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
AgnesI stared down at the book in my hands, feeling like my face was on fire. “I-I didn’t realize what it was,” I blurted out, desperately trying to cover up my embarrassment. “I-I must have grabbed it by mistake.”Elijah glanced over at me. To my surprise, there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Agnes, it’s alright. Remember your Luna lesson: you don’t have to explain yourself.”I fiddled with the edge of the book’s glossy cover. My cheeks heated even more at the sight of the shirtless model on the front. “But I’m telling the truth. I don’t usually read... this sort of thing.”He shrugged, his eyes returning to the road ahead. The light turned green, and he accelerated, the city turning into a blur around us. “And so what if you did? There’s nothing wrong with that.”I shot him a sidelong glance, surprised. “You mean, you don’t mind?”“Why would I?” he asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “It’s still a book just like any other. Who cares if it has... ero
We freshened up quickly and headed downstairs, the elevator delivering us directly to the lobby. The conference area was located in a separate wing of the hotel, connected to the main building by a glass-enclosed walkway. I could already see groups of werewolves gathering, the men in suits and the w
AgnesOur flight landed around noon. The airport was smaller than I expected—just a handful of gates and a single baggage claim carousel. I’d been to plenty of small airports during my life, but this one was particularly humble.“Welcome to Hunter Creek,” Elijah said as we made our way through the t
I stuck my pinky finger out and wrapped it around hers. “Pinky promise. And you can call us anytime, day or night. And Lena will be with you. She’ll take good care of you.”Thea glanced up at Lena, who was standing a few feet away, giving us space for our goodbyes. “I know,” she whispered. “But it’s
AgnesThe next two weeks flew by more quickly than I expected. Between preparing for our trip, handling work, and making sure Thea was settled with the new nanny, I barely had time to think about the incident with the paparazzi.Lena fit into our household routine as if she’d always been there. She
“Are you okay?” I asked. “After what happened at the restaurant, I mean.”She nodded. “I’m fine. It was just... unexpected.”“The paparazzi can be brutal,” I said. “Try not to take it personally. They’re just looking for their next story.”“Of course,” she agreed. “Good night, Agnes.”“Night,” I rep
AgnesMy stomach dropped the moment those words left the photographer’s mouth.“Alpha Elijah! Is this beautiful woman your next romantic conquest?”The flash of the camera was blinding, but not as blinding as the sudden rush of emotions that flooded through me. I felt like I’d been punched in the gu
“Please, Daddy? I’ll keep it forever and ever!”Elijah, never able to resist Thea’s puppy-dog eyes, relented immediately. I just shook my head as he handed over his credit card for the ridiculously overpriced stuffed animal.“You’re spoiling her,” I whispered to him. She just got a whole new playroo
Agnes“Thea, please slow down,” I called after my daughter, who was racing ahead of us toward the giant shark tank. “The sharks aren’t going anywhere!”“But I want to see them up close!” she shouted back, already pressing her face against the glass of the massive tank.I sighed and quickened my pace
Lena looked at me for a moment, blinking as if dazed by my sudden diversion, but shook her head. I showed her around my workstation, pointing out different fabric types and explaining my design process.“I’d be happy to make you something sometime,” I said. “As a welcome gift.”Lena’s eyes widened.