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
I froze. My heart leapt into my throat. My brain raced, trying to comprehend what Andrew had just said. He would give everything up…for me? My hands curled into fists. No, that couldn’t be right. I must have heard him wrong. He was Alpha King. He had too much to lose, not just for himself bu
I felt my heart torn asunder. A part of me was elated with Andrew’s answer. The love of my life wanted to elope with me. He was willing to leave his entire life behind and run away with me if that was what I wanted. Dear Goddess, I wanted that more than anything. The idea of starting over didn’t
“I have a lot to tell you, actually.” Andrew did not interrupt me. He merely stared back at me, patiently waiting for me to reveal my news to him. It made my heart pound hard against my ribs, but I forced myself to continue. “I was at your house today for a reason,” I continued. I swallowed agai
That Saturday, Noah and I loaded up the U-Haul trailer and his car with all of our earthly possessions, Jeffrey lending a hand so that we wouldn’t have to hire movers. I had given the Honda Civic to Terri, insistent that we didn’t need two cars in such a small area as the Crescent Moon Pack territor
Noah and I started driving by 2 p.m. Our hope was to drive as late into the night as we could and find a motel along the way when we couldn’t stand the drive anymore. The first leg of our journey began smoothly. We made it out of the city without any stops or other cars around us, a rarity on any
I awoke to the sterile smell of cleaning chemicals. As my eyes fluttered open, fluorescent bulbs blinded me, causing me to squint and blink several times before I could finally keep my eyes open. Even so, my head pounded when I tried to take in my surroundings. It was a setting that I was all too
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