I frowned, opening my mouth to say more, but Grace had already returned to her knitting.For the remainder of the day, Nicholas stayed outside, the forest echoing with the sounds of hammering and cursing. When I glanced through the window at one point, he was shirtless, his muscles rippling and glea
KaylaThe debate was set in the guild hall’s communal room that Saturday morning. The room was already filled with people by the time I peeked through the curtains. A bubble of nerves rose in my stomach at the sight of all the cameras, and I swallowed hard.“I think you might be more nervous than I
“Furthermore,” Nicholas said, finally dragging his gaze back to Denver, “I agree that the guild upholds traditional familial ideals; which is exactly why I think it’s in poor taste to insult such a lovely woman in a debate that has nothing to do with her.”“I didn’t—”“Luna Kayla is a graceful, eleg
Kayla“Alpha Nicholas… Welcome to the guild.”No sooner had those words left the chairman’s mouth than Nicholas was suddenly whirling around, sweeping me off my feet and spinning me in a circle. The sounds of his raucous cheers blotted out everything else—the applause, the murmurs, even my own laugh
Nicholas shrugged, his eyes flicking to me as he sipped his champagne. “Lucky for me, I’ve got a good team.”I blushed without meaning to, averting my gaze. Truthfully, though, I knew it was going to be a tough journey for him to become chairman, with or without us. It was a highly esteemed position
KaylaThe first couple of weeks that Nicholas was an official member of the guild passed in a whirlwind. Day after day seemed to encompass some sort of interview or public statement or another, while night after night was filled with paperwork, preparations, and plans for the next leg of Nicholas’s
But Nicholas was still staring at me, and when I glanced up at him and saw the puzzled look on his face, I knew I couldn’t remain silent forever.“I just feel like we could back off a little,” I ventured. “Maybe take some more time to plan a wedding that isn’t so… cookie-cutter.”Nicholas stared at
Nicholas“Meeting adjourned,” Kieran said, tapping his gavel on the wooden table.The other guild members rose from their seats, the council chamber filling with the sound of scraping chairs, rustling papers, and voices. It was the end of the day—a long day, might I add—and everyone was itching to g
The officer’s face went ashen. “I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t see anything suspicious, so—”I shook my head, passing my hands over my face. “What’s done is done. But that’s Vanessa’s father’s car, for certain. She might have used it to drive close enough to the estate, then somehow snuck in.”Nicholas’s
KaylaThe pearl almost seemed to catch the dim light from beneath my vanity. I frowned, crawling out of bed, and dropped to my knees, reaching under to pull it out. It was small and smooth with an almost pinkish hue to it—and I knew that I didn’t own any earrings like that.But I knew this earring.
“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