A pull. It was subtle at first, like someone gently tugging at the edges of my consciousness, but it grew stronger with every step I took. I stumbled forward, barely aware of my own movements, driven by something deeper than thought. Deeper than reason. Without even thinking, without even hesita
Kayla Nicholas shoved me out of the way just moments before Noah collided with him, the force of the impact nearly knocking me to the floor. “Nicholas!” I gasped, but the two of them were already locked in combat. Fists flew, curses echoed through the room, and the air became a flurry of rage.
“Well, that was dramatic,” he remarked. “I’m sorry to say this, Noah, but Miss Sterling has chosen Nicholas whether you like it or not. We’ll begin the process of severing the bond between you two immediately.” And with that, the guildsman was gone. My heart twisted in the silence left in Mr. Gr
Kayla The soft beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, save for the quiet hum of the hospital hallway. It had been hours, and Noah still wasn’t awake. Hours. And the doctors claimed that they couldn’t find a reason for his sudden coma. This was all too familiar for comfort. M
I nodded, swallowing hard. “I don’t know how to explain it. But the way he looked at me, the way he hesitated when Noah collapsed… I could tell. He was waiting for something. I felt like if I didn’t say it, Noah might not get the help he needed.” Nicholas’s eyes darkened, and I could see the storm
Kayla Eventually, we had to leave the hospital. Not that we even wanted to—we both would have stayed forever if the nurse hadn’t come by and practically forced us to leave. “I’m sorry, you two,” the nurse said, his brow furrowed, “but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. You both have been h
Nicholas hadn’t said a word, of course. Neither had I. Now, the house was blissfully quiet, save for the faint sound of voices outside. I sank down onto the couch, kicking off my shoes and curling my legs up beneath me. “This is ridiculous,” I muttered. “We can’t leave the house without being bo
Kayla The first thing I felt when I woke up was warmth under my cheek. The second thing I felt was a slow, steady heartbeat thudding just beneath my ear. A heartbeat that was not my own. I shifted slightly, half-asleep, and the realization hit me like a ton of bricks—my head wasn’t resting aga
At that, Nicholas released me, taking a step back. He furrowed his brow. “You look surprised.”“Because I thought you had no intention of going on a honeymoon,” I blurted out, smoothing down the front of my jacket. “I thought…”My voice trailed off, and I couldn’t find it in me to say it out loud. I
KaylaI looked up to see Nicholas approaching, his face pale. “Are you alright?” he asked, stopping a little ways away from where I was standing.I quickly turned away, hoping he couldn’t see the tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m fine.”“Kayla.” Nicholas stepped in my way. “Talk to me. Did something
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