Jeffrey seemed momentarily taken aback by my exclamation. Then his jaw set, and he squared his shoulders. He lifted his chin at me. “I’m sorry, Ms. Blanchard, but I’m afraid that this is something that I have to do,” he said before charging past me and down the hall. “Jeffrey, where are you
I didn’t think before I made my next move. “Wait!” I exclaimed, rushing in between Andrew and Lisa. “Andrew, you don’t really want to do this, do you?” Andrew squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest. “Yes, I do.” “You want to ruin your relationship with Lisa over a hunch?” I k
That Saturday, I volunteered at the werewolf homeless shelter. Dennis thought that it would help bolster Andrew’s ratings if I were seen aiding the public. Since I strongly supported the shelter’s mission, I jumped at the chance to help them—and to get away from the manor. I spent most of the day
My heart pounded against my ribs. My breathing grew shallow. All I could see was the end of the gun’s barrel. “You don’t want to do this,” I said, raising my hands in a passive gesture. “You don’t understand,” the man said, gripping his gun so tightly that his hand shook. “I have to do this. He
“Crystal,” Andrew said, cupping my cheek in his free hand, “your safety means more to me than anything. I love Lisa with all my heart, but I’m not going to let her blind devotion to Bob put you in danger.” I nuzzled my cheek against his palm. “Andrew, that’s so sweet of you, but I can’t get betw
Despite Jeffrey’s advice, I didn’t tell Andrew about my encounter with Bob. Even though it was a thinly veiled threat, I had no evidence that Bob had done anything wrong, so Andrew couldn’t do anything about it. Besides, Andrew had better things to worry about. A few days later, the polls were ope
I obeyed, stretching across his sheets like a feline. Andrew growled as he examined me, like a predator looking over his prey. “Delicious,” he rumbled, reaching down to take my breast in his mouth. I moaned as he alternated between suckling and licking until my nipple stood proud. Then he kiss
“Thank you, Head Wolf Antoine. It was certainly touch-and-go for a while there, but in the end, it was a war well fought.” I rolled my eyes as Andrew schmoozed yet another political ally over the phone. It had been like this all day since we got out of bed: a political ally, friend, or family memb
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