Nina The receptionist at the sleek hotel front desk flashed me a polite smile as Luke and I approached. My shoes seemed to echo as they clicked on the marble floors, and I looked around warily, taking in the sight of all of the wealthy hotel patrons that were milling around. “I feel out of place
Enzo I scrambled to my feet, my palms scraping on the icy stone floor. The swirling portal had vanished, abandoning me alone in this strange place. Smooth obsidian walls surrounded me, broken only by a high, domed ceiling. There were no visible doors or windows in the expansive circular room. Ex
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I collapsed in a weakened heap on the cot. The silver rope was still bound around my wrists and my neck, a constant reminder. Every movement ached, and my wolf was nowhere to be found. Some time later, the sound of iron jerked me out of a half-sleep. I fo
Nina “Nina! Look at this.” My eyes locked onto the glinting silver strands that were pinched between Luke’s fingers, almost sparkling in the sunlight. At first I simply gaped in confusion. “Silver jewelry thread? It must have fallen off of Mila’s blouse when she was here with Enzo,” I said.
Enzo “Get your filthy hands off of me!” I snarled, thrashing against the two burly servants who were attempting to strip off my clothes. More hands grabbed at me from all sides, overpowering my weakened struggles. I roared curses until a gag was forced between my teeth, muffling my outrage. Th
Unless... “Let me speak to my wife,” I choked out urgently. “I want to at least see her, let her know I’m alive and that I love her before…” I couldn’t force out the hideous words, but I didn’t need to. “Please,” I said, softening my voice a little, “I know you’re not so cruel as to deny us clos
Nina Luke’s eyebrows drew together at the mention of a portal. He shook his head. “I don’t think it could be a portal,” he said, his voice low so as not to be overheard. “Portals are only able to be opened in places like Mountainview, where the veil between realms is thin.” “What’s to say the
Nina The elderly couple stared blankly back and forth between me and Luke, whose wrist I was clutching more tightly than I realized. Luke’s eyes were wide, unblinking. I was staring at him imploringly. “Beg your pardon, dear?” asked the old woman, her voice pulling me back to reality. “What was
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