Chewing my lip, I said, “Nicholas, can anyone participate in the Darkmoon Festival?”He looked up at me again, this time with confusion. “How do you know about that?”“The others told me,” I replied. “Last night. It sounds… intriguing.”Nicholas snorted. “Intriguing,” he echoed. “And archaic. But to
KaylaThe thwack of leather beneath my fist echoed through the training ring in a steady rhythm, matching the tempo of my heart. One, two, one, two… Jab, jab, feint, uppercut. As a final move, I twisted to the right and extended my leg up and to the side, slamming my foot into the center of the trai
And a hard, brick wall with a sign that read, “He doesn’t want you, Kayla. Not really. Not in the ways that count.”And so I pushed myself, training to fatigue every day, in the hopes that my body would strengthen enough to keep that wall from breaking me completely.That morning, Marcus and I went
Kayla & NicholasKaylaNicholas and I took our positions on opposite sides of the ring, and I felt like I was going to vomit.I wasn’t going to stand a chance against him. Not with those biceps that were practically the size of my head. Especially not with that damn cocky grin plastered across his f
When he finally got me flat on my back, legs splayed and arms trapped, I realized I’d lost. Nicholas grinned down at me, barely even out of breath after our spar. I struggled against his grip, but it was no use. He was too strong.“Trapped?” Nicholas cooed, clearly enjoying this. He leaned in close,
KaylaI was expecting to go to bed alone.The day had been a blur of last-minute wedding preparations—finalizing the seating chart, confirming the catering, and making sure the flowers would arrive on time. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I was exhausted, both physically and emotionall
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them.Jade and Emma exchanged a glance. “For what?” Emma asked.“For being so rude the other day,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’ve been so caught up in my own head that I haven’t been a good friend. I didn’t mean to sn
KaylaI stood in the middle of the room, my heart sinking as I stared at the torn wedding gown.The fabric lay in shreds across the floor. The bodice was ripped apart, the lace mere threads by now. The veil wasn’t even anywhere to be found. Only the fucking gloves were left untouched, still sitting
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