He studied me for a moment. “You have nothing to apologize for.”“I feel like I overstepped,” I insisted. “Especially knowing that you have a mate.”He sighed softly. “Agnes, the situation with Olivia is... complicated. But that doesn’t excuse my actions, either.”I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. “I just don’t want to cause any trouble.”He took a step closer. “You’re not causing trouble. If anything, I’ve been the one making things difficult for you.”I looked up at him, meeting his gaze. His eyes were steady, fixed on me like I was the only thing in the world. Unbidden, memories of last night’s kiss flitted back through my mind. But I quickly looked away, not wanting to make the same mistake twice.Because that mark was still on prominent display on his neck, and there was no ignoring it.“Well, um…” I swallowed hard, feeling awkward beneath his gaze. “Thank you for the apology. But maybe we should keep things professional from now on. For Thea’s sake.”He nodded slowly. “Perhap
AgnesI was jolted awake by the sound of my bedroom door swinging open. Squinting against the early morning light, I saw a group of maids bustling into the room, their arms filled with piles of fabric, brushes, and all sorts of random beauty tools.“Good morning, Luna Agnes,” one of them chirped, se
“Hmm,” Rosa mused. “Not terrible, but not acceptable either. Back straight, eyes forward. Again.”I repeated the motion, focusing on her instructions.“Better. Now, let’s practice addressing a gentleman.”Elijah stepped forward. “Good morning, Agnes.”“Good morning, Elijah,” I said, trying to mainta
AgnesI wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting golden rays across the ballroom floor. We had been at this for hours, and still, the feather kept fluttering to the ground like a mocking little bird.“Again,” Rosa commanded sharply, tapping her foot impatien
“Impressive,” he commented as I executed a particularly tricky turn.“Don’t sound so surprised,” I replied lightly.“Not surprised, just... delighted.”My heart fluttered at his words, but I focused on the rhythm, allowing myself to be fully present in the moment. The fabric of his shirt brushed aga
AgnesThe next morning dawned bright and clear, and I found myself once again heading toward the parlor for another etiquette lesson with Rosa. Elijah was busy today, so he wouldn’t be attending. I was a bit relieved not to have to interact with him, but I did wonder what Rosa had in store for me.A
AgnesI stood outside Elijah’s office door the next morning, taking a deep breath before knocking lightly. The muffled sounds of conversation ceased, and his deep voice called out, “Come in.”Pushing the door open, I found him seated behind his massive mahogany desk, papers strewn about. He looked u
Was it possible… that Elijah was the man I had slept with all those years ago?The thought made my heart pound for reasons I wasn’t quite willing to admit. But I pushed those thoughts away, instead focusing on the present.Retracing my steps, I headed back toward the shopping center and made my way
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. He explained that he’d spoken to Ava today, that Ava had saved one of the letters after all and that the handwriting matched up to Olivia’s.Olivia. Of course it was Olivia. She had always been jealous, always possessive, always angry.But to go so far as to
AgnesThea’s violin lesson was the highlight of her week, and it was quickly becoming the highlight of mine, too. Watching her skip ahead of me, holding her violin case in both hands, was enough to make my heart swell to twice its size.I walked her to the door of the music studio, crouching down to
“This is the only one I kept,” she said, her voice trembling. “I didn’t show it to Agnes because… because I didn’t want to get in trouble.”I picked up the letter, my eyes scanning the neat, precise handwriting. The message was short but clear: “Rip out pages 47, 63, and 89. Do not tell anyone, or e
ElijahI didn’t tell Agnes where I was going. She’d been through enough lately, and I didn’t want to add to her stress. Besides, I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for. All I knew was that Ava had done something suspicious, something that might have had a connection to Agnes’s missing wolf, and I
“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