Grace Charles' ragged breaths echoed in the sterile silence of the office, a stark contrast to the frantic pounding of my own heart. I was beat, but I felt alive in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. We lay tangled on the couch, the scent of sex clinging to the air. A strange sense of exhilaratio
Mates. We were mates. How would Cecil take it? Richard probably wouldn't care. Would he want a lycan ceremony too? Could I swear those oaths now? "No," Charles said, nuzzling me. "You can't." "Can you read my thoughts?" "Not exactly, just feel what you're feeling." "... did you feel this
Grace It was a news broadcast, the familiar face of a news anchor filling the screen. "…groundbreaking new treatment, Moonlight Phoenix," the anchorwoman announced, her voice filled with excitement. "Clinical trials are set to begin…" The image on the screen switched to a sleek laboratory sett
"Well no..." "You haven't even announced when the clinical trial are going to be." My shoulders slumped. "... they're rattling me." "Correct." He looked at Xavier. "Any idea where this came from?" Xavier, who had been watching the news report with an unreadable expression, finally spoke. "
Grace Days blurred into a whirlwind of activity. The news reports continued to churn out more and more stories about the clinical trials I hadn't announced and whatever else they thought made sense to publicize. It was irritating feeling like I was being rushed. It made me want to drag my feet eve
I laughed, feeling sheepish. "I just..." "So there's something else going on?" "I should have asked before... I'm not sure who else to ask... Esme's been pretty clear that it's not really her realm of expertise." "Witch questions, cool. Shoot." "It's about the prognosis," I stammered, then p
Charles After taking Grace home with the good news, I headed back to Blackwoods Castle. It held a strange sense of comfort now that everything was in the open. As I got to my office, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was my aunt, Elara. "Charles," her voice was gentle. "Sorry for missing your c
"Proper queen," I spat, the words bitter on my tongue. They wanted a puppet, a pawn in their twisted game of power. Someone they could manipulate and control, someone who wouldn't dare stand by my side as I challenged them. I should have killed him and his stooges years ago, but I wasn't a kin-k
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