Novels by Josephine Smith

Not just in the way that sight naturally adjusted in the dark. It was clearer, too clear. I had somehow stepped closer to the scenes without moving at all.I could make out the faded silver coating of the streetlights, the subtle sway of an old porch swing, the flicker of movement behind curtained windows, the creases on the skin of passing strangers.A dull pressure settled behind my eyes, like a harsh whisper scratching against the inside of my skull and it itched.Then the sounds came.Dampened and muffled at first, like voices heard underwater, indistinct but present. A wooden door creaking open, a burst of obnoxious laughter from a group walking home, a low conversation threading through the air.“...definitely here...““...yellow doesn't go with green...““...Tess is such a bitch you know...“It went on, with names I'd heard before and with unfamiliar voices. A rush of static buzzed in my ears as if I had tuned into too many frequencies at once.I squinted my eyes shut as I trie

What? I flushed from the idea, shuffling my feet before turning away sharply to grab my clothes, putting some space between us.I swallowed, gripping my towel tighter. “I should get dressed,” I murmured before turning to face him with my clothes held against my chest.He blinked, seemingly surprised before he nodded and moved to face the door. He didn’t leave. A small smile grazed my lips.Tension stayed thick in the air between us but my paranoia was long gone. I quickly changed into a pair of large comfortable grey sweats. My fingers trembled all through despite the warmth lingering on my skin.I could feel Ethan, his presence, his awareness of me, even with his back turned. By the time I finished, the air in the room had shifted, but neither of us acknowledged it.Not yet.Ethan remained where he was, his back still facing me. His head tilted slightly, his dark hair tousling. It felt like he was hesitating before he finally spoke. “You expected me to leave entirely, didn’t you?”Hi

I stayed perfectly still, hoping to hear something more. Nothing. After a long pause, I released a slow deep breath and shook my head. Maybe I was being paranoid. Maybe.Still, I reached for the door and made sure it was locked before turning away. “Worrying won’t do anything,” I whispered to myself.My parents would be here soon, and if nothing else, I wanted to look presentable when they arrived.With that thought, I grabbed some fresh clothes from my bag and headed to the bathroom where an ivory bathtub waited. Lined up on the marble counters were countless bathing products and a particular pomegranate-scented bath bomb that caught my eye.The warm water helped ease some of the stiffness in my muscles. I scrubbed away the lingering exhaustion from the trip, letting the steam fill the small space, cocooning me in temporary peace.But it couldn’t wash away the restlessness in my mind.Even as I lathered soap across my arms, Higan’s face resurfaced in my thoughts, his infuriated stare

The plan was to stick around for whatever conversation would be held between Ethan and Alpha Harris, but that plan quickly fell apart as Khalid insisted on escorting me to a bedroom.“You know it won't necessarily stop me from eavesdropping,” I whispered to Khalid as we climbed up the carpeted stairs.“Have you ever wondered how pack members can't really hear what is discussed by their pack leaders in their homes?“ Khalid countered with a sheepish smile as he dragged my suitcases behind him.“I'm guessing there's some magic involved,” I remarked, tugging my duffle bag closer to my shoulders.“Precisely and I promise you, your ears won't like the attempt,” he warned with a clipped tone.I wondered what he meant by that but I yielded anyway. One, I was too tired to discover whatever secret they were guarding right then. Two, there was someone in the house I wasn't comfortable with and I needed to be aware of his every move.Higan. They had left him out of the conversation too and he had

“A well-known one apparently,” I retorted with optimistic sarcasm.The last time I was at their place in town, I never picked up on this flock of cars. Whose were they? It was Springville after all. However, the more I stepped down, the more I realized I recognized some of those cars in waiting. And, as if called upon by my fears, I watched the boy of my nightmare climb down a black G-wagon.Higan Sinclair.I halted my steps as my heart stilled. I hadn't seen him in so long yet suddenly he was right in front of me. The slithery discomfort coiled in my chest like a snake as I watched Higan step closer.Even after months, my body still betrayed me. My heart stilled, then stuttered, as if caught in a moment it had long since lost the right to care about. I forced my breath to even out, reminding myself that he wasn’t anything to me, that I was stronger than the damage he'd done to me.Whatever claim he had on me was non-existent.But then a question rang loud. Why was he here?More than

Things had settled down in the plane but my mind refused to.The edge of my fingers hovered over an open book in my lap, my eyes skimming the words without really absorbing them. I'd picked it to pass the time as we continued to head for Springville.Control. That’s what I was supposed to be learning. But how could I even begin to grasp control when I wasn’t sure what was real?"Oh, little one, things are about to change for you.“The words still sang in my head, low, guttural, and amused. It was also familiar in a way that sent a shiver down my spine.It sounded like my wolf. I'd heard her many times in my dreamscape but it was the first I'd heard her speak in my mind.But that didn’t provide much of an information. Wolves didn’t just speak in their human mind. That wasn’t how it worked. There were special circumstances, sure like deeply bonded mates shifting, sacred rituals, and moments of absolute desperation. But this? This was something else entirely.The sound of rustling made m