Nina I stared back and forth between the pamphlet in my hands and the poster on the glass doors. “Prenatal Yoga: Movement for Expecting Mothers,” the sign read. The one on the door had the same image of a very pregnant woman doing a headstand, and I almost laughed again at the idea. It had to
“Don’t worry, it gets easier,” she whispered, her voice laced with a hint of condescension. “Though it’s clear you haven’t been exercising much.” I stiffened, the comment stinging more than I cared to admit. Little did she know the sort of physical peak my body had come into when my wolf had emerg
Nina I woke up the following morning with a sense of dread in my stomach. Despite Enzo’s words of encouragement, the memory of the previous yoga class were still fresh in my mind. The hurtful words, the mocking glances—they had left a deeper mark than I cared to admit. I guess I had thought that
Nina “It’s Nina, right?” A familiar voice pierced through my calm. Opening my eyes, I saw Lea, the woman from my last class, standing over me with a smirk. “Back for more?” she asked, tossing her sleek, long ponytail over her shoulder. I straightened up, meeting her gaze. Enzo’s words of encou
Nina Sarah and I walked into the local cafe together, where we ordered two cups of tea and found a warm corner table to settle in. I sank down into my seat, feeling a little bolstered by the prospect of a new friend. “So,” Sarah said, taking the lid off of her cup to let her tea cool. The steam
Nina I walked down the street, taking in the fresh afternoon air. It was going to get even hotter today, and my pool at home was already calling to me. I slipped my phone out of my pocket and texted Enzo: “Where are you at?” “Sports shop,” he replied a few moments later. “Needed some things.”
Enzo I lay there in the darkness, watching Nina sleep peacefully beside me. She looked like an angel. There was a serene expression on her face, and her chest was rising and falling gently. The faint moonlight streaming in through the large window illuminated her face, accentuating the gentle gl
Nina I didn’t tear my eyes away from Enzo until he finally disappeared through the gates. Once he was gone, it felt as if the knot in my stomach was growing tighter. I knew that he was only going to be gone for a day, but something just felt off—I couldn’t put my finger on what, exactly. It just
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