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
Agnes For a few moments, Olivia and the other women just stared up at me. I couldn’t tell if they were astonished by my sudden appearance or silently mocking me, but it didn’t take long for me to find out. They laughed. Right in my face. Olivia’s laughter was the loudest. My breath hitched, an
Once Thea was safely settled in the playroom, we returned to our hotel suite. By now, my buzz from the alcohol was beginning to wear off and the shame was setting in. The air inside the hotel room felt cold against my damp skin, and I shivered beneath my bathing suit coverup. Elijah closed the doo
Elijah I felt a little lighter as I stepped into the playroom, instantly surrounded by the sound of children’s laughter. The space itself was warm and cozy, with a plethora of toys, books, and comfortable furniture for the kids to play on. Thea spotted me almost immediately, snapping her head up
Agnes I stared down at the rose in my hand, unsure of what it was supposed to represent. It was a beautiful flower, but the red color also left my head reeling. Was it an apology? A romantic gesture? An attempt at taking back what he’d said? And then Elijah told me to get ready for dinner, and m
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.