“The telephone has been ringing all day, Miss Wilson,” Benson said as we went over last-minute details for the evening’s charity ball.“Over two dozen individuals who declined your invitation due to other obligations now wish to attend,” he explained. “Even the hosts of another party have canceled their affair and wish to come to your ball.”“Can we accommodate them all?” I asked, wondering why this many had a change of heart.Benson assured me they would all fit in the ballroom, or they wouldn’t have been invited in the first place.It would be a challenge to handle this many last-minute guests, but each person attending paid a five thousand dollar donation to the charity foundation.How could we turn them down?“I’m sorry for all the extra work, Benson,” I apologized. “I never dreamed this would happen.”“It’s quite alright, Miss,” he replied. “It’s all for a good cause.”I patted him on the back. Benson was an absolute treasure. “Is there anything I can do to help?”“I called in th
I was dreaming about dancing with Victor when something began to tickle my nose. Then my whole body began to shake until my head flopped around like a rag doll.“Victor, what’s happening?” I asked him in my dream. “Why is everything shaking?”I heard a feminine giggle. “I’m not Victor. Wake up, goofy.”My eyes flew open, and I realized I had been dreaming when I saw Amy sitting on my bed next to me.Was this a dream too?I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Amy, what are you doing here?” I asked. “What time is it?”“It’s nine o’clock, and I need to talk to you,” she replied. “After your butler let me in, your dad said I could come up to your room and wake you up.”I stretched and yawned. “I tried to call you last night when I found your messages, but you didn’t answer your phone.”“Yeah, I fell asleep and found the missed calls from you when I got up this morning,” she said.Amy seemed normal, but I could tell something was on her mind.She always tries to hide it when she is upset. But I co
After one brief text, I didn’t see or hear from Amy until the following morning when I arrived in front of the school.She sat on the bench near the tree. Her facial expression told me nothing as she stared at her phone screen.I hurried over and sat next to her. Relief flooded me when she flashed me a quick smile before returning her attention to a sitcom on her phone screen.“Whatcha doing?” I asked.“Catching up on my show,” Amy replied. The pain I saw yesterday in her soft brown eyes was gone. “There are only three episodes left this season.”What happened with Justin to put her in such a good mood? She wasn’t volunteering any information, so I’d have to ask.“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” I said. “Did you hear from Justin?”“We were on the phone for half an hour yesterday.” Amy looked into my eyes and smiled. “He said he loves me, and he will return to the city soon.”“That’s great news.” I gave her a side hug. But was it really great news, or was Justin putting off the inevit
Victor took me home, and I told Benson I was expecting company. Before I could ask, he told me that Alex was in the living room watching a news broadcast.I hurried to tell him I was home.“Ah, there you are, Daisy,” he said. “How was your day?”“Okay,” I replied. “But I think my evening is about to get more interesting.”I told him about the girls coming to visit.“You should ask them to stay for dinner,” Alex advised. “I like their parents very much.”“I hope I like their daughters,” I said. “But I don’t think we have much in common.”“If you give people a chance, you may find you have more in common with them than you think,” Alex said.“You are right,” I agreed. “It would be a good thing for me to get to know them.”“It never hurts to have a few more friends, honey,” Alex said a moment before Benson announced my guests.“Hi.” I waved the girls into the room. “This is my father, Alex Wilson. Dad, this is Megan Thomas, Becky Foster, and Hallie Edwards.”“Delighted to meet you girls,
Victor’s POVMy dinner meeting had wrapped up, and I was walking out of Gilded when I spotted William walking toward me.“Victor, I’m glad I ran into you,” he said. “We need to talk about Daisy.”Before I could speak, the valet pulled up with my car. I handed them a tip and told William to climb in.I drove a few blocks to a city park. It was almost dark, so it was easy to find a parking slot.William and I got out of the car, and I beeped on the security system with my key fob before we began to walk through the park.“What’s on your mind?” I asked.“Have you noticed how different Daisy is these days?” he asked.“In what way?” I inquired.“She’s turning into… one of us. And that’s not who Daisy is,” William replied. “All she thinks about anymore is business, contacts, and raising money.”“She recently accomplished something many Alphas only dream about,” I explained. “And she did it while under attack from a leader of the Alpha business world.”“I understand that,” William said. “But
Instead of going to my room, I hurried to the music room and sat on the piano bench. The soft light from the hallway made the freshly waxed antique wood glow.I was upset and didn’t want to talk about it with Jennifer. It wasn’t something she would understand. I knew she would be hovering near my room, waiting for me to get home and get ready for bed.My fingers brushed over the smooth ivory piano keys as my eyes began to mist with tears.I hated being at odds with Victor. He was always good to me, but he made me so angry tonight.My instincts told me that the young Alpha I was speaking to was not to be trusted. I was looking for a way to turn him down gently when Victor swooped in and acted like a jealous jerk.Everyone except the people closest to me have been treating me with respect since I passed the test. But Victor was the worst. He still acted like I was a child who needed to be watched every second.His eyes were on me the entire time we were at the party. At any other time,
I had wanted this to happen for such a long time. I’ve even dreamed about this moment many times.Yet, I couldn’t not notice it made me feel totally different from when Victor almost kissed me.I didn’t understand why, but being almost kissed by Victor felt like being struck by lightning, while with William, it was more like the exhilaration of watching the storm from my balcony.My body responded to him but in a different way.I needed time to think. Maybe I was just frightened by surrendering my first kiss. It should be perfect and with a person I loved and who loved me.William sensed my shift in mood. He released me from his arms, and I pulled away.It was confusing. I always thought I would feel something magical to have a male who looks like William want to kiss me. Like in the movies and in books I’ve read.After all, William is the school’s football star and a muscular blonde Adonis. Many girls would love to be in his arms like I was. They would gladly accept his kiss.Why did
William stopped a moment before I reached his side and turned him to face me.“I want to go with you to the lake,” I said. “Truly I do.” My voice and body were trembling with emotion. “I promise I will go with you unless there is a disaster happening with the company.”I had to make things right with my friends. I knew I had changed, and was still changing, and it must be hard for everyone around me.My closest friends, Amy, William, and Victor, saw I wasn’t the same person I used to be. It had to be hard for them when I didn’t react or think exactly like I used to.They needed to know that just because I was becoming successful and had ambitions, it didn’t mean I didn’t care about them. I still needed them in my life. I had to show them how much they still meant to me.Without my three best friends, my life would be lonely beyond bearing. I realized I must make time for them and make them feel as important as they are to me.“I’m sorry if I seem different to you,” I said in a shaky v
I woke to the enticing scent of dark roast coffee. I stretched and realized I had slept more than I thought I would that previous night. The smell of coffee grew stronger, and I felt steam on my nose.Opening my eyes, I saw Amy standing over me, waving a mug under my nose. “Wakey wakey,” she crooned. “It’s your wedding day. Victor expects to see you at the chapel in two hours.”I reached for the mug and took a sip. The coffee was laced with dark chocolate almond milk and a touch of steamed heavy cream.“Mmm, thanks, Amy. It’s just the way I like it,” I said. “This is such a treat.” I stretched again and took another sip.“Enjoy it, but don’t dawdle in bed,” Amy put her makeup bag on the nightstand. “You need to get in the shower and wash your hair. Anna will be here to help us soon.”After waiting for this day to come for so long, I was both ecstatic and a little nervous that something would go wrong.“Is it really going to happen?” I asked my best friend. “Am I really going to be his
Kayla kept her word. The estate that we named Juniper Acres because of the dozens of Juniper trees on the grounds became ours a few days after my talk with her.I liked the small trees. They had a pleasant, fresh, and woodsy scent, and the blue/ green berries were pretty and had many uses.Besides making arrangements for our wedding, Victor and I spent the last three weeks getting our mansion ready for us to move in. It was a labor of love, knowing it was all ours.We painted some of the rooms in different colors that we preferred. I especially liked the shade of yellow that we painted our breakfast room.Like Alex’s mansion, our breakfast room had many windows facing east for plenty of natural sunlight. We would enjoy our mornings together, enjoying our first cup of coffee in the room.The living room now had comfy, overstuffed furniture in light blue and walnut. The carpets and drapes were neutral colors that set off the polished wooden floors.It was an inviting room. I looked forw
Victor called the realtor while I stood beside him with my fingers crossed. There had to be a way to fix the snag, whatever it was. The estate was perfect for us. We couldn’t lose it.I heard the realtor’s voice when she answered his call. “Victor, I’m sorry for giving you bad news.”“What’s the problem?” Victor asked. His voice was calm, but I saw the tension on his face.“The current owners of the Juniper Lane estate are two granddaughters of previous deceased owners. One of the young women refuses to sell to Miss Wilson.”Puzzled, Victor and I looked at each other.“Why?” Victor asked.“She claims Miss Wilson did something to cause her problems in the past,” the realtor responded. “I can’t change her mind. She refuses to sign the papers to finalize the sale.“Does she know the size of the offer we made?” Victor asked as I searched my memory for the identity of the granddaughter.But I couldn’t think of who I had angered that much. I shrugged at Victor and did a palms up.“Who is sh
“I’m sorry,” I said and knelt down to pick up the pieces of broken glass.“That’s alright, Miss Wilson,” Benson said. “Thomas will take care of the mess.” He motioned to a footman. “Let me get you another glass of tea.”“Are you okay, Daisy?” Cassidy asked. “We shouldn’t have shocked you with the news in front of guests.”I shook my head and tried to smile. “No, I’m fine. I was just surprised. Congratulations. I’m happy for both of you.” But was I? I had been an only child since Alex found me.Even though I knew Alex would continue to love me, my only experience with having a sibling wasn’t a positive one. Andrea enjoyed making my life miserable.So, I wasn’t sure how I felt about having a half-sister or brother. However, I was sure Alex and Cassidy wouldn’t treat me like the Smiths, and I’m optimistic the baby wouldn’t be like Andrea.But what would change in my life?“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Alex asked. He looked concerned, and even though I had been shocked, I didn’t want to spo
Victor’s POVDaisy was terrified. I could tell she was afraid her stutter would return. If she was scared enough, it could happen. She needed my love and support.I stepped forward to kiss her cheek and whispered in her ear, “No matter what, I love you. But you can do this. I’m right here with you. Pick one person in the crowd and talk to them.”Daisy gave me a weak smile, and I saw her take a deep, trembling breath. She looked out at the crowd of strange faces, and I knew the instant she saw someone she recognized.It was Amy, standing with Justin, William, and Penny among the sea of reporters. They must have heard about the press conference and come to support us. They were true friends.I sensed Daisy was relaxing, and she began to speak.“When I was seventeen, I worked in a restaurant owned by my best friend’s father. While waiting on customers and bussing tables, I dreamed of going to college and getting my law degree.“I wanted to use that degree to help the werewolf classes who
Victor and I freshened up while trying to think about what we wanted to say. Then we went back downstairs and watched the reporters and news anchors arrive outside the mansion.“There are so many,” I said. “I’ve never seen this many reporters at once before.”“They are coming from other cities to be here,” Shane said. “Your and Victor’s vision for the future is big news. There are rumors that Victor is going to quit the leadership, and you’re moving away from Denhurst.”Findlay snorted. “I heard that rumor, along with several crazier ones. I think the people need to be reassured of your good intentions for everyone.”“I can understand that,” Victor said. “How about you, Daisy?”All I could do was nod. I understood, but I was growing nervous about going out there in front of such a large crowd of reporters and photographers. There were so many. It was like a sea of people forming over the vast front lawn.My hands began to tremble when the estate staff began moving the temporary stage
I cried all the way back to the mansion. Amy remained silent, patting my arm occasionally and handing me tissues when I needed them.She pulled into the driveway and to the front entrance before she spoke.“It looks like Alex has company,” she said. “Who’s limos are they?”I punched the seat. “That one is Lana’s, and the one pulling in next to us is Lily James’s. The nerve of that pushy woman. She followed us!”“But look, Daisy,” Amy pointed toward the front doors. “Victor is here.”I wiped my eyes and saw Victor coming toward me. He opened the car door and took me into his arms.“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he crooned. “Gisele called and told me what happened. So I had Findlay call everyone here for a quick meeting to set them all straight.”I stopped crying and nodded even though I wasn’t sure it would help.“This nonsense will stop now,” Victor took my hand and helped me from the car.We waited for Amy to put the baby in the stroller before going inside.I looked around the foyer, unab
Victor’s mouth opened, but no words came out at first. Then he shook off his surprise.“Are you serious?” he asked.“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it for weeks,” I replied.Why did Victor look so shocked? During the few times we had spoken about kids, he said he wanted a family.Tears stung my eyes, and I turned away from him. “Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up.”Victor gently turned me around. “I know you’ve been upset since Amy had the baby, but I didn’t know it was because you want one too.”“When I first held Brendre, I felt such a rush of love that it was all I could think about for days,” I explained. “I never thought much of babies before. I think it's because my adoptive parents rejected me when they had their own baby.”“That makes sense.” Victor took my hand and started walking down the beach again. “Anyone would feel that way.”“Holding Amy’s baby made me realize I very much want to be a mother,” I said. “And I don’t want to wait a long time to start our family.”“What a
Daisy’s POVI couldn't believe Victor was leaving. Couldn’t he stay with me at the beach house for just one day?An emptiness in the pit of my stomach started when he turned to leave. It grew after he went out the door. Through our bond, I felt his painful, churning emotions and wondered if he was finished with me.I couldn’t lose him! I’d return to Denhurst this minute and marry him in any ceremony his mother wanted. The only thing that really mattered about my wedding was Victor must be the groom.I had to stop him from leaving. I needed to know what was on his mind and in his heart.Running out the door after him, I saw him climb into his car and start the engine.“No!” I cried as I jumped in front of the Lamborghini. “Don’t leave me, Victor. I love you!”The Lamborghini’s engine stopped, and Victor leaped out of the driver’s seat. He hurried to my side.“Why won’t you stay with me?” I asked.“I thought you wanted to be here alone,” Victor replied. His body was trembling with emoti