Nicholas “I need to replace this damn couch,” I grumbled. I shifted on the couch in my study, the old leather and shitty springs creaking beneath my weight as I attempted to stretch out. It was a useless effort, and the light of the moon shining through the sheer curtains felt blinding, even whe
Tears were staining her cheeks. The moment I saw that dampness on her skin, I stepped inside without thinking. I should have walked away, should have let her be, but the sight of her trembling in her sleep made something tighten in my chest. She was dreaming. A nightmare, maybe. Quietly, I cro
Kayla The room smelled like him. That was one of the first things I noticed when I opened my eyes to the soft glow of the early morning light filtering through the sheer curtains. I stayed there for a moment, still buried under the thick blankets, trying and failing to shake off the lingering ha
It was the woman from the picture. The one I had seen through Nicholas’s memories. “Nicholas—so nice to see you again. I placed an order for those desserts you liked, by the way,” she said, approaching us with a grin and extending her hand to me. “And you must be Kayla. I’m your wedding planner.
Kayla I stiffened in my seat, glancing toward Nicholas, unsure of what to do. His arm was resting on the back of my chair, his fingers drumming lazily against the wood. If he was irritated by the photographer’s intrusion, he didn’t show it. In fact, he looked completely unbothered. Calm and coll
Seeing him like this just left me even more confused. Was it just the mate bond that had triggered his jealousy? Was he just concerned about our arrangement being jeopardized if I became involved with another man? Or maybe… maybe he was pretending now, just like he had been last night. Drinking wi
Kayla The bright lights of the news station felt far too harsh for this early in the morning. Honestly, I wanted to be literally anywhere else—I’d even take Grace’s cold cell over this. But I couldn’t. It had to be done, and I had no say in the matter. So I sat in the leather chair with my legs
My chest tightened instantly, and Nicholas’s arm stiffened into iron around me. “Liam Reynolds, your ex-fiancé and Nicholas’s younger half-brother. It’s quite the scandal, isn’t it? How was it that you and Nicholas ended up together so soon after the, er… incident?” I froze, my mind scrambling t
The sensation was indescribable—like finding a piece of myself I hadn’t known was missing, like coming home after a lifetime of wandering.I grinned up at Nicholas, feeling almost impish with the secret I’d kept for so long.His mouth hung open, shock written across his features. “You knew,” he said
Kayla“One more push!” the doctor’s voice barely registered through the haze of pain that had consumed me for the past sixteen hours. “I can see the head, Kayla. One more big push!”Nicholas gripped my hand, his other arm supporting my back as I leaned forward. I was beyond exhaustion, beyond pain,
There was Emma, fierce and loyal despite everything she’d been through, slowly healing from her injuries with her brother’s unwavering support. Marcus, who’d practically raised his sister from childhood and would do anything to protect those he cared about, including us.Noah, with his gentle demean
Kayla“She’s going to get what she deserves. Today,” Emma said, drumming her fingers against the armrest of her wheelchair. It was the third time she’d said it in the last half hour, but none of us called her on it. We were all tense.We stood outside the guild hall in a loose circle, our faces grim
“What did you do with her?”“She’s locked up in Nightshade’s prison for now,” Nicholas said grimly. “I’m going to speak to the guild to decide her fate.”I shivered. I couldn’t believe it, and yet… Somehow, I could. Because Isabella had done so much worse. This was just the cherry on top.My thought
KaylaLight filtered through my eyelids, hazy and blurred. Everything felt heavy. Sore. But alive.The first thing I saw was Nicholas hunched over me, clutching me so tightly I could barely breathe.“Kayla,” he murmured against my throat. “Kayla, please come back…”My shaky hand came up, my fingers
Across the room, Noah let out a roar of grief and anger, his fist punching through the wall with enough force to crack the plaster all the way to the ceiling. Marcus’s hands tore at his hair as he cursed violently. Emma shook in her wheelchair, silent tears streaming down her face. Grace simply star
Nicholas“Detain her!” I snarled at the nearest warriors, who were tangled with their new mates in various states of undress beneath the trees. They scrambled to their feet at my command, eyes widening as they took in Isabella writhing on the ground beneath me, her glamour spell completely faded now
“I’m here, Kayla,” she whispered. “I’ve always been here. It’s going to be okay…”Sobs tore from my throat. “I’m miscarrying, aren’t I?” I choked out, clutching her tighter. “I’m going to lose my baby.” I pulled back just enough to look into those luminous green eyes. “Please emerge before that happ