After receiving Susie’s news, I needed a moment to catch my breath. I didn’t understand. The royal doctor had already examined Elva, as recently as the day before. How could she have a fever again? Wouldn’t the doctor have detected any anomalies before they fully formed? Those questions would have

When I returned to the bedroom, Elva was missing from the bed. I nearly screamed, were it not for both of maids, who quickly approached me. “W-where’s Elva?” I asked them, panic quaking my voice. “You caused a right commotion, running around,” the talkative maid said. “It was enough to catch the

Holding Elva, Nicholas winced as he bent his right wrist. He had tried to hide it, and maybe would have been successful if I had been anyone other than his ex-girlfriend. He’d told me the story himself, when we had been dating. Nicholas had excelled for his age. His werewolf abilities were some

During the next official banquet, I stopped just inside the entrance of the dining room. The girl who had shoved Elva that first day was sitting in my seat beside Nicholas. Julian, sitting nearest the door, rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm. He grinned at me with a toothy smil

I wanted to storm over there and demand Kirsten apologize for accepting thanks for a gift she hadn’t given. But I couldn’t do so without revealing to Nicholas that I was the one who had given it. If Nicholas knew the truth, he’d assume the worst. He’d think the gift was disingenuous, and that I wa