Victor was quiet when we got into his car and began the drive back to his apartment.I could still sense his anxiety and jealousy and understood why he felt this way. But I was determined to work with Shane on the story, so we needed to talk about it.“You don’t want me doing the story with Shane,” I said, breaking the silence in the car.“Does it matter if I don’t?” he asked.“You always matter to me,” I replied. “But I don’t know why you don’t trust me.”“I didn’t say I don’t trust you,” he insisted.“I can feel your jealousy,” I said. “We can’t hide our feelings from each other.”“Maybe I am a little jealous,” Victor admitted. “You are a special and beautiful woman. So, of course, I am uneasy with you working closely with an attractive, charming man like Shane.”“You are attractive and charming,” I reminded him. “Like most women, I think you are the hottest man alive, and I love you. We are fated mates. I want to marry you after I graduate and have your children.”“I know deep dow
I contemplated texting Findlay to ask him to meet me somewhere, but I decided to go to The Association to lure him out in case the faction could intercept his messages.After Amy agreed to help me, I picked her up at the manor, and we drove to The Association Complex and parked in a lot near the front of the main entrance.At the door, I saw Rodney Wells, the head of the complex security, speaking with another security guard.“Just go with whatever I say,” I told Amy. “Although this guy gives me bad vibes, I’m going to ask him for help. I don’t want to seem like I suspect anything.”“Don’t worry,” Amy said. “I’ll follow your lead.”I took a deep breath, and we walked over to the security guards.“Hi,” I said with a faux giggle. “Rodney, right?”He tapped his name tag.“Oh, yeah.” I giggled again. “I was hoping you could help us. I need to talk to Victor’s personal assistant, Findlay, without Victor knowing about it.”Rodney’s eyes narrowed. “Why?” The suspicious vibes he was giving of
Findlay tried to call his husband again with the same result. “Daisy, we need to go back right away.”“Amy, I don’t think you should go with us,” I said. “I don’t know what’s going on at The Association, and it might be safer for you to stay here.”“Sure. I’ll visit with Dad and have Justin pick me up.” Amy jumped out of the car. “Hey, Why don’t you take Dad’s pickup back to The Association? It might be better if the faction doesn't see you coming.”“What do you think?” I asked Findlay.Findlay nodded. “If the faction knows I am a spy, it would help if they didn’t know I was returning for Tony.”“The keys are under the floor mat,” Amy said. “Good luck, Findlay. I hope Tony is okay.”“Thanks, Amy,” Findlay replied as he jumped into the passenger seat of Elliot Gray’s old pickup. He was shaking with fear for his mate. “Please hurry, Daisy.”The truck started easily, and the controls were similar to my car. And it was kind of fun to be behind the wheel of something so high from the groun
The passages were silent, and they seemed much more familiar to me than they had before.Leading Findlay through the shorter tunnels and then down the longest passage, I quickly found the stone wolf that opened the door to the bathroom.I pressed the wolf’s nose, and the stone wall between the ivory columns moved inward.“It’s a good thing you know about this way inside the complex,” Findlay whispered. “I’m grateful, Daisy.”Doing something to help Tony was making Findlay feel much calmer. I was glad. It would take cool heads to survive this situation, especially if it was as bad as I thought.“Let’s find those weapons,” I said. “We may need them.”I was frightened and didn’t like the thought of handling a gun, but I was determined to help Victor and Alex in any way necessary.We went out the bathroom door into the hallway, and Findlay looked around.“I never used this bathroom, but I know where we are,” he said. “It’s not far from my office.”It was my turn to follow him. The halls o
“No, Daisy.” Victor shook his head. “You can go back to the passages, even for Cassidy. It’s too dangerous.”I pulled away from him. “I’ve been in the passages twice this morning. I just came from there, and I’m in one piece. I’ll be fine.”“Listen to him, Daisy. I can’t lose you either,” Alex said. But his face was contorted in agony. He loved Cassidy. She was his second chance for happiness in life.I couldn’t let him lose her like he lost my mother.I kissed Victor and backed away. “I’ll be back soon.”“Daisy, no!” Victor and Alex shouted.“Don’t worry.” I tucked the gun into my waistband. “I’ll be fine.”“I can’t ask you to risk your life to save Cassidy’s,” Alex said. “I’ve only had you back in my life for a year. I don’t want to lose you either.”“You didn’t ask me to do anything. Stop worrying. I’ll be back,” I insisted and hugged Alex.After giving Victor a last loving look, I left the room and made my way through the complex’s empty halls to the bathroom.I checked the bathro
The door to the outside opened. Cassidy and I picked up the bomb and ran out to the parking lot.“We need to get it away from the building,” Cassidy said.There was a field beyond the parking lot, but we’d never be able to run there in time and then get far enough away before it exploded to not get killed.I spotted Elliot Gray’s truck parked a few feet away and realized the parking lot tilted toward the field. It gave me an idea.I opened the driver’s door. “Help me put it on the seat,” I told Cassidy.She didn’t argue. We had fifteen seconds until the red light came on. Ten seconds after that, the bomb would explode.After the box was on the driver's seat, I stepped on the brake and put the transmission in neutral before closing the door.Then Cassidy and I pushed the already rolling truck to get it moving faster and rushed back inside the passageway door.We were about fifteen feet inside the passage when the sound of the explosion tore through the air.When it was over, we ran bac
Instead of hiding in the bathroom and crying, I changed into shorts and a t-shirt so I could go into the home gym to take out my anger and frustration on the heavy punching bag.Kickboxing had become a hobby that I enjoyed. I attended classes at Jayden’s gym at least three times a week. The instructor told me I had a natural talent for it.Avoiding Victor, I went through the living room to get to the short hallway that led to Victor’s den and gym.I flipped on the lights and gazed at my reflection in the mirrors lining the walls. The sour expression on my face made me cringe.I began practicing leg work on the heavy bag, remembering the romantic dinner Victor had ready for me when I woke up.I kicked the bag harder, wondering if I had been unreasonable.He didn’t want me to quit college to work full-time with Shane. After the experience with Chloe, I understood how jealousy can make you think irrationally. But I’ve never done anything to give Victor a reason not to trust me.“You had
Victor was gone when I woke up the next morning. I was tempted to call him, but I knew he was probably busy after yesterday’s events at The Association. Plus, I had classes to attend. I couldn’t afford to miss more of them.After sending Victor a heart and a flaming kiss emoji, I climbed from the bed to prepare for my day. I showered and dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers before putting my hair in a braid and applying light makeup.With a cup of coffee in a travel mug, I went downstairs to my car and started the drive to the university.I parked in the student lot and walked to the coffee shop to meet an Alpha Sophomore named Mia Johnson. She was a business major, studying to take over her family’s convenience store chain.Like me, Mia had a Beta best friend who had been denied admission to all the better Universities, including Frampton U.Mia wanted to arrange a meeting between me and her friend. She was angry because her friend couldn’t attend classes with her even though he
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