When I realized what I had asked, I felt my face light on fire. I wish I could just dig a hole to hide myself from the embarrassment. What was wrong with me? I never knew I could be this… needy!Ethan's eyes landed on me with a bright glow in them. He was a little surprised, but then a smile sprea
But that wasn't the most dazzling feature of my surprise.All around us, the trees, the sky, the grass, everywhere I looked was twinkling and flashing with a thousand lights in shades from bright yellow to soft white. Fireflies—thousands of them—fluttered around us.I stood there, staring at the mag
**Georgia's POVEthan had said little about what was going on in the north other than rogues were to blame.As much as I trusted my brother, his long absence and slight secrecy made me skeptical. I knew my brother better than most. With the way he was acting, something else was at play.Estrella had
An eerie quietness surrounded us, and with it came a sickness in my lower stomach that tried to tell me something wasn't right."Something is wrong," Blake replied as we both listened for any signs of movement. "Stay in here, and I will go check it out."Grabbing his arm, I lowered my voice. "Be car
"I can't even shift, yet, you asked me to go against four of you. I don't see any fun in that." I turned to glare at the rest of the wolves and smirked, "You guys really are listening to this coward?" The rest of the wolves snarled. "You are feisty, aren't you?" the leader chuckled, baring his te
**Soren's POVRosalie had moved out.It was difficult to know that she had left the cottage behind my home, but at least she had moved into a house that I owned.If she couldn't stay in my cottage anymore, at my home, at least she was still under my wing in a different way.The sale had been rushed,
F*ck, how I wished that were true.... I'd been putting on a nice disguise for so long."It's so great that the floorplan is open, so I can see the baby playing in the living room while I'm cooking," she said."Yes, it is nice," I agreed, but my mind was somewhere else."Soup coming!" She bent over t
After just one bite, I couldn't help but tell her, "You've really outdone yourself!" I said. "I can't believe you made all of this from scratch!"Her face turned red. "I'm so glad that you like it. I wanted to make something special for you for all of your help. Thank you for helping me move into th
The entire family had gathered in the dining room and was chatting amiably over a very impressive spread that had been laid out by the kitchen–two prime rib roasts, a honeyed ham, and three roast ducks were the centerpieces of the table, all of which were being enjoyed liberally by everyone.George
RowanMom ran her fingers across Selene's head, admiring her fine white hair. She looked every ounce the doting grandmother instead of a ball of uncertainty, like Maeve. Maeve was pacing back and forth near the fall wall of my bedroom, her arms folded across her chest and her head bent as she tried
Kacidra joined in the conversation. "Maeve is right, Rowan. We need to know what's happening with you and Hanna, or else we'll never be able to help."Rosalie's voice was calm and supportive as she asked, "Is it Hanna that's troubling you, son? Is she doing all right?My first instinct was to tell t
Gemma and Ernest had flown down with my parents and their son George, who was just two months older than Maeve's sons.A moment later, the library door opened and more of our family members poured in, as if they were fully aware of the thoughts I'd just had and I'd summoned them. I pushed aside my n
RowanThe castle was abuzz with its usual day-to-day activities. Servants and maids passed me in the hallway carrying baskets of laundry and trays of tea. I could hear the clattering of cookware as I left my office and walked toward the grand staircase off the foyer, seeing the door to the servants'
"Who? What happens?""There's so much more out there," Mara said dreamily. "So, so much more.""Maeve!" Troy called from down the beach.I turned to look at him, and when I turned back to Mara, she had taken off. "Wait!" I called after her, but she had already made it out of earshot, her footsteps l
Best of all, Troy was happy. He was at peace and at home. But there was still much work to be done.We were spending several weeks jumping from island to island, taking stock of the wellbeing of the inhabitants, and making a list of what was needed. Most of the islands were in need of medicine, inf
Maeve–Four Months LaterSuntra was not what I was expecting. I had become accustomed to the seemingly endless white-sand beaches of Avondale, where the sand grit was so fine it felt like powdered sugar as you walked barefoot in the surf. Suntra's sand was coarse and golden and dappled with tidepool
I straightened up a bit, shifting Oliver's weight in my arms as I narrowed my eyes back at him, sizing him up. A man roughly my father's age came bounding out of their house, waving at me apologetically as he leaned to whisper harshly in the ear of the man I assumed was his father.Whatever his son