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
Kayla The door clicked shut behind us, and for the first time all day, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. The house was quiet, the kind of stillness that felt like a huge relief after the chaos of the news station. I slipped off my heels by the front door, stretching out my
I shook my head, brushing my hair out of my face. “Noah wouldn’t do that, though, would he? I mean, you two have been friends for years—” “I don’t know. You tell me, since you two seem so close lately.” There it was. The jealousy again, thinly veiled beneath that cool, Alpha exterior that Nichol
Kayla The air thinned out the second that Nicholas stepped away from me. My fingers loosened around the stem of my wine glass, but I didn’t set it down. I held onto it like an anchor, like it was the only thing left tethering me to this world after losing his warmth. It was ridiculous. I should
I stiffened. My fingers curled into the fabric of my coat, but Nicholas didn’t move. He stood perfectly still beside me, radiating that same infuriating calmness that he was so much better than me at. “We ran a blood test on Mr. Baker,” the guildsman continued, gesturing to Noah. “When compared to
Kayla Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me, waiting for my decision. But all I felt was Nicholas’s gaze—sharp, steady, and yet holding an undercurrent of pain and anger that only I could feel. This all felt so… wrong. So unfair. So forced. “Prove my devotion,” I murmured before I could stop myse
“There is an ancient practice,” the guildsman continued smoothly. “One that was once used in situations such as these, where the matter of fated mates could not be resolved through ordinary means.” Nicholas’s voice was sharp and immediate. “That practice was banned.” Mr. Gray inclined his head s
Kayla The air in the testing room was colder than I expected. Too cold for comfort. I could feel the chill seeping through my jacket as I sat stiffly in the folding metal chair, watching as two thick curtains were drawn across opposite ends of the room. The heavy fabric swallowed both Nicholas
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