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
ElijahAs the night wound down and the energy of the event began to fade, I slipped away from the mingling crowd. The conversation I’d just had with Mason lingered in my mind, like an echo I couldn’t quite shake. He had been warm, even kind—an unexpected balm to the tension that had gripped me all e
AgnesThe sterile, clinical scent of the pack doctor’s office filled my senses as I sat in the examination room, the hum of fluorescent lights overhead doing little to calm my nerves. The polished white walls seemed to close in on me, cold and indifferent. It had been hours since the tests started—bloodwork, scans, and even mystical evaluations meant to unearth whatever had been wrong with me for the past five years.I was beyond exhausted, but more than that, I felt numb.Elijah sat across from me, his broad frame tense, his dark eyes locked on me as if he could shield me from whatever news was coming with sheer will alone. That was just like him—silent, stoic, protective. But there was nothing either of us could do now.We were at the mercy of the doctors.Dr. Monroe, the lead pack physician, finally entered the room, a folder tucked under his arm. His expression was calm, professional, but not encouraging. He set the folder down and glanced between me and Elijah.“We’ve reviewed al
As we left the office, I noticed the tension in Elijah’s posture, the barely concealed anger simmering beneath the surface. This news had struck a chord with him, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of my wolf or something else. I debated asking him, but I had more pressing matters on my mind.Once we were outside, I stopped, turning to face him.“Elijah,” I began, hesitating slightly. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about.”He glanced down at me, his expression softening just a fraction.“What is it?”I took a deep breath, steadying myself.“It’s about Olivia and Thea.”Elijah’s body stiffened at the mention of his ex-wife and daughter.“What about them?” he asked, his voice guarded.I chose my words carefully. “I’ve been thinking about Thea and how she reacts whenever Olivia is mentioned. She’s scared, Elijah. I know Olivia is dealing with depression, but I don’t think it’s safe for Thea to be around her. Not yet.”He frowned, his eyes narrowing. “You think I don’t kno
AgnesElijah and I skidded around the corner to the living room and came screeching to a halt the moment we saw the horrific scene that was waiting for us.The dollhouse now lay in ruins, its roof cracked straight down the middle. And none other than Olivia stood above it, her fists still raised.My
The very thought made me wince and look away. I didn’t want to think that Elijah could be shallow enough to fall for something like that, but the fact of the matter was, she was his mate. They still bore the mating marks and nothing was tying him to me except for a contract.She could manipulate him
AgnesThe moment Elijah said those words, Thea darted behind my legs and gripped my skirt as if Olivia might whisk her away if she didn’t hold onto me. I didn’t know what to say or do, but feeling her body tense against me made my heart constrict painfully in my chest.Behind her, Olivia stood in th
A few murmurs rippled through the room, but no one spoke up.“Maybe someone just didn’t finish in time,” one of the designers suggested with a shrug.I nodded slowly, figuring that was probably the case. But something didn’t sit right with me about that, although I didn’t know why. Still, I let it g
AgnesThe afternoon sun slanted through the office window, casting long shadows across the wood as I sat at my desk with my pencil in hand. For the first time in the past few days, the sketchbook in front of me wasn’t empty. I’d managed to scrawl a few decent designs across the pages; they were roug
Truthfully, I wondered if I could tell Elijah the truth—that I thought Thea might be my missing daughter and that I was the one who sent the samples in. But I couldn’t get the words out. I was too afraid—afraid that if I told him the truth, he might become overprotective and accuse me of trying to t
Agnes & ElijahAgnesElijah’s breath was warm against my neck, the faint scent of whiskey and pine curling through the small, dark space between us. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest against my body, and I didn’t know what to make of it.To make matters worse, my own pulse was entirely unh
“Sketching?” Gertrude eventually asked, nodding toward the closed book on the table.“Trying to,” I admitted with a wry chuckle. “But it’s not going as well as I’d like.”The librarian hummed thoughtfully, glancing down at the pages scattered beside me. Her eyes caught on one of Ava’s sketches that
AgnesI stared down at the sketchbook in my lap, tapping the end of my pencil against the blank page until even the sounds of the soft thuds were starting to irritate me. No matter how long I sat there, no matter how hard I tried to force inspiration to come, nothing was coming to me.No designs, no