“Did you mean it?” Chloe asks, her voice quieter than before. “What you said on TV today? About everyone here?” I reach out and take both of their hands in mine, aware of how clammy my palms are but not caring in the slightest. “Every single word,” I assure her, my eyes flicking between Chlo
Abby “Need some company?” Karl’s eyes slide over to the bottle in my hand, and a slight smirk tugs at the corners of his lips. He scooches aside and nods for me to join him. “Sure.” I join him as he leans against the wall. Our shoulders brush as we stand beside one another, a familiar yet bitt
“I feel a little bit like a failure,” he suddenly blurts out. “Like what my pack is saying about me… that I’m a bad Alpha… might be true.” My eyes widen. “Karl! Don’t—” “Abby,” he says, tilting his head back to look up at the sky, “I came here—to this city—for you. To win you back. No other reas
Abby On the morning of the cook-off, I’m already awake before my alarm even starts buzzing. Last night, I hardly slept at all thanks to a combination of excitement over the cook-off and my wine-induced conversation with Karl. All night, his words swirled around my mind: “I’m really proud of you,
“John, finally!” I call out, stepping through the turnstile. “Are you ready? I’m about to hop on the subway, on my way to your place. I’ll be there in ten minutes, max.” “Abby,” he croaks, and instantly, I know something’s not right. I freeze in my tracks. The life and vibrancy in his voice are go
Abby It takes a moment for me to process John’s words. I’m standing here, on the subway platform, with my phone in my hand and my coffee in the other, feeling like my life is spiraling out of control. The buzz of the city, the sleepy commuters shuffling past me, and the distant clatter of subway
“I just can’t believe this is happening,” I say, my voice breaking a little. “This is like some sort of nightmare.” “Yeah, it is,” Anton agrees, the exhaustion evident in his voice. “The timing couldn’t be worse.” The timing is beyond terrible; it’s catastrophic. I close my eyes for a moment, ta
Karl The incessant buzzing of my phone’s alarm is drowned out by the pounding inside my head—a lingering reminder of last night’s… festivities. Why did I think that having one more whiskey was a good idea? I was already pretty drunk last night by the time I got home, but I couldn’t stop thinking
Abby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby “Abby, why don’t you sit down?” Karl looks up at me from where he’s sitting on the sofa, a look of concern on his face. He pats the spot next to him, but I shake my head. “I can’t,” I say, continuing to pace back and forth in our living room. “I won’t sit down until I hear back about that
Abby As I chop, stir, melt, and saute, the others stand around me, watching intently. The pasta simmers on the stove, the air smelling like warm butter and spices. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water. But my focus isn’t on the rumbling in my belly, nor is it even on the lingering pain in my
As we continue searching, I keep thinking back on our last harrowing hunt for black truffles; those poachers nearly shot us. Even now, I can still remember the sound of the bullets whizzing past my head, and the thuds they made when they careened into trees. “We got really lucky,” I say. “If we ha