After that, we made our way through the pile of gifts, taking turns. I gave Jade a pair of warm mittens with a matching beanie since she was always taking walks in the forest, Marcus a new custom fountain pen because his had broken recently, Grace a book of knitting patterns, and Noah a leatherbound
KaylaI opened my eyes to find a flat gift box in my hands, topped with a neat red bow and a tag that read, “To: Kayla. From: Nicholas”. I blinked up at Nicholas, who was looking over my shoulder, in surprise.“You… did get me something?” I asked.Nicholas lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Something
Finally, he looked up, and his eyes were sparkling with that mischief I knew all too well.“Did we write each other short stories for solstice?” he blurted out.I nodded, my face reddening to an impossible shade of crimson as I added, “I may have written a steamy scene or two in mine as well. To mak
KaylaNicholas and I didn’t dare to move, hardly even dared to breathe, as the gray wolf stepped out from the shadows. Its eyes, a glowing silver color like a pale, moonlit lake, roved around the forest as if searching for something.Then, it sniffed once. Deeply. And then froze, its hackles raised,
Suddenly, however, Nicholas’s eyes met mine. They were blazing with a fiery red rage, and he held my gaze for a moment, conveying every word he could manage into that one look: “GO!”Somehow, I moved then. I wasn’t sure how I managed it, or how I even made it to the cabin so quickly, but I did. One
KaylaNicholas’s face was set in a grimace as Jade carefully stitched up his wound.But more than anything, Nicholas was furious—furious about Gray and his two lackeys showing up here, on solstice no less, and we now had two hostages tied up in the cellar and a dead body out behind the cabin.“I nev
Gray and his lackey were being held in a small storage room in the cellar, guarded by Nina and Emerie. The two warriors stepped aside as we approached, and Nicholas opened the door to find the hostages sitting on the dirt floor.“Sober yet?” Nicholas asked, folding his arms across his chest. “Or do
KaylaGray and his two cohorts lay side by side in the hole we’d dug. They were wrapped in sheets and placed six feet underground, a good half mile away from the cabin.If it weren’t for the unfortunate circumstances, today might have been a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirpin
“I’ll schedule another,” Nicholas said matter-of-factly. “I had a trip planned for the tropics, but if you don’t like that, we can go somewhere else. Whatever you want, it’s yours.”I flushed at the thought of days spent on the beach, nights spent in an expensive hotel room, and everything in betwee
KaylaNicholas’s face lit up when I said those words. He swallowed hard, nearly choking on the large bite of sandwich in the process.“You’re sure?” he asked, almost as if he couldn’t believe it. “After everything, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted a—”“I’m sure, Nicholas,” I cut him off. “I want t
Nicholas & KaylaNicholasNora stared at me, her eyes wider than before. I stared back in shock, but when I turned to see where Kayla had gone, she was no longer there. I glanced back at Nora, who was still gawking at me like she’d just seen a ghost.“Is there something you needed to talk about?” I
I nodded, suddenly feeling my legs go weak. Three days walking nonstop in the forest, living on berries and squirrels, finally seemed to be catching up to me. I sank down into a nearby chair, slumping slightly.Nicholas glanced at me, then walked out of the room without a word, leaving me and Jade a
KaylaI didn’t hesitate. “Take me there,” I said, turning abruptly toward Nicholas.Nicholas furrowed his brow slightly, as did Emma. I knew they were both surprised at my sudden interest in Nora, who had been nothing but a thorn in my side since we’d met. And frankly, I didn’t blame them. Maybe a f
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