"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked Elias and Xander, standing outside the main dining hall the next night.Xander shrugged. "Sure! Why not? Everyone wants to see the new Luna."I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "It's just that everyone already knows me. Announcing me again seems like overkill."Elias kissed my hand, never taking his eyes from mine as a broad smile spread across his lips. "Trust me. It's anything but."Xander smirked, giving me a sexy look as he motioned his head toward the inside. "Wait until we announce you. Then come in."I nodded. "I will."He kissed my forehead, looking debonair in his smoke-gray suit, his light brown hair with blond streaks combed to perfection. He smiled, holding my hand as he walked away. "We'll see you inside.""See you then." I smiled, not sure why I was so nervous.Elias gave me a quick peck. "Wait here, and we'll call you up in just a bit."I nodded, giving him a small smile as I brushed the shoulders of his gray suit. "I'll be wai
Faint rays of morning sun shone through the windows the following day. I rolled over onto Xander's bare, muscled chest, trying to orient myself to my surroundings, the smell of coffee thick in the air."Coffee?" Elias kissed my shoulder and then slipped on his shoes. Then he held up a cup of coffee and smiled. "Maybe this will help."I sat up and shielded my face. "Don't look at me. I'm hideous." But I took the coffee. "Thanks."He chuckled, planting a kiss on the side of my head. "You've never looked more beautiful."I scoffed. "Yeah, right." I took a sip of coffee, hoping it disguised my morning breath a little bit. "Umm... just the way I like it." I arched an eyebrow. "You've been paying attention."He gently kissed my lips. "Of course. I'm glad we all moved in together. This way, I get to see you before I go to work every morning.""Have a good day, dear," I teased, my voice filled with sarcasm. After I slipped out of bed and set my cup on the table, I put on my beige silk robe lyi
"Have a great day," Xander said, giving me a kiss goodbye before I left for work, refusing to let me do the dishes.I chuckled as I slid my backpack over my shoulder and opened the door. "At this rate, you two are going to have me spoiled rotten.""That's the whole idea." He leaned against the door facing watching me as I stepped into the hallway, looking every inch a supermodel. "Xander, at least leave the dishes for me." I felt guilty for leaving all the dishes for him. Somehow, it didn't seem right, since he had cooked, too."No way!" He laughed, shaking his head, looking at me as if I had lost my mind. "Go! Before I change my mind about letting you out of my sight today."I laughed, waving at him over my shoulder. "Have a great day!""I thought that might work," he teased, looking me up and down as I walked to the elevator. When the doors opened, he was still watching. I blew him a kiss when I stepped in and leaned against the wall when the door closed, feeling like a school girl
"Wow! It's raining out," I said, looking out the window of the Clinic at the end of the day.Bailey nodded, gathering the rest of her things. "Yeah, it doesn't happen often." She slung her backpack over her shoulder. "Well, I'm out of here. Don't stay too long.""I won't. I'm right behind you." Even though Dale had been our only serious patient the whole day—a few others stopped by for bandages for minor injuries—I was tired and ready to leave. Maybe even try to talk Xander and Elias into going to a restaurant away from the Compound. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"She burst out laughing. "Yeah, right! That kind of leaves me wide open then, doesn't it?""Hey!""Just kidding." Bailey headed toward the door, still laughing. "Have a good night. "I'll see you at dinner.""Maybe." I gave her a warm smile. "I'm going to try and talk Xander and Elias into going out tonight away from the Compound. Maybe we'll get some pizza or something."She chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, good luck wit
"What?" Cruz asked a bit louder than he had intended as he jumped to his feet. "Seriously?"I nodded and then took another sip of my margarita. Even though I couldn't get drunk, the alcohol was starting to relax me, or maybe it was just talking to Cruz. I didn't know which but whatever it was, it helped."Are you sure you didn't misunderstand?" A crease formed between his eyes. I shrugged, looking directly into his eyes. "Elias had his hand on the small of Eve's back as they walked around the corner.""Son of a—""Cruz." I laughed, shaking my head.He took another sip of his beer. "Have you told Xander?"I shook my head. "Not yet. Needless to say, I nearly turned into my wolf and murdered them, so I had to get out of there."He nodded. "So, that explains why you ran past me in the garage."My head snapped up. "You were in the garage?"He nodded, his lips curling into his impish smile. "And you never even said hello."I laughed. "Sorry. I didn't see anything but red... literally.""No
Sirens screamed in the distance through the rain, and were growing closer. "The humans are on their way," I said to Eve and Cruz. "We have to make this quick.""Umm," Eve said, her back to mine, "now might be a good time for a little bit of that magic.""Or a lot," Cruz agreed, his back to ours, too.The police sirens' screams grew louder as the men closed in. "Duratus!" I screamed, raising my arms. Suddenly, ice formed over all of them, immobilizing them all. We started running toward our vehicles."What did you do?" Eve asked, running by my side.I shrugged. "I cast a freezing spell. It won't lost long, but it'll buy us enough time to escape!" I flung open the door of my car and yelled over the roof. "Eve, get in!"Cruz was already on his motorcycle, parked right behind my car, and strapped on his helmet. "Go! I'll follow you."Eve looked at my car and then at Nightshade, debating. "Get in!" I yelled. "We'll come back for your car later!"Suddenly, guys on motorcycles jumped over
I smirked. "And what do you plan to do with us?"Balista smiled, tilting his head to the side as he walked around us, enjoying his cruel game. "I'm not sure yet. But I know exactly how it will end." He stopped pacing, lowering his head as he raised his eyes, his eyes evil incarnate. "You escaped me once. And you will not escape me again."I lifted my chin, staring straight into his eyes. "Don't bet on it."Just then, the door opened, and Sasha came walking in, her long blonde ponytail swaying back and forth. "Sasha?" Eve gasped, gripping the steel bars of her cage. "I trusted you!" I was sure that if she could have gotten her hands on her at that moment, she would have torn her apart.She smirked as she slid her arm around Balista's waist and gave him a long, lingering kiss, causing my stomach to turn. When she pulled back, she ran her thumb at the corner of her mouth. "Sorry, but he made me an offer I couldn't refuse.""Eve, now it all makes sense," I said, shaking my head. "She was
"We need to try and find some of those silver wristbands. Then we can slap one on Balista," Eve whispered as we headed down the hallway. "Where do you think he might have them?""But we'd have to get close enough to use it." I cocked my head to the side, raising my eyebrows. "When he put one on me, he pulled one out of his pocket."Eve scoffed, keeping her voice low. "Please, tell me it's not that simple.""Either that or maybe he has some in his office. But I'd bet that he carries some on him, just in case." I glanced at her over my shoulder, ready in case someone surprised us. "But we need to stay quiet and figure out where we are before we get caught."Just then, we came to a corridor with a hallway going in opposite directions. Without windows, it was hard to tell where we were.I motioned with my head toward the left. "This way.""What makes you so sure?" she asked behind me.I shrugged. "Seemed as good a choice as any."In the distance, male voices echoed from the hallway around