“I’ll get the kitchen to send the strawberry ice cream she likes,” Ben murmurs, feeling utterly useless but thinking that it’s better than nothing. He strides for the dumbwaiter.Rafe doesn’t follow. Instead, he just collects the gauze that Jesse dropped and continues dabbing at the wound on Ariel’s
“Yeah,” Luca snarls, coughing and glaring up at Jacks, his words wheezing out under the pressure of Jackson’s weight pressed tight against his chest. “I marked her – but she’s your fucking mate, you asshole. Yours! She fucking picked you, Jacks! So go and get your fucking girl and leave me the hell
“Ari! Ari Clark!” Ella hisses from inside the helicopter.“Cadet Ari Clark!” Cora says, lifting her chin and regally pretending the mistake didn’t happen. “Appear immediately! With, um, my kid! Jesse! And my other nephew! Rafe!”“Wh-what?” the staff member says, staring at her, baffled.“Oh, will yo
I’m honestly not aware of much as we fly to…wherever the hell we’re going. I mostly just concentrate on my mom’s warm presence at my side, and the soft murmuring things she says to me, even if I don’t know what they mean. Still, something about them dulls the gnawing ache in my heart.An ache which
“Oh, you keep it,” she says, holding up a hand. “It’s good to see you drink something.”I nod and look around for a minute, continuing to sip from the cup. “Where is Mittens?” I whisper, intuiting that he’s a secret.“He’s been hiding,” Daphne says, unable to keep the little smile from her lips as s
Mom’s confidence boosts me, even though it is hard to even think about what happened.“I’m not sure I’m okay,” I say, dropping my head to look down at my glass of wine. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be…who I was. Or I’ll never not…want things to be different.” My hand drifts higher now, my palm cupping th
As if he knows we’re talking about him – and, considering his attention-loving source of existence, that’s probably true – Mittens climbs up over the back of the couch, meowing and parading back and forth with his tail high.Mom and Cora’s mouths drop open as they stare first at the shadow cat, and
I laugh. “You picked the wrong Sinclair boy if you didn’t want to be teased,” I say, grinning at her as I settle back into the cushions. “Mom and dad would have been far more polite.”Daphne sighs dramatically and gives a big shrug like it can’t be helped. “I shall simply have to endure, then.” She
Ariel bursts out laughing and gestures out to the rest of the roof. “Of all the interference to our plans, you’re going to point out this tiny, adorable, sleeping infant pup as the problem!?” Both boys look down at the little dark-haired baby, whose amber eyes flicker open to betray her mother’s w
Jesse sighs, glancing at his watch and then looking to the door, an undrunk glass of champagne in his hand. “Where the hell is your damn sister?” “Your damn cousin,” Rafe murmurs, draining his glass and then pouring himself another. “You’d better stop that,” Jesse says, turning his head to Rafe
She goes still for a moment and then laces her fingers with his, squeezes his hand. “We’re not dating or anything,” she snaps. “Just…because you got all rejected and stuff. I didn’t come running up here just because you’re single – I thought you were going to die –“ “Sure, you didn’t,” Jesse says,
“I love you, Jesse,” Midnight whispers, watching him, her little mouth trembling, her entire body feeling weak. “I love you too, Mids,” he replies. “Always.” She nods once. And then disappears. Midnight fights hard against her emotions as she flits through the castle, moving back and forth bet
“I’m saying,” Midnight says, freely crying now, cupping Jesse’s face in her tiny hands. “That I – I don’t want to have your pups, Jesse. Ever. Ever. I don’t want them.” She shakes her head, vehement. “I think I’d be a bad mom. I’d leave them at the grocery store and forget they were there. I – I jus
She has to admit though…the stars are a pleasant addition. Midnight’s wolf gives a little worried howl, sprawled out in her soul, her little legs too weak to carry her much or far these days. But Midnight smiles a little and strokes a mental hand over her wolf’s fur, pleased to see her free and cl
“What,” Jackson asks, frowning down at the little rectangular stone in his hands. “Is it like, special?” “Jackson!” Midnight hisses, standing on her toes to smack him on the chest. “They’re invaluable! This is only the second I’ve ever seen in the world! And I only know of one besides that other o
I laugh, pointing at the big plate of apple pie on the table. “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re feeling cheerful,” I say, grinning at her. “I am!” she says, happily plopping down next to Jesse and reaching for the pie, pulling it all onto her lap and digging in with a fork. “I don’t think that an
Jesse’s eyes open first, and then Midnight’s, slow and sleepy. “How do you feel?” I ask quietly, leaning towards her, able to see her better now in the dawn light that streams through the windows. “What happened?” Jackson asks. I turn to see him standing at the door and I smile, reaching out a h