And yet, there’s a flicker of something else in Ethan’s gaze. Regret, maybe? Apprehension? I can’t quite tell, but I know one thing for sure: tonight is bound to be interesting, to say the least. Karl's arm around me tightens possessively. I press closer to reassure him as Ethan passes by without
Abby Karl unfolds his speech, smoothing the papers out on the podium. He clears his throat, and his voice is steady and strong as he begins. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We stand at a crossroads for our pack…” As he speaks, his brown eyes sweep over the crowd. His gaze is harder than eve
“This election threatens to divide our pack,” Karl continues. “And for what? Glory? Power? None of that matters to me.” He comes to stand in front of Ethan now. In this moment, it feels as though the podiums and crowd, even me and Gianna, are fading away until it’s just the two of them standing th
Karl Before the speech, I had stepped away briefly to speak with an old family friend who I spotted in the bustling crowd. “Eugene,” I said as I walked up to him, holding my hand out to shake his. “I can’t believe you’re here.” Eugene was a kindly older man who had known Ethan and I since we w
I just couldn’t. … After the speech, I’m guiding Abby away, away from the crowd and the flashing lights and the consequences of what I’ve done. God, what have I done? Did I just make a horrible mistake? Did I just ruin everything, ruin my chances of winning this election and being the Alpha? D
Abby I’m left stunned as Karl and Ethan disappear together, leaving me alone to face the ravenous crowd. Questions bombard me from all sides but I stand frozen, unable to process what just happened. “Luna Abby! Luna Abby, over here!” “Luna Abby, what is your take on Alpha Karl’s impromptu spee
Abby I’m huddled in the alley beside the building, tears streaming down my cheeks as I stare up at the sky. However, I’m not here for long before I hear the sound of footsteps approaching. A moment later, I look up through blurry eyes to see Karl standing over me, his face drawn with concern. “K
Abby Karl takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine, as he leads me back inside the building. My lips are still tingling from our impulsive kiss, my heart pounding in my chest for more reasons than one. But my breath catches in my throat when we enter the hall again. The press is still
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