SophieLila is sprawled on the sofa in our apartment in Asphodel, flipping through Drake’s photo album. There used to be a time when that album filled me with jealousy. Half of it was occupied with photos of Selene – when she was pregnant with Lila, the early days after the pup had been born. Now it fills me with longing. I want a pup of my own so badly, a dream I never even realized I had until Drake claimed me as his own.I haven’t confessed this dream to my mate yet, but I know he wants the same thing. He’s been endlessly patient with me, taking every new stage of our relationship one step at a time. One day soon I hope to share this sec
SeleneHelene and I waiter patiently until Arabella left her opulent apartment at the city center. It felt almost like being a part of one of the mystery shows I love watching at home. We staked out the apartment for hours, munching on unhealthy junk food and staring at the building’s front doors until our vision seemed blurry.Finally Arabella emerged, departing with the air of a socialite off on some sultry affair – dressed to the nines and slinking off towards the pack house.“There she goes!” Helene whispers excitedly, “Go on now, I’ll stand w
BastienMy head is swimming with too much information. I don’t remember any of the events Selene is describing, and so much of it defies everything I believe to be true. Still the evidence in front of me is overwhelming. The videos Selene showed me prove that Arabella has been lying to me, and as strange as it seems, it’s actually a relief. Things have felt off ever since I arrived here, as if I’ve been trapped in some strange fog. I thought it was simply a side effect of losing my memory, but now I suspect it’s Arabella’s doing.As I look down at my beautiful mate, Axel rages in my head, urging me to claim her, protect her and punish
ArabellaThat was way too close. I think, breathing a much needed sigh of relief. It’s only because of dumb luck – that my potion maker was stopping by to drop off my most recent order – that I even managed to inject Bastien with the sleeping solution.I suppose there was some cunning involved – I had prepared the syringe and kept it in my purse for emergencies just like this, but I’d hoped I wouldn’t ever need to use it. After helping me drag Bastien to bed and charging me extra for the labor, my sketchy contact left as swiftly as he came, leaving me to try to sort out what to do about Selene on my own.
HeleneWhen I wake up, still sprawled on the hotel room floor with a terrible ache in my head, I don’t pause to search for Selene or Arabella. I know they aren’t there any longer, and I know Arabella will be coming back for me once she’s done with Selene.I sense all of this in the same way I sense that my young pupil is not in any immediate danger. There is no explanation for how the knowledge arrives in my head, and I’ve long since given up trying to understand the magic. Wasting even one moment wondering how I can tell that Selene is captive but unharmed, is one more moment I could be looking for her.
Bastien“You bitch.” I growl, glaring at Arabella. Without my full memory, I can’t begin to fathom why she is doing this, but it’s clear now Arabella is not my friend. The only reason she’s even still standing is because she has my mate, and I don’t have the first idea how to find her in this strange city.“Ouch, Bastien!” She pretends to pout, “You’ll hurt my feelings with talk like that.”“Where is she?” I demand, “why are you doing this?” Axel is seething in my chest, begging me to let him o
BastienI never thought much about my wedding when I was a boy. I imagined it once or twice, trying to picture my fated mate in my mind and hoping my love would be as strong as my parents’, but in all my boyhood fantasies, I never dreamed I would be standing at an altar with so much dread. Even after I reconciled myself to the idea of marrying Arabella, I didn’t imagine such a bleak future. Loveless maybe, lacking any true heart – undoubtedly, but not a tragedy, not the disaster it has clearly become.Every moment that passes, my wolf urges me to kill the girl I once vowed to protect with my own life, so furious am I about her betrayal. Still, I
BastienBlaise is still peering around my back, trying to get a good look at Selene, though it’s clear he’s already seen her eyes. “Come out, come out little wolf.” He encourages, sounding as though he’s luring a small child out to play. “Let me see you.”Axel is clawing at the surface of my skin, desperate to put down the other Alpha before he can harm my mate and unborn pup. “Selene,” I instruct quietly. “Run.”I feel her little fists curl more tightly into my shirt. “No!” She whispers frantically, &ldqu