EllaWe settled into the hard plastic seats, the cacophony of engines and crowd noise enveloping us like a heavy blanket. Even from our spot, I could see the intensity on the drivers’ faces, their concentration palpable even from a distance.There was something both exciting and terrifying about it; and something addictive, I was sure of it. This was a place for adrenaline junkies, for people
LoganIt was supposed to be simple—a night out at the racetrack, full of life, energy, and maybe, just maybe, the softening of Ella’s guarded heart toward me.The air was warm, filled with the scent of gasoline and grilled meats, as I wandered through the maze of food vendors. I was in a good mood, an incredibly rare feeling for me. Ella seemed to be enjoying herself, and that made me t
EllaThe buzzing of the airport around me felt as if it was compounding my already mounting stress.I always hated airports. To me, they were nothing but anxiety-inducing cacophonies of shuffling feet, murmured conversations, and the repetitive announcements coming through the loudspeakers.Like a caged animal, I pace
EllaBoarding the plane should have filled me with a sense of accomplishment and relaxation from knowing that we had made it and only needed to lay back now that we were on our way, but it didn’t.I had never been an easy flyer. Ever since I was a kid, airplanes—and the thought of those airplanes crashing to the ground from thousands of feet up in the air—had freaked me out more t
EllaI had to resist the urge to laugh as Logan’s face drained of color.“Dogs,” he had said. The irony was not lost on me. Dogs? This man, who could shift into a wolf, was scared of dogs?He shot me a sideways glance, as if he was sensing the disbelief radiating from my body. “I know what you&
EllaThe sound of the plane’s wheels screeching against the landing strip jerked me awake.For a moment, I was disoriented—until I felt the weight of an arm around my shoulders and saw Logan sitting next to me. My cheeks flushed as I realized I had fallen asleep against him. God, I even felt a small wet spot on my cheek where I must have drooled.
EllaSitting alone in my hotel room, surrounded by plush furniture and golden accents that gleamed in the soft lighting, I felt a pang of homesickness. The luxuriousness of the room was stifling in an odd way, as though constantly reminding me of my charade with a mobster.Shaking off the momentary melancholy, I decided to call Moana to calm my frayed nerves.Taking a deep breath to compose myself, I dialed her number and waited for the ring to connect. The familiar sound of her voice, warm and comforting as always, came through within moments.“Ella, my love! How was your flight? Did you make it to the hotel?”“We did,” I said, faking a sense of enthusiasm in my voice. “The place is...well, it’s something.”“Where is your fiance?” Moana asked. “I’d like to say hello, if you don’t mind.”The word ‘fiance’ made my body stiffen. I glanced at the empty space next to me, where Logan would have been if we were an actual couple. But we weren’t. He was in a room of his own, doing his own thi
EllaAs I stood in front of my bed, my eyes darted from one outfit to another where they laid sprawled out on top of the comforter.I knew that this shouldn’t have been a difficult decision. But for some reason, it was. For reasons that I never wanted to admit, I found myself actually caring about how I looked in front of Logan, and I felt like an absolute moron. But I couldn’t deny it; I wanted to look nice.As I pondered my choices, my wolf piped up in my mind, a sly undercurrent of mischief lacing her tone.“Why don’t you wear the red dress? You know how good you look in it. Especially if you’re trying to catch someone’s eye.”I grimaced. “I’m not trying to catch anyone’s eye, especially not Logan’s.”She chuckled. “Sure. Let’s just pretend for a moment that you haven’t thought about how he’d react if you got all dressed up tonight.”“Stop it. I don’t think of him in that way,” I shot back, feigning a coolness in my voice that I didn’t really feel.“Oh? And what about the kiss at t