“She doesn’t like me, does she?” Amelia asked. She was on her way back to the resort with Jonathan. She’d been hoping that Sephora would want to talk more about her proposal after the garden, but she hadn’t. Instead, she’d shaken Amelia’s hand and thanked her for coming. “I think she liked you just fine,” Jonathan said. He could see the disappointment in her face and he tried to comfort her. The truth was, though, his mom had no intention of helping Silvermoon and he knew it. Should I tell her? It seems cruel to let her hold onto hope. He turned and looked at her. Concern was etched into her soft features. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and wipe that concern away. “Really? So you think she’ll consider working with us?” Amelia asked, hope flooding her gorgeous eyes. He didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. It really had nothing to do with Amelia. Not personally, anyway. He thought back to when his father had been k
In the three days leading up to the presentation, Amelia did everything she could to prepare. She felt her chances of being awarded the project weren’t high, but she was determined to try her very best anyway. She worked late into the night, fueled by coffee and Chinese take-out. Olivia became her right hand man, staying with her well past midnight, helping her create the strongest presentation she could.Finally, the day of the presentation arrived. Olivia met her at her office door.“All set?” Olivia asked. She smiled widely. Amelia was grateful to have such a supportive friend.“All set,” Amelia confirmed, even though she felt anything but. “Still no word from Mandrake Enterprises?” Amelia asked as they got into their car. She already knew the answer but she was hanging on to a tiny thread of hope. Olivia shook her head. “And Jonathan? Did he say why he wasn’t coming with us? Or when he’d arrive?” She hadn’t seen Jonathan for two days and she didn’t know why. She’d se
The press conference finished up in a blur of blinding camera flashes and loud reporters yelling questions. Once the media was satisfied that they had everything they needed, the organizers excused themselves to discuss the bids. “The winner will be announced this evening at the banquet. We sincerely hope you will all attend and thank you for your presentations,” the CEO smiled. Amelia was exhausted from the tension and anxiety of the day, but after a quick rest back at the hotel, she and Olivia got all dolled up for the banquet. They both looked like a dream, Amelia in a sleek, floor length silver gown and Olivia in an A-line vintage blue satin dress. All eyes were on them as they made their way through the lobby and into the banquet hall. Amelia is immediately met with Magnus. He takes his hands in hers and smiles broadly. “My darling princess. I am so incredibly proud of you. I knew you could win the favor of Mandrake. Just as I knew y
Amelia let go of Gabriel. He shot a dirty look at Jonathan and clenched his fists. Who the hell did this human think he was? Cutting in like that? Then he looked at Amelia’s face and he knew that he couldn’t lose his cool. “Before you go,” he said. “I, I have something for you.” Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a brooch. It shone a fiery red. “The ruby,” Amelia exclaimed. “Yes,” Gabriel smiled. “I had it made into this broach. For you.” He held it out to her. It was stunning. But she couldn’t accept it. “It’s too precious, Gabriel,” she said, shaking her head. “It belongs to the pack.” “It’s no use to the pack right now. I insist. Take it.” He thrust it forward again for emphasis. “I don’t understand.” What did he mean ‘it’s of no use’? “The ruby will only light up once for one generation of Alpha. It lit up for you.” Amelia felt a strong pu
“Married? You’re getting married?” Amelia asked, suddenly feeling a wave of sadness wash over her.Why am I sad? Why do I even care? This is silly. I should be happy for him, Amelia thought to herself. Although, it is a little strange. I’ve never even heard him talk about a girlfriend. Then she stumbled over her words. “Con…congratulations.” She knew she sounded awkward, but she couldn’t help it. Jonathan didn’t reply. He only stared at her for a moment and then nodded quickly. The silence between them was borderline unbearable. “Well. I guess we should be getting back inside then,” Amelia suggested. “Yup,” Jonathan agreed. “Nothing else to tell me?” Amelia teased. “Nope.” “Just that you’re a werewolf. That Gabriel helped with the deal. And that you’re getting married? Sounds like enough confessions for one night.” They began walking back towards the hotel.“Come on. You already knew I was a werewolf.” Jonathan nudged her arm.“
Gabriel’s arms were still tight around Amelia. The top of her dress had fallen off and the silk inside of the suit jacket was soft on her skin. Someone was rushing towards them – and she hoped (secretly) for a moment that it was Jonathan. It wasn’t though. It was Asher. Asher had heard the commotion from across the room. One look at Gabriel and his temper had flared. He’d come straight over to chastise Gabriel. Apparently, though, Olivia had beat him to it. Olivia had been grateful to the strange man with the suit at first. He’d saved her best friend from showing her naked body to a room full of people! But when she’d heard Amelia say his name, she felt anger rising in her like lava in a volcano. “So this is Gabriel,” she said. Her voice was high and tight. Amelia was doing up the suit jacket. She shook her head at Olivia. The last thing she needed right now was for Olivia to unleash her wrath on Gabriel. Olivia opened her mouth to lash out, but Ash
“You left out a few things about Gabriel,” Olivia said, trying to veer the subject away from Asher. “Like what?” Amelia asked. “Well, you never told me how handsome he is,” Olivia teased. She watched Amelia’s face closely. Deep down, Olivia wondered if Amelia still had feelings for Gabriel. But then she shook her head – it didn’t matter – he had hurt her best friend very badly. There was no forgiving him. “Did I not mention that?” Amelia smiled. “Yes, he’s very handsome. I’ll give him that.” “You two seem quite comfortable together,” Olivia pointed out. She had expected them to be awkward around each other, so she’d been surprised when they were friendly. “It’s strange,” Amelia confided to Olivia. “We get along better now than we did when we were married. More naturally.” “Why do you think that is?” Olivia asked this cautiously. “Well, I married him because of the Mate bond. That, and the Ruby’s guidance. I
The next morning, Amelia opened her eyes to Olivia’s enlarged face, merely inches away from hers. “Good morning sleepy head!” Olivia exclaimed loudly. “Ugh,” Amelia sighed. “Get off me!” “Not until you tell me where you were last night,” Olivia giggled. “I heard you sneak out.” Amelia felt her cheeks burn. She considered telling her friend about her night run with Gabriel, but that would only lead to more questions, and she wasn’t sure how to answer them right now. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I just went out for some fresh air. I couldn’t sleep and needed to clear my head.” Amelia didn’t like lying to Olivia. Luckily, Olivia couldn’t probe any further because there was a knock on the door. Asher came in with a large tray of food. Amelia could tell that Olivia was still a little haughty about Asher and the fight they’d had. “I come bearing breakfast,” Asher said a bit shyly. Olivia walked over and looked at th
A hush fell over the crowd. Jonathan stood strong. At once, he possessed the air of authority that only an Alpha had. “But you didn’t want it,” Lucas cried, shaking his finger at Jonathan. “You never wanted to be Alpha. You told me that. It’s MINE. I’m the new alpha. Not you.” “I changed my mind,” Jonathan said. Then he looked to Magnus. Magnus smiled at him and nodded. “Are you sure?” Magnus asked. “I am, your highness,” he replied. “Then it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the new Alpha of Blackseed,” Magnus declared. The crowd burst into applause and Jonathan beamed. True, he had never wanted the role before, but things had changed. His people, his pack, they needed his help. “As the new alpha of Blackseed, you have my word that Blackseed will no longer be dealing with illegal potions. We will find a new enterprise, a new business. We will become a media conglomerate, under my rule.” Amelia s
“Everyone, gather around,” Magnus said, his Alpha King voice reverberating around the room. Everyone stopped and stared in his direction. Mercy’s news had been most shocking indeed. Magnus knew that Sephora was up to something but without tangible proof, there was no way to charge her. He had planned on launching an investigation into Sephora and her Blackseed Pack dealings, but now that Mercy had come forward, he didn’t need to. He had all the evidence he needed, and he knew where to collect more.The DJ cut the music. “I have an important announcement to make.” Magnus had wasted no time. He waited for the crowd to settle, some in wolf form, some still in human form. This was odd? What announcement? Right in the middle of the party? It must be very important if Magnus was announcing it in the middle of the party. “Something has recently come to my attention,” Magnus declared. “And it is something we MUST address immediately. There is a traitor amongst us.”
Gabriel pulled Mercy back to the party. He told her to wait here, he was going to talk to Jonathan. Mercy nodded. There was something about Gabriel that made her feel safe. She didn’t know him well, but he was an Alpha, and a strong one at that. So she did as she said. Gabriel made a bee-line for Jonathan. He pulled him aside and started talking to him. Jonathan’s eyes grew wide and he looked over at Mercy, shock on his face. Then Gabriel pulled him in closer and kept talking. Jonathan’s face changed and he started nodding along, obviously agreeing with whatever Gabriel was telling him. Then he smiled. The two of them came back to Mercy. “Mercy,” Jonathan said, reaching for her hands. “You could have told me. You SHOULD have told me. You can trust me. I’m one of your best friends.” Then he brought her in for a hug. It felt so good to be in Jonathan’s arms. He was her oldest friend. She had been terrified that he wouldn’t accept her when he found out sh
Gabriel and Mercy walked over to a quiet spot by the edge of the forest. “You know, don’t you?” Mercy asked, her eyes concerned as she searched his face. “Yes,” he said. “How did you find out?” she asked, already knowing the answer. “It was while you were playing. I realized, you were enchanting us. Mercy, you’re an enchantress?” Mercy looked away for a moment and he could see the pain on her face. “Not exactly,” she said. “Well, yes. But I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t know. It was Sephora. She kept my secret and then, at the warehouse, she…she told me.” “Your secret is safe with me, Mercy,” he told her. “Don’t worry about that. I won’t say anything.” She looked at him with gratitude on her face. “Is it..is witch blood then?” Mercy sighed. He already knew, so she might as well tell him. “Yes,” she said. “Sephora told me. I guess my mother was a witch. She fell in love with a wolf and they, they had me.”
Sephora grabbed Lucas by the arm and hauled him away.“I’m very sorry, Jonathan,” Olivia said. “This must be a bit shocking.”Jonathan nodded then he shrugged. “Not really,” he replied. “I think I’ve always known, deep down, that Lucas wasn’t her real son. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything. It does explain why he was so awful to me all those years, though. I guess he knew, too, in his heart of hearts. He was afraid I would take the Alpha role away from him. I still don’t want it though. He can have it. He’s still the son of a previous Alpha, right?”“Uh, I just thought of something,” Olivia said then, her face pale. “Lucas is my half-brother.” Everyone let that sink in. Then Alfred broke the silence.“Tough break, kid.” He laughed. “But you know what they say? You can’t choose your family.”“No, I guess not,” Olivia laughed. “But you can choose your friends.” Amelia and Jonathan smiled at Olivia.“I feel like I should go,” Agatha said. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
Sephora recognized Agatha the moment she walked in. That bitch! That human that stole her husband’s heart with her seduction? What was she doing here? Sephora’s mind flashed back to the day she found her husband was cheating on her was a human! Sure, Agatha claimed that he was keeping her there against her will, but she was lying. Sephora knew it. She was perfectly content in her little love nest. The cottage her husband gave her! And now she was pregnant? If the pack found out, Sephora would be the laughing stock of the entire pack! So she had quickly devised a plan. She would keep the baby and raise it as her own. Her husband could keep his pretty little human. Whatever. It didn’t matter. As long as NO ONE KNEW! But then she’d run away and people had found out. She’d gone straight to the Alpha King himself. Sephora had rejected it all, called Agatha a liar. Why would her husband, the Alpha of Blackseed, love a lowly human. It was preposterous! Most people had b
“Davison,” Agatha smiled. “Come, sit with us.” “Oh no, I can’t stay long. And neither can you. Olivia’s friends are waiting for her at the gala. I just thought I’d check in to see how the little reunion is going.”“Reunion? Dad, did you…did you know about this? That she was coming here tonight?” “Of course. I’m the one who invited her.” “What?”“She looks just like the pictures,” Agatha said, stroking Olivia’s hair.“Pictures? What pictures?” Olivia asked. Something wasn’t making sense here. Agatha told her she had left when Olivia was little. But these two were talking like old friends? “He’s kept in the loop,” Agatha smiled. “Over the years.” “Really?” Olivia asked. This was all news to her. “Yes,” Davison confirmed. “I’ve been in contact with Agatha over the years. She made a huge sacrifice, leaving you. So I made it my mission to keep her updated on you and your life.” “He sends me pictures. And tells me about what you’re u
Lucas. Of course. Olivia nodded. There had been rumors that Lucas wasn’t Sephora’s son by birth, which is why Lucas has been so mean to Jonathan over the years. Jonathan had told Amelia that his brother had even tried to kill him once. That’s why Jonathan had left the pack. It was ironic, because Jonathan didn’t even care about being Alpha. He didn’t want it. But it made sense now as to why Lucas was so aggressive and hated Jonathan so much. Deep down, Lucas must have known that Sephora was not his birth mother. Which meant he wasn’t the rightful heir to the pack, Jonathan was. So Lucas had tried to force Jonathan to leave, to get him out of the way, so Jonathan wouldn’t be a threat. This was all starting to make sense now. “It was a secret, one that I swore to keep.” “What happened after Lucas was born?” “I stayed. For a bit. I didn’t know what else to do. But he…he got worse. Meaner. More forceful. I told him I wanted to leave, and he threatened me.
Olivia stumbled backwards, shocked. “Mmmm, mother?” she stammered. Amelia grabbed Olivia’s arm to steady her. “That can’t be.” The woman looked uneasily at everyone in the wings. “Can I talk to you?” she asked, stepping towards Olivia. “Will you walk with me? So I can explain?” the woman asked. Olivia shook her head in disbelief and turned to Alfred. He smiled gently at her and nodded his head. “Give her a chance to explain,” he told her. “Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are, love. But she deserves a chance to explain herself.” Amelia and Jonathan agreed.“I don’t know what’s going on, but I agree with Alfred. You should talk to her.” So Olivia left the wings of the stage and followed the woman to the bench overlooking the lake.The gala was in full swing inside and they could hear the music and the people laughing. It was a calm evening, and the water was so calm it looked like glass under the light of the moon. “I know this must be quite the