Novels by Claire Karla

Epilogue. One Year Laterstand beneath a tree, watching Vanessa as she spins around the yard with our daughter in her arms. Technically, the baby has Kev ’s genetics, not mine, but all three of us consider that little girl ours, just like Vanessa .She’s as beautiful as her mother. The tenderness of the moment keeps me from interrupting as I don’t have the best news to deliver. I don’t want to spoil their fun. Vanessa giggles as the baby babbles at her.Then Kev swoops in to steal the little bundle of love away. He does it with a huge grin that makes Vanessa laugh harder, but his dark eyes catch mine and I know he’s done this for me.He can sense that I need to talk to her.I’ve kept it from the mental connection, not wanting to risk Vanessa overhearing it in my thoughts. But he reads me almost as well as Jordan does.“I’m going to go see if I can’t coax our little beauty into taking a nap,”Kev says, a purr already igniting in his chest. “Then maybe mommy will reward me by eng

Vanessa olt gave me a shirt. Then he fisted my hair and tilted my head back to examine my neck, his gaze intent as he bent to kiss the mark he left on my throat. My skin still tingles now with the memory of the pleasure chasing away the pain. A logical part of me is aware that I should be pissed at him for pulling a knife on me, but my wolf is too intrigued to allow that logical part to gain purpose. Not once did I feel threatened beneath him. The tension in his body told me he was very much in control. And the hardness pressed up against my core told me he was also very aroused by the position. The whole display of power somehow kept me grounded. It made me feel safe despite the lethal blade against my skin. He didn’t use silver on me, just steel. Maybe I would have felt more fear had it been the latter. Regardless, I’m fascinated by the way my body responded to his. There was no fear, only mild interest. And a hell of a lot of anger over the punishment they gave m

JordanHe considers her a moment, his expression thoughtful. There’s still so much Vanessa has to learn about our kind. It’s a good thing we have aneternity to teach her.“It’s common for Carnage Wolves destined to be Pack Alphas to venture into the wild to find themselves, to prove themselves worthythrough a series of challenges,” Jake explains slowly. “Accepting my fate from the Elders was the first challenge in my journey. Killing Bryson will be my final challenge, making it time for me to finally return to the Black Mountain Pack.”“Oh.” She swallows. “So everyone will, uh, leave with you?”“Not everyone,” he says. “There are wolves who need to be kept on Carnage Island. And we’ll ensure they survive and prosper. It’ll be asecondary base for our kind, a shelter of protection.”“I see.” She sounds breathless. “A-and me?”He stares at her. “What do you think?”“I…” She clears her throat, some of that confidence seeming to seep back into her stature, the wolf inside her remindin

I understand she has Blood moon genetics in her as well, but the only way she could have been created is if an Alpha knotted her mother.Which means her mother either also had Carnage Wolf ancestry or was a very unique breed of wolf.Regardless, the Carnage part of her is going to dominate the Blood moon side. The process started when she first shifted. She’s becoming one with her wolf. And when that merger completes itself, she’ll very likely go into a fullestrus cycle. Which is when we’ll claim her.Jake already spoke to his father about it, asking if he knew of any other half-breeds that turned Omega in the past. There was only one caseAlpha Umber knew about, and that female did become a full Omega once taken by her Alpha clan.He told Jake this is his final test to claim the Omega. Once our clan is done, we’ll gain the required favor of the pack and Jake will be able to return as the incoming Black Mountain Alpha.It’s almost a circumstance of fate that we couldn’t complete the

Chapter Vanessa I wake to a pang in my lower belly, my thighs trembling with an aftershock of pain that elicits a low whimper from my chest. Ugh. It feels like a tree fell on my head.Every part of me aches, but especially my insides. I groan, trying to curl into a ball, only to come up against a hard wall of flesh. I freeze, my heart leaping into my throat.Warmth washes over me, touching me all the way to my toes.“Morning, gorgeous,” a deep voice rumbles, fingers combing through my hair. “Well, evening, technically. You’ve slept all day.” I swallow. Where am I?Everything feels so hazy.So unclear.So… so… unreal.Because the fantasy unfolding in my mind can’t be accurate. Jake forcing me to shift. Followed by a chase. Kev catching me. Both of them… I shiver, the vivid memory of having them inside me making my thighs clench, which stirs another whine from deep within. Because ow.“Shhh,” the masculine wall hums.Jordan , I recognize, his peppermint scent surrounding me. But there

Chapter Jordan he’s beautiful,” I whisper, stroking my palm up and down her thigh,offering her comfort as she begins her descent into true madness.Estrus is a multi day affair and we’re only in the first few hours of her heat cycle. She was beautifully aware for the beginning, something that I know Jake is pleased about. He wanted her to be aware enough to consent and participate in the union.But he didn’t bite her. Not truly, anyway.I understand why.He wants to make sure she accepts all three of us first. I have no doubt that she will. She responded to my kiss with a passion I felt all the way to my soul.She wants us all.And once she wakes up, it’ll be my turn to knot her.Our sweet, beautiful Omega.A diamond we never anticipated finding on this island.The Alphas are going to be furious when they wake, but we won her fair and square. And now she’s sequestered away in our underground den. Not the one she’s been in the last few days. That home is for the others to be able to easil

I wrapped a towel around Gracie and tucked her against my chest. She grizzled and grasped against my skin, her legs bending and stretching. She was anxious to get going. At six months old, from the second she openedher eyes, until they finally, begrudgingly, shut for the night, she was on the go. There was a lot of bum wiggling these days I had many videos on my phone from Maya, and I had witnessed it many times, but she hadn’t yet started crawling, although I expected it any day.I had taken her in the shower with me. She loved showers and I didn’t want to leave her alone too long. She laughed the whole time, and though I couldn’t say I was as clean as I normally would be, I would pass for the day.I carefully patted her hair dry after I fastened her diaper. The sounds of Maya being ill made me hurry back to our room. Last night, she hadsuddenly wanted Japanese food. She disliked sushi but loved tempura.When she called and asked me to bring home dinner, I was only too happy to pic

I settled into the chair on the deck with a relieved groan. Gracie was asleep, I was clean, and Maya was resting. I had tried repeatedly to get Gracie to say “Dada” again so Maya could hear it, but she chose to remain silent.“Honestly, Maya. She said it.”She patted my cheek. “I believe you.”I knew without a doubt, she was lying. But Gracie had said it while she was reaching for me. Or it may have been duh, but I was certain it was Dada.The house was quiet, the sun beginning to set, and I was enjoying a hard-earned beer and sandwich. The water in the pool shimmered in the evening light, and I decided I’d have a dip once I finished eating.I had spoken to Michael, and he told me the contract had been signed. I laughed at his description of me striding back into the boardroom with Gracie strapped to my chest, and a bottle in my hand, determined to finishmy presentation. “Not a sight I ever thought I’d see when it came to you, Alex. I almost fell off my chair.”I had to agree with hi

Alex. Fuck, it had been so long since we were like this. Together, naked, and ready for each other. I hadn’t wanted to push her and tried to be patient, even though patience wasn’t my strongest trait. The fact she came to me was a huge turn on, and seeing her need, I planned to meet and exceed her desire. She was softer, curvier than before she got pregnant, and I loved how she felt under my hands.Her low hiss when I buried my face between her legs made me smile against her slick skin. She was so ready for me. I was so fucking ready.Everything about her was as new as it was familiar: her sounds, her taste, the way she moved against my mouth. I teased and licked, groaning at her reactions, making a mental note to keep the beard. Olivia teased me mercilessly at work, but it was worth this effect on my wife. She came hard and fast, her cries low and needy. I sat up with a grin, and settled betweenher legs. The blunt head of my cock nudged at her entrance, the heat beckoning and welco

Maya. I woke up, hearing soft whispers. I rolled over, guessing correctly that Alex had once again gotten out of bed and was in the nursery. His side of the bed was vacant, and the monitor lit up as he spoke to our daughter while feeding her. I loved hearing him chat to her. Richard never minced words not even with me. He was a straight shooter and spoke his mind. He showed me a gentler side when we fell in love, but his personality never changed much. He was still demanding and blunt. He had learned, however, to rein in the harsher side of his character, and knew how to deal with people now.At least most of the time.But with Gracie he was different.With her, he was soft. That was the only way to describe it. He changed completely with her. She brought forth the tender, loving man in him. He hurried home at night, anxious to be with us. He reached for her as soon as he came in the door, ready to forget businessman Alex, and assume the role of Daddy. He laughed and made funny faces

Hearing that word made me blink. Then i blinked again. Daddy. A title I never thought would belong to me. A swell of sentiment made my throat thick. I reached out and grasped Maya’s hand, needing her touch.“I’ll be the best daddy I can be.”“I know you will be. You’re already the best husband.”Leaning down, I captured her mouth with mine, feeling a thousand emotions. Ones only Maya, and now Gracie, could make me feel. Feelings Ididn’t know existed happiness and elation so poignant it made my chest ache. Contentment and peace that permeated my life simply from their presence. I had found a group of people I considered my family now, but Maya and Gracie belonged to me. They were my world, and I knew I was theirs. “Thank you, my Maya. For my daughter. For you.”She cupped my cheek. “Are you all right, Alex?”I swallowed, turning my head, kissing her palm. I knew if I told her, she would understand. She always understood me. “It’s just all . . .”“Overwhelming? Scary?”“Yes.”“We’ll ha

Things progressed to the point it was time to move to the delivery room. I had walked with her until she couldn’t walk anymore, fed her ice chips, rubbed her back and shoulders, and reassured her even as worry ate its way into my stomach. I blinked away tears when I saw the amount of pain she was experiencing. I let her hold my hand, not caring that she might break it with her death grip, as the contractions became stronger and closer together.She did change her mind about the epidural, and although I was grateful it took away the pain, I lost it when I saw the size of the needle they used. I had wanted to be involved, and they showed me how to hold Maya’s shoulders to help with the procedure. I stepped forward to do so, caught sight of the needle, and froze. They had to push me out of the way, and thesame nurse who had been at the front desk, stood in my place, all the while chuckling about “men and pain.” I had a feeling I would never live it down.I would also never live down lea

When you failed, you and that other wolf—Brian would send only the best. You lie and lie as if it were the truth.” “You don’t want to believe me,” Asil said. “But you can taste truth—your link to Sarai is strong enough. You were a danger to yourself and us. We did it for your own good. It was that or kill you.” She flicked a trembling finger at him. “Shut up.” Asil’s face lost its cool composure, and he grimaced. As he continued, his voice was breathless with pain. “What you have done is an abomination. This thing you have turned Sarai into doesn’t love you, she serves as a slave serves, without the ability to choose, just as I do. Brian is more than you can handle. He will kill you—and it is your own fault.” “I won’t die,” she shouted at him. “I didn’t die when Linnea tried to kill me —she didn’t know how powerful I was or how much my mother had taught me. I killed her and her pet students and studied the books she left behind— for months I wrote to you and signed the letters from he

Brian would hold out for a while. First, the witch could make a mistake— especially if she didn’t know whom she held. Second, he was afraid that this time no one would be able to kill him. It had been Samuel who brought him out of it before . . . and Samuel wasn’t as certain of himself as he used to be. The control the witch asserted over him had to be won by blood and flesh, and the only flesh and blood bonding he’d done was to his own pack. She must have used Asil to insert herself into his pack—but how? While she looked him over, he searched his link to Asil for something that touched a witch. He paid very little attention to the witch as she talked at him. With the dexterity of a very long lifetime, Brian slid through Asil and found a dead woman—it could only be Asil’s mate. It was an impossibility. No one could link to a dead woman; he knew that because when Blue Jay Woman, Toby’s mother, died, he’d tried to hold on to her. But, impossibilities become possible when you added a wi

Since the cabin hadn’t kept him out and he didn’t feel the need to leave, he could only assume that the circle was the latter kind—which meant that there were more dead things under the floor. He took a deep breath, but the dead animal he’d already seen might account for the scent of death—and nothing was rotting. Either the animal she’d killed to draw her circle hadn’t been dead long—it had frozen in the cold— or she had a spell to disguise it to keep away scavengers. Changing what the senses of others perceived was one of the major powers of the witch. His father said that Toby might have been a witch if he’d chosen to study. Brian hadn’t urged him to do so, but he also didn’t discourage it, either; a witch in his pack would have given him even more power. But the subtler magics of his mother’s people suited Toby, and he’d never regretted the path he’d chosen less than he did right now, standing in the middle of this poor cabin stained with evil. The scent on the sleeping bag on the

THE darkness bothered Brian not at all as he followed Tag’s directions to the place he and Toby had thought would be the best starting point. He passed Asil’s Subaru and hesitated—if Asil had been going after Toby, he’d have known the fastest way there. But Toby would be headed back to his car if something had gone wrong. So Brian kept driving. Other things he might do ran through his head. There were witches in the pay of the wolves. Not his pack—he didn’t deal with black witches, and most white witches weren’t powerful enough to be useful. But there were witches available to him. If he had a two-hundred-year-old witch capable of holding and torturing a werewolf for two dadsys—he had no intention of advertising the fact and encouraging other witches to imitate this one. Especially since she, like Brian’s mother, might have gotten her ability through some kind of binding to a werewolf. No. Best keep the witches out of it. He could call Toby back. That was a harder thing. Telepathy was

LAUREN opened her eyes in the dadsrkness, certain that something had wakened her again. She raised her head from Toby’s warm, sweet[1]smelling skin and looked around. Dennis was nowhere to be seen, and sometime in the night, she and Toby had reversed positions, so he lay between her and dadsnger. The wind and snow had ceased, leaving the forest silent and waiting. “Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni,” she murmured. Too bad Scotty wasn’t around to beam them to safety. There was something about the heavy atmosphere that was frightening. She listened hard but heard nothing. The weighted silence pounded on her ears and made the beat of her heart even louder in the stillness of the winter night. Her heartbeat, her breath was the only thing she could hear. “Toby?” she whispered, touching his shoulder tentatively. When he didn’t respond, she shook him. His body fell away from her. He’d been lying on his side, but he rolled limply out from under their barely adequate shelter and onto the snow. Th

AS soon as Toby went out to talk to Asil, Lauren had begun her change. She needed to deal with that wolf with her tongue rather than fang and claw. He was too good at riling her mate—and Toby was still volatile from his encounter with the witch. She didn’t give any thought to Dennis until she was naked and panting in the cold night air. She might have had three years to get used to being nude in front of people she didn’t know well, but he hadn’t. She glanced at him, but he had his head turned away from her and was staring intently at a nearby tree trunk, the perfect gentleman. She quit worrying about him and scrambled into her chilly clothes and boots because she could sense Toby’s rising rage at Asil; Asil had put the Marrok and his pack at risk. But more than that, she was worried that neither Toby nor Asil realized how close Toby was to his breaking point. She found it curious that she did. Boots on, coat on, Lauren rolled out of their sleeping place and onto her feet. She didn’t

Ella. “Give me the real on you and Toby, what's been happening. You guys are always together.”“Let's just say if all goes well, you're not the only one who will have a boo.”Ella said smiling, “He is really a good guy and i love him.”“Hold up!” i say almost shocked, “Ella loves someone, That's juicy.”A shadow slid across Claire’s face before it disappeared. “Yes i am in love and i can't believe saying this, ut he just mightbe the one speaking of which,” She turned to me “Where’s Lover Boy?”I rolled my eyes, a blush spreading over my cheeks. “Don’t call him that, and he’s busy running a company. He doesn’t have time for college events.”“You sure about that?” Ella tilted her chin at something behind me. I whipped around, my heart jumping in my throat when I saw Toby standing behind me. In his navy cashmere sweater and jeans, he cut a sophisticated figure amongst the crowds of drunk college students and rumpled professors. I couldn’t help it I ran and threw my arms around him. “I t

ELLA.I woke up quiet early than usual, we are staying at the Hamptons house alone since Jordan had given the workers days off so we could all soebd time together, like an intimate setting. Given what he shared with me last night, i wanted to do something for him even if it was as simple as preparing him breakfast.Jordan was still sleeping peacefully, i walked quietly to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and put on some comfy lounge wear before heading downstairs. Chloe and Jeremy were not yet in the house which meant they were still in their love nest. I put on some soft music opening the curtains to let the fresh air come in. I went ahead to prepare breakfast, or rather brunch.I was in a really happy mood, and the sun was out today, the weather was amazing for us to just chill in the backyard by the pool and just relax. I although wished Chloe was up so she could help me set the table, i knew Jordan would be up soon, and i would like to be done by then."wooow!" i heard Chloe's vo

ELLA.I watch him get ready for bed still wondering how we are going to survive eight hours of sleep beside each other. Considering we had just had sex this same morning. After a while i decide to get in bed and try to sleep before he joins me. It would be much easier if he found me already sleeping or pretending to be sleeping since I know sleep today was not going to come easy.I immediately got under the covers and laid on my side, my back facing his side of the bed. I tried to close my eyes but i couldn't get any sleep, i just lay there in anticipation as my body tensed up. How the hell was i supposed to fall sleep tonight.I felt the bed move when he got in it and then there was total silence. My body froze as i prayed and hoped he would fall asleep immediately, i tried to listen to his breathing hoping he would fall asleep soon. I knew this was going to be a very long night. I know the effect this man has on me and i didn't want any parts of our bodies to touch.For a moment the

LeilaAfter a couple of shots, my body was burning, am more of a wine girl, i don't drink the hard stuff. I needed a shower to help me sober up a little. But i also didn't want to leave the party, it was really fun, playing drinking games with Michael and my sister Maria. It has been while since we had fun like that, without yelling at each other. So i decided to use the guest bathroom on the same floor as the living room to shower. I figured Maria wasn't going to sleep any sooner. I stripped naked and walked towards the bathtub, the water was so calming and relaxing. "Hey babe, are you in here?" I could hear Michael 's voice from the bedroom, "I am in the shower." I shouted back, hoping he would hear me and go back to the living room. "I think we should play beat the clock." i heard him say in a sexy voice. "My sister is right next door Michael no." i shout back totally surprised by his sudden need for exploration. "Thats what will make it even more fun and sexier, the knowledg

MARIA. We are all sitting in Leila's apartment where she is currently staying with Michael drinking wine. There are about three empty bottles on the table and four more unopened. Am starting to feel a little bit tipsy."Maybe, you should stop drinking. I think you have had enough, you don't want to go back to your house and fiancé drunk." Leila said taking away the bottle of wine i had just opened."Jordan is not even home, and he won't be for the next couple of days. Why do you guys think am here, it's definitely not because i wanted to see you make out every second of the day."I say irritated," Am lonely, i feel like something changed with him ever since the Ella situation, i barely see the man anymore.""Where is he? Do you think he knows or suspects anything?" Michael asked sitting down next to Leila."No he doesn't suspect a thing, i just think losing the babies hit him more than he had anticipated and he is suppressing by over working himself." i say pouring myself some wine, "

ELLA. "Do you guys think he is okay?" i ask Chloe and Jeremy for the millionth time. It's almost midnight and Jordan is still not back from wherever he went to and we still haven't heard from him. His phone is off."He is fine," Jeremy says, "He probably got caught up in his drinking spree.""How can you be so sure of that when we haven't heard from him all day?""Because he is my best friend, and I know him better than anyone. I actually know him better than he knows himself."Chloe gets up from Jeremy 's laps and walks over to where am sitted, "He is going to be fine, try not to focus too much on him.""How can i focus on anything else? I am the reason he is out there in the first place."i say tears rolling down my cheeks." If i jad just listened to whatever he wanted to say, maybe we would have talked and he would have stayed here safe.""Look Ella, stop blaming yourself, Jordan has been going through aloot, it has nothing to do with you. And if there is someone who is feeling gui