Abby Excitement courses through me as I fasten my pristine white chef’s coat in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My hair is pulled back into a neat bun, still a tiny bit damp from my morning shower. “Today is the day,” I say out loud, even though I’m completely alone in my apartmen
John gets to work preparing the meat, and Anton starts on the desserts. I place my focus on the main courses, a wide variety of different meals that all need to be prepped, from luxurious seafood dishes to hearty steak and potatoes. Daisy and Chloe, with their impeccable attention to detail, begin
Abby I take a deep breath as the Alpha party begins, the buzz of excitement and chatter filling the air. It’s finally here, the culmination of months of hard work and preparation. I couldn’t be more excited—and I also couldn’t be more terrified. “Abby, the first orders are coming in,” John calls
Daisy hesitates for a moment, her eyes flickering with discomfort before she finally answers. “I think so. It was a table of Lunas.” My heart clenches. I think I know exactly who Daisy is referring to; and yes, they would absolutely, without a doubt, do something horrendous like this. They’ve ne
Karl The Alpha party is in full swing, and I’ve got Shana on my arm, introduced as my date for the evening. We make our entrance onto the dancefloor, and immediately, I sense the eyes of the other Lunas—the ones who used to be Abby’s ‘friends’, and also who I just so happened to kick out of Abby’s
Amidst the sea of faces, though, another familiar figure approaches us. It’s Daniel, an Alpha who used to be close to both Abby and me when we were married years ago. His warm smile is genuine as he greets me. “Karl, my old friend!” Daniel exclaims, extending a hand toward me. “It’s been far too l
Abby The dinner rush has finally died down, and Anton, John and I are just finishing up our last batch of orders. We’ve been working tirelessly all night, and I can’t wait to have a moment of reprieve. Music is playing over the kitchen speakers, but I’ve hardly heard a word of it, too focused on t
My heart sinks, and I feel a lump forming in my throat. It’s like a punch to the gut, seeing him with someone else. I turn away, tears welling up in my eyes. I was so foolish to think I could just waltz back into his life and everything would be the same. What was I expecting, anyway? He told me t
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