Abby The truck plows on through the relentless blizzard, and my anxiety continues to mount with each passing second. The world outside the window is nothing but a white abyss, and I have no idea where we’re headed. Fear grips me the further we go, and I can’t shake the nagging feeling that I’m i
Karl “God, Abby, where are you?” I murmur. I’m driving carefully along the route that Abby would have taken, my knuckles white on the steering wheel as I peer through the blinding snowstorm. Panic tightens my chest with each passing moment. She should have been back hours ago, and the storm has
Karl I drive on after two dead ends at both gas stations, my frustration growing with each passing mile. The tire tracks have all but disappeared, and the relentless snowfall has erased any hope of following them. Try as I might, I also can’t pick up Abby’s scent anywhere. I know it’s a useless
Karl I burst through the cabin door, my senses on high alert. My heart races as I take in the scene before me—two men standing over Abby, in the middle of what looks like a desperate struggle. It’s just as I force my way through the door in my wolf form that I see the light fade from Abby’s eyes
Abby The first thing I feel when I start to wake up is the throbbing pain in my head, followed by a profound sense of nausea. It’s as if I can feel the world making its rotations at that moment, the earth turning rightside up and upside down and repeating the process over and over again, and I’m
Abby The ride home feels like an eternity, my head still throbbing with pain and the world outside a blur of snow and darkness. Karl’s presence beside me is a comforting anchor, and I try my best to focus on the sound of his voice as he reassures me that we’ll be home soon. Finally, I see the li
Abby The next day dawns with a mix of relief and trepidation. Karl and I are sitting in the living room, waiting for the police to arrive. I can’t help but feel a knot of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Reliving the events of yesterday, recounting the trauma… It’s not exactly something that I’
Abby The tow company finally arrives, bringing my car—well, Karl’s car—back from the snowy ditch where it had been abandoned during the incident. I stand by, anxiously watching as they unload the car and bring it back to its rightful place in the driveway. Karl stands beside me, his hands tucked
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