KAILIAfter Chris went for his job, I found it extremely challenging to concentrate on any aspect of my work for the remainder of the day. My mind was going in circles as I contemplated the prospect of Avey being in my immediate vicinity on a consistent basis, as well as Ainsley's stunning revelation from the previous day.I stopped even trying to work somewhere around lunchtime and instead sat in front of the television to watch romantic comedies until Chris got home from work.As soon as I heard his car pull into the driveway, I jumped to my feet and ran to the front porch, where I waited for him to exit the vehicle.He welcomed me with "Evening, Kaili," as he climbed the short flight of stairs that led up to our apartment.Before taking my hand and guiding me into the living room, he gave me a little kiss on the cheek."Chris, are you sure that everything is okay?" I inquired while maintaining eye contact with him. He had a pallid and perspiring appearance, and his leg was bouncing
KAILIAfter I stepped out of my room wearing my dress, it had been a bit difficult to convince Chris to leave the house without him taking my clothes off first.However, we were finally able to arrive in the casino at eight in the evening. Chris escorted me to a seat in the vicinity and then dashed off to go over some last-minute details with Marcus, leaving me to observe the goings-on around me while I sipped on a beverage."It really is very remarkable, don't you think?" A question was posed in a casual tone by a male voice. A peculiar looking man in a tuxedo and holding a martini approached and sat down on the seat beside me. He gave off the impression that he was trying to pass himself off as James Bond.I responded with a noncommittal "Indeed it is" while taking a swig from the beverage I was holding.The weird individual asked while also taking a swig from his own beverage, "So, who are you to Chris over there?" He asked this question with a menacing glint in his eyes."His fian
ChrisThe casino's official opening went off without a hitch, and business was brisk throughout the day. In spite of the fact that I was a bit concerned about what Kaili had said, I had faith that she would tell me about it when she had promised that she would.After the casino had opened its doors, I found myself in a position of relative uncertainty. A few days before the court case, I didn't especially want to hunt for a new job in Las Vegas if I gained Avery back and could make an informed choice regarding Kaili, Avey, and my future.As a result, I spent the following few days either reading up on how to behave in court or simply hanging out with my lovely fiancee and gaining a deeper understanding of her than I could have ever imagined.I woke up bright and early on the morning of the court date, far before my alarm went off. The day of the court date came bright and early. My stomach was in knots, and I could feel a cold sweat coming out on the top of my head.Kaili whispered in
KailiI couldn't believe we'd done it.We had succeeded in rescuing Avey from her mother, who was a wicked witch.It all felt like a dream at the time, but as I saw Chris's young child devour her cheeseburger and grin when she got the hiccups, I realized that it was all perfectly real.After the burgers and ice cream, we went to watch the newest Disney movie, and by the time it was through, Avery was sound asleep in the back seat as we drove home. She exuded an air of serenity and contentment, which was a marked contrast to how I remembered seeing her in the past.Chris said something to the effect of, "So," as he slowly drew into the driveway. "Don't you have something to tell me?"Since the time I made the promise to tell him everything following the conclusion of the legal proceeding, I had been dreading having to deliver on this. I responded in the same subdued manner, "I do; but, I think for the time being we should get Avery into bed.""No room for debate there," I said. Chris p
Epilogue — ChrisWhen we finally succeeded in getting Avery back from my ex-wife, things became extremely hectic, and the next several months were a haze of activity as we prepared to relocate to the Northeast.My decision to work for the mountain resort ultimately led to my acceptance of a position there. When she wasn't taking care of whatever pack business needed to be taken care of, Kaili found work as an art instructor at the local college. This didn't take her very long at all.Do your best to pack.I had no prior knowledge of shapeshifters, but after witnessing Kaili transform into a wolf in front of me and experiencing the sizzling sex that followed, I became a solid believer in all things paranormal, that much was certain. I never knew that shifters existed.Avery was thriving and happy in New England, with our small family of three, the forest that bordered our property that she explored as often as she could, and the horseback riding lessons that she insisted on taking befo
I dug my toes into the soft white sand and looked up at the golden and red sky. The water was blue all the way to the horizon, and the first sunbeams were just starting to shine on its surface. It was quiet on the beach, so I closed my eyes and let the Caribbean breeze kiss my skin one last time.I had been running away to Isla Mujeres for years. When I had a few days between cruises, I would go back to the tiny apartment I rented here. It was just a few steps from the ocean and a place of peace and quiet. I would eat seafood that was brought in fresh every morning by a fisherman who lived two streets away and was expertly cooked by his tiny, old grandmother at their little storefront. I'd relax in the bright red hammock I'd strung up in the backyard, read, take naps, and enjoy the peace and color of my own little piece of paradise.It was a beautiful life built on an ugly lie.Every day I was here, I told myself it was fine to treat myself. That I was "finding myself" and that my tim
As soon as I put the car in park, I let go of my white-knuckled grip on my fingers. I just sat there for a moment and let my heart rate slow down.I may have learned to drive in this exact Range Rover from the mid-1970s, but that was when it was just a broken-down shell. Between the time I left home and the time he died, my grandfather turned it into a "project" and lovingly over-engineered it until it was a complete monster. In the meantime, I had hardly driven at all during that time.It would be an understatement to say that the long trip down mountain back roads covered in snow and the change to the busy streets of downtown Boston were not fun. I'd spent most of it complaining to myself that I wouldn't have to make this drive at all if my grandfather hadn't spent so much time on the perfect metallic Ardennes green paint job and so little time on pack business. We would have all been better off with a proper succession plan than with a dashboard that was modified to hold so many hi
I let myself have a moment of pure satisfaction as I looked at the reservations spreadsheet on the iPad at the front desk. In the hospitality business, January was often a slow month. Even in cities like Boston that are doing well, most businesses had to work harder to keep sales up after the holidays.The fact that A Taste of Magic was a shining exception to that rule gave me a lot of pleasure.It didn't matter what the pride said. It could laugh all it wanted about the "vanity project" Sam and I were "indulging in" while we put off growing up and taking our rightful places as mates to dominant females, as every good panther male should. But, like they always did, they were talking out of their rear ends. Sam and I were building an empire together in a quiet way. One that meant we'd never have to be submissive little house-husbands like my brother Benno and my father. I was going to be someone, and I had the proof in the form of a full reservations list and a balance sheet.Even thou