But what if he’d known Olivia would follow me? What if he’d sent me as a decoy, knowing Olivia would copy whatever I chose?I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel, trying to make sense of it all. I needed to talk to Elijah. He would explain everything, clear up this misunderstanding, and w
Elijah“So we agree on the champagne and gold color scheme for the tables?” the wedding planner asked, making a note in her planner. She was meticulous, writing down every detail as if her life depended on it. I liked that about her.I nodded, glancing at the sample table setting she’d laid out. The
“I need you at the witch’s shop,” I said without a greeting. “Now. And call the authorities. There’s been… she’s dead.”James didn’t waste time with questions. “On my way. Ten minutes.”I ended the call, my mind racing. This wasn’t right. If the witch had killed herself, why was there blood splatter
AgnesThe image of Olivia in my jewelry was burned into my mind as I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom. It was almost midnight, and sleep still refused to come. The house felt too quiet, too empty without Elijah.He hadn’t come home.His secretary had said he was on “confidential pack business”. S
The blunt assessment stung, but I couldn’t deny the truth of it. I stared down at my drink, debating how much to share. Mason had warned me about Elijah before, had told me I was fighting a losing battle against a mate bond. Part of me was afraid that confiding in him now would just invite an ‘I tol
AgnesThe house was as silent as a tomb when I returned from the bar.I slipped off my shoes at the door, not wanting to wake Thea with the sound of my footsteps. The clock in the hallway read 1:13 AM, and there was still no sign of Elijah. No car in the driveway, no light on in his office. Nothing.
Just then, a soft rustling sound came from the bed, drawing my attention. There was a small form under the covers, quivering slightly. Like she was hiding under the blankets, scared. Or maybe holding in laughter. It was hard to tell.“Thea?” I said, relief flooding through me. “You scared me, honey.
AgnesSunlight streamed through the bedroom window, illuminating Elijah’s dark eyes. It was morning. I was in bed, safe although terrified, and the house was just as it always was. Warm and cozy, embers still glowing in the fireplace, and not a cobweb or a skeleton to be seen.Elijah’s face hovered
“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