But as we headed inside, I felt a little… strange. It was as if I was lighter, somehow. Like something had been weighing me down for a long time, but it was gone now. I stopped, glancing up at the night sky one last time just before we headed inside. The moon and stars were still casting their gen
Nina “Does anyone else smell… humans?” As the werewolf’s voice rose above the din, Lori jerked her head up, her eyes widening with fear. Realization dawned across Matt, Enzo, and Jessica’s faces, and I knew we needed to act fast. No one knew exactly where the scent was coming from yet, so I need
Nina “There are humans amongst us, in disguise!” I was standing there, my heart racing, as the wiry man held the vial of perfume high above his head for everyone around us to see. I cursed under my breath as I saw some curious and concerned party goers start to gather, eyeing the vial suspicious
And I was trapped here, unable to even move. The crowd had grown thick with frenzy, and I was trapped, being jostled by the frantic movements of the once-peaceful party goers. The crowd parted for a moment, and that was when I saw him. My father, from across the room, slowly stood from his chair,
Nina The bedroom door swung open, and Lori and I rushed inside, relief washing over us as we escaped the chaos that had erupted at the party. Somehow, we had managed to make it out of the banquet hall in one piece, although my heart was pounding knowing that I had just left Enzo down there. Matt
I smiled at her, trying to ease her worries. “It’s not your fault, Lori. Let’s just get you home where it’s safe for now.” But then, just as we were discussing the plan, the bedroom door swung open once more, and my parents rushed in, their faces frantic with worry. My father wasted no time and im
Enzo Nina rushed out of the room in a whirlwind, leaving me, Aldric, and her mother standing there in her wake. I was furious, with my hands curled up into fists at my sides. The fact that Aldric had sent spies to keep watch over us in Mountainview was one thing, but the way that he had spoken to
Nina I couldn’t contain the storm of emotions that was raging inside of me. To think that my own father distrusted my judgment so much that he would hire a spy to follow me around made me feel almost sick, and furthermore, it made me begin to question everything I had seen or heard recently. I
Nina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest. “Jess? You in there?” There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the soun
Nina “How’s it looking in there?” I called out, rapping lightly on the wooden door of Jessica’s fitting room. “Um… decent, I guess?” her muffled voice floated back a moment later, although I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. “Decent? That’s it? Come on, Jess, this is your wedding gown w
Had I really known him at all, I wondered? Or had I merely been too self-absorbed and naive to see past the facade of unshakable command he projected? After a long silence, I found my voice. “Why didn’t he ever tell me that?” “He didn’t want you to see his weakness, I suppose,” Angelica replied