I stirred the spaghetti into the boiling water. It was a simple recipe, much simpler than Andrew was accustomed to at the mansion, but it harkened back to the early days of us dating, and I thought that he would appreciate the gesture. I knew that he would appreciate the marinara sauce. I had mess
Andrew growled low in his throat and dropped his fork on his plate. He pulled me into his lap, kissing me deeply. He twined one hand in my hair, and the other cupped my ass, bringing me as close as possible. I returned Andrew’s kiss, my tongue playfully chasing his around our mouths. I moaned as A
“What?” I exclaimed, leaping to my feet. “Bianchi had an in with the guard on duty,” Andrew explained, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could for my sake. “The guard helped him escape, and they took off together. The police found the car that they escaped in, abandoned, downtown.” I starte
Andrew tapped his pen against his desk to the beat of Newton’s cradle. He wished that he could have arranged this meeting at his office in the city, where it would have been beyond the eyes of Crystal and Lisa, but he couldn’t risk any of his advisors or the Werewolf Council walking in on it. That w
I snuggled against Andrew as we watched a movie in the mansion’s home theater. It was a film adaptation of the book that I had been reading when Chevalier attacked Jeffrey and me at Andrew’s other home. It wasn’t nearly as good as the book—no movie version ever is—but they had kept all the steamy sc
It had been a long time since I had seen Dr. Sherman. My issues were not under control by any means, but with everything going on in my life, I just did not seem to have the time for psychiatric appointments. Hiding from assassins and running my own business did not really allow me the opportunity f
I arrived at the mansion in the early evening after leaving Dr. Sherman’s office. I texted Andrew to see if he was still at the office. My stomach sank when I saw his reply. Working from home today. Come on in. I knew that I had to face Andrew and apologize for the fight, but I had not expect
“I wasn’t mad at you,” I said, not looking Andrew in the eye. “I was mad at myself.” “At yourself? Why?” “For not being able to protect myself from these threats.” I stopped twisting my finger long enough to run my hand through my hair. “For needing you to go to these lengths to keep me safe
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