DASHIELL A smile curls my lips as I pour myself a glass of martini. Dakota had said yes to me. She has accepted my help. To say that I'm in a good mood would be an understatement. "I haven't seen that look on your face in so long," my mother comments from her position on the couch. I turn to look at her, taking a sip of my drink."What look?" I say, sinking into the same couch."You're literally glowing again, and your eyes...they tell me that you've found happiness again. It's been decades since I saw that look in your eyes," she explains.I grimace, taking another sip of my drink. All along, I'd believed that I'd hidden my loneliness quite well. Most people were fooled by the easy smile on my face. "She reminds me of..." My mother's eyes turn sad. She's trying to consider my feelings. Years ago, I couldn't stand the sound of Alyssa's name. I guess my mother still remembers that. That's why she's the first woman I've ever loved. I would kill for her, just like I've done in t

DAKOTA "What's that?" Dashiell asks."Violet's corpse," West responds, his arms folded across his chest. I stare at him for a moment, puzzled."What are you talking about? How is that even possible?" Dashiell asks."Apparently, someone broke into the Guild's holding room and stole the Orx. Whoever this person was, they went after Violet's corpse as well," West explains. "Wait... Could this be related to the Six? They probably plan to do something with her body," I say, and Dashiell heaves a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Worried, I watch him as he rises to his feet and starts to head towards the stairs. "My head hurts," he mumbles, and disappears up the stairs. West winces, concern written all over his face. "I think you should get going, or you're going to be late," he tells me. He's right. As much as I'm worried about my mate, I have to attend the meeting with the six. ...During the meeting, Madam Noir seemed on edge. It's probably because she was in a bad mood;

DASHIELL Waking up to the sound of Dakota throwing up in the bathroom, I sit up in bed, worried. Last night, we had great sex. She'd been very needy due to her heat period. Even so, it's strange how she's suddenly throwing up in the bathroom, barely three hours after we'd fallen asleep. "Kota?" I call out as I head towards the bathroom to comfort her."Did I wake you up? Sorry," she breathes, and I furrow my brows, holding out a hand to open the door. "Wait!"I freeze, my frown deepening, when I notice the distress in her voice. She sounds like she's been crying for a while."What's wrong?" I ask, flattening my palm against the glass door. "It's n-nothing. I'll be out soon. Just give me a minute," she replies with a weak voice. At this point, it's taking me a lot of effort to not barge into the bathroom.A few minutes later, Kota steps out of the bathroom, her head hanging low. Her red hair is all over the place, making it difficult to see her face.She attemp

DAKOTA Pushing the door open, I walk into Dashiell's room, and both men turn to look at me. The tension in the air stays frigid as I approach Dashiell's bedside and lower the tray on the nightstand. "You look upset," West points out, and I turn to look at him, keeping my expression schooled."You overheard us," Dashiell points out, his gaze softening. Realization crosses West's face, and he heaves a sigh, rubbing his forehead. "I should have sensed your presence," he mutters, and I clench my fists, annoyed."It doesn't matter now. I heard it. You can say everything to my face, can't you?" "Dakota...""You don't have to make it so obvious that you dislike me," I hiss, and he furrows his brows at me."That's not...""What did you mean by 'Dashiell's descent into darkness?'," I cut him off. He stiffens visibly, and a blank mask falls over Dashiell's features, his emotions shuttered."It's not important, Kota. Digging out things from the past isn't what we should be doing," he

DASHIELL Breathtaking pain. It's the first thing that hits me the moment I open my eyes to the darkness. My eyes begin to water, and my vision turns blurry while I struggle to figure out where the hell I am. The last thing I remember is passing out on my bed in exhaustion. I try to move my arms and legs. However, I'm met with a strong resistance because they just won't move. When I try to move my lower body again, the truth hits me. I've been paralyzed. My tongue feels numb, and the tips of my fingers feel swollen. It's definitely poison. Dakota must be worrying about me right now. I did see this coming. I just didn't think it would happen so soon. But, it's fine. As long as Dakota isn't implicated, it's all good. A groan slips out of my mouth as the pulsating pain in my head worsens, nausea wrecking havoc in my system."Shit. I'm going to be sick," I pant. The last thing I want is to get sick all over myself. With so much effort, I move my upper body to the side. As