ArthurArthur sat in his office, seething. He could smell that asshole all over the room. While Almara had told him about Noah’s visit, she hadn’t said anything about him coming into his office. What the fuck?He had tried to trace the scent, to see where exactly he had gone, but Noah had been smart. He’d made sure that his scent couldn’t be tracked to any one location. So Arthur had no idea what he had touched or if he had even taken anything.Arthur’s only consolation is that Almara hadn’t been in here with Noah. So wha
Almara The next two months passed by in a blur. It was full of work, wedding planning, and hospital visits. It was an endless cycle of wash, rinse, and repeat. To be honest, it was mostly a blur. I could barely remember the specifics other than the baby was doing fine.Arthur had been a godsend throughout the whole thing. I had unfortunately developed debilitating morning sickness halfway through my second month. There was hardly a time where I wasn’t running for the toilet. It had started to hinder my work so Arthur had hired an assistant for me.
SofiaSofia was pissed. Not only had she been made to stay in the hospital for longer than she originally thought, but her plan with William had completely failed. From William’s account, his taking that girl out only made her and Arthur closer.And now it had been two months since then. Two more months with no word from Arthur. It was literally like Sofia didn’t exist to him anymore. He couldn’t possibly have moved on so fast. Not when they still had the mate bond.Of course, the mate bond had never been consummated. Soifa has been so sca
AlmaraAs I walked into the gallery, I could tell something was off. Nobody came to greet me like they usually did. I was even a few minutes late. Usually when that happened, Molly made sure to scream at me.I could practically sense Kaylee’s unease as she stood in front of me. Her shoulders were tight, her stance completely rigid.“Stay behind me,” Kaylee ordered before we started moving forward, our footsteps echoing off the marble flooring. She checked every room, being careful not to miss a single one. But we didn’t find anyone.
A month has passed since Arthur’s father tried to attack me at the gallery. Arthur still has no idea what happened. When Kaylee had come back, Roman had acted like nothing was amiss. I had just stayed silent. I wasn’t sure if my voice would have been stable enough to pull off any kind of performance.I tried not to think about it. The wedding was only a week away and there was a lot to get done before then. Arthur had ordered Molly and Noah to give me the week off so I could focus on it. At least that was the excuse he gave them. Really, he just wanted me to rest and not stress out about anything.Which I appreciated. It was nice being able to relax fo
The wedding was only three days away. The seamstresses had called and told us that our wedding attire was ready for the last fitting. If everything went well, we could take them home today.The dress fit me like a dream. It was everything that I had ever hoped for in a wedding dress. The seamstresses had done a wonderful job bringing my design to life. I hadn’t been able to see Arthur’s suit, but he pretty much said the same thing. He said that I had done a beautiful job.I was glowing with pride when it was over. The final fitting had only taken an hour and we had already loaded the clothes into the car. I thought we were just going to go back home, b
Sofia It was the day before the wedding. So far Sofia’s plans had come to nothing. She wasn’t sure how the girl had won over Roman. When he had called her to say that he was no longer going to do it, he hadn’t given her an explanation. Perhaps she had underestimated her.Whatever. She was finally out of the hospital which meant that Arthur could no longer hide from her. She was going to show him exactly what he was giving up. Sofia knew that if Arthur just saw her, he would come running back.But first she needed to get b
The rehearsal dinner was going to be a dress rehearsal as well. I particularly needed to be sure that I could walk in my dress and heels. I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of the whole pack by tripping and falling.I stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at myself. The dress was just as perfect as the last time I put it on and now that my makeup and hair were done, the whole thing seemed to be more real. I actually looked like a bride. Not just some girl playing dress-up.I couldn’t help smiling at myself and doing a little twirl. Of course, Arthur chose that moment to come in through the side door.
Almara’s Pov5 Years Later“Cheers,” Arthur sys clinking his mixed drink of vodka and lemonade with my non-alcoholic lemonade. I’m pregnant, again. This pregnancy is completely different than my first two, I actually get to relax. Which is exactly what we’re doing in the manicured garden of our backyard.We sit stretched out on zero-gravity pool chairs, sweat
Almara’s PovAfter a much-needed week of rest and restoration, Arthur and I are back on the vampire territory. I suppose that it can officially be called that again now that it has been reclaimed.My body healed magnificently after months of not only growing another being, but also fighting a war. It’s amazing what good rest and proper nutrition can do. Of course, the real healing ingredient came from the sacrificial love of my wonderful husband.Even though he suffered his own inju
Almara’s PovFinally, after several journeys back and forth from our homeland to the enemies we come to the final steps. We saw plenty of wolves making their expedition back home and there was a unspoken agreement that what everyone needs right now is peace.Thankfully, no one came up to us with questions, grief, or comments. It’s like we have this new kinship with the gammas in our world that we didn’t before. We seem to understand each other, or at least truly see one another.
Almara’s PovOn the way home we make a pitstop to a very special place. “Why are we seeing more dead bodies?” Grace asks, her tone telling me we are nearing a full-blown tantrum.“This body belongs to someone very important in our family,” I tell her calmly and hike her up on my hip. I’m not sure if my words got through to her, or maybe it’s her father's serenity as we ascend up one final hill to where Bess lays.Bess’s gravestone is set apart fro
Almara’s PovWith the vortex closed off and gone, the air becomes breathable again and the storm lessens. Still, my paws squelch in the wet terrain.Unfortunately, as I look around at the battlefield and see the piles of bodies slumped over one another, I think it’s more than just mud causing the stickiness.I try not to look down at the innocent blood shed on the ground. As I take careful consideration to step over and around the bodies, I tell myself they chose to come out and hel
Almara’s PovCathy and I weave through the castle, barely missing rubble crumbling off from the stony walls. We leap over counters, using everything we have in us to catapult ourselves past knocked over statues of gargoyles and shredded velvet furniture.“Catch!” Cathy calls out and reflexively I snatch a jagged shard of ceramic in my hand. I recognize it from a broken pot on the ground. Then out of the corner of my eye I see something else flying at me, though I don’t catch it this time, I duck.
Almara’s PovI’ve never seen Cathy look more confident and proud than she does at this moment. She stands tall, cuts strewn across her body, but they only add to her tough exterior. She’s covered in her enemy’s blood and she has a thrilling look in her eyes.“Have you seen Arthur?” I ask cutting to the chase. Cathy nods back towards tall white cabinet doors. I turn back to look at my mother who nods in confirmation. I rush over to the door and throw it open.
Almara’s PovI awake to a familiar beeping sound. It’s faint at first, like a distant call from far away until it’s suddenly blaring in my ears. My eyes shoot open and the blood in my body rushes to the important organs and I sit up with a jolt.“Where’s Grace?” I ask before I can make out anything else. “Arthur? Robbie?” I call out, hoping the sound of my distressed voice will cause Robbie to cry back.“Shhh,” a gentle voice says with
Almara’s PovArthur flings open the door, this time it breaks off the hinges. I guess there’s no changing our mind now. I keep Robbie wrapped up in both my arms and under my shirt.Arthur uses his body to guard mine, outstretching his arms and a puffed-out chest as he keeps his eyes zeroed in on every moving body around us all while moving us forward and falling in exact pace with each of my steps.We fight through sideways rain and vicious winds, it dawns on me that this storm isn&