Kayla & Nicholas Kayla The morning sun seeped through the canopy of trees as I jogged along the forest trail, golden shafts spilling across the ground. Leaves crunched under my feet, and the cold morning air filled my lungs. I stretched my arms above my head, feeling the satisfying pull of muscl
I dodged another punch, noting the almost feral look in her eyes. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but not from exertion—it was as if she was burning up from the inside. But I barely had time to notice this, let alone duck before she came at me again, her attacks lacking finesse but strangely packed
Kayla I was still riding the high of the morning’s fight when Nicholas approached me near the training grounds. Most of the spectators had already dispersed, a few lingering behind to chatter excitedly about Nora’s humiliation and my unexpected victory. “Just so you know, we’re expected at a bir
But this felt different. Jade and Emma seemed to genuinely enjoy my company, and I enjoyed theirs. Looking back, the interactions between Vanessa and myself had always felt a little forced, although I didn’t notice it at the time. This didn’t feel like that at all. As Emma stepped back to admire
Kayla Nicholas and I made our way into the banquet hall, pausing briefly in the entryway to take in the space. It was a large but cozy venue, with round tables scattered throughout and a stage at the far end of the room. A band was playing covers of popular songs, and people were dancing and laugh
My smile faltered for a split second before I quickly forced it back into place. “How do you know Nicholas?” I asked lightly, just wanting to steer the conversation away from myself more than anything. “Oh, we had a bit of a fling a while back,” the brunette said breezily, tossing a lock of long,
Kayla I froze, looking at the stunned faces around the table. The cupcake was hovering halfway to my mouth, uneaten. Everyone at the table seemed to be looking at me like I’d just committed a sin for trying to eat my dessert. Most of all, I caught sight of Nicholas out of the corner of my eye. H
“Excuse me,” I muttered, not bothering to look at Nicholas. My chair scraped against the floor as I stood, the sound somehow louder than all the laughter. Nicholas turned, his eyes widening slightly, but I didn’t wait for his or anyone else’s reaction. I just needed to escape. Without another word
Kayla Noah stood there silently, watching me with those steady, unflinching eyes of his, waiting for me to say something. Anything. But the weight of his words still lingered in the space between us, and there was no shaking them. Fated mate. The phrase kept looping on repeat in my head, ov
“She’s my mate,” Nicholas hissed, gesturing toward my neck where—beneath a thick scarf—my fresh mating mark was still red and pulsing with a strange, tender feeling. “You’ve marked her, yes,” Noah said as calmly as ever. “But Nicholas, you know as well as I do the power of a true fated mate bond.
Kayla Noah’s hands were still warm where they had lingered a little too long on my arms, and I hadn’t even registered how close we were standing until I heard the sound of that furious, familiar voice coming from behind me. I barely had time to turn around and realize what was happening before N
Kayla The moment Noah mentioned my father, I nearly dropped the bundle of clothes I was holding. My eyes went wide. “My… My father?” I barely managed to choke out. Instantly, all of the worst-case scenarios went through my head—with my father’s death being at the forefront. I hoped that wasn’t t
“You don’t have to do this,” she said quietly, but she was already sitting up straighter, her eyes lingering on the food longer than she probably meant them to. “I know.” I set the bag down between us, leaning against the cold cell wall as I watched her unwrap the containers. “But I want to.” Gr
Nicholas Last night… The waiter had barely set the plate down before I waved him off, leaning back in my chair as I glanced around the expensive restaurant. It was quiet and dimly lit with candles, the soft hum of conversation mixing with the clinking of silverware. Perfectly normal. Perfectly
“Haven’t abandoned us?” she snapped, cutting me off. Her voice rose, already drawing the attention of the few other customers scattered around the store. “Then where the hell have you been? We’re barely holding on, and you’re here buying scarves and sweaters? Are you using Alpha Nicholas’s money to
Kayla The bell above the door chimed softly as I stepped into the small boutique, shaking the snow off my boots and rubbing my hands together for warmth. The air inside was nice and toasty, filled with the scent of vanilla and pine, and the faint sound of holiday music drifted from the back of the
Kayla The blood drained from my face as I stared at the photograph on the coffee table. I felt sick. My stomach twisted, threatening to betray me as I forced myself to stay still. The room suddenly felt stifling, the air thick and hard to swallow. There Nicholas was, in the same clothes he was w