The smell of seasoning and roasting meats filled the mansion’s dining room. Across the long table, meats, cheeses, vegetables, and fruits of all varieties had been laid out: Wagyu beef burgers, foie gras, escargot, pule, white stilton gold, Yamashita spinach, le bonnotte potatoes, white jewel strawb
I would have thought that saving me from the paparazzi—and myself—would have endeared Jeffrey to Noah. He didn’t so much as thank Jeffrey for it. Instead, Noah was more focused on the bad publicity we were receiving as a couple. “Have you seen what they’re saying?” he exclaimed as he paced his liv
Noah twined his hand in my hair, pulling me closer. He parted his lips with my own and flicked my tongue with his. This was the most playful and passionate that I had ever seen him, and I could barely get myself to go through the motions. Suddenly, he stopped as a noise from his pants drew his att
A knock at the door startled me. I pulled away from Noah and stared in that direction. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that it wasn’t who I thought it was. “Were you expecting someone?” I asked. “No,” Noah said, sounding as unnerved as I felt. “Could that be Jeffrey?” “No, he would just walk in.”
Andrew normally liked to arrive to these meetings before the members of the Werewolf Council so that he could be situated before he had to face them. That day, however, Princess Aurora had insisted on taking him shopping for his own engagement ring. It had taken until the very last minute, but Princ
Noah and I sat on the couch watching the news. Over the past few days since Bob’s ultimatum, we had hardly discussed the incident. We had tried to just push the matter out of our minds and continue on with our lives as we had been before. It proved difficult, though. I was starting to constantly l
I parked in the shadows of the mighty oaks lining the dirt trail to the gate of Andrew’s mansion. When I first arrived, the sun was sherbet streaks sinking over the horizon. Now, the sky was dotted with twinkling, diamond-like stars and a crescent moon—a sign for my upcoming move with Noah. As I s
Andrew had me drive to the outer reaches of the city and into a rich, gated apartment complex. Other than to give me directions, he did not say a single word unless I spoke first. He stared out the windshield the entire way, his expression unreadable. We parked in one of the residents’ spots near
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