LOGINShare
Nerves
Last Updated:
2024-07-12 22:56:45
Related chapters
A Marriage of Convenience What do we do now?
Chris stares at me for what feels like a lifetime before his eyes slowly move to James behind me, and then to Shawn on his right.The room fell so silent, you could hear a pin drop. I couldn’t even make out a single breath between the four of us.“Say something,” I whispered, “Please.”No one said anything. Not for another long pause before Chris audibly gulps, “Are you on drugs, baby sis?”“Seriously? That’s all you have to say?”Disappointment twists through my gut at his suggestion. Chris knows me. He knows that I’ve seen him at his lowest, and pulled him from the trenches more times than I can count. Hell, I carried a dose of Narcan in my car for an entire year out of fear for his life….“What else do you want me to say? I feel like that’s more of an acceptable question than ‘Do you need to be evaluated for a mental health crisis’. Fuck,” he mutters the curse under his breath.My fingertips curl into my palms as I move my gaze to Shawn, who is still sitting silently with an unread
Last Updated : 2024-07-13A Marriage of Convenience Cult
“Can I see it?” Chris questioned as the four of us walked through the woods towards Blackstone’s pack lands.James wore a look of irritation. Since we all left the house, Chris has had about a million questions. Some have been genuinely curious, and some have been downright ridiculous.The man had the audacity to ask my husband if that was why his dick was so big….I’ve been wearing the secondhand embarrassment from that since the words left his mouth. Reaching up, I feel my cheeks are still heated and I’m not sure that’ll ever go away.“See what?” James sighed, running his fingers through his hair. The strands are sticking up in every direction, a clear sign of his nervousness and frustration.“Your werewolf. That crazy thing that almost murdered me today…” Chris stared at James as if his question was stupid.“No.”Chris turned towards me with narrowed eyes, before fluttering them into a dramatic roll.“You’re acting like a child,” I hissed.“Tell me you didn’t want to ask when you f
Last Updated : 2024-07-15A Marriage of Convenience Redstone
“You brought the sacrifices?” Dante smirked at James, and if I hadn’t experienced who he was before now; I would be terrified. Dante was a large, burly looking man. His face held this permanent scowl when he wasn’t smiling.“What the fuck?” Chris squealed, his eyes bouncing between James and Dante in horror.“You’re a cruel man, you know?” James chuckled, walking up to Dante and clapping him on the back.“Rosalind, nice to see you again,” Dante winked before looking to both Shawn and Chris. Shawn’s face had remained impassive while Chris’ jaw hung loose from what appeared to be shock and confusion.I nodded at him with a knowing smile, and my cheeks heated when Chris’ head snapped towards me in confusion.“I’m assuming you trust these two?” Dante held James’ gaze for a moment, and a silent conversation passed between the two of them.“The water tested positive for extremely high levels of both Aconite and Fluoroacetate. Both of which are extremely toxic to wolves,” Dante explained.“So
Last Updated : 2024-08-02A Marriage of Convenience Target
“Just Jeramiah Red,” Chris rolled his eyes. “The one and only CEO of Red Pharmaceutical. Father of the year to the outside world to his two, Golden children. Part of the top two percent. He’s a real fucking gem.”“No,” Dante shook his head, “I know that name. Jeramiah isn’t a common name. There is no way it’s a coincidence.”“Trust me when I tell you, my father may run a company, but he’s no Alpha wolf. He’s just a pompous asshole who thinks he’s better than everyone else because of his namesake,” Chris spoke through gritted teeth.His words made me frown. I’d always looked at my father like a God. He was kind, smart, and attentive. He would always smile when my mother never did. He treated me with respect when I chose to follow my own path, rather than suggesting I should be some rich trophy wife.But after our interaction about the Aconite pills, I’m not so sure how I feel. And then there is my issue with Marina. Why did my father have those photos locked away in his safe? A progres
Last Updated : 2024-08-02A Marriage of Convenience Figure it out together
“Can we talk?” Chris crossed his arms over his chest once we arrived back at the house.His features were stuck in a permanent state of frustration that only grew worse the closer we got to the house. Chris was never one to remain silent. The man didn’t know how. Even when he was younger, he was like a tiny politician. He had an answer for everything. An explanation for the unexplainable.But right now, he was silent.“I’ll wait in the car,” Shawn nodded with a tight-lipped smile, and just as I was about to protest, Chris offered a thanks. James pressed a kiss to my temple before his lips brushed against the shell of my ear, “I’ll be in my office.”“Would you like a drink?”“The strongest shit you have,” he muttered, sliding open the patio doors and stepping out without another word. His shoulders slumped as he gave me his back before flopping backwards onto one of the loungers.I hesitated staring at the array of liquor we had before settling on just grabbing the entire bottle of sc
Last Updated : 2024-08-03A Marriage of Convenience A promise
“What do you want to do?” James whispered, peppering my shoulder with soft kisses.My lips pulled into a frown, “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I think today shockingly turned my brain into mush. I don’t even know how I’m going to go back to work tomorrow.”“Take the day off.” James’ voice soothed my soul as his fingertips applied just enough pressure to my aching muscles. “In three years, the only time I’ve seen you take off is when you were attacked by a shark and Dr. Orth refused to allow you to come in.”His fingers moved to my shoulders, and a groan bubbled from my chest, “But I love my job. I don’t think taking off for miniscule things is very Rosalind Red of me.”James chuckled, “Might I remind you that finding out your family are werewolves isn’t just a ‘miniscule’ thing?” There was a playfulness to his tone that instantly made me relax. That and the fact that his hands were magical.“You and Onyx really surprised me today.”I’ve seen James get jealous. I’ve heard Onyx spea
Last Updated : 2024-08-05A Marriage of Convenience Detail(James POV)
“I need a favor.”My office was quickly cleaned and put back together with new furniture and décor.Throwing my expensive leather dress shoes atop my new desk, I impatiently wait for Dante to respond. After what feels like a lifetime, I hear him sigh on the other end of the receiver, “Why is it that every time you say that, I feel a new wrinkle forming?”I groan in frustration, “Are you going to do it or not?”“Depends,” he chirps, pausing again just to piss me off. Unfortunately, Dante being my uncle makes him think that he can also be a pain in my ass. “Is this going to hurt your beautiful wife?”“This is for my beautiful wife,” I speak through gritted teeth. I want to be irritated with Dante for questioning me, but the fact that he’s willing to put Rosalind first warms my heart.‘He’s a good man. Very smart,’ Onyx mutters in my head, making me roll my eyes.“Start talking,” he mutters.“I need you to run detail on Marina for a few days. She’s gone silent, and Rosalind confessed to
Last Updated : 2024-08-06A Marriage of Convenience Disguise(James POV)
I’ve never been inside of a Walmart before today. The place has far too many people moving around for my liking, and it smells like old fish.‘You’ve gone soft in your time parading around as a human,’ Onyx snarls, making me roll my eyes. He doesn’t understand the difference between a high-class supermarket versus this place. When you walk into my favorite family-run market, the smell of artisan coffee swirls around you. Baked goods linger in the air, and kind, familiar faces recognize you.Here, it’s like a swarm of bodies bustling through, tossing whatever junk they can into their cart to get out of here before the stench of old fish clings to their clothing.I need to make myself look like everyone else so that I can blend in. My face and style are far too recognizable and if I want to attempt to do what Dante does, I need to make sure that I look the part.The clothes section here has a surprising number of options, and I quickly grab a plain black t-shirt, black sweats, and a bla
Last Updated : 2024-08-07
Latest chapter
A Marriage of Convenience Epilogue(Goodbye)
One Year Later“I’ll never get over seeing you like this,” Shawn wrapped his arms around my body, his hands smoothing over the growing bump that used to be my toned stomach. “And this dress makes you look even more ravishing.”My cheeks heated as he thrust his hips against my backside to show just how much he actually enjoyed seeing me swollen with his child. Six months ago, I found out we were pregnant. Fear gripped my soul at the prospect of becoming a mother, mostly because this came out of left field. We’d been married for six months, and hadn’t been actively trying, but life seems to have a way of paving the way for surprises. “Later,” I peck his cheek, bringing my thumb up to wipe away the light red stain from my lipstick, “We are going to be late.”“Are you sure you want to do this?” Shawn stood up straight, adjusting his tie, while I smoothed out the bunching in my glittering red dress. He wore a black suit with a matching red tie, and we were about to be going to our first G
A Marriage of Convenience Closure
How?I stare at the card on the ground. Scribbled letters stare back at me in writing that I’d never forget. I memorized the way his pen strokes over paper. I can see where he wrote softer versus where the pen dug deeper into the cardstock.Our door was still closed, but I didn’t know how much time I had before Shawn returned.My heart was in my throat as I reached for the card, staring at the words written inside until my eyes blurred.Rosa, I am not writing you this to hurt you more than I already have, and as you already know, I’m not very good at articulating my feelings. I hope you’ll understand what I’m trying to say despite knowing that this will be a string of words that probably won’t make sense by the time I’m finished. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, nor do I expect it. I realized after Marina and I destroyed your wolf that I had made the wrong decision. I knew that Marina had used a powerful spell on me, and I didn’t care. I allowed the anger and pain from
A Marriage of Convenience Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Pierce
I let out an emotional chuckle, fighting the urge to cry.“I remember the first time you and I met. Chris practically dragged me over to your house to hang out, but I was terrified. The thought of being with someone famous made my skin feel itchy. I was just a poor kid with a shitty family life, and I was walking into a pristine mansion. But the moment I walked through those doors, your pale blue eyes, that reminded me of the sky when you look at it through the clouds, met mine, and you said, “You look like you could use some tea.”I let out another laugh, the memory coming back to me like it was yesterday.“You grabbed my hand and dragged me to your bedroom, ignoring Chris’ shouts, and pushed me into one of your chairs beside Mr. Giggles and Sir Pounce-A-Lot. We spent two hours talking over imaginary tea like we were old friends,” Shawn looked up towards the sky, his throat bobbing before returning his gaze to mine. “I didn’t know why I wanted so badly to have a tea party every day f
A Marriage of Convenience Three years ago
Two Years LaterThree years ago, my ex-husbands mistress woke up from a coma. Three years ago, I asked James Wood for a divorce. Three years ago, my life changed drastically. I fell apart, picked myself up, rinse, and repeat. But today; I’m healing. “You look so beautiful,” Chris’ girlfriend Sienna covers her mouth with both of her hands. Her chocolate brown eyes shimmer with tears, and mine instantly well with my own. Fanning my face, I take a deep breath, “Is this real? I still don’t think it’s real.”“Girl,” she steps closer to me, placing her hands against my arms, and spinning me around to look in the mirror. My hair has grown back out, even longer than before and falls just below my breasts. It’s finally back to blonde, but I keep a shadow root to remind myself of the hell I’ve overcame. A small nod to the time I spent in that cabin pretending to be someone else. I chose a subtle smokey eye for a more natural look. Warm browns bring out my blue eyes, highlighting the flecks
A Marriage of Convenience Get out of here
Chris is whistling in the kitchen, the aroma of coffee making my mouth water as I step into the open living room. Shawn came out first, walking down to the bathroom for a quick shower. “Coffee?” Chris already has a mug prepared, offering it out to me, “They didn’t have the creamer you liked when I was at the market. I hope you don’t mind plain vanilla.”It wasn’t my favorite, but I couldn’t complain much. “It’s fine,” I grabbed the mug, lifting it to my lips to bid myself an extra few seconds. “Thank you.”“If only I’d have bought ear plugs instead of that creamer,” he shakes his head, sighing dramatically.I choke, sputtering coffee over the side of the mug, and my hand, “You… You heard all that?”Chris sits his mug on the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, “Unfortunately so. The walls in this place are thinner than a fucking sheet of tissue paper. I’m half tempted to file a formal complaint against the builder.” I snort. I had heard Chris watching porn a few times through
A Marriage of Convenience Breakfast
I wake to the feeling of eyes on me. My heart begins to palpitate, and panic seizes me. “Rosie,” I hear the faint sound of a voice, but I’m terrified to open my eyes. “I don’t want to go back,” I whisper, feeling emotion clog my throat. “Please.”“Rosie, it’s me,” Shawn’s voice filters through the panic, and I quickly throw my head over my shoulder. It takes a few minutes for my heart rate to slow as I lock eyes with Shawn. Memories of last night hit me like a freight train, and the panic settles beneath my skin once more, but it’s different. I’m safe, and that’s what matters. “What’s going on, baby?” Shawn’s fingers hesitate before he reaches up, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I thought he found me,” my voice breaks. “Hey,” Shawn’s fingers cup my chin, holding it with such delicacy, “He won’t get to you again. I’ll make sure of it. You don’t have to worry anymore. I won’t hesitate next time.”“I hate that he still has this effect on me.”“There is no timetable to hea
A Marriage of Convenience Not conditional
Another growl bubbles from his chest as he scoops me up, my legs wrapping around his waist, and my heart nearly jackhammering out of my chest. I’ve dreamed of this moment since puberty. Maybe not this exact scenario, but Shawn wanting me. His lips on me. And I as I grew older, those innocent desires turned into something more sensual. The first time I ever touched myself was to the thought of this man who has his lips pressed against my throat. My back hits the thick quilt covering my bed, and I whimper as Shawn pulls away, looking down at me with a mixture of longing and fear in his eyes. “Are you sure about this?” his voice is bathed in fear, and I can practically see how fast his heart is beating from the pulse point on his throat. “Make me forget him, Shawn.” My voice is low and hoarse. “I want you.”“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear those words?” Shawn hisses through gritted teeth, his strong body hovering over mine. My fingers found the hem of his shirt, slowly lift
A Marriage of Convenience Feel something
“You have to be kidding me,” Chris groans at Shawn, his face twisting with annoyance. Flour clings to almost every surface, and the kitchen is going to need a deep clean, but this is the most fun I’ve had in months. It’s my life by Bon Jovi blares from the small radio set up on the countertop. “What?” Shawn shimmies his shoulders. “This is a classic, sir. You not enjoying it is just a sign of your bad taste.”“My tastes are modernly defined,” he narrows his eyes.“That’s just a fancy way of saying they’re crap.”“Says you,” he waggles a finger in my direction. A bowl of brownie batter is wrapped in my arms, but Shawn snags it away, sitting it atop the counter before lacing his fingers with mine. Our arms moved back and forth, palms attached, and I felt my lips pull into the first real smile since we’ve been here. “It’s my LIFFFFEEEE,” Shawn sang off key, “It’s now or never.”“I AIN’T GONNA LIVE FOREVER.”“I just wanna live while I’m alive,” Shawn spins me in a circle, tipping me
A Marriage of Convenience Six weeks later
We’ve been here for six weeks. Six weeks I’ve spent staring at the walls of this cabin expecting the boogeyman with shimmering green eyes to pop out at any moment.Once the shock of being flown here wore off, fear settled beneath my skin like a poisonous snake. I plastered a smile on my face for Chris and Shawn, but the days have been long, and the nights… even longer.I’ve learned the sounds of the forest surrounding us. The calls from the birds that chirp from the trees and the geese on the lake. Some days, the wind pushes the water against the shoreline, the sound of crashing startling me.I hate what I’ve become. It’s sickening to think that once upon a time, I was just a girl with the ambitious thought that she could convince her husband to love her.Now I’m afraid of my own shadow.“Rosa-lindddd,” Chris singsongs my real name, and I ignore him.Rosalind was dead. I was Rose now.I hated both versions of myself.The hopeful one that was naïve enough to believe in fairytales, and
