And although I didn’t want to let myself consider this as an option, I thought back to the possibilities surrounding the DNA test—if Elijah was somehow the man I had hooked up with all those years ago, then…Maybe he wasn’t the worst choice in a one night stand, if this was his mentality surrounding more… intimate matters.By the time we finally pulled up to the house, however, I was dying to get away. I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to him briefly, my face still red from our encounter. “Thank you for the ride.”“Anytime,” he replied as he cut the engine.I hurried inside before he could follow me, clutching the book tightly. Once in my room, I slipped it under the mattress, planning to dispose of it discreetly the next time I went out. No matter what Elijah said, this genre wasn’t really my cup of tea.But that night, sleep evaded me. I tossed and turned, unable to stop thinking about the DNA test. What if the first test had been a mistake? What if Thea really was my missing daugh
But then, just as things intensified, a distant sound pulled me away.“Mommy?”My eyes snapped open at the sound of someone knocking on the door. Morning light filtered through the curtains, and I realized that I was tangled in the sheets, the book still clutched in my hands. My heart pounded as the vivid remnants of the dream lingered.“Mommy!” Thea’s voice called from the other side of the door. “I’m hungry!”Panic surged through me. “J-Just a minute!” I scrambled to hide the book under the mattress again, smoothing out the covers hastily.Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to find Thea standing there with an expectant grin on her face. “Good morning,” I greeted, forcing a smile.“Good morning!” she chirped. “Can we please have pancakes again?”“Sure, sweetheart. Let’s go to the kitchen.”As we made our way downstairs, I tried to shake off the lingering feelings from the dream. That was all it was: a dream induced by late-night erotica.But every movement reminded me of the way
AgnesLater that day, I found myself walking alongside Elijah through the corridors of the pack’s administrative building yet again. I struggled to keep up with his quick pace, my heels clicking loudly on the marble floors.“Today, I’d like you to join me in several meetings,” Elijah said, glancing
AgnesI could feel Ava’s smirk burning into the side of my face as I plugged in my flash drive and set up the PowerPoint. She was seated directly across from me, arms folded, a glint of smug satisfaction in her eyes.She probably thought I was going to crash and burn. Well, she could think whatever
Mr. Reynold’s face went red. Around the table, I heard a few scattered chuckles at my quip. Even Elijah seemed to be hiding a tiny smirk behind his hand.But then Ava suddenly blurted out smugly, “Do you have projections to support this?”I knew she would ask that—trying to trip me up. But I had com
AgnesThe day of the charity gala had finally arrived, and I found myself standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the strap of my gown for what felt like the hundredth time. It was a stunning dress—a beautiful gold, hugging my figure in all the right places—but I couldn’t help the wave of nerves
Agnes & ElijahAgnesWe moved from the ballroom at the gala to the auction hall for the next part of the gala—the auction. I took in the elegant surroundings, the polished floors and glittering chandeliers, feeling a bit more relaxed now that Elijah had solidified my place at his side to everyone. W
“I didn’t, Agnes. I thought about you every single day. I wanted to reach out, but I didn’t know how. And Ava… she kept pushing the lie, making it sound like I’d ruin your life if I showed up again.”I felt a wave of nausea hit me. Years of pain, confusion, and heartache—because of one person’s mani
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