist, and he was basically an only child. All of father’s attention, all his efforts, went into him. “When I presented as an Alpha, it changed everything. Suddenly my father was interest
The door swung open with a bang, startling Elroy and I both and breaking the moment we were suspended in. Astor sauntered in, his lips curled into that infuriatingly smug grin I'd come to both dread and secretly appreciate. He’d been more endearingly annoying than truly problematic recently, but tha
“Jordan,” I said, “I think it’s time to hold a banquet.”The low light of my bedside lamp lay across Elroy's face, casting a warm glow on his furrowed brow as we settled down to sleep. It was hard to believe that I’d once been so reluctant to lay near him, and now this protective little cocoon we fo
I rose with the sun, brushing aside the veil of last night's uncertainties. Elroy had left early, and even though he was usually gone by the time I woke up, his side of the bed felt colder than normal.I moved through the morning with my thoughts in a tumult, incessantly repeating the same questions
But he hadn’t told me his feelings, hadn’t told me how close he wanted us to be. He could just mean he wanted a strong partnership as Alpha and Luna, like we’d discussed at the very beginning of it all, or it could be he cared for me as the mother of his child but didn’t love me. Not like I loved hi
The diner was a 1950s style burger joint, complete with black and white checked flooring and too-shiny red seats. The waitresses were wearing the same type of uniforms I’d seen in old movies, and Elvis played quietly over the speaker. One of the booths seemed to be made out of a classic car.Elroy l
I glanced at Elroy, feeling his silent encouragement radiate through our clasped hands. "To be honest," I confessed, "the depth of deceit took us by surprise. We were largely in the dark, just as many of you were."“And the council?” someone else asked, shoving a microphone towards Elroy.“The counc
Olivia’s POVI smoothed my dress, silently appreciating the way the purple fabric hugged my hips, accentuating my small baby bump. This would be the first time I’d be outside the manor since my pregnancy became visible, and the knowledge that everyone would see that there was life growing inside of
The incense stick sparked to life with a hiss, its aroma weaving through the air of the Ruby Room. I settled onto my knees, the rough carpet biting into my skin, and closed my eyes. Smoke curled like ethereal tendrils, carrying my silent prayer upwards."Great Moon Goddess," I murmured, choking on a
I wanted to pull until the hook ripped out, taking whatever traitorous chunk of me it wanted as long as it was gone. It was like an infected limb, but nothing I did seemed to force the amputation.What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just let this go? She was just a healer, someone I’d never even
Elroy’s POVThe effect of those words was immediate and indescribable. More than guilt, or shame, or horror—it was something that howled through me like a hurricane, ripping me apart and leaving ragged, bloody holes. My body could feel it, and it was as real as any cracking bone.My ears rang. My vi