I chewed on my fingernails, exchanging another terrified glance with Luke. “So she thinks you’re her own personal stallion, basically,” I said. “You’re right. That is madness.” “Yeah, well, she’ll have to kill me first before I father anything for her,” Enzo hissed, leaning his head back on the wa
Nina “To the death.” Enzo and I took a step back, eyeing Mila cautiously. “To the death?” Enzo scoffed. “Mila, are you insane?” “No.” She shrugged, checking her crimson nails. “Not insane. It’s tradition.” “Enlighten us, then,” I hissed. I had absolutely no intention of battling my own hus
Nina Luke’s sudden, unexpected offer sent a cold shiver of fear down my spine. “Luke, that’s ridiculous,” I breathed, letting out a wry chuckle that sounded hollow even to my own ears. “My champion? Are you kidding?” But Luke simply shook his head. “I’m serious, Nina. This could be the only wa
When I looked down at my hands, there were two burnt marks along my palms. Luke cursed under his breath, raking a hand through his blond hair in frustration. “Nina,” he pleaded, “I took a vow to protect you when we first met. I’ve never broken that vow.” “Luke—” “No. Listen to me, Nina.” His s
Nina My eyes widened as a small trickle of blood made its way down Enzo’s neck. “Stop!” I shrieked, my voice having more power in it than I expected after a long night of misery. “Please, don’t hurt him.” “It’s okay, Nina.” Enzo’s voice was more hoarse than mine. “I’ll be okay.” But it was c
Mila’s ruby eyes flashed with momentary annoyance. “If your champion prevails, I will… consider releasing them,” she hissed coldly. “But she must remain here, bound, for the duration of the fight. I can’t have her scurrying away like a rat.” Enzo’s eyes narrowed. “How can I trust you?” he growled.
Enzo The gates rattled upward just as the silver ropes were cut from my hands and neck. Moments later, as I stumbled out into the dusty arena to battle one of my closest friends to please some bloodthirsty warrior queen, I felt my wolf begin to return to his usual strength. “We should kill them,
Luke aimed a corkscrewing bolt at my face. I caught it against my shoulder as I twisted aside. The impact drove me back a step with a snarl. Had to make this look convincing. I rushed him full-on once again, plowing through another sizzling bolt of electricity. My bulk crashed into him, knocking u
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