Michael“Michael! MICHAEL!” Emelda’s voice rips through the gloom just as I’m about to reach my front door. I’m in my wolf form, my dark brown, nearly black, coat dusted with beads of mist as I turn on the top step to look down at the vampire rushing in my direction. She’s soaking wet and moving at
FayeEmelda tucks my hand in the crook of her elbow as we walk through the fog. It’s drizzling, and the sky’s a deep gray in the faint early morning sunlight peeking through the mist. “Does it always rain like this here?” I ask, turning to Emelda. She smiles down at me, her face shielded by the hoo
Faye“Lowe,” Michael says, nodding in the shifter’s direction in greeting. “I’m glad you were able to join us.” Lowe stretches his arms over his head, smiling into the pockets of bright sunlight poking through the clouds. “Miss a few minutes of sunlight? Absolutely not. When Alma told me I needed t
FayeA huge brown wolf with jade eyes peers down at me. The top of my head would brush against the underside of his shoulder. He’s just… massive, and I hadn’t expected that. I swallow hard, trembling, as I tilt my chin to meet his eyes. “Oh.” It’s the only sound that could possibly leave my lips o
Michael gives me a nudge on the back of my neck before sprinting after Lowe. Alma’s eyes go hazy for a moment before she says, “They picked up a few scents they’re going to check out. We’re going to meet them on the road.”Emelda nods, but I’m confused. “How do you know?”“Lowe told me,” she shrugs
She hesitates when we reach the inn, and I guide us to an outbuilding. She’s soaking wet and nervous when I slip behind a stall meant for the few people who have horses and carriages instead of cars. I shift back to my human form and instantly regret it. It’s freezing, and the sun is going down, cau
MichaelWe stay in the rain for an hour. I walk ahead of Faye but turn to keep an eye on her as she picks her way off the road into an overgrown easement. I’ve lost the scent I was following with Lowe earlier. It was a vampire, for sure. A group, we believe. At least two females and a trio of males
FayeI’m not sure what to do to pass the time. Despite the heat coming from the fireplace, I’m chilled. Rain pelts the window so furiously it sends a rapid pinging sound throughout the room, mingling with the crackling fire. It’s rather cozy when I sit in the single wooden chair near the fire, wrap
Michael still feels like Cole took advantage of Emelda in some way, shape, or form. I don’t necessarily disagree. But, that was four years ago, and neither of them are willing to share their feelings or thoughts on the current climate of their relationship with us. And, unfortunately, we have to ac
FayeEmelda walks in step beside me, draped in her usual black cloak, her dark eyes narrowed on the brilliant sunset as the last rays of light dip below the horizon. It’s been two weeks since the fire tore through the manor, two weeks of quiet peace that feels almost misplaced. I’m not sure how to
Michael“The second born son of this union will be handed over at birth to King Mattias and his court to be raised in Red River as the rightful heir to the throne,” Dad reads aloud as he paces in front of the windows in his office that overlook the bleak, snow drenched landscape beyond, “to ensure t
MichaelThe emissary to Red River–the real one–isn’t anyone I recognize. He’s tall and pale blond, his red eyes gleaming in the brightly lit ballroom where he and his posse of royal Red River guards have gathered. He scans the group before him–myself, my father, and my uncle, and smiles faintly, hi
I listen intently, watching a myriad of emotion play over her face as she knits her fingers together. “We spent an entire summer sneaking around,” she says softly, closing her eyes. “He’d find me in the garden, in the library, sometimes going as far as to sneak into my room at night. We couldn’t st
FayeStill in the library, I listen intently as Emelda discloses far more than I expected her to.There was a point in Emelda’s life as a vampire that she’d accepted she’d always be alone. Her bed would always be cold, her skin unblemished by a loving touch. She’d never know love again, and for deca
Faye“It really is gorgeous,” Emelda says the next morning while walking with me to the library. She runs her thumb over the massive sapphire ring and smiles faintly, raising her brows. “I think it’s a family heirloom, too. You should expect a load of fine jewelry to follow.”“You know I don’t care
FayeKing Kane is a slightly terrifying man. His presence is all consuming–like he sucks the light out of the room. He doesn’t look his age, like all vampires. The only indication that he’s a senior vampire compared to his son is the faint gray glow around his temples where his dark hair is starting
MichaelI watch Faye run a comb through her hair, over and over. The golden strands shine like golden silk in the pockets of sunlight shimmering through the curtains. Beyond the glass, knee-deep snow covers the castle grounds in a blanket of pure, untouched white. Deep inside, I feel a flicker of m