I shook my head, feeling torn. “I know I have to do better,” I said, “but a full day? We were so close to a breakthrough, and the victims can’t afford to just wait--” “If the situation were any different I’d be ordering you to take three days of bedrest and stay out of the office for a week in tot
Sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains, warming my face. I blinked groggily, stretching my arms above my head as consciousness slowly returned. I’d told Elroy I needed a nap, and clearly I was right about that given how much better I felt already. I let myself come to slowly, then turned to
Some time after Elroy left and I finished my breakfast, I decided that ‘bed rest’ could be fudged a little bit. It would be fine for me to get out of bed if I was just going to get in the bath, right? The Pearl Room had an incredible claw-foot tub and I had been looking for the opportunity to take i
The idea of my child resenting me was heartbreaking. If this all really happened, then what would my baby know about me? What poison would Elroy and Rita tell them, if I was never there to prove my love? That was the last straw for me, and I curled into myself to cry. It was just too much. Astor a
I wanted to laugh. He loved me? We barely knew each other, the only time we’d ever spent together was done for the investigation, he’d never reached out to me or me to him. He dared to call that love, just because he learned how to tolerate me? My heart sunk. This wasn’t really about me. Astor did
Elroy’s POV After the monumental fuck up that the morning had been, the last thing I wanted to do was leave Olivia for even a second. I was thinking about her the entire end-of-quarter treasury analysis, and I was all but jogging back to our rooms when I was stopped by fucking Rita. She smelled
"How could you?" I snarled as I pulled back, my mind swimming in a cocktail of confusion, hurt, and fury. "We’re Mates—I thought things were getting better!" And wasn’t that just the kicker? I really thought we were getting somewhere, becoming closer, turning into partners who could have each othe
Olivia’s POV The shattered remains of a crystal vase crunched beneath my feet as I walked through the Pearl Room, my hands trembling and my chest heaving. The once-pristine sanctuary now lay in ruins, a reflection of the chaos inside my mind. I wanted to keep screaming, keep ripping and smashing,
Elroy POVHer room was empty, but that didn’t alarm me at first. There were many places throughout the palace where she could be reading or napping or hosting a return visit from one of the pack leaders.But even as I walked the halls, I knew she was doing none of these things. I could feel her miss
Olivia POVIt had been months since my last visit to my mother’s side, but I could tell that Iris was right. Before, she always seemed to be sleeping. Her skin glowed, and her muscles remained taut from the ‘round-the-clock care she received.Now, there was a yellow, almost jaundiced look to her ski
Olivia POVElroy was knocking on my door when I woke up. It was early in the morning, just after dawn, and even as I sat up in bed I remained half-asleep. Still, I knew that knock.“Come in,” I called.Elroy came inside wearing dirty battle gear, and there was dried blood on his chin.“Are you all r
“Now, what is it I can do for you, Luna?” she asked.“Actually, you can accept my sincere apologies.”She frowned just slightly. “Luna?”“You were made to witness a most distressing scene in my household. Obviously, I had no idea the so-called Rogue King would crash my banquet, but that’s no excuse
Olivia POVWith Elroy gone, I needed to concentrate on my duties as Luna, which meant I had to deal ASAP with the fallout from my pretty much disastrous banquet. I mean, Denis might be trying to stage some sort of revolution and destroy my reputation, but did he have to crash my party so fatally?I
Olivia POVElroy left with a thousand soldiers the next morning, half on horseback and half in their wolf forms. I supposed I should be curious about the battle strategy, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to care.A part of me knew I wasn’t defeated, that I would still fight for wolves’ rights a
She held up a hand. “I said I had to ask. I didn’t say I give him any credit. Officially, I am asking if you’re denying his claims.”“Of course I am!” I threw up my hands. “It’s all just some lie he’s made up to cause trouble.”I put my hands down. “Think about it, if I had someone from my past I lo
Olivia POVRefusing to follow behind Elroy like a naughty child, I swept out of the room ahead of him, though I took care to dismiss Jordan gently. She, like most of the wolves in the room who didn’t fight, looked shaken but still present in the moment. I trusted they could all take care of themselv
He looked at me and then bowed deeply, making several people gasp.“Come with me, Lady Olivia,” he urged, looking up with his hand stretched toward me. “I have gathered an army of Rogue werewolves who call me their king. Come with me and rule them by my side.”I was about to demand just what sort of