“I hear our girl’s night has been cut short.” Holly stated as she stepped past the threshold and into the house Asher had built for me. As she spoke, her eyes scanned the foyer, her head pivoting back and forth to soak up every detail.I hummed my confirmation, motioning for her to follow as we passed through the dimly lit kitchen and into the living room. “Sorry about that, things sort of popped up at the last minute.”“Oh, no worries. I had a feeling something would come up. Truthfully, I’m just happy to be out of the house.” She smiled softly, striking a chord deep within my chest as I noticed the similarities between us. Releasing a sound of interest, she spoke. “Oh, so many windows! This might sound hard to believe, but I absolutely love natural light. I can’t stand being cooped up.”“That’s not hard to believe at all.” I murmured, thinking back to the meek and obedient girl I’d met, trapped within the walls of the warehouse our father called his home. “Does sunlight hurt you? I

Judging from the small building the wedding was being held at, it was initially meant to be an intimate event. As grandma mentioned earlier, the couple in question had high hopes that a wedding was just what people needed to lift spirits. As it turns out, they were right.There were cars spilling out of the little parking lot, parked alongside curbs and even up on the flat, grassy areas. Dainty paper lanterns suspended on thin fishing wire were what led guests to the front doors, though many just walked around the building to where the party was overflowing into the grass. A hastily thrown together dance floor had been constructed out back, along with a dozen or so tiki torches and streamers in various shades of violet.The sign out front read, ‘Chatham Recreational Center.’ The music pouring from within was loud and upbeat, matching the laughter that drifted throughout the air. Children darted in and out, weaving between adults who were either drinking, eating, or dancing.There was

The howling didn’t stop when we raced through the pack’s boundary lines and into what many wolves considered ‘no man’s land.’A total of four hundred and seventy-three miles west of Asher’s pack was Alpha Bran’s, which we fully planned to steer clear of. Even though it was insanity not to relay the location of the Vampire’s lair on the off chance we didn’t make it back, I couldn’t risk Asher sending a group of warriors to my rescue.The last thing I needed were the Vampire’s thinking I’d come to ambush them.A few of the warriors followed us past the boundary lines, though they didn’t dare venture too far. If I had to guess, the ones brave enough to leave Asher’s territory were new recruits, desperate to prove themselves in the eyes of their Alpha. When the last wolf following us slowed and darted back to the territory lines, I let out a sigh of relief.The sound was muffled by the helmet I wore and smothered by the snarling of the engine, yet Tristan still felt the need to turn his h

“What’s with Vampire’s and abandoned warehouses?” I asked, speaking to no one in particular.The breaks of the rusty minivan we were crammed into squealed as we pulled into a handicap space close to the front doors. I could make out the symbol painted on the spot, though it had faded over time.Within the parking lot were a few cars, but most looked like junkers rather than functioning vehicles. There weren’t any windows apart from the ones that lined the front, but they were blacked out by scraps of cardboard boxes and old newspapers.“This one won’t be half as luxurious as your father’s.” Tristan muttered at my side; his face marred in a permanent scowl.From the front seat, Dina snorted. She turned around and glared at Tristan.“With how flimsy your loyalty is, you got no room to be judging anybody, Tristan.” The pale-haired Vampire at my side lifted an eyebrow, but Dina didn’t falter in her rant. “That’s right, I know you. You don’t know me, though. I was a nobody back then, a bod

There was an itch I needed to scratch, a burning curiosity I needed resolved before I could give him what he wanted.“How do you know about my magic? As far as I know, it’s passed down through my…my grandmother, but it was kept a secret for the most part.” I grimaced.“It was kept a secret because my father despised witches and their magic. My brother, on the other hand, saw only power. Unfortunately for him, our mother died before he ever got the chance to use her in his plans.” Deacon replied, then let out a snarl. “I’ve been more than accommodating considering I haven’t had you killed on the spot. I won’t tell you again, niece or no. What do you know about Bridgette?”I’d never been a cruel type of person, nor was I someone who lorded information over another person’s head, but there was something about Deacon that provoked that side of me. Perhaps, it was his attitude and the way everything he said felt like a challenge, but I couldn’t help but feel that a Queen—his Queen, wouldn’