**Rosalie's POV"How about this one?" Vicky picked up the nineteenth ring from the sales lady at the store and put it on my ring finger."It's beautiful," I commented, as she moved on to the twentieth. "Oh, look, this is stunning too!" she said.Vicky invited me for a girls' day out since Ethan, Ta
I turned around to look at Ethan who was a few steps behind me, but he only gave me a nod as if he was asking me to continue on my own. Passing the rose bushes, I could hear my breath getting faster. I was excited to find out what would be in front of me— if my guess was correct, it would be—My ey
**Vicky's POV"Talon, you're sticking your elbow in my back!" I said in annoyance as he let out a grunt."I'm sorry, but the space here is limited.""These stupid bushes are going to leave me bald," Georgia whispered next to me, as she untangled her hair for the fifth time from the thorns of the bus
***As soon as night fell, we found ourselves ready. Ethan had orchestrated everything so that an elegant party was set up in the gardens, illuminated by moonlight, stars, and lanterns. Fireflies were flying from one side to the other, and laughter floated in the air.After congratulating Rosalie ag
**Rosalie's POVThirty gifts. I had thirty gifts for thirty years for my wonderful soon-to-be husband. I couldn't wait for Ethan to see each of them, and I hoped he would enjoy each present as much as I had enjoyed preparing them.When Ethan walked into our room to see the thirty packages sitting on
By the time the formal reception was over, I was so tired, I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it to our other reception. A small, intimate one."Come on, baby," Ethan said. "You know you will be reenergized as soon as you see all of our friends."He was right, I knew I would, too, and since Rowan was
"White, like the moonstone," Burk told me. "It's said to be lost somewhere in the southern passage. Though I'm sure this is not it, the beauty is similar.""Thank you," I said, acknowledging the beautiful gift by slipping it onto my finger."And red for the man who overcame being the Rogue King," Bu
**Ethan's POVIt had only taken almost four years.The war had left behind a mess. Roads, communication, mass transit, factories, all of that infrastructure as well as the economy needed to be rebuilt. Rosalie and I had to get back to work the second day after our wedding, and we'd been working har
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