[Eliana’s POV]"Do you, Eliana Wright, take Trent Dupris to be your lawful wedded husband…"I zone in and out as the priest repeats the necessary vows to bind Trent and I as husband and wife. This was all just for show in the end, and I was just ready for it to end."....To have and to hold, in sickness or in health, till death do you part…""I do," I murmur, keeping my gaze fixed on Trent’s despite everything in me screaming no."And do you, Trent…"Zoning out again, I wait until Trent’s turn to speak. Once that’s finished, we exchange rings, and before I can stop it, Trent is kissing me for all to see.When it ends, I have to fight the urge to gag; after all, I’m supposed to be playing the part of the perfect bride, and if I were to show my complete and utter disdain for even being kissed by Trent, I’d ruin that show."Try running away now," Trent whispers as we turn to face the congregation that is now standing and applauding. "I’ll hunt you down and kill you.""I haven’t thought o
[Zane’s POV]"Forget?" I growl, trying to ignore the fiery pain that is beginning to form in my chest. "How could you ask me to forget?""Because it is less painful for you that way."Each word that leaves Eliana’s lips is like a stab to the heart. After all the years we spent together, all the promises we made, and everything we went through, how could she possibly act so cold and indifferent? This wasn’t the Little Lana I knew."What happened to you?" I murmur, refusing to accept the reality laid out before me. "Why are you being like this?""Because this was me all along."With a sad smile, she pulls her hands free of mine and takes a few steps back. Once she is out of reach, she gives a slight bow."I thank you for all your support back then; you truly were my light," she begins, preparing for the final blow. "But I think we both know now that our foolish delusions of a happy ending or a different life were nothing more than the ridiculous beliefs of two young people who didn’t kn
[Alexandria’s POV]"Whatever you’re planning," Zane growls as I watch Rosemary head in the direction Eliana went. "Don’t.""I don’t know what you mean."I remain calm as his dark eyes examine my face as if he is searching for what I’m supposed to be planning, according to him."You’re too paranoid," I giggle, gently touching his arm. "Not everyone is plotting against you."A low growl escapes his lips as he yanks his body out of my reach while narrowing his gaze. From the way he is acting, you would think that I had pinched him or something."I’m hurt," I pout, though I’m actually pretty amused by how on guard he is with me. It made picking on him that much more enjoyable. "Soon we will be husband and wife. When will you finally let that guard down?"As I speak, I plop down on a chair and cross one leg over the other. Flicking my long blonde hair behind my shoulder, I stare up at Zane."Would you care for a drink before you go?"In a way, I felt bad for the big guy. Anytime he was bro
[Eliana’s POV]"Where the hell have you been?"Trent’s voice is loud, drawing the attention of those closest to him, and full of rage. I guess my allowing him alone time with his lovers wasn’t enough for him, unless, of course, he would have had more fun speaking to them with me by his side.Letting out a sigh, I take in those who are now watching eagerly in hopes of seeing a good show."Would you like to do this here?"For a moment, Trent seems taken aback by my words, but when he finally seems to snap out of his angry haze, he begins to evaluate the situation."Shall we go somewhere a bit more private?"Private, that meant that there wouldn’t be a lot of talking. Honestly, no, I didn’t want to go somewhere private, but I couldn’t refuse him here either. I knew that being refused and not having control were two of his biggest triggers, and I didn’t want to find myself being beaten for all to see.Not speaking, Trent reaches out and grabs my wrist. His grip is so tight that I’m sure h
[Eliana’s POV]I fight against the large lycan, trying my damndest to knock him off, but he doesn’t seem to budge. At least until he seems to regain just enough consciousness to shift back into his human form.Eyes widening, I try to ignore the fact that there is a large, completely naked man laying on top of me, dripping with blood from multiple gunshot wounds on his back."Hey!" I try again, hoping that I can rouse him. "You can’t stay here, otherwise..."As if to help me make my point, the sound of sirens in the distance reached my ears. Dammit, we need to get out of here!"Come on, big guy," I huff, pressing my hands against his broad chest. "Get up.""Mmmm."Feeling a slight sense of relief, I wait as the man slowly lifts himself up until his silver eyes stare down into mine. From the confusion in them, it is clear that he doesn’t quite understand what is happening."Wah?" he grunts before hissing in pain. "What the hell? What did you do to me?""Me?" I gasp, my eyes growing wide
[Nol’s POV]The woman doesn’t speak as she begins to work toward removing the bullets that are lodged deep beneath my skin. To say that it hurt like hell was an understatement, but if I actually wanted any chance to survive, this needed to happen."Are you about done?" I ask when what feels like an hour has passed. "It shouldn’t…""You’ve asked me to basically perform surgery on you because you’re too stubborn to go to the hospital," she snaps, cutting me off. "If you’ve got an issue with how long it is taking, then you’re more than welcome to finish this yourself."Her words are harsh, but the hands that gently work the tweezers in and out of my wounds are gentle. I had to admit that this woman was piquing my interest with each passing minute."Do you think I’m a contortionist?" I chuckle, immediately regretting it as pain shoots through me. "Unfortunately, my arms don’t twist that way.""Then don’t question me about how long this should take," she sighs.Growing quiet, I close my ey
[Eliana’s POV]Nol’s hand, which reaches out and clasps mine, is huge. I know that I had already realized it earlier on, but he truly was quite a large man. Was he this big because he was a lycan, or was it simply genetics? I didn’t know, and I wasn’t even sure if asking would be appropriate."Now that we’ve properly introduced ourselves, allow me to make that phone call.""Sure," I nodded. "Would it be okay if I took a quick shower?"Now that things were settling down, I was getting nauseous from the scent of blood that clung to my clothes, skin, and hair. It was digging up memories from that time two years ago, and I didn’t feel like reliving that nightmare."Sure," Nol responds, eyeing me curiously. "Has anyone ever told you that you’re too calm in situations that could be dangerous?""No," I smirk. "But I guess that is just the way someone who doesn’t have anything to live for reacts."Once again, his eyes take me in, this time more intensely, as if maybe he could figure me out if
[Nol's POV]"So, you're telling me that you were seen while on a mission, and she saw you.""More or less." I sigh, not liking the gleam of amusement I see in Jules' eyes.I had just spent the last hour explaining to her exactly why Eliana would be staying with me, and no matter how many times I tried to make it clear that this was strictly platonic, she wouldn't buy it."You know," Jules giggles, wiggling her brows. "Despite what you've said, I just can't see you being so sloppy."Flinching, I found that I couldn't argue with her there. It was sloppy of me to not realize that Trent wasn't alone. However, it was weird that I didn't notice her scent. Even now, I find that it is almost nonexistent."Wouldn't it just be better to be completely honest with your old friend?" Jules sighs, leaning back in her seat. "It isn't like I'm going to go blab to..."Before she can finish, I shoot forward and cover her mouth before anything else can spew out of it.Realizing how bad this looks, I give