Later at the party, a group of caterers arranged a buffet. I dragged Nicole closer to get a better look. Arranged on a set of two tables were an assortment of meats, cheeses, pasta, salads, and dressings. A third table was entirely deserts, cakes and cookies and even ice cream, set in the base of
Nicole spotted me at once and motioned me toward the dance machine. She picked a song, and smiled at me. “Ready to impress?” she asked. Was I ever. Dancing was the perfect way to work off all the stress I’d gathered. Infuriating, overbearing Asher. The music started, and I lost myself to the
The guy who had asked for my number must have felt the glare freezer-burning into the back of his head. The minute he spotted Asher, he excused himself and dashed away. With that guy gone, Asher’s gaze returned to me. His eyes softened marginally, still icy but not the total blizzard he’d given th
Guilt and sadness took turns carving into me. Everything hurt. Maybe it had been a bad dream after all, but when I tried harder to remember, I only thought of Joseph. I didn’t want to keep ignoring Joseph, but I hadn’t wanted him to hurt me either. How could I ever trust him again? My body tre
If you keep this up, you’ll fail the midterm evaluation, Coach had said. My bottom lip quivered so I held it between my teeth. I didn’t bother trying to defend myself. I knew he was right. I was going to fail my midterm exam. No excuse would change that. I was dragging my feet on the team, bri
Asher was waiting for an answer on how I noticed him following me, but I couldn’t tell him the truth. The emergence of my wolf was not a secret I was ready to tell him yet. “I saw you turning at the streetlight,” I said. It wasn’t entirely a lie. That had been when I spotted him, but only because
I really hoped I wasn’t in for another lecture. “I’m trying, Cynthia. I want to accept your decision to keep the baby and stay at the academy, but… it is difficult for me.” “I know,” I said quietly. I placed my empty plate on top of his. “It would help if we had regular meals together,” he sai
“Tell him you aren’t interested,” Asher said, crossing his arms. I lowered my gaze to the phone in my hands. The nervous boy’s innocent message stared back at me. Do you want to go out on a date this weekend? At first my fingers moved to comply with Asher’s demand, almost on reflex. I even ope
“Please.” That all sounded so good. I wanted it. I wanted everything. He stood to kick off the rest of his clothes. I watched, my mouth watering as he exposed his dick. He was so big, so hard just for me. Carefully, he moved me how he wanted me, stretching out my legs farther, and then slipped
Asher guided me back into the bedroom. As I stood near the bed, he walked behind me and slowly tugged down the zipper of my dress. His knuckles traced the newly-revealed skin inch by inch, following down the length of my spine. When the zipper had lowered as much as it could go. He spread his hand
I held my breath as Dylan threw the first punch. Asher dodged back and Dylan’s fist flew through the open air. Asher then stepped forward, ready to retaliate. Dylan backpedaled, placing a few feet between them again. In a flash, Dylan moved close again. His speed was lightning-quick. I barely even
“’Might?’” He squeezed me gently. “It will be fine. Trust me.” I did trust him, with my life and more. But… this was my brother. My brother and the love of my life were about to fight a challenge with yet unknown terms that would undoubtedly involve me and my baby. I couldn’t help but be a b
I opened my mouth to begin to explain, but the truth seemed worse than even Dylan’s worst assumptions. No, Asher isn’t the father of my baby. The father is actually a terrible person who is now in prison. But Dylan wasn’t waiting for me to figure out a softer way to explain, and Asher was no hel
On the evening of the Academy’s winter dance, I slipped into my shining purple gown and checked myself out in the bathroom mirror. Gone were the days when I could pass as not pregnant. Now, my bump was a distinctive round bulge, pressing out the front of my gown – which I had bought in the materni
“I… um…” I had no idea how to answer Dylan. Panic set in, sending my heart into overdrive. Should I admit to Asher being beside me? It was getting late at night. Surely Dylan would have follow-up questions. Like, why was Asher in my room after dark. “Oh, shit, I have to go,” Dylan said suddenly.
Asher’s words stole my breath away. For a long moment, I simply stared at him, desire coiling inside of me. He stared back, his blue eyes deep as the ocean. I swallowed thickly. I couldn’t wait to go home with him and see all of his promises in action. Nancy cleared her throat from the doorway.
The real Asher was safely behind the line of fake wolves. He glanced back at me in concern. I understood his worry. Holding this many projections was a strain. But I was done running. I was done standing back. Joseph would lose. And I would help bring him down. In the circle, Joseph started to