The door behind me creaks, and I shoot a glare at the figure in the mirror, leaning against the door frame, watching me."I quit," I mutter, wiping the corner of my mouth."I didn't peg you to be a coward."I whirl, clutching the counter behind me. "Coward? If he'd aimed to kill, I'd be dead!""But you didn't die." Composed. Aloof. His expression is blank, and his aura gives off nothing. It infuriates me. I push back from the counter, closing the gap between us. "My life may mean nothing to you, but it's everything to me. I won't throw it away for a worthless piece of shit like you," I hiss.He laughs, a dark and chilling sound that sends shivers down my spine. "Bullets may have their power, but so do I. There are things in this world you can't even begin to comprehend. My life may not follow your rules, but it sure as hell matters to me. And as for being worthless? Sweetheart, I've survived more than you can fathom, and I've carved my own path through the darkness. Should it not bod
I spear the beef on my fork, grimacing. "Why does it look like this?"We're in the company's cafeteria during lunch break, and it feels like everyone's eyes are on us. They probably think I'm the boss's new pet project or something.Ray snorts, devouring her food without a care in the world. "It always looks like this, girl. You eating that or what?" She shoves her plate towards me, and I slide mine over. I'm not particularly hungry. I look at the meat and I see blood. Bile rises to my throat at the thought and I push it out of my head."So, how's it going with lover boy?" Ray winks at me.I roll my eyes. "For the umpteenth time, there's nothing going on, and stop doing that. You're embarrassing me!" I snap, pulling the miserable bone from her mouth. She shoots me a scathing look that could freeze hell over. "What? Hang with the boss for one day and I'm embarrassing you now? Forgotten how you licked the sauce off the plate--""Shut up!" I yell, laughing before she can complete her s
"I...need a boyfriend."Ray starts, brows rising with incredulity. "Well, look who's got a sudden lightbulb moment. Something happen?" She pauses and starts to smile sheepishly. "He's starting to get to you. Ain't that rich?" Find somewhere else to be. That was yesterday, and I can never forget the way I felt in that moment. Like shit. They hadn't even waited for me to leave, hadn't waited for me to get my Acceptance Letter from Mr. Winchester. I'd had to move around them to grab it from his desk, and it had taken all of my will power to not smash something."Word of advice?" Ray asks as she fixes my hair. "Get in his billion-dollar bed."I snort. "Seriously, girl. You two hit it, you get a taste of the man and his wallet. If he ghosts you, hey, no commitment, no drama! It's a double win-win situation for you!""I'm not having sex with Sinclair Winchester.""You really should. He's got it bad for you, I'm tellin' ya. I ain't ever seen the boss act this way with
When I was four, I met Rune the first time. His father had brought him to finalize the agreement between our families. I was betrothed to him that day.I had been fascinated first by his hair. They were strands of moonlight. His skin was as pale as his hair. His eyes were magical. He had an aura unlike anything I had encountered. There had been darkness. There had been mystery. There had been pain.I wanted to know more. I wanted to fix what I had thought was broken.He belonged with me, I had thought to myself every time we met. I didn't think there was any woman in Lycanthia who could have taken my place by his side. I was the fairest, from a powerful family of distant royals. Growing up, I held onto that certainty. Rune and I were going to get mated as soon as we were done at the Academy. I had stayed chaste. I had turned down advances. It was a constant in my life, the belief that one day I would be his Erasthai and rule as his Queen.Rune had been a hard book to read. While he s
Petty.I felt rather wild, and went ahead to fix the date at one of Mr. Winchester's fancy hotels, certain of the fact that he would find me there.It took him all of fifteen minutes to drop in with a brunette and secure the nearest table to us.Gary doesn't seem to notice that there's an angry lycan who looks seconds away from ripping his head off. I pretend not to notice too. If the woman notices that Mr. Winchester's attention is somewhere else, she does little to show it."What do you do?" I ask and take a drink from my glass. The coffee burns deep in my throat and I shut my eyes, relishing in the feel of it."I'm a lab scientist for the most part of it. I own an impressive lab downtown. I work in biogenetics."Should I know what that means? Where I come from, *science* isn't important enough to be a subject in school. What does a race that doesn't get old or need medicine to heal need science for?It's really that simple. The Goddess created all things, and she can unm
I dream.It is not a nice dream.It is one I hate to revisit, but I am forever caught in the throes of it. There is no escape. It doesn't matter how much further I go to bury it deep within me, it will always resurface. "Show Alaric to his room, Ginevra," father tells me. I smile. I am young. I am a fool. I think his frequent gazes and smiles mean he is fond of me. He touches my hair as I lead him down the hallway and he compliments it. He tells me my hair shimmers like golden threads under the sunlight. He tells me I could as well be the Moon Goddess. I blush. I have no idea why he says these things, but they make me smile. Like an idiot. "Will you come by my room later? I brought something you might like very much from the human realm." I love gifts. I nod swiftly, eyelashes lowering. Alaric tells me I look stunning when I smile. He tells me to smile whenever I see him. I do. I return to his chambers later that day. It is a little past mid
"Where were you born?"I say nothing, staring blankly at the ugly ceiling. I awoke a few minutes ago, and Elijah Coleman has been trying to get me to converse with him."I looked into you. Sinclair pulled an impressive amount of strings to get you an identity. A false one. It tickled my curiousity. Sinclair is right about the most selfish man I know."I blink, moving my head left and right to dispel the last remnants of dizziness. The colours seem overly bright, and my bones feel weary.He suddenly crouches in front of me and reaches for my hair. He tucks it behind my ear and I hate that I can't move. I want nothing more than to slam his face into the wall. Claw out his eyes too while I'm at it.But I can't fucking lift a finger.That is what scares me. Human drugs should have no effect on us, their impact fleeting due to our rapid metabolism. A temporary weakness, lasting a minute at most, nothing so strong that it'd incapacitate me. His fingers linger over my ear, stroking th
"My condolences."Elijah laughs at my tarty response, a chilling amusement dancing in his eyes. I'm not sure how he can find amusement in such a situation. He'd abducted me, but now I almost feel sorry for him.Almost.A tool for revenge, that is all Eliana is.I'm not sure what to feel. Fear for her or awe for Mr. Winchester's ruthless brilliance. He has her firmly under his control, bending her to his will. He could end her life whenever he pleases, a pawn in his wicked game of vengeance.It is the ultimate revenge.Having Elijah know that his daughter will die at some point at his hands, and he is at his mercy.It all starts to make sense now – the sniper at the business meeting, the heavy air charged with hatred and animosity."The results are inconclusive," Gary announces, abruptly entering through the door. "Whatever you injected her with is interfering with the tests. She might as well be an eel right now.""You're full of shit, you know that," I say to Gary. "Did you even mean
NAOMIIt is indeed amusing, more so than I thought it would be.Dane would laugh his head off if he saw me right now, carrying a backpack, strutting down a hallway filled with women who stare at me with wide eyes and men who whistle unabashedly. I know, I look good in leather.I halt by a huge door, peering up at a sentinel who has the sternest stare. “Hello, love. Would you mind opening up for me? I have an appointment with your…principal?”His gaze rakes me from head to toe and rises back again. “Chancellor Vesper,” he mouths slowly, like he’s talking to a kid, and I can’t help the faint smile that blooms across my lips at the notion. The male turns around, and I whistle at how nice his ass looks in uniform. Stepping foot into this land has brought me across the finest specimens I’ve ever seen. There is no end to them. None at all. I step out of my allotted room in castle—hot guards. I walk the streets of Lycanthia—extremely hot villagers. I walk into school—stunning, beautiful and
It’s not mine, I swear.“I’m sorry,” my husband apologizes for the umpteenth time, dropping a kiss to the curve of my mouth. It’d almost been a mishap. Almost. Had Ethan not swooped in with rings that I’m pretty sure were new; rings I didn’t choose. As if he somehow knew Sinclair was going to lose them, like he did during his wedding with Eliana. I currently have a fucking plan B on my ring finger and the more I look at the more I want to smack him.I purse my lips, refusing to speak to him. I’m not particularly mad, but how does a man forget his own damned wedding rings? Okay, maybe I’m a little irked, and plenty disappointed.Grasping his cool hands tightly, I let him spin me across the floors in an elaborate sweep than earns cheers and I blush, smiling at a clapping Ray. “I’ll murder you later,” I tell Sinclair and Dane chokes on his wine somewhere in the gathering.“I look forward to what method you’ll chose. Your hands are much too small to strangle me. You love me too much to p
Three Months Later…GinevraMy fingers are sweaty around Rune’s arm, and my steps are slow, a complete contrast to my racing heartbeat. I cannot, for the life of me, contain my excitement and anxiety. My breaths are shallow, and I can’t get enough air in my lungs.Rune’s larger hand lands on mine, and I glance up, looking through the veil. His green eyes smile as he pats down gently. “Think of tonight. It’ll help.”Tonight. Butterflies scatter in my stomach. It’s not like it’s going to be my first night with Sinclair, but it is my wedding night after all. The first night I’ll spend as Mrs. Winchester. My toes curl in my heels at the thought of it, and maybe, just maybe I start walking a little faster to get it over with.I grin widely as Ethan, dressed in a black tuxedo, gives the huge door a large push and it parts wide enough to reveal the floral petal pathway. Rune takes the first step up, and I follow, blowing a playful kiss at Ethan, whose lips tilt up into a small smile.As I st
Fenrir Leaning against the wall, he overlooked the gardens where his mate knelt, tending to the flowers with her bare hands. Her light hair brushed over her cheek and she pushed it back, smearing mud on her porcelain skin. Her eyes were the brightest he’d seen them in days, and he wished he could take her with him.It was for her, after all, that he was doing this for. He would right the only wrong he had done in his life. He would return to the past, and ensure he never even met with the boy’s mother.But Fenrir knew there were consequences and sacrifices to be made if he was going to toy with time. Nothing as drastic as losing his life, but he truly did wonder if the world might have been a better place without him. An awful thought. If he didn’t exist, Hekate wouldn’t have been reborn into Rune’s body and the problem with the Void would never have been resolved. Zephyr would have been mated to some lord who didn’t understand her meek, yet wild nature and desires. The world was
GinevraSinclair bounces the Viper into the driveway later in the afternoon. He kills the engine and I wipe a stray tear from my cheek before he can notice.I reach for the doorknob, but he’s already walking around the car to get it for me. I try to get out on my own, but my feet won’t hold me up. I’m exhausted. Recovering, but still very tired. The physician said the poison was completely gone and a few days of rest would be enough to get me back on my feet. He had insisted that I still stay, but I couldn’t stand being at the castle anymore.“Let me,” Sinclair says softly, hands sliding under my knees as he lifts me up. His face has a nasty grimace when he glances up. “I’m afraid we have guests.”I follow his gaze to the familiar cars parked around the yard and I smile a little. “They must’ve missed you.”“We very well know they’re just busybodies,” he mutters, carrying me inside. “I’ll get the urn when—”“Leave it there,” I whisper, closing my eyes to push another onslaught of tears
SinclairHe walks around his desk, red robe flowing behind him, and he walks past without looking at me. At the last second, he says, "Walk with me, Norman."Norman. The impulse to rip his skin off his bones pounds through me, but I know it'll get me nowhere. I push off the door, trailing behind him slowly as he walks, hand folded behind his back.The silence stretches on for some time before he stops before a huge black door, pressing his palm against it. The door shudders and slides open, revealing a vast orchard. I hesitate at the threshold, but the king continues on, robe dragging across the grass. "If I planned on killing you, you'd be dead already, boy.""You call me boy one more time, I'll kill you," I promise, following behind him.The door shuts with a loud boom and he turns to me. "Give it a try. You know you want to."His eyes taunt me. Try, if you dare, they seem to say. I don't do well with threats or challenges. I lunge for him, my fist connecting with his jaw. The secon
Sinclair“I’ve gotten most of it out, but I’d need to administer the antidote over the next few days. I’d advise you remained at the castle for the time being, lest her condition deteriorates.”“You’re welcome to stay,” the man who I will not call my half-brother says behind me softly, and I ignore him, watching Gin shiver and sob in her sleep. I had barely stepped out of the hall when her body began to spasm in my hands.A quick inspection, and the wound from the arrow stabbed into her shoulder had turned black. Poison. It’d explain why her father died so quickly. An arrow I assume was meant for me.Naomi fidgets by the door, rattling off something to Astrid, even as her gaze keeps darting back to Ginevra. She feels guilty, and that’s a first for Naomi who doesn’t give two fucks about anything or any one else. She talks a lot when she’s nervous, and scared, and right now, even I am frightened. For Gin. She’ll recover from the poison, but I’d never seen her so…lost.A guard suddenly a
The seconds blend together and I’m there, beside my father, unable to breathe, to think a way out—Father’s form begins to morph, crumple, as he shifts. I look up, and the physician is a few feet away, but even I know an arrow in the throat is as fatal as a severed head. Still, I wail and plead. Anything to get it out, anything to get the wound to heal—because it’s not. It’s turning black instead, and it’s spreading so fast, I’m scared to blink, or I’ll lose time again.Father’s eyes, now back to being blue, shift to mine, and for the first time in so many years, I see clarity in them. He starts to talk but blood sputters from his lips, and I place my hands on either of his cheeks. “No, don’t…don’t try to speak.”I feel wet, warm hands on mine, and I look down to see him grasping my fingers tightly. It is odd. It’s been so long, I no longer know what his warm touch feels like, and though it is foreign, I tighten my fingers around his hand, unwilling to let go.In the moments when some
The air lightens, for everyone else but me. I am bound by his order, and I watch in horror as Sinclair, free once again, tries to grab me. But I suddenly feel invisible fingers around my neck, choking me. I grab my neck, gasping for breath, and Sinclair halts, snarling at King Fenrir. "Let her go!"King Fenrir leans back in his chair, crossing his ankle over his knee. "Get in the ring then." He looks back at Astrid and Naomi. "Try anything funny, and I'll snap her neck." He snaps his fingers and my head starts to move in the wrong direction. "It's really that easy."Growling, turns in the opposite direction and pulls a sword out of a guard's hostler and he's in the ring before my neck can actually snap.The king's hold on me lessens enough to turn my head forward and watch them and I exhale deeply, breathing hard and sobbing.An elder I recognize--I'm too shaken up to remember what the fuck his name is--starts rambling off the rules that no one ever adheres to. I try reaching Sinclai