Even Gemma was gone. I hadn't thought much about her absence at first. She was Maeve's best friend, but Gemma also meant a great deal to me. We'd grown up together, though she was several years older than me. There was never really a time in my life that she hadn't been around.I missed them, truthf
Dad was looking up at me, watching my face. I looked down at him, meeting his eye. His expression was blank but I could see the gears turning. "I wish I understood your mind, Rowan," he said, a smile twitching onto his wide mouth."I'm just saying, well, if you're right about the sea route… we could
MaeveI spent the rest of the morning trudging through the tall grass, which had sprung back up to its usual height after the sun came out and began to dry the weighed-down blades. I struggled against the unruly grass, the sharp, dry blades constantly snagging on my shirt and poking the skin on my h
"Do you understand what you must do in order to make a baby?" the doctor said, flipping over the paper on his clipboard. I stared at him blankly, unsure if I had heard him correctly."Are you asking if I know how to… how to—""Has anyone explained to you how babies are made?"I opened my mouth to sa
I was now, officially, trying to have a baby. A baby! I was only twenty years old. I didn't have a mate. I hadn't yet come into my power as a shifter.I wasn't in love.I was in full tears by the time I reached the third-floor landing. They were hot against my sunburnt cheeks as I stumbled into my r
Maeve - One week laterIt had been a week since the storm that marked Aaron's arrival at the castle. His presence was like the storm itself, electric, undoing the carefully crafted routines of everyone who called the stone fortress their home.I noticed the change in Ernest first. His usually dry mo
He turned, noticing me standing with my mouth half open as I watched him from my perch on the lawn. I quickly closed my mouth; thankful he was too far away to see the vibrant blush that had risen on my chest and neck. He arched his brow at me, and I scowled, looking away and pretending to be investe
"I didn't mean that you're not taking this seriously—""I know. I know that's not what you meant.""I only meant—"He reached out, touching my cheek. His touch was hot against my skin, almost electrifying. I felt tears welling in the corners of my eyes and I blinked, looking away from him. This is e
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