“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
While my two attackers were distracted by the taller, more confident Alpha male who had come to my rescue, I rolled away from them and got to my feet.Clutching my phone in my hand, I continued to record.“They were threatening me to get me to quit coming to classes here,” I told my rescuer. “When they found out I was recording them, they tried to take my phone.”“Were you threatening my friend? Shane Ross asked. There was an edge to his voice that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.“She’s a Beta-loving troublemaker,” the blonde Alpha replied. “She wants them to go to school with us.”“Yeah,” the brunette chimed in. “Maybe you should pick your friends better. Or are you one of them too?”“I think more highly of Betas than either of you dirtbags,” Shane replied. “Most Betas wouldn’t gang up on a female to bully and attack them.”“You better walk away, pal,” the blond growled. “Or you’re gonna get hurt.”“Sure, I’ll leave.” Shane gave them a chilling smile. “Come on, Daisy.
Victor’s POVI watched Daisy walk out my office door in disbelief.She came there to tell me she was quitting school to work with the handsome hunk journalist and became angry because I hired a new executive assistant.Didn’t Daisy realize how much I was responsible for in our world? I had to have someone like Sarah keep my days and my desk organized.Yet, the hurt in Daisy’s eyes when she saw Sarah made me feel guilty. But why? I had nothing to feel guilty about. She was the one quitting a good school because super reporter Shane Ross wanted her to quit and work with him.I pounded my fist on the desk and stood. She promised we would talk about it, and we were going to do just that.Following her from my office, I hurried to catch up with her in the hallway.“Daisy, wait,” I called. “We need to talk.”“There’s nothing to talk about,” she insisted and kept walking.I heard the hurt in her voice and knew she was using anger to hide her pain. My beautiful fiancée had a lot of pride.And
Daisy’s POV“Why do you want a copy of the Video?” I asked Victor. He seemed angrier after he saw it was Shane who helped me.“I need it to have the two jocks identified,” Victor replied. “I don’t want to go after the wrong men.”“You’re going after them?” I asked. “What are you going to do to them?”“Don’t worry about it,” Victor insisted and held me tightly. “But they won’t bother you again.”I pulled back and looked into his eyes. “You can’t do anything violent or illegal to them, Victor. You are the leader of all werewolves in this country.”He looked away. “I can’t let them go unpunished for what they did to you. I yearn to taste their blood and hear them beg for mercy.”“No, you mustn’t,” I said. “It could bring your reign as leader to an end and sully your name forever.”“I can’t let them get away with what they did to you,” he said. “It’s bad enough that Shane had to come to your aid. How can I let them go unpunished?”“Shane helped me because he was there,” I argued. “You wou
“Daisy, you have the full report almost finished,” Shane said the next morning. We were working at the kitchen counter in Victor’s apartment.Victor had sent me a single text since he left for work, telling me the police now had the video I had taken. They promised to keep Victor updated on the case.“I put in a lot of hours working on it,” I said. “It has been a passion project.”“It shows. You should get full credit for this story,” Shane declared. “With this much of the work already done, there’s no reason to share the byline with me.”“It’s too long for newspapers. I need a shorter version,” I said. “But online platforms and magazines may run the entire report.”Shane sipped the coffee I made for us. “Condensing it will be tricky, but I’m confident you can do it with very little help from me. You are a natural reporter and a fine investigator.”I blushed. “Thanks. I enjoy doing both, so my career is moving in the right direction.”He patted my hand. “Definitely. Now let me advise
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