I’d do it again in an instant, but I didn’t want her to go through that. “I’ll protect her in your stead, brother,” Chase said, without his usual smirk. He was saying, I will die for her as you would. Only with that assurance, I nodded and left the dorm. I moved across campus like a man posses
“He’s been gone for a while,” I said. I sat on the edge of the bed. I couldn’t keep from tapping one foot. Chase was typing away at the computer. He was almost finished with his article. In another couple of days, it would be published. “It’s only been an hour. Patience is a virtue,” Chase said.
A woman at the head of the table gestured to the seat. “Please sit, Cynthia. Asher, I apologize but we had not anticipated your… accompaniment. We should have, at this point.” “I prefer standing,” Asher said. I lowered myself into the offered chair and Asher took point behind me. The woman at
I was riding the high of my acceptance. I felt great about myself and the universe. I finally had achieved my goals. I could keep my baby and my education. The world was finally starting to make sense again. Except now, Asher’s disappearances were increasing. It had started innocently enough,
“Where were you?” I asked, to give him a chance at honesty. If he could ease my discomfort on his own, I would feel so much better. Instead, he backed away. “I was just out. That’s all.” A lie. And not even a very good one. I kept my back to him. Eventually, he did return to the bed and fell a
That night, Asher and I ate dinner at the small two-person table in our room. Unlike most times before, we sat in terrible, awkward quiet, entirely silent except for the sound of our chewing or the scrape of silverware against the ceramic plates. Asher speared the final bit of food on his plate, b
His eyebrows went high up on his forehead. “Following me? What? Why?” I worried my hands together. Embarrassed, I dropped my gaze to watch my fingers hook together. “You’ve been distant lately. You’re going out every night and then not telling me where you’ve been. I’ve been worried about you, a
“You have to take me with you,” I said. “Absolutely not,” Asher replied. “Well, you can’t expect me to let you go off looking for him by yourself.” “That’s what I’ve been doing…” I crossed my arms and frowned at him. “It’s too dangerous, Cyn.” “It’s dangerous for you, too. It will be fin
“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