You and Nicholas have a special bond, and I can’t wait to see how far I can bend it. I didn’t understand Julian at first. Nicholas and I hadn’t been a couple in three years. Whatever bond we had was assuredly broken by now. The plans Julian had for us would make no difference anymore. But then I

I took another step. “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble.” Mark’s eyes went wide again. He looked to Nicholas. Nicholas’s jaw was clenched, a hard line. He stared at me like he wanted me to take back my words. When I didn’t, he said, “No one will get in trouble.” “Thank you,” I said. He s

When Nicholas said my name, I stopped where I stood and internally cursed. I was so close to my door. As far as I could tell, I had two options: apologize for having overheard or deny, deny, deny. I swiveled on my heel, facing him. “Your Royal Highness! I was looking for you.” His brow lowered

“That’s Linda,” Susie said. “I knew her at the Academy. She’s always trying to form cliques. Anything to get ahead. Watch out for her… Oh, shoot, here she comes.” Susie immediately wrapped her arms around her waist, as Linda made her way over to us. Linda didn’t look at me once, keeping her gaze

“Nicholas.” I was dreaming. I must have been close to waking up to be so lucid. I stood in my old room at the Academy. Nicholas had his back to me, his hand on the door handle. A familiar curl of dread was growing in my stomach. A dull, physical ache rested behind my ribs. This was the moment

“Linda!” “Olivia!” A few other names were called as well, but none as loud as those two. They had to come from prominent packs indeed, to have been allowed so many onlookers into the small crowd. Elva, nervous by the noise, hid behind my skirt. I picked her up into my arms. “Are you frighten

His mouth near the microphone, Nicholas paused a moment as if thinking. Then he spoke. “Miss Piper was chosen by the ceremony, and the royal family will honor that choice.” He continued, “One of the many crises we face as a people is a low birthrate among werewolves. Any mother, especially one r

I blinked, stunned into silence. Me? A front runner in the competition? No. Clearly those people didn’t realize how much Nicholas hated me. Once the cameras were allowed into the palace, and they saw the two of us interacting, they would learn the truth. Nicholas hated me. Julian only wanted t

Nicholas and I continued to stare at each other, neither of us saying a word. We both glanced down at the empty chair and back at each other again. Every other spot at the table was filled. Unless Nicholas were to excuse himself, he would have to sit here to eat. But to leave in the middle of his

Around us, the girls were speaking with each other and the royal family. Only Nicholas, Susie, and myself were silent. The King gave Nicholas a hard look, and Nicholas’s lips twitched like he wanted to frown but didn’t. I thought he might talk to me, but instead, he leaned forward to see Susie a