AgnesI woke up feeling like I was burning from the inside out.Heat coursed through my veins. My sheets were so damp with sweat that they were clinging to my body. The sensation wasn’t painful, exactly, but it was intense—like a fever, but concentrated in my hands and chest.For a moment, I just la
ElijahI was absolutely exhausted as I drove home, the dashboard clock showing nearly midnight. My eyes burned from staring at paperwork all day, and my back ached from too many hours in uncomfortable chairs, listening to other Alphas argue about territory lines and trade agreements.All I wanted wa
The master bedroom was a hellscape. Flames consumed the curtains, the bed, the dresser. The heat was so intense that it singed my fur, making me flinch back instinctively. But Agnes’s scent was stronger here, mingled with Thea’s, and beneath it all, the sharp tang of fear.A sound caught my attentio
AgnesI stared at the white ceiling tiles, counting them for the dozenth time. Anything to keep my mind off what had happened, although it wasn’t working. The ceiling had exactly forty-eight tiles—I’d counted them repeatedly since waking up in this hospital bed hours ago.Forty-eight tiles, and none
Elijah shook his head, sitting on the edge of the bed. “None of that was your fault, Agnes.”“How can you say that?” My voice cracked. “I started the fire. My hands literally shot flames just because Thea woke me up unexpectedly. If she had been standing just a few inches to the left...” My voice tr
AgnesI couldn’t even bear to look at the bones of the once-beautiful manor that stood behind us. My stomach twisted with guilt every time I looked at it, and the lingering scent of smoke and burnt wood in the air only made it worse.Truthfully, I hadn’t even wanted to come here today. But I had no
“What happened wasn’t your fault,” he insisted for what felt like the hundredth time since it had all happened.I nodded silently. Even if I didn’t believe his words, I couldn’t bear to disappoint him further, so I made a quiet vow to quit complaining and buck up.“I promise I’ll try to help with th
Agnes“We’re here for you, Thea! Always and forever!”The recorded sound of mine and Elijah’s voices filled the hotel room for what had to be the hundredth time today. Thea was sitting cross-legged on the bed, pressing the button on her new stuffed pig’s stomach over and over, a small smile on her f
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
Agnes“Hold still,” I muttered around the pins that were pinched between my lips. “I’m almost done.”“But it tickles,” Thea whined.I sighed, sitting back on my heels to survey my work. The pink dress had turned out even better than I’d imagined—the fabric caught the light just so, and the purple em
Thea was already back from day camp when I arrived, sprawled on the living room floor with a coloring book and a horde of new crayons—which we’d certainly be finding under the couch for years to come. She looked up as I entered.“Mommy!” She jumped up and ran to hug me. “How was work?”“It was good,
AgnesI straightened my blouse one last time before pushing open the glass door to the design department. It had been almost a month since I’d last set foot in the office—first because of the fire, then because of everything with Thea and the house rebuild.I wasn’t nervous, exactly, but there was a
“Thank you.” I took a sip, letting the rich flavor roll over my tongue. “For everything. Not just the wine.”He smiled. “You don’t need to thank me, Agnes. None of this would have happened without you.”“That’s not true. You’re the one who went to see Olivia. You’re the one who believed her crazy st