I stood frozen in Elijah’s study, completely stunned by his words. His calm, steady tone was so casual, yet the authority behind it felt like a punch to the gut. My mind raced, trying to process what he had just said.“What?” I blurted, unable to hide the confusion in my voice.How could he be so ca
And now, so did Elijah. I was impressed that he had taken the time to look at my paper and he’d even asked me about the research itself, and I’d pointed to some academic texts I had used for the research, which he’d pored over in preparation for this discussion as well.Elijah’s gaze sharpened, and
The respect I had long been denied finally started flowing my way, and I absorbed Elijah’s lesson deeply. The whispers of doubt, the cruel judgments, all the rumors that had once circled around me—now, they were crumbling, like ash blown away by the wind.People who had barely acknowledged my existe
Clara’s face twisted in disgust as she tried to argue, "But Alpha Elijah, she’s wolfless and had a child out of wedlock with some nameless wolf. She’s a disgrace!”I felt the heat rise in my chest, the humiliation threatening to boil over. How could she still look at me like that after everything I
AgnesThe phone felt like ice in my hand as I stood in the secluded clearing, my heart hammering against my chest. The words from the DNA testing center still echoed in my ears, but they didn’t make any sense.Thea isn’t your child. There is no biological connection between you.I wanted to scream.
AgnesAs soon as Olivia’s lips touched Elijah’s, my heart clenched, and I turned away. I couldn’t watch. It wasn’t like I hadn’t known this was coming—their bond, as fated mates, was unbreakable.I knew that from the beginning. It was a harsh reality I couldn’t avoid. But knowing didn’t make it hurt
I was stunned. Today is my birthday?I hadn’t celebrated my birthday in years—five, to be exact. So much of my life had been swallowed by a relentless pursuit of survival—working to pay off debts, searching endlessly for my stolen baby—that I had forgotten what it felt like to have a day just for m
His other hand slid up, fingers curling around the nape of my neck, pulling me even closer until there was no space between us.I heard it then, a low growl rumbling from his chest, vibrating against my skin. His lips hovered over mine for a brief, tantalizing second before he whispered, his voice r
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his lips brushing against the top of my head. “I know you were still holding onto hope.”I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.“I’ll call the detectives tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll get updates on the search for your daughter. We’ll find her, Agnes. I promise.”His words off
AgnesI stood in the bathroom, staring at the small vial of murky green oil that the witch had given me. The liquid inside seemed to swirl on its own, catching the dim light from the vanity. I uncorked it, the faint scent of herbs and something earthy wafting up to meet me.One drop, she had said. J
Agnes shook her head. “I just remember…” She frowned, looking confused as she pushed her hair out of her face. “The room went cold, and I opened my eyes, and it was all… dark.” She glanced at me and added, “But then I blinked and now I’m here.”The witch looked at me then, and there was a knowing ex
ElijahWithin moments of beginning the ritual, Agnes’s head fell backwards and her eyes rolled back. Panic lanced through me and I surged forward, reaching for her.“Agnes—”“Don’t touch her,” the witch said, holding out one hand to stop me. “She’s fine.”“Fine?” I echoed, letting out an incredulous
Elijah simply shrugged. “I hate to see you suffer from losing your wolf. Besides, what happened in the forest was just proof that you’re weaker without it.”My lips parted. Of course, I recalled the way I’d stumbled blindly through the woods that night, unable to see properly without my wolf’s super
AgnesA few days passed after that, and I never located my letter. When I asked Evelyn and Gertrude about it, they said they hadn’t seen it. I wondered if one of the staff had picked it up and tossed it out, thinking that it was trash.Either way, I supposed it didn’t really matter at that point; El
I wanted nothing more than to be the mother she wanted, the mother she deserved. I wanted it more than oxygen sometimes. If I could have become her real, biological mother, if I could have erased the past seven years of heartache and losing my daughter and have had a family with her and Elijah, I wo
AgnesDue to my condition, I couldn’t go after Thea right away, even though I really wanted to. Thankfully, the doctor cleared me soon afterwards and I could go home. My legs were still wobbly and my skin still burned from where I’d come into contact with the poison ivy, but thanks to the medicine t
Either way, something about it felt… off. I trusted Elijah to consider the implications thoroughly, though.Finally, Elijah sighed, his head dropping into his hands again. I quickly decided to address the matter with Mason, even though it hurt like hell just to speak.“Elijah,” I said, struggling to