"It's cold outside!""You're in Canada during the dead of winter, of course it's cold outside!"I huffed and planted my feet firmly into the snow, causing Adamto sigh."You have to learn to shift. It's a necessity for you at this point," he said firmly, folding his arms across his chest."I don't want to. It hurts, and I have nothing to change into afterwards."Adam held up the long, black dressing robe in his hands."That's why I have this."I shook my head. I can't believe this. I should have just lied to him when he asked me about shifting.We stood in the tree line on the edge of the forest that was a few hundred feet away from the castle. We were well hidden by the bushy evergreens from anyone who might have been looking on, but that didn't stop me from being mortified. Shifting for thevery first time was an intimate thing, and I wasn't so sure I wanted to share it with Adam.I don't want to take my clothes off in front of him. I don't want him to see me in pain.Adam stood the
I splashed him gently, earning a wink.Eventually, he put the stopper in the drain and began to fill the tub with hot water. I had goosebumps coating my body, but I wasn't sure if it was because I was cold or because Adam had begun to massage my feet and calves.Good thing I shaved yesterday, I thought."Is the water too warm?" He asked me.I shook my head. "It feels nice.""Yeah," he agreed."Don't take my word for it, though. Get in and see for yourself."Did that just come out of my mouth? Did I really just say that?"Tempting," Adam saidPlease say no... that wasn't supposed to come out of my mouth!I stared in horror and admiration as he lifted his shirt over his head and began to undress. What have you done?! I scooted backwards in the spacious tub to give him room to get in. The water sloshed gently as he stepped into the tub and sat down.I pulled my knees up to my chest, but Adam reached out and grabbed my ankles and pulled my feet out to rest in his lap. He began to gently
"Aren't you hungry?" Xavier sat across the dinner table from Vega and I, watching her stare at her food."It's delicious," she said, pushing a pea across the plate with her fork. "I just don't have an appetite."I, on the other hand, was starving. I had finished the honey-glazed roasted chicken in no time but was still working on the peas and the corn."Do you want this?" Vega asked, handing me her bread roll. I nodded and took it out of her hands."Does Adam not feed you?" Xavier asked in amusement."I didn't eat breakfast," I explained, eating a spoonful of peas. Vega laughed. "I've never seen you devour peas like that."I said nothing as I tore off a piece of bread from the roll. Vega was trying to get on my good side, despite having neglected to apologize. It frustrated me that I could empathize with her, however. I understood the stress she was probably under after her father was kidnapped and I could see where that would cause her to potentially lash out.Despite this, her irr
I tossed and turned that night. I couldn't fall asleep if it would have saved my life. If only Adam were here.I shook my head and turned over.You don't need him to fall asleep, silly girl. You did it just fine without him for the past twenty years. I sighed. I knew he was mad at me for waiting until that day to bring up my promise to Mrs. Chandler.I should have never let things get as far as they did. It would have been better if I had just mentioned it to him from the beginning. Nonetheless, I had laid awake and seriously considered what would happen if I forgot about the promise like I almost had theday before.I knew, at the end of the day, it didn't matter. I had met the man I was going to be with for the rest of my life, there were no questions about that. I didn't have to worry about him hurting me or leaving me.But there was a knot in my throat at the thought of breaking a promise. You were fourteen, you didn't know what you were doing when you made that promise!But it wa
I gasped. The sound woke Vega, and she sat up and stared at me in horror."Evelyn, it's not what it looks like...""This can't be happening," was all I could whisper.My chest suddenly felt constricted and I couldn't breathe properly. Tears filled my eyes and I swallowed the knot in my throat.I saw the sheets move as Vega touched him on the arm. I hit the light switch, illuminating the room with bright light, which caused Vega to squint."What is going on?"I turned to see Adam standing in the doorway.Wait, what?My head began to spin as I turned back around to see the man in the bed sit up. Jace?I gasped and threw my hand over my mouth. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees as everyone was now fully awake and aware of what was happening. Jace's eyes widened at the sight of Adam. Vega's cheeks were red with embarrassment.Adam and I were both just confused."Why are you in here?" He asked them. He turned to me. "Why are you in here?"I could only stutter as I turned ba
Adam and I slept in the next morning, which I didn't think he could do seeing as he was leading the werewolf population of three continents.When I woke up, my back was pressed against his chest, legs tangled with his. His arm was still around my waist, the other stretched out under my pillow.I yawned and sighed contently, having slept the best that night than all the other nights I had been there.I sat up slightly and my eye caught a glimpse of the time from the clock next to the bed.Alarmed at the time, I shook Adam slightly."What?" He mumbled, his voice was husky and deep. His eyes remained closed as he pulled me back down to lay next to him."No, you need to get up!" I whispered frantically. "It's late. Don't you have to work?"Adam sighed as he peeked one eye open."It's Saturday, love," he said."You take the weekends off?"He smiled at this. "I'm not a machine.""I mean, I know, but-""Shh," Adam said, closing his eyes and pulling me close to him.I sighed and laid down b
"She's very forgiving," he said, gesturing towards me. "But, if this happens again, I won't be."Well shit.I was certainly at a loss for words in that moment, but Vega nodded understandingly."I'm so sorry," she said again, looking at me.I sighed and opened my arms, embracing her in a hug.Vega hugged me tightly and pulled away."I've got to get going," she said. "Dad's getting blood transfusions done today and Mom wants me there."Blood transfusions?"Why?" I asked her.She shrugged. "I don't know. They hadn't even found a properdonor yesterday, so I don't know if they'll even go through with it.""What blood type are they looking for?" I asked.She shrugged."You could come along and ask?" I nodded."Is that okay?" I asked Adam. I didn't want to cancel plans on him, but I wanted to help Mr. Chandler too."I'll come," Adam said nodding.We followed Vega down the hallway and walked a few floors down until we were in the hospital ward.The smell of disinfectant was prominent and
"Ouch!"I pulled my finger from underneath the flower backdrop and looked at the puncture the rose's thorn had left."Be careful," Liu said, tucking a yellow rose into thick bushel of baby's breath.I looked at the blood drawing to the skin."Too late."I got down from the ladder and looked at the elaborate arch of flowers over the large doorway."I'm glad you talked me into adding in the genesta and the chinamum," I commented, seeing how all the flowers blended nicely together."The yellow roses were a good call too," she said, getting down from the step stool."You sound like a bunch of seventy-vear-old women." Tyler said.I looked over to see him staring at us."You're supposed to be dusting."He narrowed his eyes at me and began to sweep the feather duster over the gold candelabra that sat on the mantel, all the while not breaking eye contact."Don't you have maids for this?" He asked me."You haven't helped do anything else," I said. "You're earning your room and board by clean
Exactly two years and five days after the death of my father, Cain Alexander Deveraux was born.He had my brown hair and Adam's brilliant blue eyes. That, however, was where the similarities ended.Cain was born a Vampire, yet he was also still a Lycanthrope; a hybrid, as Dr. Zosak had called him.He was the first of his kind.Although he was certainly one of a kind, Adam and I raised him normally. We didn't know how else to. As he grew, he began to turn into one of the most temperamental people I had ever met.Cain was smart, cunning even. He was strong and healthy. But, when watching him closely, I could see the fire within him.It scared me.One day, I heard he and Adam talking to each other as I walked past Adam's office. Adam was attempting to explain to the four-year-old the duties that he had as Alpha. Cain couldn't seem to understand why his father worked with other Alphas instead of working by himself."Well." Adam explained, "we all work as a team. I can't rule the whole wor
Unknown P.O.V."This wasn't part of the deal," he snarled.The woman's eyebrow rose as she looked on at the two men arguing."My demands have changed," the second man said, crossing his arms."If I get what I want, I will give you access to the castle. If you can't make that work, you can find someone else."The first man growled."Do you realize what this means we have to do? What we'll have to risk to get you what you want?""Of course I do."The woman stood to her feet as she saw patience running thin between the two men."We'll do it. But we want inside that castle sooner than next month, or no deal," she bargained.A smirk rose on the face of the second man."Done."Evelyn's P.O.V."I don't want to look at them."I sat on the bed, pulling my knees in tight against my chest. Liu took the vase of flowers and put them in the bathroom, closing the door as she left them on top of the vanity.I could see outside the open bedroom door as five burly men picked up the lifeless body of the
Diedrick smiled."I'm glad you're happy to see me."I'm not."I thought you would be gone for a few days," I said gulping.He waved his hand dismissively as he strolled closer to where I stood."My father and brother have been laid at rest, so I came back. There was no time to waste mourning."I took a shallow breath."I'm sure Adam would have wanted you to tell him," I said."He and Jace have just left for Utah."Diedrick nodded."Yes, so l heard."His eyes narrowed in on my hands."You're bleeding," he commented, walking over to where I stood.I looked down to see that I had indeed been stuck by the pin in my hand, probably in fright after Diedrick scared me. I huffed and held my hand away from my body to ensure I didn't get any blood on the white dress.Diedrick carefully took my hand in his and led me off of the platform. He instructed me to sit down on the high-back chair and I did so, warily.He kneeled in front of me and took a handkerchief out of his pocket. Diedrick began to
When we arrived back at the castle, we were immediately met at the door by Jace."You'll want to see this," he said, gesturing for Adam to follow him.Adam gave me an unsure look before he and I began to follow Jace inside the castle. He led us down into the hospital ward and I felt my heart drop.Did something happen to Mr. Chandler while we were gone?My question was answered as I walked into his room and saw him lying on the cot, asleep."What happened?" I asked Jace, not seeing anything visibly wrong with him.Jace walked around me and threw back the covers off of Mr. Chandler, who remained in a deep sleep."The nurse noticed it yesterday as she was helping Mrs. Chandler wash him," he said, pulling up the hospital gown to expose Mr. Chandler's thigh.I gasped when I saw the gash that was oozing with infection."What happened?" I asked him.Jace's eyes narrowed on me before Adam spoke up."He was bitten.""Bitten?"I saw Jace and Adam exchange a wary look between them."We can't ta
Adam's P.O.V.I was angrier at myself in that moment than I had ever been in my life. I couldn't believe I had let her watch me do that, no matter how much the bastard deserved it.I didn't regret it, and I knew she could see that.I would have done it all over again twenty times if it had meant protecting her.But, I saw the way she looked at me as I held her.I was something that would make her afraid of the dark, the last thing I wanted was for her to realize that.I had gotten carried away the night before. I had let my wolf take control instead of killing him quickly and the added theatrics were only going to hurt me now.Wanting desperately to explain myself and to make sure that I had not scarred her for life, I got up the nerve to ask.However, before I could mutter a syllable, I heard someone open the bedroom door. I turned quickly, pushing Evelyn behind me, both out of a protective instinct and because she was naked under a loosely tied bathrobe.Seeing Diedrick, I felt my b
Waking up with a dagger pointed at your throat is just as terrifying as one would think. When I felt the cold metal pressed against my neck, my eyes immediately opened to see the glint of the dagger in the moonlight.I froze, unsure of what to do.My eyes adjusted quickly and I was able to make out the person whose hand was holding the weapon.Barret Schneider.My eyes widened as he slowly put one a finger over his lips as a gesture for me not to speak. I felt my heart began to beat quickly and I tried my hardest tocontrol my rapid breathing.At some point in the night, Adam and I had ended up changing positions; Adam was now behind me, one arm around my waist, the other under my pillow.I gulped as Barret reached out and pulled back the covers slowly, gesturing for me to get up. With the dagger still lingering dangerously near my throat, I had no choice but to slowly remove Adam's arm from around my waist.His strong grip made this near impossible, but I managed to slide out from un
Unknown P.O.V."I tried!"The man grabbed a vase that perched near him on the mantel and threw it at Ludwig Schneider, whom it narrowly missed as he ducked at the last moment."You didn't try hard enough!"The man's eyes were filled with rage. It took everything inside of him not to kill the former Alpha Superior."I'm sorry!" Ludwig Schneider said."The letter was not supposed to be intercepted. I'm not sure how they found it."This was a lie.He knew giving it to the maid to deliver was a mistake.Originally, he had meant for Barret to leave the castle and deliver the forged invitation himself, however Alpha Superior Deveraux had restricted all access to and from the castle during the week they were there. Barret would never have been able to leave, so he had to improvise."That was my chance," the man growled."Because of you and your incompetence, it is gone."Ludwig Schneider gulped, suddenly fearing for his life."But you have other contacts inside the castle. Can't you still fi
I felt like I was going to pass out.My hands were shaking as I put them up to cover my mouth in shock."Evelyn Schubert, mate of mine and love of my life, I know it hasn't been one hundred days yet, but I'm an impatient man."I laughed as I felt tears welling up in my eyes."Would you do me the honor of marrying me and becoming my wife and Luna?""Yes!"I had said it before Adam could even finish asking.I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck as he sighed in relief and hugged me back. Adam kissed my lips with such passion that my mind went blank and he was the only thing I could focus on.He pulled away slowly, leaving his forehead to rest against mine as I caught my breath."We're forgetting something," he said smiling.I looked down at his hands where he was still holding the velvet ring box.Cushioned inside was a diamond ring that put them all to shame. It was a huge, pear cut diamond that was at least three carats. A halo of smaller diamonds surrounded it and cove
I couldn't believe it. It had been three days since Adam made the announcement that he was officially the Alpha Superior of Europe, making me the Luna Superior of Europe.The Centennial had ended.Everyone had gone home-including the Germans, who left sulking. Diedrick had stayed behind, which I wasn't surprised by seeing as he had just been practically disowned by his father for his assistance in Adam's ploy for control.Nearly half a week had passed and I was still baffled by the scheme. I didn't understand how Adam had successfully taken over Europe without so much as lifting a finger."It's all in the tactic, darling," he said as he packed his suitcase."But I don't understand," I said."How on earth did you get him to just give you an entire continent?""I didn't." he said. "Diedrick did.""But how?"Adam stopped packing and looked up from his suitcase at me."I offered Diedrick a position as Beta under the condition that he could get his father to sign the papers and he accepted