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
I worked 15-hour shifts every day at the restaurant, barely enough time to catch my breath. Parties and banquets? They felt like they belonged to a different world—one I’d never be a part of. I was just a waitress who was hip-deep in debt, a nobody in the eyes of most people. Therefore, when the A
My heart pounded as I held his steely gaze. I’d never seen him before in person. Still, he embodied every physical descriptor I had heard customers give him at the diner: extremely fit, tall, dark, and handsome--with ice-blue eyes.The type of eyes a girl could get lost in. Those eyes narrowed.“Ye
Alpha Elijah had once again firmly sent me back to my rooms while he went to console his daughter, probably to ask her what had happened without any onlookers. Now in my room, my mind still whirled as I thought of the encounter. Not with Elijah or Ava, but with her.Thea.She must have been a clever
The night of the ball had arrived. My heart thundered as I stood at the front of the line of Mate Trial girls outside the large ornate doors of the ballroom, waiting to be let in. I could hear Ava’s loud laughter from her place near the back of the line, obviously wanting to be the last girl in beca
Alpha Elijah led Thea and me out of the ballroom as Thea clung tightly to both of our hands. My mind swirled around the events of the night, continuing to land back on the birthmark on Thea’s neck.It sent shivers down my spine, the prospect that it really could be her—my daughter, the child that I
ElijahThe moment Agnes had walked down the stairs in the ballroom, I had been captivated. It was like she had been made to captivate all my attention. Even now, sitting in my study in her plainclothes, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her.From our very first encounter, my gaze had been drawn to hers
Gloria’s demeanor instantly changed when Elijah appeared.“Alpha Elijah, I am so sorry. I just assumed—”“Your assumptions were incorrect, Gloria. Thank you for your time employed here, but offending the Alpha’s mate is an offense that cannot be rectified. You’re fired.”My eyes went as wide as saucers as the housekeeper began sobbing. “Bu, bu, but—”“Leave,” he simply ordered. The woman scuttled away, but not without first sending a sour glare my way.I didn’t know what to say other than, “You didn’t have to—”“She’s been stealing cash from my office for weeks,” he said with a wave of his hand. “And besides, I won’t set such a precedent here. You deserve respect.”Those words took me by surprise, but before I could respond, Thea grabbed my arm.“Let’s go see your actual room! It’s right next to mine, and Daddy’s is right across the hall!”Thea was practically skipping as she pulled me down the hallway toward my new room, already chattering about tea parties and the like. I cast a glan
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