With panic, I look behind him, searching for Caleb. It’s only a small relief when I realize he’s not there.Tristan hands me the sack he’s holding. I’m confused until I unfold it and realize it’s a kind of crude tunic. It’s itchy to the touch, undoubtedly uncomfortable, but, without knowing where I’
I don’t believe my ears. I had to have misheard. So I take a moment to catch my breath. It shakes as I inhale. Then I repeat the most shocking of the things he said to me, “’Brother-in-law?’”“My wedding to Leah is already set,” Samuel says. His voice is clear and crisp, but totally monotone, withou
Fury striking through him like a lightning bolt, Caleb stands so abruptly, that his chair pushes back and falls flat against the stone tiles of his office.“How the hell was she able to make a call?” he demands.Tristan looks straight at him. “I let her use my phone.”Enraged, Caleb rounds the desk.
“Come,” the Pitmaster says. “I’ll show you where you can rest for the night.”She turns and starts walking away from me. I hurry to follow her, eager for sleep. Fear and adrenaline have kept me going since before my escape attempt. While I still feel those things, my body physically cannot handle mu
Not seeing any choice in the matter, I follow Tristan toward the stairwell that had led me down into this dark place to start with. Yet before we reached the stairs, and potential freedom, Tristan abruptly turns and heads into an office carved into the stone beneath the stairs.Inside, Caleb sits at
“I don’t know anything,” I say weakly, body still trembling as it slowly, painfully, comes back from the edge.Caleb’s good humor immediately vanishes. His smirk drops into a glare of disapproval. “Cover yourself, whore.” In a flourish, he turns away from me and walks to the door.He’s not giving me
Both of our gazes shoot to the open doorway, where the Pitmaster stands, her face twisted in disbelief.“You would dare disobey your king?”“The King who condemned me?” Kidd snaps. “What loyalty do I have to him? Besides, we both know if he really cared about this slut, he wouldn’t have sent her dow
Under the tutelage of the Pitmaster, I begin to train more fully. The smaller blade is easier to manage and I can make several quick strikes against the training dummy without tiring.“Not good enough,” the Pitmaster says. “You are still too slow. And your need for breaks is too frequent. With how l
Even though Caleb is pretty adamant in his refusal, I won’t accept it until he fully hears me out.“No, no. It’s perfect. You can make sure the wolves stay away long enough that they won’t come back and find me. That will give me plenty of time to head into the library and find the secret passage.”
A growl rumbles from the back of Caleb’s throat. With his arm wrapped firmly around me, he leads me the rest of the way down the stairs where we approach Gladys directly.“Ah, the guests of the hour,” Gladys says with a humored smirk. “Please, make yourselves at home. Do the rounds, meet the other g
Bethany, in shock over what she was hearing, emitted a tiny gasp. Though she covered her mouth in an instant, it was unfortunately enough of a sound to draw the attention of Gladys and the butler in the kitchen.“What was that?” the butler says, just as Gladys calls out, “Who’s there?”Bethany, real
“You’ve cast aside your harem, denied a bond with a very nice werewolf Annabelle… You’ve thrown every other perfectly acceptable wolf woman to the side… All so that you can stay with a human?”As she lectures, I freeze a little. I didn’t realize this is such a point of contention. I’d thought Caleb
The next morning, we receive an invitation from Gladys to accompany her for a walk in the gardens while the ballroom is being prepared for the gala. As we need to gather information anyway, and can’t do that tucked away in our room, we decide to take her up on the offer.The gardens are tucked behin
“This was more than a mere slight,” I snap. “Your butler shot the King!”Gladys gives me a vague sort of look, like she’s not apologetic or sympathetic at all.Caleb wraps his arm around me, placing his hand on the small of my back.“It’s alright, Harper,” Caleb says. Though he has been more calm th
The loud pop of a gunshot makes me jump. Unfortunately, I’m very familiar with that sound, from far too many close encounters at the palace.I look toward the door. Caleb still isn’t back yet.“Wait!” Cameron calls. Stepping toward us, his hand is raised. “It’s too dangerous!”I don’t have time to w
As Bethany talk, I learn more about her than I ever have before. It makes me feel like a truly awful friend. Bethany has stood by me through thick and thin, yet I still knew so little about her. I’m determined to rectify this oversight, and dive into her life here and now as much as I can.Yet, whil
Holding the note, I moved toward the bed and sat down on the edge. Caleb, finished with his shower, comes out of the shower looking relaxed as can be. The moment he sees me perched on the bed, he tenses again.“What happened? What’s going on?” he asks, his voice all business.I hold up the small not