* * As dinner came to an end, Nikolas pulled Andrew and me to the side. “I have some of the wedding dresses down in the basement if you would like to see their progress,” he said, “including your daughter’s dress, Andrew.” Andrew perked up at the mention of Lisa’s dress. “We would love to se
My heart skipped a beat. I could scarcely breathe. My underwear moistened. My mind wandered to our day at the cabin, at how close we had come to fulfilling our desires. Perhaps this was another chance at making that happen. Then I thought about the glass in my sandwich. I couldn’t be with Andrew
After retrieving Bob and Lisa’s binder from Ever After Weddings, I returned to Andrew’s mansion and prepared for dinner. I knew I had to dress to impress for this meeting. I put on a red halter top dress that reached my ankles, large gold hoop earrings, and red six-inch heels. I wore my golden hai
Halfway through eating, though, I started to feel nauseated and foggy. I had a hard time moving my muscles, and I felt disoriented. I hadn’t had more than a glass of wine, but I felt incredibly drunk. I couldn’t remember much of what happened next, but I did remember Lisa and Bob taking me to my b
I couldn’t go to work that day. Whatever drug Bob and Lisa had used, it kept me incapacitated with a hangover worse than any alcohol I had ever consumed. The shock of finding the letter opener had dulled the effects at first, but after that died down, I could not even get out of bed, except to vomit
“I don’t know his name, but he’s Crystal’s personal bodyguard.” “Personal bodyguard? Why does she need one of those? Did something happen?” “I don’t know, but Crystal hasn’t been to work in a couple days. She was gone to see a client a couple days ago, but she took a personal day yesterday. I th
I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. How dare he tell me what I can and cannot do with my life? I did not care that he was the Alpha King; it was my life! “You’re not listening to me,” I said firmly. “He is interfering with every part of my life. What’s the point of protecting my life if I can’t eve
Our conversation ran through my head again and again that night as I lay in bed, trying to relax enough to fall asleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about the Lunas and their mysterious deaths—or how fiercely Andrew wanted to protect me. As irritating as the guard had been, I found Andrew’s insistence o
That night, long after the last of the guests had left for their rooms, Andrew and I returned to the presidential suite to find that the staff had decorated it in preparation for our stay. All the décor, right down to the bed sheets, had been switched out for matching red and gold pieces. The light
Andrew’s eyes met mine as I approached the altar. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He looked so handsome in his classic black tuxedo that I could hardly wait for after the reception to be with him. As I took my place across from Andrew, I handed my bouquet to Lily. The priestess bega
One month later, I stood in a suite at a private beachside resort, admiring my wedding dress. It hugged my curves in all the right places while still gently brushing against the ground like a low-hanging cloud. Crystals glistened in the room’s fluorescent lights, and the train flowed behind me effor
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom,” I said, breathless. Andrew nodded his agreement. I pulled Andrew to his feet as he stuck the ring box back in his pocket. Then I dragged him back to the bedroom, leading him by the tie. Not that he needed to be dragged; he would have followed me anywhere by th
Andrew texted me and said his flight was delayed by a few errands he had to run, so I waited. And waited. I waited for an entire day, and even began to worry that Andrew had changed his mind. Then I heard a knock at my door. I leapt off the couch and rushed to answer it. Stopping just short of the
Noah left the next day. I took him to the airport, we exchanged a hug and a brief farewell, and then I watched him walk through the gate. That was the last time I ever saw him. With a heavy heart, I returned to an empty apartment. All our furniture and my belongings—what little I still had—were the
Sensing the urgency in Noah’s voice, I leaned in closer. “What is it?” I asked, trying to suppress the anticipation in my voice. Noah’s grip on my hands tightened. “I’m going to study financial law in the human world.” I froze. My heart thumped hard against my ribs, so hard that I thought th
The nightmares did not stop. In fact, they got worse. By the end of that week, I was having at least one every night, and it was showing in behavior during the day. I could scarcely stay awake. At my new branch of Ever After Weddings, I had to sneak off into the breakroom whenever there were no cu
I dreamt of the Lunar Festival. Noah and I walked hand-in-hand through the stalls, enjoying the sparkling lights and the company of our new pack mates. Yet something was off. I could feel a chill in the air, a foreboding that I could not quite shake off. “We should get out of here,” I said, tryi