Elijah I didn’t have to look to know who it was—Olivia, her tone lined with that unique mix of malice and sweetness she’d perfected over the years. As I turned, I saw her standing there, arm linked with a tall, broad figure beside her. It was Noah, Alpha of the Blackridge pack. Seeing him in o
Agnes The casino lights pulsed around me, an endless blur of color and sound, but all I could focus on was the knot of tension coiled in my chest. My encounter with Olivia and Noah left me feeling trapped, an unwilling player caught in the crossfire of their games. I glanced at Elijah, leaning c
Agnes Even by the time we returned to the hotel room later, I could still feel the buzz of adrenaline coursing through me. I had won. Somehow, I had won against Olivia in front of a crowd of onlookers. The thought left a strangely bittersweet taste in my mouth. Although it was mostly sweet, if I w
I opened my mouth to argue, but Thea had already flopped onto the sofa, giggling. “This is comfy! I wanna sleep here!” Elijah smirked, clearly amused. “Looks like the decision’s been made.” I shot him a look, but his gaze was as steady and unbothered as ever. “Fine,” I muttered, grabbing my paja
Agnes The morning light streamed through the curtains, casting golden stripes across the hotel room floor. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the haze of sleep, but a faint noise drew my attention. Snoring. I turned my head toward the source of the noise, which was near the couch, and there h
Agnes Thea’s eyes lit up as the flashing lights and the speaker above the booth announced Elijah’s win. She rushed forward, reaching her little hands out. “Which prize would you like?” the vendor, a teenage boy with his hair hanging in his eyes, asked with a sigh. He looked like he wanted to be
Agnes The sun reflected off the clear blue water, the ripples shimmering like liquid glass in the late afternoon light as Thea splashed in the shallow end of the pool. She shrieked with laughter, darting around like a fish while two other kids chased after her. The sound of her happiness made my c
Agnes The touch on my back startled me, and I nearly spilled my drink as I jolted upright. But when I turned, it was just Elijah who was standing behind me. His hand was resting lightly on my shoulder blade, and he was staring at my back. “You’re sunburnt,” he said simply before I could ask what
“I’m glad,” he said softly. “You both needed something good after yesterday.”I leaned against the island, thinking about the sweet evening with Thea. “She called me her hero, you know. For coming to save her.”Elijah smiled. “Well, you were.”I shook my head. “I don’t feel like one after that incid
AgnesI rushed toward Elijah, my heart hammering in my chest. Even in the dim light of the entryway, his black eye was startlingly obvious—a dark, angry bruise circling the socket. He was slumped against the door, looking exhausted, but he straightened when he saw me, grimacing slightly from the eff
“Just like yours,” she said happily.“Just like mine.”Next came hair braiding. Thea sat on the floor between my knees as I gently worked through the tangles of her dark hair, separating strands for a French braid. My fingers moved automatically, muscle memory from years of doing my own hair. I humm
AgnesI pulled into the driveway around seven, exhausted after a long day of sewing, designing, and avoiding Maria’s knowing glances.The bathroom incident with Elijah had been the talk of the design department by lunchtime—whispers and stifled giggles following me throughout the afternoon. I’d buri
“Do you still intend to try and break your mate bond with Olivia?” I blurted out, then immediately regretted my bluntness.Elijah’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t pull away. “Of course I do. Why would you think otherwise?”I glanced down, unable to meet his gaze. “No reason. I was just wondering if… a
AgnesElijah’s grip on my wrist was firm as he pulled me out of the design department. My heart hammered against my ribs, not knowing what to expect. Was he angry? Had he seen the article? Had Olivia done something else?The blood from my pricked finger trailed down my palm, warm and sticky. Without
“In one explosive moment, Luna Agnes managed to convey what her entire fashion line attempts to say: that family transcends biology, that love requires sacrifice, and that sometimes we must destroy beautiful things to protect what truly matters.”I set the tablet down, my hands trembling. She though
AgnesI sat at one of the communal workstations in the design department, my fingers mechanically working the fabric as I remade the dress. The old one had been torn beyond repair, Olivia’s claws having shredded both the material and my pride in one fell swoop.But maybe I could at least try to rebu
“You’ve only ever seen Thea as a means to an end,” I finally finished. “A way to get what you want.”Olivia blinked at me. A darker thought, one that had lurked in the recesses of my mind for years, surfaced suddenly. “Hell, Olivia,” I continued, my gaze sweeping over her, “sometimes I wonder if The