My eyes widen slightly. For a moment, I guess I had some sort of hope that I would not only regain a father, but a mother as well. But she’s gone, and I never even got to know her. “As the king, I had no choice but to remarry,” he continues. “For political purposes, I married a princess of a for
Abby When Karl finishes telling me about the amazing revelations that he had with Reginald—his father, as I’ve now learned—over coffee, I’m too stunned to speak for a long time. “So,” he says, “I think I’m going to go to his estate. And I’d like you to come.” I blink in surprise, swallow, and
I feel as if I’ve stepped into a fairytale set somewhere in rural southern Italy. In fact, the personal vineyard flanking the front lawn only adds to that feeling. Reginald gives us a brief tour through the enormous foyer, which is sunlit in a golden glow through the large open-air windows. The ma
Abby The large dining room feels surprisingly warm and intimate as the plates are cleared away. I lean back in my chair, letting out a small, satisfied sigh. “I take it that the food was to your liking, Chef Abby,” Reginald says with a smile. I can’t help but grin. The flavor of fresh salmon,
Abby Karl and I step into Reginald’s study, and the faint scent of incense mixed with herbal tea fills my nostrils. The room is large with high ceilings and more open-air windows, but it has an even cozier feel now that the sun has mostly gone down. A large oak desk sits against the far wall, wi
It’s set to our pack’s timezone back in the north. “I always kept it set to your time,” he says. “So I could always feel a little closer to you.” There’s a long silence after that. I can feel Karl stiffen beside me, and then… And then he rushes forward and hugs his father tightly. Tears burst
Abby I step out of the fragrant bath, tendrils of hot steam curling up around me. My skin is flushed pink from the hot water, but I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time. Except, there’s the fact that Reginald’s proposal is still whirling around my head. Karl rises up out of the water a
I sink down onto the edge of the bed and sigh. “Maybe, no matter what we choose, we’ll be missing out on something,” I say. “I guess there is no ‘right’ answer here. But Karl…” Karl lifts his gaze to meet mine, and it’s clear that he knows what I’m about to say before I can even say it. “I do fe
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