ELENAFor a second, the courtyard was absolutely silent.The fire crackled softly, and the soft notes of the drums had stilled to a heartbeat rhythm as everyone turned toward Logan. The moment he raised his hand and pointed across the ring—past the shifting torchlight and the stunned expressions—it
MIAOn my wedding day, a woman in a gown as pure and white as my own swept into my bridal suite.Judging by the way she carried herself, this was a woman who had read every etiquette book ever written. She must have read the chapter that said you must never wear white to someone else’s wedding.She’
MIACassandra reached out and put a hand on Derek’s arm. The wolf inside me, Nox, snarled. But I quieted her and stilled with resolute conviction.I took a step forward, steeling my spine, standing up straight, wrapping myself in an illusion of courage and dignity. The wolves of Derek’s pack didn’t
MIAThe moment Derek and Joe entered the hall, Cassandra staggered forward with a whimper, clutching at the torn fabric of her dress. "She pushed me," she gasped, her voice a perfect mixture of vulnerability and quiet accusation. "She ripped my dress."The room fell into stunned silence before erupt
MIAThey all turned to look at me in surprise; Cassandra, Joe, Caroline. The Doctor. I had only eyes for Derek.He looked at me in shock and his mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came.“Can I speak with you, please?” I said, my voice measured. I might look a frightful mess, but I was
DEREKI stood at the head of the aisle, staring down the path where at this moment Mia should have been walking towards me, a vision in white. My bride.The moment her rejection hit me, pain had flared through my chest like a silver blade sinking deep into my heart. It was sharper, more unbearable t
MIAI floated in darkness for what felt like an eternity.At first, I wasn’t aware of anything—just an endless void, weightless and quiet. Then, little by little, sensations began to return. The rhythmic beeping of a machine. The scent of antiseptic, sharp and sterile. The stiffness of my limbs, hea
MIAI should never have come.I stood in the shadows, heart beating out of my chest, my breath barely making it past the lump in my throat. My fingers curled around the fabric of my coat, trying to ground myself, trying to push away the foolish, aching hope that had taken root the moment I saw him.
ELENAFor a second, the courtyard was absolutely silent.The fire crackled softly, and the soft notes of the drums had stilled to a heartbeat rhythm as everyone turned toward Logan. The moment he raised his hand and pointed across the ring—past the shifting torchlight and the stunned expressions—it
I gave her a look. “Please never say that again.”“I’m just saying, interpretive storytelling? It’s a niche.”“You’re a menace.”She shrugged, eyes glowing. “And you’re finally fun.”***The celebration picked up again as we rejoined the main crowd, lanterns flickering high above and the scent of wo
DEREKThe drumbeat stopped.There was a moment of eerie silence, broken only by the creak of a torch swaying in the breeze.Elena and I stood shoulder to shoulder at the edge of the staging area, staring at the enormous painted sign: WELCOME, LAST PLACE TEAM.I could hear snickering from behind us.
ELENAThere was something timeless about the way twilight draped over Moonstone, blurring the edges of old stone walls and new laughter. Children darted through the shadows like fireflies, some already clutching small scrolls, others bouncing with anticipation near the Luna’s makeshift game table—an
DEREKThe sun was hovering just above the trees, and the cocktail hour had rounded out with a glass of celebratory champagne. Paper lanterns swayed overhead like little glowing moons, casting halos of light over the crowd.Music filtered in from the edges of the lawn—strings and flutes now giving wa
What the hell?A rustle of silk signaled my mother’s approach. She held a flute of sparkling wine and wore an amused expression.“He’s taken to Aiden, hasn’t he?” my mother asked, her tone deceptively casual as she sipped from her glass. She nodded discreetly toward Derek.We stood slightly apart fr
DEREKThe phone buzzed on the desk beside me, cutting through the quiet of my office. I reached for it absently, expecting Joe or maybe Brock with an update. But the name on the screen made me sit up straighter.Aiden.I answered immediately. “Hey, bud.”“Hi!” His voice was bright, bubbling with ene
My parents had pulled out all the stops. White-gloved servers, silver candelabras, a string quartet in the corner playing soft music. It was the kind of dinner that only happened when my mother was trying to impress—or intimidate.I spotted the way Erin's eyes flicked over the crystal glasses, the w
ELENAThe soft hum of Dr. Voss’s voice was like a current running under my skin—steady, focused, grounding. I let myself sink into it, the earthy scent of burning herbs drifting from the brass bowl on the table beside me. My hands were clenched in my lap, but my breathing had evened out, and my mind