Abby I sink into the warm, fragrant bath, the spa items Karl left for me creating a soothing oasis in the spacious bathroom. As I relax into the water, I let out a contented sigh. It’s been a while since I’ve had a moment like this, away from the constant buzz of the city. Already, my body f
With my coffee in hand, I decide to do a bit of shopping. I step into a nearby clothing boutique that I haven’t seen before and begin flipping through the racks, pulling out various items and holding them up to myself in the mirror. “That’s a nice color,” a familiar voice says as I’m holding up
Abby “I think I just spent my life savings.” Elsie giggles as she holds up her most recent purchase: a new pair of earrings for her mother. They’re beautiful, made of translucent crystals that catch the light of the setting sun. We just spent the entire afternoon in town, and I didn’t re
Karl With the election preparations well underway, Ethan and I only need to finalize some dates before the campaign will begin. It’s a grueling process, though. Juggling my own Alpha duties and this upcoming campaign is a bit more difficult than I thought, and although I’m handling it, it do
Abby Elsie and I are sprawled out on my king-sized bed, a movie playing on the TV. But we’re barely watching. I’m trying on one of my new dresses in the mirror while Elsie is watching me, a glass of wine in her hand. For the first time in what feels like forever, I finally feel as though I can l
“That’s my plan for now,” I say softly. “But the truth is, Karl has his responsibilities here, and I have mine three hours away in the city. Neither of us can escape that. So I don’t think it’ll go anywhere, honestly.” Elsie listens intently. “I know how difficult that is,” she says. Just then,
Abby There’s still a smile on my face as I make my way back to the bedroom, where Elsie is waiting, engrossed in her phone. She looks up as I enter, a curious glint in her eyes. “Well, spill it, Abby,” she says, setting her phone aside without a moment’s hesitation. “What did Karl want?”
The last thing I do is pull on a pair of tights and some tall heeled boots, followed by a dainty necklace and some dangly earrings. I take one last look in the full-length mirror, turning this way and that as I take in my appearance. “Va va voom, if I may say so myself,” Elsie says, making curve
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