But in my fear, I had hurt Elara badly. Even if it wasn’t a curse, I was becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy and harming the people I cared for. I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing the lump in my throat, and instinctively reached out toward the bond just to see if she was there. Of course, I felt
Elara When I returned home that night, Alaric wasn’t in bed. Not that I expected him to be; when I pulled into the driveway, I could see his light on inside his study, indicating that he was likely up late working. Knowing him and the nature of this most recent problem, he’d spend all night in his
It wasn’t long, however, before they decided to take matters into their own hands. “Family game night!” Zoe announced one evening, practically dragging Alaric from his study and into the living room. Ella followed close behind, grinning up at him expectantly. “You promised, Daddy.” For a brief
Elara Alaric’s arm tightened instinctively around my waist, his hand pressing firm against the small of my back. I stared up at him, my breath caught somewhere between my lungs and throat. I couldn’t tell if the thudding pulse in my ears was his or mine, the bond flaring unexpectedly between us af
“How… How much do you remember?” I found myself asking, bracing myself for the response. He merely shrugged and stood, tossing the sandwich in the nearby trash can. “I just told you not to worry about it.” But I did worry. I worried about a lot of things when it came to him—the way he shut me ou
Elara “Smile, Mommy! Smile, Daddy! Please!” My breath caught at the sound of those words, all the heat in my chest suddenly cooling like a flame snuffed out. Smile. Our little ritual. The one thing that had always, always, cheered me up when things couldn’t possibly seem to get worse. Some
His gaze snapped up, sharp as a dagger. “He’s not who you think he is, Elara.” “And maybe he’s not who you think he is either.” Alaric exhaled sharply, as if trying to keep his patience in check. “You don’t know him like I do, Elara. You didn’t grow up with him. You didn’t see what he was capabl
ElaraBeing a single mom working 14 straight hours a day was hard enough , but it was even worse when I witnessed my ex-husband and his mistress french kiss in front of me.The woman ironically was one of the nurses who helped deliver my baby.I did everything I could to stay away from them.But the
His gaze snapped up, sharp as a dagger. “He’s not who you think he is, Elara.” “And maybe he’s not who you think he is either.” Alaric exhaled sharply, as if trying to keep his patience in check. “You don’t know him like I do, Elara. You didn’t grow up with him. You didn’t see what he was capabl
Elara “Smile, Mommy! Smile, Daddy! Please!” My breath caught at the sound of those words, all the heat in my chest suddenly cooling like a flame snuffed out. Smile. Our little ritual. The one thing that had always, always, cheered me up when things couldn’t possibly seem to get worse. Some
“How… How much do you remember?” I found myself asking, bracing myself for the response. He merely shrugged and stood, tossing the sandwich in the nearby trash can. “I just told you not to worry about it.” But I did worry. I worried about a lot of things when it came to him—the way he shut me ou
Elara Alaric’s arm tightened instinctively around my waist, his hand pressing firm against the small of my back. I stared up at him, my breath caught somewhere between my lungs and throat. I couldn’t tell if the thudding pulse in my ears was his or mine, the bond flaring unexpectedly between us af
It wasn’t long, however, before they decided to take matters into their own hands. “Family game night!” Zoe announced one evening, practically dragging Alaric from his study and into the living room. Ella followed close behind, grinning up at him expectantly. “You promised, Daddy.” For a brief
Elara When I returned home that night, Alaric wasn’t in bed. Not that I expected him to be; when I pulled into the driveway, I could see his light on inside his study, indicating that he was likely up late working. Knowing him and the nature of this most recent problem, he’d spend all night in his
But in my fear, I had hurt Elara badly. Even if it wasn’t a curse, I was becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy and harming the people I cared for. I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing the lump in my throat, and instinctively reached out toward the bond just to see if she was there. Of course, I felt
Alaric I’d been pacing relentlessly in my office for what felt like hours now, my mind whirling. But surprisingly, despite everything—despite the attempted arranged marriage to Emily, my mother’s false promises, the Harrington pulling out of several business ventures—my mind was elsewhere tonight.
“You don’t understand what it’s like living in his shadow,” he muttered, his tone just a touch lower now. “Alaric was always the golden son. The perfect Alpha. I was just the mistake. The unwanted second-born, cast aside and forgotten.” I froze. The raw bitterness in his voice caught me off guar