Downtown Crescent City twinkled with white fairy lights beneath the inky black sky. Representations of the Moon Goddess, painted by local artists, hung from every building, illuminated by golden spotlights. At the center of it all, a glowing prop full moon raised high above the city’s largest water
Andrew buried his face in his hands, his arms propped up on his desk. It had been a whirlwind of a few days with no time to decompress. Between the press conferences and the meetings to discuss possible ways to save the werewolf/human trade agreement, Andrew had barely had ten minutes to himself.
Andrew could not help the growl that rumbled his chest and the room around him. Bob Barbier. Of course, it was Bob. All of his problems lately seemed to be stemming from that one lapse in judgment of letting Bob into their lives. His hand curled into a fist. His jaw clenched, and it took all of
Andrew called for an emergency council meeting that same day. He had his special task force—along with their surprise witness—wait outside the meeting room as the Werewolf Council took their seats, murmuring among themselves. Andrew never called for meetings himself, so they were all anxious to see
It was nearing 10 o’clock at night, and Noah and I were relaxing on our bed, scrolling through social media on our phones. I nearly choked on the popcorn I had just stuffed into my mouth when I saw a headline regarding Bob: COUNCILMAN BOB BARBIER DISGRACED IN VAMPIRIC CONSPIRACY “Noah!” I exclai
I hid the blade behind my back as I reached for the door. As I opened it, I was shocked to find Andrew Dubois standing on the other side. “Andrew?” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “What are you doing here?” Andrew smiled, but it did not quite reach his eyes. “It’s great to see you, to
Bob drove up to the southern antebellum mansion, its Greek Revival style looming over him like an ancient goddess of Justice. He parked his black Porsche at the bottom of the steps and walked up them two at a time. His heart pounded with trepidation as the Doric columns swallowed him. Bob knocked
Lisa waited at the dining table in Bob’s apartment, scrolling through social media posts. It seemed as though every other one was about Bob and the Vampiric Conspiracy. Some were even questioning Lisa’s possible involvement. How could she not know what her own husband was up to? one of the comment
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