*Rose*

We arrive at Mark’s castle, finally, and as the Alphas are unloading me back out of the deathtrap of a van–not on a stretcher like any sensible people but by trying to carry my bloated body–I take a moment to look up at the beauty of the place.

I am in horrible pain, but the moment I look at the facade of the large building that resembles a large estate more than a castle, and a feeling of peace and tranquility suddenly settles around me.

It’s beautiful. The Jacobethan architecture style, with its Renaissance flares and symmetrical wings in an off-white stone looks breathtaking with large red roses and...