ELLIOT"Are you happy now?" I asked my wolf while burying my nose in Kath’s hair.Now that my animal side was fully awake, I felt an almost obsessive attraction to her.The scent of lavender grew more intense—I wanted it to belong only to me, for her body to always carry my essence, for other males to know that this beautiful woman was mine alone.A rather foolish thought, considering that elementals couldn’t even smell scent markings."Not happy enough. I want to come out and be with her, hold her. It's getting cold, my fur is warm—let’s switch.""No," I answered without hesitation, already feeling the push in my mind—firm and dominant, forcing me to give up control."Do you think I can’t see through your tricks? You just want to be the main character. Let me remind you that in this realm, no one can discover us, or we could die.""Let them try. Now that I’m awake, no being will separate me from my mate," he growled through gritted teeth, and that warning was meant for me too.Damn i

KATHERINE«Her mouth was smiling, but I was afraid. She looked like a replica of myself. I took a step back in fear.Her gaze suddenly turned sorrowful. She opened her lips, speaking to me, but I couldn’t hear anything.Time was running out—I knew it.In the blink of an eye, I saw her leap through the second-floor glass window. I reached out in panic, shards of light scattering like thousands of butterflies, clouding my vision.She’s going to die if she jumps from here!»"No!" I woke up with a jolt, my hand stretched out as in the dream, trying to grab that… woman so much like me.Something wet streaked down my face, and I touched the tears on my cheeks with my fingertips.Was that a dream? It felt too strange, too vivid, and eerily unsettling. I glanced around, trying to calm myself, but when I didn’t see Elliot beside me, my anxiety returned."Elliot?" I called out as I sat up, shifting toward the edge of the rug.I expected to feel like I was falling apart after the physical exhaus

KATHERINEI hesitated before slipping my hand into an unknown space again. I glanced at my fingertip—it was already healing.The insane thought crossed my mind that maybe this hidden compartment would only open with my blood or my sister’s."If you’re already on the donkey, might as well keep riding it," I thought, twisting my lips into a sarcastic smirk as I took the final risk, praying I wouldn’t lose a limb.I reached inside the hole and felt something hard and metallic. Gripping it in my hand, I lifted it—it felt heavy.Through the dim light, my pupils narrowed to focus, revealing that I had found a small jewelry box.The bronze details shimmered beautifully, and the opal-like surface reminded me of the necklace I had given Elliot.I was so absorbed in examining it that I didn’t notice the shift in the atmosphere—the moonlight fading behind storm clouds, the air thickening, the darkness creeping in around me.Everything happened in a flashback.My entire body trembled. My eyes rol

KATHERINE"Wait, Vorath…" I tried to pull away when I felt him exhale against my sensitive skin.His possessive arms tightened even more around my body."When are we going to play like today again, Kath? I promise I won’t be rough, baby. I’ll ride you nice and slow, making it delicious… mmm."His teeth grazed my nipples dangerously, making them perk up with excitement.His entire body exuded a scorching, intoxicating heat of bergamot."I’ll thrust deeper and deeper. My animal form can give you so much pleasure, I know you liked it, little one… and getting you pregnant is even easier…"The hand under my ass squeezed, shamelessly kneading me, while the other held the curve of my back, his head buried in my cleavage.I hissed as heat tingled in my belly, clenching my fists in his fur, but I couldn’t let myself be swept away again by the primal instincts of our bond.I opened my mouth to find the right words, but someone beat me to it."Hey, damn wolf, stop trying to trick my woman right

BRENDACrouching low, I crawled backward across the cold tiles, trying to avoid being discovered.I slipped through the half-open doors and rushed toward the mirror, examining myself to make sure I didn’t have leaves from the forest or anything that could give me away.With my heart pounding, I practically threw myself onto the bed, just as the sound of boots echoed in the hallway.The door swung open, and Duke Thesio entered the room. His steps moved toward me immediately.I controlled my breathing as he stopped at the edge of the bed, scrutinizing me. Once satisfied, he turned and went into the bathroom. I opened my eyes in the darkness, calculating my next move.Damn idiot. What good was being a Duke if he was just an elemental? They would never compare to the power of true supernatural beings.Tomorrow, I would meet that vampire. Thesio’s days were numbered.*****NARRATORSeveral miles from the capital of Duke Thesio’s realm…"Shit, I thought I was gonna die tonight. It felt endl