AlejandroThat night, I didn't get very much sleep.Instead, I used each of the three packets of pre-measured coffee grounds that housekeeping had left in my room to make one pot after another of coffee. I used up all of the grounds. After I used up all of the revolting powdered creamer that I had on hand, I switched to drinking my coffee black.I used the laminate table in the room to set up my laptop, and I placed a notepad and a pen next to it. I was able to retrieve the skeleton of a plan for going into business for myself from the deep depths of my digital archives. This was a plan that I had started years ago and occasionally pulled out to poke at when I was very unhappy with the work that I was doing.Because I did not have any fidget toys readily available, I paced about the room while turning my coffee cup in my hands. I did this as the gears in my head turned and the thoughts that were going through my head churned. Whenever I took more than a few steps, I dashed back to the
WynetteEven though I was dressed warmly, I still felt chilly as I exited my suite, locked the door behind me, and made my way outside to the pavement leading to the entrance of the hotel's main lobby. The sudden interruption caused by Ale's phone jolted me severely, and the abrupt shift in his manner that occurred when he answered it caused a shiver to settle in my chest that I was unable to dislodge.
WYNETTEThe very first thing that came into my head was that everything hurt. My throat and eyes were raw and gritty, and my brain felt like it was being stabbed with hot, piercing throbs. It was as if I had been screaming for hours. Even the joints in my body hurt. I was able to breathe once again, but there was a weight on top of me that was keeping me down. I struggled to keep my eyes open and grimaced as I turned away from the harsh glare.
ALEJANDROSomething struck the bottom of my foot. I paid it no attention.It occurred once more, but this time it was more challenging. I grunted.
ALEJANDRO"What do you mean you ran into her while she was on vacation?"The person working the front desk was staring at me with an expression that wasn't quite terror but was certainly more than simply confusion.
WynetteI chose the three post cards that I thought were the most stunning out of the bunch by carefully turning the creaky rack. I carried them up to the counter and demonstrated their value to the elderly lady who was seated there. Her gnarled fingers never caused her knitting to slow down, but she did grin and nod at me to let me know that she'd put the items on my tab. After expressing my gratitude to her, I left the chilly interior of the store and returned to the bright sunshine outside.
WynetteAs I looked out over the water from the balcony of Ale's penthouse room in Cancun, I had to concede that he was correct. "You were right." It was smart of you to come all the way here.At first, I was skeptical, and I was sure that he merel
Alejandro"I can't believe I'm going to let you poach Matt," the boss said. Olivia put her arms in a defensive position and pretended to be upset with me."I don't know," I responded as I completed a full turn and surveyed my office, which was by t
Epilogue — ChrisWhen we finally succeeded in getting Avery back from my ex-wife, things became extremely hectic, and the next several months were a haze of activity as we prepared to relocate to the Northeast.My decision to work for the mountain resort ultimately led to my acceptance of a position there. When she wasn't taking care of whatever pack business needed to be taken care of, Kaili found work as an art instructor at the local college. This didn't take her very long at all.Do your best to pack.I had no prior knowledge of shapeshifters, but after witnessing Kaili transform into a wolf in front of me and experiencing the sizzling sex that followed, I became a solid believer in all things paranormal, that much was certain. I never knew that shifters existed.Avery was thriving and happy in New England, with our small family of three, the forest that bordered our property that she explored as often as she could, and the horseback riding lessons that she insisted on taking befo
KailiI couldn't believe we'd done it.We had succeeded in rescuing Avey from her mother, who was a wicked witch.It all felt like a dream at the time, but as I saw Chris's young child devour her cheeseburger and grin when she got the hiccups, I realized that it was all perfectly real.After the burgers and ice cream, we went to watch the newest Disney movie, and by the time it was through, Avery was sound asleep in the back seat as we drove home. She exuded an air of serenity and contentment, which was a marked contrast to how I remembered seeing her in the past.Chris said something to the effect of, "So," as he slowly drew into the driveway. "Don't you have something to tell me?"Since the time I made the promise to tell him everything following the conclusion of the legal proceeding, I had been dreading having to deliver on this. I responded in the same subdued manner, "I do; but, I think for the time being we should get Avery into bed.""No room for debate there," I said. Chris p
ChrisThe casino's official opening went off without a hitch, and business was brisk throughout the day. In spite of the fact that I was a bit concerned about what Kaili had said, I had faith that she would tell me about it when she had promised that she would.After the casino had opened its doors, I found myself in a position of relative uncertainty. A few days before the court case, I didn't especially want to hunt for a new job in Las Vegas if I gained Avery back and could make an informed choice regarding Kaili, Avey, and my future.As a result, I spent the following few days either reading up on how to behave in court or simply hanging out with my lovely fiancee and gaining a deeper understanding of her than I could have ever imagined.I woke up bright and early on the morning of the court date, far before my alarm went off. The day of the court date came bright and early. My stomach was in knots, and I could feel a cold sweat coming out on the top of my head.Kaili whispered in
KAILIAfter I stepped out of my room wearing my dress, it had been a bit difficult to convince Chris to leave the house without him taking my clothes off first.However, we were finally able to arrive in the casino at eight in the evening. Chris escorted me to a seat in the vicinity and then dashed off to go over some last-minute details with Marcus, leaving me to observe the goings-on around me while I sipped on a beverage."It really is very remarkable, don't you think?" A question was posed in a casual tone by a male voice. A peculiar looking man in a tuxedo and holding a martini approached and sat down on the seat beside me. He gave off the impression that he was trying to pass himself off as James Bond.I responded with a noncommittal "Indeed it is" while taking a swig from the beverage I was holding.The weird individual asked while also taking a swig from his own beverage, "So, who are you to Chris over there?" He asked this question with a menacing glint in his eyes."His fian
KAILIAfter Chris went for his job, I found it extremely challenging to concentrate on any aspect of my work for the remainder of the day. My mind was going in circles as I contemplated the prospect of Avey being in my immediate vicinity on a consistent basis, as well as Ainsley's stunning revelation from the previous day.I stopped even trying to work somewhere around lunchtime and instead sat in front of the television to watch romantic comedies until Chris got home from work.As soon as I heard his car pull into the driveway, I jumped to my feet and ran to the front porch, where I waited for him to exit the vehicle.He welcomed me with "Evening, Kaili," as he climbed the short flight of stairs that led up to our apartment.Before taking my hand and guiding me into the living room, he gave me a little kiss on the cheek."Chris, are you sure that everything is okay?" I inquired while maintaining eye contact with him. He had a pallid and perspiring appearance, and his leg was bouncing
KailiThe following morning, I awoke in Chris's arms, but I had no recollection of how I got into bed with him. While he was watching me sleep, he was absentmindedly running his fingers through my hair while wearing the warmest and most loving expression on his face.He smiled broadly and whispered, "Morning, Kaili," greeting her in a quiet voice. "Glad to see you're awake. Before we get started for the day, I have a phone call that I need to make."Okay," I responded sleepily, "as long as you keep stroking my hair like that."Chris laughed as he grabbed his phone from the nightstand next to his bed and fiddled with it for a few minutes before continuing to laugh. After that, he put the gadget to his ear and waited for the person to whom he had called to respond to his inquiry.My eyelids began to slowly close on their own as I continued to pay attention to what he had to say. It was unimportant what he was saying; what was important was that he was talking. His voice soothed me like
CHRIS Following the meal, Kaili and I went into the living room to relax. She still gave off the impression of being a little disoriented; it was obvious that she had a lot on her mind. She moved closer to me until she was leaning against my side, and then she reached for her phone and unlocked it. Then, she launched the Facebook program on her mobile device and navigated to an image that had a bottle of champagne and a pair of teeny-tiny baby shoes propped up against it. While Kaili was looking at the photo, she let out a long sigh, and it didn't take me long to figure out that it was the reason why her thoughts had been racing about in such a frantic manner.I pounced on her phone as soon as she got up a short while later to go to the restroom, and I did so before the screen lock activated. After that, I went to her contacts list and looked there. Wynette was at the very pinnacle of her field. I accessed her contact page on her website and snapped a picture of it on my phone as soo
Chris After a long day at work, as soon as I stepped foot inside my home, I had the unmistakable impression that something was off. When I went in the front door, Kaili did not respond; instead, she was looking sightlessly at a spot on the wall while her laptop had fallen asleep on her lap. This was not typical of her in any way, shape, or form. “Kaili?” As I made my way up to her and came to a stop in front of her, I inquired in a hushed tone. She did not respond at all, and I had to fight the impulse to wave my palm in front of her face. However, she did not respond. "Kaili, my sweetheart, how are you doing?" As I looked at her face, which was expressionless, a number of different ideas raced through my head. She was upset over what had happened the day before. Someone she cared about had been affected by something that had taken place. She was making her exit. “Chris?” Kaili inquired as she quickly blinked her eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery, and her voice had cracked
As I bade Chris farewell the following morning, I couldn't help but experience a twinge of melancholy. The day before, following our sexual encounter, he remained in bed with me for the remainder of the day. After having intense discussions, watching N*****x while eating pizza, and engaging in such intense sexual activity, I was astonished that either one of us was still able to move. After leaving it on the couch in the living room the day before, I strolled back into the space and retrieved my laptop from where it had been sitting. When I opened the cover, I heard a gentle chiming noise coming from the speakers, and after investigating more, I found out that it was a notice from my F******k email account. I seldom ever used F******k; tThe only reason I signed up for it in the first place was so that I could stay in touch with one of my customers. I hadn't logged onto that particular social media platform in such a long time, that I'd really forgotten that I was a member of the comm