"If Mark really loves you, I mean, if he wants to marry you... Well, I will help you, one way or another.”It had been five years since Eden uttered these words and helped her sister Selene escape with the boy she had been in love with since childhood, Mark Foster, the son of a local squire.And it has now been nine months since she had taken the youngest, Hannah, in her arms and promised to help her escape, too, from the oppression and tyranny of their father - that Puritan convinced that omegas were the prey of sin and that they should be kept away, willingly or by force, of all temptation.The dreamer Selene and the sensitive Hannah withered under the yoke of their father, dreaming after another life, made of laughter, music, books. And love."Yes, especially of love," Eden thought, resting the watering can next to the green plants. The Reverend Chase had difficulty tolerating flowers in his church, but he hoped that ivy vines and other darkly foliated plants would help remind his
As if in a dream, Eden went to the butcher, did not remember what she had come to do there, had to consult her list, and finally returned home with slow steps, still stunned by what had happened to her. A viscount had flirted with her. Yes, with her! She was not innocent enough not to have“Eden ?”“Yes, Father?” “Where were you?”As the vicar did not deign to come to question her, she had to join him in his study and report to him on her activities. She was careful not to mention the viscount's name. It would have been sheer madness, she thought to herself, going back down into the kitchen, to make sure the dinner preparation was underway. Fortunately, the cook had taken care of it. She would have been able to put peas in the apple pie, toast the cabbage, and burn everything...The following Saturday she went to church alone to make sure that the prayer books had been put back in place after the wedding service happened that afternoon.She also had to check that the sacristy was
At first there had been a long train ride, then it had been necessary to walk, for a long time, under an unpleasant weather. Eden had plenty of time to think about what to say."Ivan must listen to me," she repeated to herself with a determination. He never replied to my letters, but here he cannot refuse to help me, not if I am in front of him. It had been three months since he had made love to her in the barn and she felt his heart beating against her.Now there was apprehension in the young omega's heart, bitterness and anger, directed as much against herself than against her deceiver. And there was also, in all her body, an immense weariness.She had believed his fine words so easily. She so desperately needed to be loved, to find an alpha who could take care of her and prove to her that not all alphas were like her father, that when he appeared before her, she surrendered and gave herself to this man, this debauchee, probably skilled at seducing brainless young Women of her k
The wheels then began to turn. Eden clamped feverishly in her fingers to the back of the chair, as if a chasm opened under his feet, but she did not protest and was not overwhelmed by tears. Somehow, she had expected this answer, and hearing him say it freed her from a weight.She felt stronger. A great calm took hold of her. She strove to muster all his courage and pride. Crying would be for later, when she would be alone. She was used to it, since she knew he was pregnant. The emergency was the baby. What would become of her?"You are responsible for this child," she replied, ashamed to hear that her voice was trembling, and eager to hide any weakness from him.“It's your duty to assume this birth”Eden was ready to fight tooth and nail for this baby. Her own happiness, her emotions, all that no longer mattered. She would stand firm, no matter what horrible words Ivan would shout at her, and even if he hit her like her father did at the slightest mistake. Could he do worse to
Eden wondered if she was going to be sick. She had heard that pregnant omegas only felt nausea in the morning, and temporarily. But she felt bad every moment. She was tired, thirsty, and very eager to put her face under cool water."I'm sorry, baby, it's not your fault."Her pregnancy wasn't yet visible. Under her hand, his belly was as flat as usual.“You don't feel well?” Lord Hadleigh worried. “ I am sorry I didn't think about having the tea served, but the news you brought me was such a shock... I'm going to ring my butler. There will be cookies. My cousin Alexis claims that it helps reduce nausea.”It was very kind of him to worry about it. Was this thoughtfulness natural to him, or was he simply afraid that she would start vomiting in his office?Eden opened her eyes again and looked at the young viscount's harmonious face. He no longer smiled, and even looked rather gloomy. In addition to the loss of his brother and the important responsibility that now fell to him, as Visc
-Milord…The room was small and intimate. Nothing of the large, imposing dining room Eden had expected. Lord Hadleigh, seated by the fireplace, got up and put down the book he was holding.-Good evening, Miss. Chase.That smile, again. It seemed, decidedly, that he smiled willingly, and his playful tone relaxed the atmosphere considerably. Eden felt that, under any other circumstances, she would have willingly flirted with him. Yet, despite the discomfort of her situation, she did not feel threatened by him at all.“I hope you've been able to rest a little and feel better," he said, approaching the rectangular table.New surprise, their two cutlery had not been placed opposite each other. If the viscount were to occupy, as was probable, the armchair at the end of the table, the second and only other covered had been arranged to his right. He pulled the chair himself so that he could sit down.Eden had been pampered by a very amiable governess, who had made her take off her soaked
Ian remained silent thoughtfully, swirling the foot of his glass between his long fingers. Eden no longer had the strength to talk to him, but good manners dictated that he try to maintain some semblance of conversation. He couldn't just sit there, sighing and sobbing, even if he was dying to do so.“Excuse me, Milord, but... Were you close to your brother?”She asked timidly. “-What you'd like to know, actually, is if I look like him, right?”The question seemed to amuse him. A smile briefly animated the viscount's face, and Eden felt a slight shudder. It was a real spell, that smile. Especially associated with such eyes.“Apart from physically, no, I hardly look like him. Me, I was the twin brother, a bit boring, the one who always behaves well…”Boring? That wasn't Eden’s impression. She strove to see him as a singular individual, not as a replica of his brother. Regarding his morality... The Young lady had a doubt. The disillusioned tone of his remarks suggested a somewhat cy
“But you are indeed the heir to the title. You are wearing it now. You can't want to marry me!”“For heaven's sake, stop worrying about me or Ivan, and think a little about your child. My brother would have abandoned you both. In any case, he was always careful not to take a wife. Do you think I should be grateful to him for being selfish, all because I'm lucky enough to have inherited his title?”He didn't seem to consider himself so lucky, indeed…“The honor of our name requires that, if your child is a boy, he should become my heir and one day be Lord Hadleigh in his turn. This may not be a legal requirement; but moral, certainly. No one will be able to guess that he is not my son: one will naturally think that he is mine, since I will be your husband. We may be suspected, which is not a big deal, that we have anticipated the ceremony a little. At worst, they will say that I am Ivan’s brother, and we will not be surprised more than that... It will make gossip for a week, and that's
March 26th “These flowerbeds are going to look great this summer.”Eden leaned against Ian by the window of the large living room, above the flowerbeds that Johnson and his men, including young Trubshawe, were preparing, burying the flower bulbs.“Amara is growing, too. It's late March, spring is in the air.”Ian put his arm around his omega’s shoulders and drew her closer. It was still a shock for him to know she was his.“Do you think it's possible to be this happy?" asked Eden.“No, not usually," he replied, smiling. Then he leaned over to tickle Eden’s earlobe with his tongue, watching for her reaction. “But I know lots of ways to enhance the sensation.”“Oh, I know that.”Eden tried to react like a respectable viscountess and show a little reproach towards her rascal of a husband, but she hardly succeeded.“As it happens," Eden whispered to him in an engaging voice, "we have no obligations either this afternoon or this evening. I've kept us a few moments free, since we're packi
Ian made it his own, sensing that this was their real first time. The alpha forced himself to control his desire and keep an eye on Eden’s, which rose and rose, until the final conflagration, the simultaneous deflagration.“My love…”Ian gasped again. “Forever and ever. Forever and ever.” “My omega,” Ian whispered, stroking the back of her neck.Ian looked at his omega with such tenderness, as if he couldn't believe he had it all to himself.“You're mine, aren't you Eden?” The alpha asked, looking tall and majestic above her“All yours” Eden nodded vigorously, her breath catching as she felt Ian’s hands wrap around her ankles, caressing her calves before spreading them apart, making more room for between her thighs“Yes," Eeen murmured, "yes, all yours, mark me.”“Are you sure?”“Yes, I want to be yours, completely”Ian let out a tiger-like growl just before he bounced on his prey, before leaning in, his mouth hot and heavy as he rubbed his lips across Eden’s cheek, up to her chin,
“Sir”It was Philips' voice that brought Ian back to earth; he'd just lost the most important person in his life.“Sir." Philips insisted in the face of his master's silence. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but we await your orders. It's getting dark, the current is preventing us from crossing and continuing our search, so I think it's best to go back inside, get warm, regain your strength and start again tomorrow. Also, you'll have to prepare for the worst, sir, with the low temperatures and the cold.”“Are you mad?” Ian asked, his voice full of fatigue but above all full of bitterness. “Excuse me, sir?”“My wife has just been carried off, I don't know where she is or what state she's in, and all you can tell me is to go home, get warm and prepare for the worst. So I repeat, ARE YOU CRAZY?”“I'm sorry, I…”“Enough... Send Jem to tell my Aunt and Alexis to take care of Amara. Then gather all the men near the clearing with the best hunting dogs you can find. I want everyone to get to work,
Ian first saw the shattered pillars of the bridge, then a wavering figure stepped out to meet him, a small dog barking frantically at his heels. Ian jumped down from his saddle and Toby leapt into his arms. A baby's cries could be clearly heard over the roar of the river.“Where's my omega, Philips?”“Still in the car, milord. With the maid and the baby. The footman's a little hurt, but he'll be alright. I sent him for help. It was the floodwater that caused the bridge pillars to collapse as we drove over...If we make any sudden movements, it'll cause the rest of the bridge to collapse.” Ian put the dog down and ran along the bank, the coachman on his heels. When he reached the carriage, Ian had to fight the urge to jump straight into the water to save his family.“We need ropes, horses and... Ah, thank God, there's Murrow!”The carpenter galloped down the hill, pulling his wagon team along. When he reached the bank, he braked with the reins. The men with him jumped down from th
We'll go down to the hotel, Mary," she announced to the maid, pulling from her bag the London guidebook she had taken from the library. Let's see which one is the most suitable..The horses slowed as they took the path that led to the bridge over the river. Eden glanced out the door at the fog-shrouded landscape, then back to her guide. “The Pulteney looks to be the most comfortable and central," she explained, trying to keep her tone light, "but it's certainly very expensive. Let's see.”The sedan lurched forward and, at the sound of hooves on logs, Jimin realized they had reached the bridge. There was a terrible creak. The coachman screamed and the sedan pitched sideways. Eden tried to grab hold of Amara, but her hands could only clasp Mary's dress as Icy water invaded the darkened cabin. They had fallen into the river.Ian waded to the edge of the torrent, the water almost completely submerging his high boots.“Too late," he announced. The dam's already broken. There's no way
Breakfast the next day was more tiring than Eden had imagined. Ian behaved with impeccable courtesy. He smiled at her, spoke to her politely, and when Eden sent the servants away so she could talk to him about what had happened the day before, Ian simply shook his head.“Let's not talk about it anymore, Eden. We've got to put it behind us. Your nerves were on edge after a few days at the reception.”Eden wanted to apologize, to explain why she had lost control of herself. If Ian pretended that nothing had happened, would she be obliged to leave for London and let this unspoken issue hang over them forever?There was a knock at the door, and Jackson entered. Behind him, several men in working clothes could be seen gathered in the corridor.“Lord and Milady will excuse me," he began, "the rains have caused the river to burst its banks. Turner sends word to the lord that he fears the mill dam may break.”“I'll be off then”Ian put down his napkin, stood up and walked into the corrido
What had happened? What had gone wrong? Ian contemplated in the deserted corridor, as stunned and shocked as if someone had just cut open his chest and ripped out his heart. He'd thought he'd made Eden happy and brought her security. But that had only been an illusion, which had now been shattered. He didn't know how he was going to make things right, or even if it was possible. No doubt Eden was in her room. Toby stood at the door, whimpering miserably. Ian knocked on the door, then turned the handle. To no avail. The bolt was pulled. Swearing muffledly, he tried to open the boudoir door. Locked too, as was the door to the baby's room. He knocked again.“Eden?”SilenceStriding to his own room, Ian tried to open the connecting door. It too was locked. Exasperated, he pounded his fist on the panel.“Eden, my angel, will you please open the door?”Through the wood paneling, he heard the child's startled cries, which put an end to his anger almost immediately. Amara must b
The day after the christening, it began to rain heavily, much to Eden’s dismay. With her brief experience as mistress of the house, she wondered what he was going to do with all her guests, on a rainy Saturday, after matins and lunch. But her worries proved futile. The bishop retired to his room to read his sermons, the older ladies took up their embroidery, telling each other the latest neighborhood gossip, while the younger ones obligingly kept the children occupied and did a thousand favors for Amara, as well as for Leon, Iris and Jasper’s baby. The alphas had disappeared. Some of them had withdrawn from the bishop's sight to play cards or billiards, while others had gone to visit the stables. As for Eden, she sat quietly, sometimes making sure the babies weren't too tired, sometimes simply enjoying the rain drumming on the windows and the crackling fire in the hearth. Jasper entered the room, his hair soaking wet, and leaned over to whisper something in Iris’s ear. She loo
——6th of January——— “Your Grace”Eden gave a deep curtsy like Alexis had taught her to do. Immediately her hands were grabbed, and one of the most handsome young men she had ever seen helped her to her feet.“Please, call me Alastor, " replied the Duke of Avery, kissing her on both cheeks. “Ian,” he exclaimed enthusiastically, “where did you find such a pretty omega?” “Just looking at her to know you don't deserve it.”“You can let go of her now, Alastor,” Ian said quietly, smiling. The look on his face, however, indicated that he was ready to slay any man who got too close to Eden, whether he was a duke or a prince.Eden felt overcome with excitement. She was a little apprehensive about this baptism reception, but, for the moment, everything was going wonderfully. The only downside in recent weeks was that Ian avoided sharing her bed, probably to let her rest a little after giving birth. Since Amara’s birth, however, the alpha seemed more distant than Eden would have liked. W