Grace The image of Charles and Elara embracing in the hallway followed me all the way back into the courtroom. The air crackled with tension as Sean addressed the assembled crowd. His face was twisted into a grimace. He looked mad, and I hoped that was a good thing for me. "As a result of the ne
The courtroom buzzed with murmurs of speculation as the Chief Justice reviewed the list. "I find that Mr. Edgar Thorne meets the criteria," the Chief Justice said. "Luckily, he is in the pool of pre-selected candidates, so no delays will be necessary. If you could bring Mr. Thorne in.." Esme wen
Grace Back at Mooncrest, the weight of the settlement settled on my shoulders like a leaden cloak. The joy and hope of a semi-victory had evaporated, replaced by a gnawing bitterness and a surge of anger I couldn't contain. "This is insane!" I exploded, slamming the financial documents down on t
I could see Charles leaving with Elara, handing her into the car like a damn queen, barely sparing a glance in my direction. I still didn't know who she was to him. Just because she was in his mother's coven didn't mean that they were related. Was he going back to the Clan territory with her? Was he
Grace I glared at him. "Just a shred of understanding?" He tilted his head at him as if I was a child or he was just trying to figure something out. I couldn't tell for sure, but I felt like he was patronizing me. Then, he sighed. He sounded weary as he closed his laptop. "Empathy and sympat
My breath hitched, the anger momentarily replaced by a sting of betrayal. Eason's expression was flat and cold. There wasn't a bit of comfort in his eyes or his tone, no solace. Just cold reality. "So, what?" I asked. "You're just here to what? Watch me drown?" Are you giving up on me? I could
Grace Eason paused at the door, his back turned to me. My stomach turned with fear about what he would say, even though I couldn't conjure anything that he could say. After a beat of silence, he turned back to me. "I was busy." "Busy with what?" He cocked an eyebrow. "What's it matter to you
Because of my mistake. I swallowed down the burning swell of grief and shame. Because of my decision. No matter how I tried to run from it, it was going to come back. It always did. In all those years, I hadn't lost a bit of sleep thinking about Mooncrest, about anything aside from the house,
I nodded. "Don't let me trip." "I'll do my best." With a shared laugh, we headed out the door. Esme was there at the door, hanging back. Gracian stepped away from me and linked arms with her. "We'll see you soon." I nodded and watched them go. We stood in the foyer of the building. From wh
Grace A month later... After the attack, the remaining members retreated into the cabinet to figure out what to do. After all, the other half and the president had been killed in the attack because they attacked Mooncrest. Luckily, Astarte had simply fixed everything, and aside from the aches an
Fire spilled over the doors as we fought our way down the stairs. Something swiped my cheek, but I didn't heed it. We stumbled over the bodies and slipped in the blood. I tried not to think about how many people I'd killed. I didn't want to think about it. "Back up is coming, but we need time, "
Grace I heard dying screams as I ran. The sound of battle echoed down the hallway. I found Astarte holding a group of attackers off at the door of the other stairs. "There was no way off." Astarte snarled. "Your mother's office! Lock the door." "What about--" "Go!" I bit my lip and ran
"A good PR move comes with a splash of fun." Astarted nodded forward. "I believe you should get to your command room, yes?" I nodded and headed upstairs to my father's office, adrenaline pumping through my veins. An attack, contained or not, was a serious threat. The city needed to be locked dow
Grace As we boarded the crowded bus, a knot of unease tightened in my gut. Astarte made a show of being intrigued. She smiled for every photo and seemed genuinely delighted, all the while, she explained her plan. I promised to help you. PR is important. Having me here will get you attention beyo
"Thanks." "Really well," Xavier said, setting his laptop on the table. On one side was a report on my interview, a headline streamed across the bottom. "Alpha Wolfe: A Beacon of Hope in Dark Times." Below it, a graph charted a dramatic rise in public approval for both myself and Wolfe Medica
Grace A nervous flutter danced in my stomach as I smoothed out the wrinkles on my blazer. I'd rather be orienting all the students, including the bright-eyed Westridge students, but Xavier and Amira swore up and down that this was for the best. Charles leaned into my office and grinned. "Nervous
I set my phone down and scoffed. When had my alma mater allowed so many idiots since I'd been an undergrad? Their loss. The lycans, humans, and witches had no problem. Seraphina, Margaret and I met everyone who had signed on in the conference room at City Hall. The excitement was palpable as the n