How long would it be before she was ripped from me again? “Mia,” my father’s voice suddenly called from somewhere beyond the garden. My mother’s smile faltered, her song fading as she turned toward the sound. Her hands stilled, and her entire body stiffened. And then, in a flash, she was gone.
Kayla “Why can’t you stay in your own room?” Nicholas growled, his amber eyes burning as he pinned me to the mattress. The tin of lip balm I’d been holding went rolling across the bed, and he glanced at it with a huff. His body was tense, solid, and far too warm for my liking—or maybe too warm f
I clenched my teeth, every muscle in my body screaming at me to move, to do something—anything—to stop him. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. His voice, his touch, the heat of his body—it all blurred together, fogging my mind and making my pulse hammer in a way that was both terrifying and… intoxicating.
Kayla Nicholas’s pace was relentless as he led me down the gravel path that twisted through the estate gardens and toward the edge of the woods. The early morning sun filtered through the trees, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow across the ground, but I was far too irritated to care a
Kayla Nicholas ground his teeth so hard I thought his jaw might snap beneath the pressure. “Seriously? You want me to beg for your help?” I nodded, fighting the smirk that was threatening to creep onto my face. “Dead serious,” I replied coolly. “I want to see you on your knees before I conside
Kayla The moment the emissary handed over the search warrant, I could feel the blood drain from my face. I glanced furtively up at Nicholas, wondering if he would allow this guildsman to come into the house. Surely he would find some excuse, right? But to my surprise, Nicholas simply smiled. “
“Yes,” Nicholas added, rather smugly. “She can. You know, just yesterday, she stumbled through here and broke half of the expensive vases in this room? That’s why it’s so empty.” The emissary, stunned, turned to look at Nicholas. I stuck my tongue out at Nicholas behind the emissary’s back. Leave
Kayla I stood there, my cheeks blazing hotter than the sun, staring at the offending piece of lace dangling from Nicholas’s fingers. My panties. My lacy panties. It was mortifying enough that Jade had thrown my things into his room, but now this? “Give me that,” I snapped, storming across the ro
I nodded, suddenly feeling my legs go weak. Three days walking nonstop in the forest, living on berries and squirrels, finally seemed to be catching up to me. I sank down into a nearby chair, slumping slightly.Nicholas glanced at me, then walked out of the room without a word, leaving me and Jade a
KaylaI didn’t hesitate. “Take me there,” I said, turning abruptly toward Nicholas.Nicholas furrowed his brow slightly, as did Emma. I knew they were both surprised at my sudden interest in Nora, who had been nothing but a thorn in my side since we’d met. And frankly, I didn’t blame them. Maybe a f
At that, Nicholas released me, taking a step back. He furrowed his brow. “You look surprised.”“Because I thought you had no intention of going on a honeymoon,” I blurted out, smoothing down the front of my jacket. “I thought…”My voice trailed off, and I couldn’t find it in me to say it out loud. I
KaylaI looked up to see Nicholas approaching, his face pale. “Are you alright?” he asked, stopping a little ways away from where I was standing.I quickly turned away, hoping he couldn’t see the tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m fine.”“Kayla.” Nicholas stepped in my way. “Talk to me. Did something
Was it true that Nicholas had laughed in her face when she confessed her feelings? Was he truly that heartless, even back then? Was it true that Nora thought she was doing me a favor by trying to break us up, by showing me that audio clip?I didn’t think Nora could ever be my friend, not by a long s
KaylaI stared at the deer turning on the spit, its skin turned red and glistening with fat as the fire cooked it from beneath. The air smelled like roasting meat, mingling with the scent of fresh bread and mulled cider.I was starving and surrounded by food that looked utterly delicious, and yet my
Before I could protest further, Nicholas whisked me off my feet, gathering me in his arms like I was as light as a feather. He strode quickly toward the edge of the forest—I was surprised to find that we weren’t nearly as far as I thought we were this whole time—and then veered toward the house.“I’
KaylaI stared wide-eyed down at Nora’s unmoving body, at the pool of blood forming around her abdomen. She coughed and sputtered, eyes glazed over, already worlds away from this place by the time I found her.The warrior said that he had accidentally pushed her too hard during a spar, and she fell
And although it was bitterly cold out today, with the feast being held outside no less, all of the torches and fire pits scattered around the gathering area kept me warm enough that I’d even removed my jacket some time ago.Jade shook her head and took a seat next to me, perching on the edge of the