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
The next moment, an intense, electric pull surged through me—a sensation I recognized all too well. My steps faltered as the mate bond suddenly flickered to life, drawing me back toward him with an irresistible force. I spun around, my breath catching as I met his gaze through the open driver’s si
Kayla The car was quiet at first, save for the low hum of the engine and the faint swish of the wipers brushing snow off the windshield. Noah didn’t say a word as we watched Nicholas speed away—not that I could blame him. We were both just sitting there in shock for different reasons that ultimate
I tilted my head, studying his side profile. “So you must know him better than anyone.” He hesitated, a muscle clenching somewhere in his jaw. I could tell he was treading carefully, trying not to say too much—no doubt he was feeling like the unwilling participant of a domestic feud by now. “I’d
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
NicholasI never would have admitted it, not to anyone or even myself, but I spent three days straight thinking of nothing but Kayla.The moment she walked into the forest, wearing nothing but some practical training gear with only a flint and steel kit in her pocket, her head held high despite the
The next morning, I woke up early, the cold air biting at my skin and my legs aching from yesterday’s exertion. I broke down my makeshift camp once more and set off into the woods, once again searching for the stag.I moved quickly, my eyes scanning the trees for any sign of the stag. I heard a scuf
KaylaI immediately began tracking the stag, following the trail that had started with those droppings.It wasn’t long before I found something else—a tree with its bark scraped on one side. Chunks of bark were scattered around, sitting on top of the snow.It was snowing a little right now, just a d
KaylaI didn’t want Nora anywhere near me, let alone sitting at the fire I’d worked so hard to build. But something about the way she just stood there, staring at me with her arms crossed and her expression unreadable, made me hesitate. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the day, or the cold that had