One of the organizers approached us then, signaling that it was almost time to begin. Evelyn and I made our way backstage, where the mothers and daughters were being lined up in their walking order. Thea was practicing waving her wand for the big turn at the end of the runway when I found her.“I’m
AgnesThe following day, I entered the design department bright and early with my presentation prepared. The rest of the department was gathered around the table, holding cups of coffee and blinking away the remnants of sleep.I, however, had hardly slept last night at all, and somehow I hardly even
The podcast host scoffed. “And is it true that she’s not even inviting Olivia to model the outfit with Thea? I heard rumors that she invited other Lunas to model with their daughters, but Olivia is being conveniently left out.”“Typical,” the model sighed into the microphone. “The very least she cou
AgnesElijah whisked us down the street before the mob could follow us. I felt a wave of relief wash over me now that he was here, but I could still feel the angry eyes on me even after we turned the corner.Up ahead, Elijah’s car was parked on the side of the street. “I was just leaving work,” he s
He shrugged. “I think you can do it if you just put your mind to it.”I looked up at him, at the way his eyes held mine, and felt something soften inside of me. “Alright,” I said, my shoulders slumping slightly. “I’ll give it a shot.”Elijah’s mouth tugged upwards. “Good. This’ll all blow over soon,
AgnesOnce I got home, I slammed the front door behind me and leaned against the wood. The tears were still flowing freely down my cheeks, and I couldn’t seem to stop them no matter how hard I tried. Covering my mouth, I slid down until I was sitting on the floor, pulling my knees up to my chest.“A
And for a moment, I almost did. My mind wandered back to the day I’d slapped my stepmother in this very room, when Elijah had kissed me against this very door. I could practically taste his lips even now. I wanted to taste them again, just for a moment.Slowly, I began to lean toward him, as if draw
Agnes & ElijahAgnesOlivia strode into my office before I had a chance to say anything.“This is for you,” she said, crossing the room and placing the basket on my desk. The arrangement was beautiful—fresh strawberries, grapes, apples, and oranges, all artfully arranged with a small jar of honey an
“What do you think it was like for her?” I said after a moment. “My mother, I mean. Living her whole life afraid that someone would find out what she was.”Elijah’s thumb traced circles on the back of my hand beneath the water. “Lonely, I imagine.”“She never told me,” I whispered. “My own mother, a
AgnesThe saltwater felt like heaven against my overheated skin. I’d been soaking in my in-ground pool for nearly an hour now, but the heat that had built in my body still hadn’t completely subsided.Honestly, I was surprised that I hadn’t burned down the entire bar earlier. My finger had certainly
“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