Maybe they are. I hadn’t considered that. I can’t disprove it, but neither can I let it hold me back. “I’ll be on my guard,” I assure them both and then walk up to the door, leaving my companions down on the street. Lifting my hand, I knock twice on the door. At first, no one responds. “Hell
Mrs. Robins takes a deep breath, and then begins to tell me the story of her daughter. “Summer was a servant in the palace. They had her assigned to cleaning up after the women of the palace. She wasn’t important enough to actually interact with them, but she would do their laundry and tend to the
It was terribly romantic, and my heart ached for them. How I wished things could have been different. “On the day Evan was to announce his bride, just before his coronation, when his father was to hand over the crown, Caleb killed him,” Mrs. Robins says. She sighs heavily, like the breath is pun
“Sorry, Harper,” Ted says. “It’s not personal.” He hasn’t pulled the trigger yet, which is a good sign. But that he’s holding the gun at all is very, very bad. “Harper trusted you. Who turned you?” Bethany asks. “King Caleb did,” Ted replies. “The way he treated me and the others. I had to com
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I say. He narrows his eyes at me, as a growl escapes his lips. “Do not test me, Harper. I have little reason not to kill you as a traitor would deserve right at this very moment.” “Fine,” I say, then close my eyes. I was planning on bringing this to him a
I force the annoyed thoughts from my mind. This is fine. If this leads to Bethany being saved, I can survive this. When we finally reach the palace, Caleb barks at some of the nearby guards, “Grab a medic and head down to the alley in town.” He gives a more specific address. “There is a wounded ha
When Caleb finally reappears in the hallway, my nerves prickle, while the guard forced to watch me seems relived. Caleb glances me over, seeing that I am unharmed and dutifully in the same spot he left me in. Then he grabs me again. This time, blessedly, he pulls me into a bridal carry and not jus
Caleb stays with Harper for a time. Curled up against him, she sleeps soundly, her body damp with sweat but relaxed. He is pleased that she enjoyed her punishment. Blissful torture is often the best kind. She will undoubtedly be furious when she wakes up and continues to find herself chained to th
Caleb reads the threat before I can think to hide it. As he does, a red hue begins to swirl in his eyes swallowing all other color there.“Caleb,” I whisper, hoping the softness in my voice might help calm him, when he seems so very much like he might shift at any moment.The fingers of his free ha
The next morning, though I wake without Caleb, I still feel as though I am in some kind of beautiful dream. The evidence of Caleb’s being here the night before remains all around me, and on me.In the mirror, I spy several live bites running up and down the column of my throat. They continue over my
In the early morning hours, Caleb holds Harper tightly against him. They’ve made love several times throughout the afternoon and evening before Harper finally passed out from exhaustion. She’s so strong, so passionate, that Caleb sometimes forgets she’s only human.He pushed her too hard, but even i
At once, I card my fingers through his hair. Back bowing, I try to give him more room.One of his hands slides under my ass, pulling me up against his body, lifting my feet from the floor. I wrap my legs around him.He laps and suckles my nipple, then pops off to kiss his way to the other breast. He
“You…” I’m certain I’m hallucinating now. After all my pleading, all my hoping, it doesn’t seem real that my wishes could all come true now in the final hour – the final minute. I try again to question it. “You…?” Once more, my voice falls flat.“I made it the entire way to the vows,” Caleb says. “I
“Very well,” Caleb replies.“Please, repeat after me. I take you, Annabelle…”Caleb opens his mouth, but the words do not come.Whispers begin in the gathered crowd.Caleb wishes he could bring himself to care. About them. About Annabelle. About any of this.The chaplain clears his throat. “I take y
Caleb goes through the motions of the ceremony. There’s a lot of talking. The chaplain does a lot of talking, and then members of the court get to all say their peace.Caleb blocks most of it out, focusing instead on this unfamiliar, unsettled feeling inside of him. Yes, he wants Harper to be here i
Looking at her, Caleb tries to stir up some feelings. If he could just feel something. It doesn’t have to be as strong as how he feels for Harper, but something in the same vein. He can admit she’s beautiful. He can admit she will likely be a good Luna.But that’s where his affections for her end.
I run all the way back to my room, trembling with shock and upset. Bethany turns to me the moment I come rushing through the door.“There you are! Where did you go?” she says. She seems angry for a moment, until she fully takes in the state of me. “What happened?”Shakily, I tell her what I can, abo