TANIA
I made a mistake. A terrible mistake. I wasn't some hormonal teenager so I should have never decided to throw caution to the wind. My hormones and lack of composure should have never driven my actions. Now, all that could be felt was thick, undiluted tension between Sylvain and me. Tension because we didn't know how to proceed from here, whether or not this was a tilt in another direction for our relationship, or whether things would remain the same.
We were exiting the summer court which didn't hold Sylvain's attention. It reminded him of the sweaty, humid, subtropical climate of LA and his skin turned beat red under the direct rays of scorching sunlight. Because of that, we zipped through the summer court and breezed through the autumn as well.
It was Spring—surprisingly enough—that held his attention in the same way winter court had. He brushed his fingertips over the tu
SYLVAINIt didn't take much convincing for me to be let out of the city. Zephyr was just happy Tania wasn't cooped up in her room and I was the reason she decided to explore the city so this—letting me out—was his reward. He did, however, tell me to meet him in the clearing we had arrived in days ago when I had first landed here so he could lead me back to the town. I had till sundown to sort out whatever I needed to so I had left early this morning to get started. Tania was still asleep, soft snores passing through her parted lips when I left. I didn't know how to face her. I didn't know what version of her I would get and it terrified me to find out. When she drew me in it had hope seeping into every pore on my body and when she pushed me away, it felt like a vacuum sucking away my very essence.I needed a break from it.I felt bad for thinking so but I did. After yesterday I t
TANIA When I awoke this morning Sylvain had already left to his sister's pack—without even a goodbye. I didn't know why that vexed me so much. He didn't owe me anything, especially not a goodbye or a few words before he decided to leave. However, I kept thinking back on the events as of late. Was he finally fed up with me pushing him away? Did he come to his senses and leave without a thought of turning back?Or, would I see him curled on my bed when I returned to my room later tonight?Only time would tell but the question well and truly plagued me. So much so, I was tempted to leave and use the shadows to find him so I could be there, with him. My father would probably lose his shit but at least I would be able to think of anything other than him.I needed to calm the anxiety that roiled my stomach and turned my hands clammy. No one had ever mad
TANIAI was exhausted by the time I left the library to return to my room. The day just slipped through my fingers and, by the time I left, the moon was lighting up the inky sky along with a few stars glinting between the mass of gray clouds. I was so caught up between ancient pages and old texts that I had forgotten to eat both lunch and supper so, when my stomach grumbled, I wasn't the least bit surprised. Still, I remained on course and didn't pivot in the direction of the kitchen no matter how much my body begged. There was something I needed to do first before eating.Even with the hours spent in that room, I was only a quarter way through the books lining the walls—if not less than that. And, my search thus far was unsuccessful. A small part of me was sort of joyful at that. Maybe I wasn't ready to let go of Sylvain or the companionship he offered.But I had to let go at some poi
TANIA"You're insane," I chastised in a hushed whisper but I still crept through the halls of the estate behind Sylvain.It wasn't as if I didn't know every room in this large building by the back of my hand. Sylvain, on the other hand, thought it would be exciting to explore the estate while everyone was asleep—including the guards who were meant to be awake guarding the damn place. Bloody idiots."Am I, though?" He quipped over his shoulder as we rounded the corner."Yes, why didn't you ask for a tour during broad daylight?" I asked with a roll of my eyes."And what fun would that be?" He quizzed teasingly, reaching back to weave his thick fingers with mine.I jerked my hand back when a jolt of sparks shot up my arm and locked my lips together to prevent my gasp. Sometimes, the way his touch felt still took me by surprise
SYLVAIN You never know when exactly love hit you. One day, you'd wake up with the realization that the last thought you had before nodding off was about your special person, and the first thought to pop into your head also revolved around said person. It was then you would realize how irrefutably in love with the person you were. And it would be too late to save yourself from the inevitable heartbreak you knew you were bound for.Because the fact remained that I knew better than to fall in love with someone who didn't want me. I planned to help her but that was before I met her and got to know her as a person. Now, I didn't just want to help her, I wanted to make her mine and I didn't know how to go about convincing her that we could have a future together. I hadn't figured out the logistics yet like how I would run my pack while being here but I would find a way.It was ti
TANIAOf two things I was irrevocably certain. One: the bond was no longer my biggest problem. Not when severing it no longer solved my problem. Because severing the bond wouldn't suddenly remove the feelings I had for him. And I knew I felt something for him because, if I didn't, I wouldn't have been standing in front of this cave waiting to have a meeting with the council.The second thing I was certain of was that I was about to enter a hostile environment. I probably deserved every bit of hostility coming my way but so did they. So, I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin high. My white locked tumbled over my shoulders, shimmering as it held the slices of moonlight that seeped through the canopy above. We had to hold the meeting at night for the vampires' sake. There were a million places I'd rather be right now, like in bed wrapped up in Sylvain's arms. But instead, here I stood.Mayb
SYLVAIN I shackled the witch to the wall in the same way she had once shackled Tania. For the most part, I was a calm, level-headed person but seeing Kali's face made me feel like a stranger to myself. I wanted nothing more than to sink my canines into her and claw her to bloody ribbons because of all the pain she had put my mate through.The imagery had a growl rumbling at the base of my throat. It had the stone walls of the dungeon we were in rumbling, loose stones falling out of place in the process. I wanted to torture her in a way no one had ever been tortured. Even if she gave me the answers I was looking for, I still wanted to make her feel every ounce of pain I possibly could.I rolled my shoulders when the phantom burn I felt all those weeks ago danced across my back. It felt like my flesh was being slowly burned away from my bone, causing wave after wave of agony to rock my system. And that was just half of it. Tania actually went through it and then suffered from the pain
TANIA One hour turned to two and two turned into half the night as I watched my father torture Kali. Her answer was always the same though. She kept insisting there was no way to get my wings back. Each time those words left her lips they chiseled away a piece of hope, leaving me deflated and dejected. If I couldn't get my wings back then I could no longer call myself fae. And, staying here just reminded me of the things I once had and could once do. It made no sense to stay and pity myself. If this was a lost cause then I needed to find a way to move on. Leaving this place behind me seemed like a good option. But only once I knew these people—my people—were safe and would no longer be hunted the way they were. I started something I was going to complete. Sylvain may have thought that I went about it in the wrong way but it finally got the attention I was aiming to get. All I wanted was for my people to live freely just the same as other supernaturals, not needing to hide behind mag