He positioned himself at my entrance, hesitation so evident in the tense lines of his shoulders, before he pushed forward slightly. Pulling back, he did so again, and that’s when I felt the stretch. When he did it again, a burning sensation made me press my eyes together. Two hands grabbed at
CHARLOTTE With the blanket covering my bare chest firmly secured under my arms, I ran my tongue over my upper teeth and winced a little when my canines dug into the soft skin and left a cut. My new teeth were way too sharp to constantly be in my mouth, but I still hadn’t figured out a way to retra
CHARLOTTE I studied the now healed spot on my wrist with wide, contemplative eyes. Other than a few reddish marks from the brief flow of blood, I would have believed that my arm was never even wounded. Reigh gripped my wrist a little tighter, pulling me out of my thoughts. Without warning this
“I agreed to it, didn’t I?” he asked, as if the answer to my question was painfully obvious. “I was there, wasn’t I?” “You were there until you weren’t,” I pointed out. He paused, then pursed his lips and looked at me with a slight nod of understanding. “Why did you leave?” I asked, bunching the
CHARLOTTE Reigh’s words shocked me into silence. Noticing my reaction, Taide brought his face closer to mine and asked, “Do you want to?” I took a moment to consider that question, at the same time, I considered everything I knew about shifting, including its requirements, all of which I seem
For a moment, she just stared blankly, then her eyes seemed to widen to take in the odd scene playing out in front of her. She looked between me, standing between Taide and Reigh, my body still wrapped in the bedsheet, and the sleep slowly cleared from her eyes. Madeline reached for me and dragged
He turned from her and took a step closer, “It’s okay, Charlotte, keep going.” I opened my mouth to say something, but my words got caught in my throat in a pained gasp. My claws came out and my body began to overheat, my heart pounding and blood rushing in my ears. I felt like I needed to crawl
CHARLOTTE I stared at my paws in awe, digging them into the dirt and extending my claws, then retracting them. I looked around and saw Reigh and Madeline watching me with fascination. My vision was much brighter and sharper. Details that I’d missed before suddenly became glaringly obvious to me—
CHARLOTTEThe palace was something out of a dream.No, more than that—something out of a world I didn’t belong to.The long driveway was lined with perfectly manicured gardens, each bush and flowerbed so precise it looked as though someone had sculpted them by hand. Towering trees stood around, thei
CHARLOTTE We had our things packed and ready for the trip. Madeline’s birthday ball was this Sunday and now it was Friday already, the day of our departure. By the time we returned home it would be about a week before our junior year finals. And then, graduation. Which meant that we would be
I gave her my thanks and followed her instructions, up the stairs and down the calm, clean hallways of the care home. And like every time I came here, I couldn’t help but be struck by the difference between this care house and her old one. I was just about to walk in through the open threshold but
CHARLOTTE The silence didn’t dissipate for a long while after Caeson left. I used those moments of quiet to try to piece together what I had heard from their conversation into something that made sense. Taking a few seconds of thought, I looked up and my eyes darted between Reigh and Taide. Th
CHARLOTTE A loud, booming “No!” echoed through the house, shaking the air and making my heart jump.The sound of Caeson’s voice was unmistakable, filled with anger that could probably make the walls tremble if it got any louder. I glanced at Madeline, who was standing as still as a statue beside
CHARLOTTE I stood frozen, my eyes glued to the paper in my hands. My name was there, written in elegant script, as clear as day. I couldn’t understand it. Why was my name on this invite? My throat felt tight as I glanced between Caeson and Reigh, hoping for some kind of explanation. But thei
CHARLOTTE She was done for the day. After long hours of running around and overexerting herself—and me—my wolf was finally ready to relinquish control. I never had any intention of rushing her. After all the years she’d spent bottled up inside me, I wouldn’t have been surprised or bothered
CHARLOTTE I stared at my paws in awe, digging them into the dirt and extending my claws, then retracting them. I looked around and saw Reigh and Madeline watching me with fascination. My vision was much brighter and sharper. Details that I’d missed before suddenly became glaringly obvious to me—
He turned from her and took a step closer, “It’s okay, Charlotte, keep going.” I opened my mouth to say something, but my words got caught in my throat in a pained gasp. My claws came out and my body began to overheat, my heart pounding and blood rushing in my ears. I felt like I needed to crawl