Novels by Jess Stanley

It would have been better if they were yelling at her.Serenity sat between Thorne and Noah as the darker-haired demon drove the car all the way back to their factory. She didn’t want to ask where they’d found the vehicle, or if it were stolen… she didn’t think it would be wise to antagonize them.After over an hour of driving, Serenity’s skin was starting to itch and she turned her head to Thorne, looking up at him. His brow was furrowed, his gaze on the road and she knew he was pissed. Gulping, she turned her head and looked at Noah.The blonde was looking out the windscreen, his jaw clenching and unclenching and the look on his face told her he was in just as good of a mood as Thorne.Licking her lips, she turned back to the windscreen and lowered her gaze to her lap.How could she have thought she would get away with this? Travelling to another city to talk to a Skin Writer and not have them find her?&ldqu

“No… It’s not.” Serenity put the glass down and leaned forward, wringing her hands. “I have done as much research as I can. But I can’t find the answers I need.”“And what are they, pray tell.”Serenity licked her lips and glanced at the door, to the pair of demons and her brow furrowed. She didn’t like the whipped look they had to them.“One of the tomes talks about the ultimate sacrifice.”“Ah yes… What a load of bullshit that is. There is no ultimate sacrifice.” Daisy waved her hand and Serenity blinked. “Demons are loyal, yes but they are also cowards. They will always save their own skin, over that of someone else.”Serenity’s mind instantly went to what Noah had done.How he’d left Thorne to the angel’s wrath.“But if they are the guardian of a Skin Writer, then yes, they may save her… if they ch

Having put Noah’s phone back exactly where she’d found it, it had been a waiting game with the pair of demons.They’d both come in to check on her. She’d pretended to be asleep. They’d fallen for it and had both finally gone to bed themselves. Waiting the hour, to make sure they were both asleep… that had been the longest hour of her life.Serenity didn’t want to be sneaking out, running off to another city without them, but she couldn’t go with them. Not when her questions involved them.She’d managed to slip out of the factory and ran down the alleys until she’d gotten to a road and flagged down a taxi. After a few questions from the driver, he’d been happy to take her to the bus stop and leave her there.Now, she sat in the back of the bus, on the way to another city and to answers which could only be given by another of her kind.The man who opened the door of the

“We can’t keep going like this, Thorne.” Noah’s muffled voice floated to her, and Serenity’s eyes fluttered open. “I know. But come on, you’ve seen the way she looks at us. I’ve seen the way you look at her.”Serenity lifted herself and looked around. She was still on the sofa, but a bottle of water had been placed on the coffee table. The condensation making a large puddle under it, she picked it up and gulped down half the bottle, straining her hearing.“I don’t care. She’s not a child anymore. We’re bound to her, and she’s bound to us. What the Horde wants and what the Horde gets, is two different things.”She put the bottle back down on the table and stood, creeping closer to the railing, but not close enough for the pair of demons to see her. She stared down at them, as they seemed to argue, Thorne’s hands waving wildly as Noah paced back and forth in front of hi

Serenity was curled up against Noah, almost asleep, when Thorne came back. His presence was a shift in the air, and she lifted her head, staring at him groggily. Thorne’s gaze shifted from Noah to her and back and it narrowed at the pair of them.She sat up, as Noah stood and walked over to him. “Well?”“Malveran will see us in three days. No sooner. He has to find a suitable location.”“That’s good.” Serenity said, stretching. She’d snuggled up to Noah, as he’d been scrolling through the webpage used by the Horde. He’d read some of the reports to her, but after a little while, she’d drifted off. Now, under the gaze of Thorne, she wished she’d just headed back to bed instead. “So, what do we do for three days?”“Train.” Noah said, turning back to her. “We can’t be caught out again.”“But I thought you said Malveran&

Noah growled and leaped over the coffee table, pouncing on her. His strength and momentum tipped back the sofa and she squealed as he landed on her, a blade coming to her throat. “I’d be careful, Serenity. I know of three other Skin Writers in the world. I could gut you right now and the world would keep ticking over.”She stared up at the flaming orbs of Noah before her gaze shifted to the side. Thorne was standing over them, an amused glint in his eyes. “You’ve pissed him off.”“I don’t care if I pissed him off, Thorne.” She snapped, turning her attention back to Noah. She planted her hands on his chest, ignoring the hard planes of flesh under his white shirt. He was just as good looking at the darker haired man who watched the exchange. She pushed against him, but Noah didn’t move. “You honestly think you’re going to find someone like me?”“There are plenty like you,

My hand went to my mouth, and I looked at Absinthe. Tears were on his lashes, and he closed his eyes, letting the drops slide down his cheeks. “Oh my god.”“Now you know. You know why I didn’t want to tell you about Johan, or where he was. It’s not the fear of you leaving Marley. Honestly, I could live with that, to know you are safe…” He opened his eyes, his irises almost white and I heard the pain and anguish in his voice. “It’s the fear of him taking the one thing—which is worth more to me, than my own immortality. That is what scares me.”My hand reached out to him, and I gripped his hand in mine, squeezing it. “As much as I want to be angry with you, I understand why you did it. But Abe… he has to be bought to justice for what he did.”“I know, and he will. I just need time to make a pla—” The phone rang, making us both jump and Absinthe reached out, pick

My hand went to my mouth, and I looked at Absinthe. Tears were on his lashes, and he closed his eyes, letting the drops slide down his cheeks. “Oh my god.”“Now you know. You know why I didn’t want to tell you about Johan, or where he was. It’s not the fear of you leaving Marley. Honestly, I could live with that, to know you are safe…” He opened his eyes, his irises almost white and I heard the pain and anguish in his voice. “It’s the fear of him taking the one thing—which is worth more to me, than my own immortality. That is what scares me.”My hand reached out to him, and I gripped his hand in mine, squeezing it. “As much as I want to be angry with you, I understand why you did it. But Abe… he has to be bought to justice for what he did.”“I know, and he will. I just need time to make a pla—” The phone rang, making us both jump and Absinthe reached out, pick

“Abe?”Absinthe slowly lifted his eyes, looking at me. “I was wondering when you would get here.”I closed the door to the library, and leaned against it, looking at my dark-haired lover.He looked sad. Lost almost and I sighed, walking over and sat next to him. We didn’t speak for a few minutes.His gaze couldn’t hold mine… that’s when I understood, and my heart broke into a million pieces. “You knew about Johan and Johnathan.”“Yes.”He knew… I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Why didn’t you tell me?”Absinthe’s bottom lip trembled, “Because I knew you would have a one-track mind about it. That it would cloud your judgement.”“What judgement? That he is as crazy as his ancestor—”“Father.”“What?”“Johnathan was Johan’s father

It had been twenty-four hours since the trial, and while things should have been feeling fairly normal… something was niggling in the back of my mind. Something didn’t feel right.I hadn’t seen either Absinthe or Rhayden tonight, but I knew I would probably have Rhayden between my legs any time—“Hey, what are you doing?”I looked up at Rhayden, seeing him standing at the door, arms crossed over his chest. He still sported the remnants of the braids I’d done the night before, and I smirked, returning my attention to the device in my hands. “Recovering from your brother.”“Was he rough with you Mars?”There was not an inkling of concern in this ass’ voice, and I rolled my eyes at him, flipping him off, which earned a chuckle. After Absinthe had fucked me three times, and sent me insane with pleasure, we’d laid quietly and not spoken. I had been drained, not only mentally,

I waved to Othello as his entourage took him out of the mansion grounds to a hotel owned by our kind, which would house him and the other coven leaders for the rest of the night.There was no fucking way I wanted them in my mansion any longer.It had been a rough night.There were moments where I thought I would have to fight Mathias, or tear my brother off him. But in the end, justice prevailed and Marley was safe.Speaking of Marley.I turned and walked back into the mansion, seeking out her scent.I knew she would be with Rhayden. Hopefully not impaled on him again. That, I had only just barely tolerated. While I knew they fucked, I didn’t want to see it.There.Turning to one of the four parlors in the lower halls of the mansion, I stopped at the doorway. Marley was sitting a small armchair, Rhayden at her feet and she was… was she braiding his hair?I chuckled as the pure bliss on my brother’s fac

The vampire at the end of the table had everyone’s attention. Even his so-called supporters stared at him as if he had just sacrificed a small child in their presence.Mathias sat down and leaned back in his chair, looking at us all. “It wasn’t Johnathan.”Wasn’t…? this guy was just so fucking negative. What the actual fuck?“It was. I saw the tatt—”“It wasn’t.” Mathias snarled, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was his brother. Kendrick didn’t like the fact his brother had been slaughtered by Absinthe.”“I did not slaughter him. He attacked me.” Abe spat and Mathias rolled his eyes.“Whatever. Kendrick said Absinthe had no right to ruin his family’s legacy like he had. Johnathan’s final wish was to destroy his own coven, kill out the bloodline. He never liked the fact he was a vampire. Never accepted what he