His face crumpled, and he buried it in my lap, his fingers bunching up around my skirt.Sighing, I stroked his hair gently and leaned back to look up at the stars. It was a clear night, all things considered; cool and comfortable, with a slight breeze, and not a single cloud in the sky. The occasion
AvaThe market was bustling with activity as I made my way through the stalls, holding a wicker basket in my arms. It felt so different from last night; lively, cheerful, full of noise.Such a stark contrast from that eerie feeling that had settled over Chris and me as we had hurried home.“What sho
“Ophelia,” I said, blinking as I set down the tray of tea and cookies. “What are you doing here?”“We have an important announcement to make,” Bradley said, already reading for his tea. “One that Miss Ophelia should be present for.”The room fell silent, all eyes on the Elders. Elder Claire cleared
AvaI stayed up late every night for days after that, my eyes burning as I pored over medical textbooks and ancient manuscripts. The stack of books on my kitchen table grew taller with each passing day, but no matter how many pages I turned, I couldn’t find anything helpful.“There has to be somethi
In fact, he was officially declaring war on Moonstone.“Oh, Goddess,” I breathed, feeling like I might faint all of a sudden. “He can’t be serious.”“He’s a fucking moron,” Chris spat, pacing the room. “Trying to start a war when the other three packs are behind us? What is he thinking? It’ll be a m
AvaI busied myself in the kitchen, preparing a traditional Moonstone meal for our guests, which were only two: Leonard and Ophelia. A celebratory dinner for our newest pack member, although it was more than that.The scent of roasting herbs and sizzling meat filled the air as I worked, trying to fo
“Darling, I…” Leonard began, but Ophelia cut him off.“Don’t ‘darling’ me!” she cried, her hands balling into fists. Surging forward, she began to pummel Leonard’s chest, not caring, for the first time since I had met her, whether her makeup became streaked or her hair grew mussed.She only stopped
AvaThe days that followed were an endless whirlwind of activity. Chris and I worked tirelessly, burning the candle at both ends as we tried to tackle the mounting challenges that were facing Moonstone more and more by the day.The blight. Olivia. Winston. The mole. And now, Leonard’s illness.Every