“Not anymore, I’m not,” I tell her. “We’ve already talked about this, Opal. I’m not interested in fucking you. We’ll do it when we have to, when it’s time to conceive children, but your attitude completely turns me off, in every way imaginable, and unless and until you become a more attractive perso
Emory I wake up sore in places I’ve never felt before, and it takes me a moment to remember why. I try not to even roll over because of the muscle pain I feel in my core. Blinking against the sun streaming in from between the splits in the curtains, I feel a pain that radiates from my forehead, whe
“Thank you,” I tell her, but I know there’s nothing on the shelves that will fix the pain I’m feeling. “Your breakfast is ready when you are, dear,” she says, gesturing at the tray on the table. I’m not hungry at all, but I thank her again and go to get dressed. When I am ready, I come back out to
“Hit a hole in one?” he asks, and I am now the one who is confused. “Insert his tab into your slot? Plugged his cord into your outlet?” I feel my face turning bright red as I hold up a hand for him to stop. I’m not sure what else he’s got on the list of descriptive ways to say penetration, but I do
EmoryI am listening to Rainer’s words and trying to digest them, but I’m not completely sure I understand what he is saying to me.“It was the blood?” I ask him, and he nods at me. “But… there was so little of it. Less than whenever I am menstruating by far.”When he shakes his head, his dark curls
“See you,” he says.“Bye.” I give him a wave as he heads through the door before I close it behind him. The temptation to look out into the hallway to see if I can spy Kane anywhere is difficult to ignore, but I manage.I go back to my bed and toss myself down, thinking it may take a while for the V
EmoryIt’s almost dinner time. But I’m not going back to the dining room today. I haven’t been told by King Kane that it’s okay for me to skip again. Maybe I need his permission. Maybe I don’t.I figure, if he wants me to know I should be there, he can come and tell me. And if he realizes he wants m
I nearly jump out of my skin. Turning around, I see her approaching from behind me, peering over the couch.Hastily, I shove the paper into my book. “Oh, uh, just a bookmark,” I tell her. I don’t think it’s any of her business what it is. I don’t even know if I’m going to go. What would the king do
Fractured memories of the night I nearly drank myself to death careen to the forefront of my mind. There was a woman. I don’t remember her face or her name. I was so far gone with drink and self-loathing that I gave in to whatever kind of attention and stimulations she had to offer. It was consensua
ColeThe letter came in the dead of night, rain-soaked and smeared, but I’d know her handwriting anywhere, in any condition. She’d written that she needed to see me, urgently, that it couldn’t wait, and she couldn’t explain why, not in a letter, not at the risk of what she needed to tell me going pu
EmeldaIt’s a quiet night. A long, silent walk from the castle. I needed this quiet, this stillness in the late summer air. Ravenfell comes into view beyond the trees, twinkling in the darkness. I smile, shaking my head as I look down at my shoes. I can still feel the weight of the twins in my arms
MichaelI haven’t been to Scarlet Thunder in… years. I didn’t realize how long it’s been until I pulled up to the back of the castle, somewhat startled by how small it looks compared to my memories from my childhood. Not that it's a small castle, but I'm much bigger now. I step out of my car, my fac
Faye“Oh, Faye, this is beautiful,” Emory says as she walks around the wide room on the second floor of the newly constructed manor. She runs her fingers over the pale blue and pink floral wallpaper and white trim, her jade eyes sparkling as she takes in the lace curtains and soft cream carpet. “I l
EmeldaIn the week since the twins were born, I’ve been busy with the final touches on my cottage. I spent days this past spring digging in the front garden, planting herbs and vegetables, and fixing the front path. I hired a group of shifters to replace the roof and update the inside, installing ne
Emelda“Thank you,” I say, hurrying at a near run as a maid takes my cloak. The castle is buzzing with nervous energy but remains quiet with even the maids tiptoeing around, trying not to make a sound. I’d remained in Ravenfell for the birth. I spent all night and most of this morning at Alma’s hou
FayeSomething’s wrong. Something has to be wrong. “You’re doing great. Keep pushing, Faye. You’ve got this,” Alma says, her face glistening with sweat and determination while I roar in pain. Michael clutches my hand, his other hand bracing my inner thigh as I bear down with all the strength I hav
Michael“It could be hours–or a day,” Alma says quietly as she arranges her tonics on a table just outside the bedroom where Faye’s finally getting some rest. “It’s been hours already,” I tell her, motioning toward the window in my suite in the castle where moonlight drifts through the panes, casti