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
FayeI know we shouldn’t be doing this… our bodies flush and my lips grazing his fevered neck. His hybrid heart thunders against my breasts and I’m… trying desperately not to writhe against him, chasing friction I shouldn’t want–shouldn’t need. I almost wish he were still wearing a shirt so my fing
MichaelI’m not sure what I expected getting married to feel like. In my mind, it had always been a business arrangement with little fanfare and no emotions attached. Now, that’s not the case. I’m a husband. I have a wife who I love, who wasn’t chosen for me based on whatever political alliance was
MichaelI can count on one hand how many times I’ve been in this cathedral over the course of my short life. The dark stone walls echo even the smallest whisper, and the ancient stained glass sends shadows instead of snowy sunlight into the cavernous space. I wouldn’t consider vampires a very relig
FayeIt’s snowing on my wedding day. Snowing hard, actually, as I watch cars pulling around the castle where valets are waiting to greet the guests. The wedding will take place in an hour. An hour. I can’t believe it. My stomach pitches as two maids pull curlers from my hair and dab blush on my che
EmeldaQueen Emory smiles at the spread of vampire-friendly food laid out on a tea-table. Blood pastries and cakes galore sit on pretty little trays adorned with flowers, flutes of blood made to sparkle resting beside them. “Are you not hungry?” she asks as I inspect the spread over the sound of Al
MichaelI don’t really want to be here, but my mother and my fiancee practically forced me out of the castle and locked the door behind me. The dingy, crowded tavern some thirty miles away from the castle seems to sway against the crowd of shifters and vampires alike, everyone drinking copious amou
FayeIt’s snowing again. White fluff falls from the dark sky, highlighted by the exterior sconces placed along the walls of the castle. I smile as it blankets the ground, sticking to every surface it touches. I never really thought about the logistics of my future wedding. A marriage? Sure. My even
MichaelI stare at my soon-to-be bride, who looks up at me like a little golden owl, her blue eyes wide and shocked as she takes in my level of disheveledness. But I’m looking at her bloody finger, the bowl of liquid on the table, and the two guilty-looking ex-witches standing on either side of Fay
“He told me he thought you might have been pregnant the night we were going to give you that final potion,” she whispers, meeting my eyes. “I told him it couldn’t be. It was far too early to tell and the herbs I’d been giving you to try to heal you would have been harmful for the baby.”We stare at
FayeMorning comes like sand falling through an hourglass. All night, time moved so slowly. Each second passed in agony as I waited and paced, hoping for any shred of news from Michael. I’ve spent the most time in the living room sitting in awkward discomfort between Cole and Emelda, who refuse to