The words hit me like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head. I stared at the road as the reality of his statement sank in. Of course I knew this wasn’t a real wedding. I knew it was all for show, a charade to keep up appearances. But hearing him say it so bluntly, after everything, f
Kayla Noah looked anything but thrilled by my presence as we approached, and I felt my heart sink a little. Did he not like me or something? We’d hardly exchanged more than ten words between the two of us since we’d met. Nicholas, however, seemed as unbothered as ever. “Why would I leave my Luna
By the time the game ended, I had scored exactly one point to Noah’s fifteen. But instead of sulking, I walked over to him and extended my hand across the net. “That was fun,” I said, and I really did mean it. “Thanks for letting me play.” Noah hesitated for a moment before shaking my hand. Ther
Nicholas The winter sun was even more blinding from the snow outside as it streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows and reflected off the polished floors of the country club’s indoor courts. I tugged at the collar of my polo, the fabric suddenly feeling too tight and too warm, and gl
Kayla The racquet slipped from my hands as the ball sailed through the air toward me. My breath hitched, and I braced for the sharp sting of impact, squeezing my eyes shut. But the pain never came. “That would’ve stung,” came Nicholas’s deep voice, rough and low. My eyes snapped open to see
Throughout the meal, Rebecca kept leaning into Nicholas, touching his arm and laughing at his jokes with exaggerated enthusiasm. I tried to focus on my food, but my eyes kept drifting back to them. Nicholas didn’t seem entirely comfortable, but he wasn’t pulling away, either. It wasn’t as if I had
Kayla The silence between Noah and me in the wake of Nicholas’s sudden exit felt heavy and awkward. I stared down at the peeling label of my beer bottle, unsure of what to say. The edges of the label were already frayed from where my nails had been picking at it earlier, and I didn’t even try to
Kayla Nicholas stormed ahead of me, his grip on my hand firm enough to make me stumble as I tried to keep up with his long strides. My breath puffed visibly in the cold air, and I nearly tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, catching myself just in time to glare at the back of his head. “Nichola
By early afternoon, we’d moved outside to begin setting up the decorations in the expansive garden behind the manor. Pack members were bustling about, hanging lanterns from tree branches, arranging tables, and setting up the bonfire that would be lit when the moon rose.I struggled to lift a box of
KaylaThe Blood Moon Revelry.I’d completely forgotten about it with everything that had happened. Between my father’s betrayal, William Straud’s attack, and Emma’s injury, the annual celebration had slipped my mind entirely until Nicholas mentioned it last night.I stood at the large bay window of
I leaned down and pressed my lips to Emma’s cold cheek, my tears falling onto her skin. “Wake up, Emma,” I said softly. “Please wake up. We need you. You need to get better and come back to us.”She remained still, the only movement the steady rise and fall of her chest, mechanically aided by the ma
KaylaI paced the length of the hospital waiting room, my nerves frayed to the breaking point. Every few steps, I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, watching the hands move with excruciating slowness.Twelve hours. Emma had been in surgery for twelve hours now.Jade sat huddled in one of the
Nicholas straightened slightly beside me, his expression carefully neutral.“Therefore, by unanimous decision of this council, we hereby appoint you, Nicholas Reynolds, as chairman of the guild, to serve alongside me in leading our institution into a new era of transparency and justice.”I gasped so
KaylaThe press release went out early Monday morning, a joint statement from Nicholas and me that detailed everything that had happened with my father, William Straud, and their accomplices. The truth about their attempts to find Luporath, about the manipulation and murder, and about how they’d bee
I swallowed hard, remembering the moment I’d crushed the compass beneath my boot. “I didn’t think I had it in me,” I admitted. “My father said the relic could help me—could make my wolf emerge.”Nicholas’s eyes darkened. “I know. I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I wanted to find it for that very
KaylaI rushed to Emma’s side. Blood pooled beneath her, staining the straw-covered barn floor a sickening crimson. Jade dropped down across from me with a gasp.Marcus was there an instant later, his face twisting with anguish when he saw his sister. He shouldered past us and scooped Emma’s limp bo
I ripped the compass bracelet from my wrist, holding it high. “Is this what you want?!” I shouted. “Come take it!”The attack paused. Even Isabella halted, looking to her cohorts for guidance. The compass dangled from my fingers, swinging enticingly.“No, Kayla! Don’t give it to them!” Nicholas mana