AgnesI stared down at the small cake in my hands, unsure of what to make of it all.“I’m sorry.”Was this what Elijah was doing earlier when he stayed behind in the diner? Was this cake supposed to be some kind of apology for… what? Yesterday? Or everything?“Agnes,” Elijah said softly, his voice c
“Agnes—”“I want to stay,” I said firmly. “I’m not… thrilled about the situation with Olivia, I won’t lie. But I made a promise. And I think it’s best for Thea if I’m here. In the home. Full-time. As…” I hesitated, and felt a slight heat creep into my face at the thought. “As her mother.”Elijah was
AgnesI blinked at Elijah in stunned, terrified silence for a long moment.He knew. He knew the truth.He knew about my lies.I wasn’t sure if I should admit to it or not. If I did, I feared that it might alienate me from Thea for good—that perhaps he would accuse me of trying to take her away, have
“I wasn’t saying that,” I said quietly. “I just—” I stopped, shaking my head. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say.Elijah stepped closer, his voice softer now. “Then what are you saying?”I hesitated for a moment too long. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to open that door.But Elijah’s
AgnesThe sunlight poured through the large windows of the shopping mall, glinting off the polished tiles and creating a light, cheerful atmosphere. It was hard to feel anxious here, surrounded by the happy hum of families and the occasional laughter from kids darting past us. And yet my nerves were
Elijah held the door open for us, his hand brushing lightly against my back as I stepped inside. The contact sent a small jolt through me, but I pushed the feeling aside, focusing instead on Thea as she darted toward the bins of plush animal skins.“Which one are you going to pick?” I asked, crouchi
AgnesThe officer at the desk stared up at us for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth between me and Elijah. My pulse was pounding a mile a minute beneath my skin in that weighted silence, and I immediately regretted coming here. I regretted it even more when the officer said those next words
Both Elijah and the officer turned to me.I hesitated, my hands trembling in my lap. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I’d recounted this story far too many times for comfort, cried too many tears that had gone ignored. I had poured my heart out on more than one occasion, only to be faced with ridicul
“Yes,” he insisted. “Because Elemental Enterprises is owned by your stepmother’s family.”The world seemed to tilt beneath me. I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself. “What?”“I’ve been keeping your true nature from your stepmother all this time,” he continued, the words coming out of him
AgnesI fidgeted in the passenger seat as Elijah pulled into the dive bar’s parking lot. The place looked exactly as I remembered it from my past life—grimy windows with neon beer signs, chipped paint on the exterior, and a crooked sign hanging above the door.Years ago, I’d spent many nights here t
“Elijah, wait.”I froze, expecting to feel the tug of the mate bond, that infuriating compulsion she’d used so many times to force me to listen to her, to stay when I wanted to go. But it never came. For the first time, she hadn’t used the bond to control me. Today was full of surprises, wasn’t it?
ElijahThat morning, I made yet another trip to the prison. I’d hoped to never set foot in this place again, because frankly it was cold and uncomfortable and unsettling, but here I was. I just hoped that Olivia would keep true to her word and that this conversation would be worth it—and that it wou
I hated that he was making sense. And even more than that, I hated that a part of me—a much bigger part of me than I wanted to admit—was actually considering it.“What if it’s a trap?” I asked quietly. “What if he’s involved with Elemental Enterprises somehow? He could be trying to get to Thea.”“Th
AgnesI stared at the letter in my hands the entire night, reading and rereading the words until they were practically burned into my brain. By morning, the paper had taken on a slightly crumpled appearance from how many times I had folded and unfolded it.By the time the sun rose, I wasn’t sure if
Elijah, noticing the tension leaving my shoulders, offered me a soft smile. “And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sexy as hell when you get like that.”I blushed and looked away. “Stop it…”“But I mean it,” he murmured, his voice growing husky as he leaned closer to me. His lips brushed mine ever so
AgnesElijah gently pulled me out of the banquet hall before I could say another word.We reached the nearest bathroom—a small powder room off the main hallway—and Elijah ushered me inside, locking the door behind us. Without a word, he turned on the faucet and soaked a washcloth in cold water.“Her
My hand tightened around my wine glass, and I felt a flicker of heat race through my veins, which I quickly pushed down with a big gulp of wine. It wasn’t enough, though. “Water, please,” I said abruptly to the bartender. “Extra ice.”The bartender nodded and handed me my glass. I chugged half of it