sie

in my apartment, tu

by the ghosts of a future

kitchen and marched to the bedroom. I open

es. The ticket stubs from the movies where we sat in the back row, igno

lve

d us if the concentration was high enough-but this was a low-grade alloy. He had sworn

looked like

photos. Then his spare hoodie that

n't crying. I refused

g-do

led, sensing him a spl

the door a

ite roses-my favorite. He was smiling, that charm

elvet. Like he hadn't just ripped my heart ou

wave of nausea rolled through my stomach. It was phy

Alpha?" I asked. My

forcing me to step back. "Don't be l

o pull me

backward. My skin cra

g to eat her vegetables. "Dessie, look at the big picture. The

g at the roses. "What abo

nd. "We can still be close. You're

et pocket and pulled out

It was blank. Signed by him. "Fill in whatever number makes you

me off. He was paying for my silenc

is fixes it?"

tch. "It's about being practical. Chanel understa

ita

d his eyes lit up. A look of hunger and excite

traightening his tie. "Pac

l mirror. It wasn't a border report. It was a te

I said. "

He turned his back on me. "Get

t, leaving t

with the cloying sweetness of the roses.

front of the toilet. My body convulsed, emptyi

inst the cold

n't just

been so busy with the defense grid I hadn't n

nt to my f

N

harp, pierced th

An Alph

raise it with Chanel. I would be nothing but t

the emergency kit under the si

on the edge of the tub, st

inct pin

ant. Pregnant by the man who just offered

he white roses mocked me. The blank c

our memories. I threw the roses in.

down to the pack's

hit my face, drying the

bag in. The flames roared, consumi

" I wh

there was noth