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
ElaraOlivia was frozen solid. I was, too, save for the soft “Thank you,” that escaped my lips.Alpha Alaric hardly cast me a glance in response. I bowed my head slightly, taking a step back as I clasped my hands in front of myself.It was no wonder that he didn’t answer. He was an Alpha, and I was
Alaric & ElaraAlaric I stood in the dimly lit interrogation room of the police station, my gaze drifting toward the window that overlooked a nearby school. The muffled sounds of children laughing and playing filtered through the glass, a stark contrast to the silent, cold atmosphere inside.My chi
ElaraI awoke to the hum of an engine and the gentle sway of a moving vehicle. My head throbbed lightly, and it took a moment for my vision to focus. The first thing I noticed was the plush leather seat beneath me, far too luxurious to belong to any car I had ever been in. Panic surged through me
ElaraAlaric produced a sleek bank card from somewhere and extended it toward me. “There’s enough money in here to last you a lifetime. Whatever you need, just name it.”I looked at the card but didn’t reach for it. “I don’t want it. Without my children, none of it matters,” I said firmly.He raised
Elara“Honestly, this wasn’t the solution I had in mind,” I said, crossing my arms. “But since you’re the one who brought it up, I’ll agree.”His expression turned icy, a flicker of something sharp passing through his eyes. He straightened, finally putting some distance between us.“You agreed that
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