RyattMaddox rises from his chair, casually sipping coffee from a mug. He sets it down, checks his watch, then fixes me with an annoyed look. “Is there a reason you’re in here?”I glance around the room. It’s a wood paneled and slightly dated office with incredible views of the water. My gaze settles on Isaac, who’s left eye is nearly swollen shut, and I give him a cocky smirk before looking back at his father. I slightly bow my head before meeting Maddox’s eyes again. “Your wife brought me here.”He stares at me unblinking for several seconds before blowing out his breath and sitting back down. Isaac looks from Maddox to me. “You’re a prisoner. You’re not allowed in the main house.”I shrug, crossing my arms over my aching chest. “This is where I was told to go.”Isaac sits on the edge of a solid wood desk and glances behind him at the old maps scattered across it. I get a brief view of the mountains and the names of small pack territories before he roughly turns them over, glaring

EllaIt’s odd seeing Ryatt in plain clothes. He doesn’t fit here, I realize, as I watch him turn his gaze from the strangers seated nearby back to the water all around us. He’s been silent since we walked onto the ferry that runs between the isles and Maatua. I wish I could take a peek into his mind, just for a moment, just long enough to know what he’s thinking. He’s dressed in navy blue athletic shorts that are a smidge too short for him, resting midthigh and showing off his insanely built muscular legs. His tan skin gleams in the sunlight poking through the somewhat shredded canopy above us, which is supposed to block out not only the sun, but the rain. He’s wearing a plain gray shirt–again, a little too tight–that shows off every muscle. He looks… hot. Hot as hell, honestly. But also so unfamiliar without his black leathers and belt loaded with daggers. His night-black hair curls around his ears as he slowly turns to me, expressionless, looking past me at the massive island now

EllaWe don’t linger long at the falls. The sunset fades to a rich, velvety purple by the time I pull the car I borrowed into the massive garage behind the castle. Ryatt didn’t say a word the entire drive back. I glanced at him a few times, noticing the absent look in his eyes as he hung his arm out the window, his fingers splayed in the wind. Now we’re seated at a long table made of glass. Platters of food cover the surface. It’s an informal setting in the informal dining room in Poppy’s massive castle. “Here,” Poppy says, standing to lean over the table and place two huge steaks on Ryatt’s plate. “Eat up.”Ryatt meets her eyes with a soft nod of thanks. She’s already laden his plate twice now, and he’s eaten every morsel of food she’s offered. Still, watching Poppy’s motherly attentiveness to his unspoken needs curls in my heart and threatens to shatter it. She doesn’t really know him, and what she does know about him can’t be good. Yet, she exudes nothing but kindness and love.

EllaI can feel his hesitation as he lays me down on the bed. It’ss soft and cool to the touch from the gentle tropical breeze drifting through the open doors leading to a starlit balcony. A shiver snakes over my skin–whether from the chill in the air or the fact Ryatt’s hands are trailing down my sides, I’m not sure. Time is hazy. How long has it been since we’ve been together like this? All of the events leading up to our final, and only, stand against Kane are a blur. And here, in Maatua? I feel like the minutes and hours either crawl or flash by before my eyes, making it hard to determine just how long we’ve been here. But I know it’s been a while since his hands have slid down my thighs, cupping my ass as he scoots me to the very center of the large bed. Unlike before, when the lust and tension had been a burning flame between us, this feels different. Softer. Gentler. I realize he’s worried about me, worried about touching me, and my heart threatens to crumble when I involun

EllaI step back just in time to catch the bundle Isaac places in my arms before he rushes to Maddy’s side. He falls to his knees beside the bed, holding her face in his hands as she sobs, her mouth pulled into a delirious smile. I look down at the baby in my arms, who looks up at me with a scowl. “H-hello there.”His mouth pinches, and he begins to whine. I bounce him gently, unsure of what to do. I look wildly around for help, but the room is a tangle of healers trying to tend to Maddy and the second, much larger baby now resting on her chest while he’s rubbed down with towels. Maddy’s hands shake so violently, she’s barely able to lay a hand on her son’s back, and Isaac… oh, Isaac is a blubbering mess, but I’ve never seen him so raw. He only has eyes for his mate. Only for her. His eyes shine with tears as he says, “Thank the Goddess,” over and over again, pressing the words into her gleaming brow.Mom watches the proceedings like a hawk and then hands Isaac a vial of tears, whic