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
He would know what to do. He always did.…ElijahI had just left a meeting with the pack’s labor union representatives; it was a tiring, long meeting, but a productive one nonetheless. With rising inflation around all the territories, it was imperative to keep workers happy and to ensure that every
AgnesOnce Olivia was gone, I hesitated uncertainly in the doorway. My heart was hammering in my chest, and I wasn’t sure what to say. What did you say to a man you’d just caught in a compromising position with his ex-wife?Of course, this was a situation I had come to know all too well. I’d seen Ol
“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