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The safe
Last Updated:
2024-04-26 22:19:17
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A Marriage of Convenience Shock
The sound of footsteps has me rushing to shove to scoop up the photos and the medication bottles into my bag. My eyes met Shawn’s and guilt etched into my soul as I masked my shock with disappointment, “I got in, but there is nothing inside that will help me.” “I’m sorry Rosie,” Shawn’s lips pulled into a frown. “You’re not crazy. I remember the pills and the movie night. I’m sure we will figure it out,” he walked over, wrapping his arms around me as the guilt intensified. “It was so long ago, I don’t know why I even care,” I lie, “I guess my father’s insistence that it never happened fueled this need to prove that it did.” “I get it,” Shawn whispered, running his hand up and down my back. “The last time that you experienced one of those episodes was terrifying.” “I’m surprised you remember that.” Something felt so wrong being tangled within his arms as it felt right, and my mind was confused about what to do. There was this deep ache to feel some form of connection, but at the v
Last Updated : 2024-05-01A Marriage of Convenience Starved for attention
James’ brows pinched together as his emerald eyes roamed over my face. The tips of my ears still felt hot as I forced myself to look at his eyes, and not the rest of him.He grabbed the towel around his neck, wiping it over his forehead, “What are you talking about?”“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I spat, feeling everything from the day fill me with more anger than I’ve ever experienced.“I’m sorry, but I don’t,” he looked genuinely confused, and for a fleeting moment, I questioned the truth behind Edwards words. But then I remember the man standing in front of me. He gets what he wants, and it doesn’t bother him to play dirty.“Fifty million dollars ring a bell?”The muscles in his jaw flexed as his teeth ground together, “I should have known he was a snake,” James growled under his breath.“He’s the snake,” I scoffed, shaking my head as frustration bloomed in my chest. “You’re the one who tried to pay my lawyer fifty million dollars to disappear along with our divorce!”
Last Updated : 2024-05-01A Marriage of Convenience Confusion
It was as if my brain and mouth had entirely disconnected from each other.I simply stared at the scattered photos on the ground.Why did I have them? How do you tell your husband that you found photos of his other mate in your father’s safe while simultaneously finding Aconite?“Rosalind,” James’ voice had an edge to it as his fingers gripped my chin, forcing my attention back to him.“I found them.”His brows pinched together in confusion, glancing down at the discarded photos one more time before meeting my gaze, “What do you mean you found them?”I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to force the right words out, but I found myself swallowing down every attempt.“I found these in my fathers safe…. Along with a bottle of Aconite that I think he used to give me when I was younger.” I blew out a heavy breath, not daring to look at James.He squatted down, gathering the photos, and looking at them one by one. His large fingers creased the edges as he went through them again and again.“I
Last Updated : 2024-05-02A Marriage of Convenience Fallen (James POV)
Rosa’s bright, honeyed eyes stared at me in shock. As if she never thought those words would ever leave my mouth.“I have fallen in love with you, Rosalind.”Every moment I spent with my wife, learning who she was. Getting to know the woman that I’d so callously pushed aside for years has showed me what a fucking fool I’d been.And to be honest, I don’t deserve her forgiveness, but I’ll be damned if I don’t try to earn it.The moment she left me standing outside of that church, I knew I couldn’t fight the four-letter monster any longer. Sure, I’ve never been against love per-say, but I simply imagined it going differently in my head.With Onyx gone, I had to fall for Rosa in the way that a human would. Knowing that she’s my mate somehow makes me feel like I’m on this high that I’ll never come down from.Her glassy eyes move to the photos in my hand, and then the bottle, before lifting to meet my worried gaze.The one thing that terrifies me the most is her not feeling the same way.Sh
Last Updated : 2024-05-02A Marriage of Convenience Intruding
My body felt like it was working on autopilot as I followed James into his aunt Joan’s home. Her face was set in a permanent scowl; her arms crossed tight over her chest. James held his head up high as he walked through the front door. I followed closely, feeling as if I was intruding on family matters. The man named Dante sat at a small table for four, chewing his nails. The moment his eyes met James’, I could see the apologies he wished he could speak out loud. “Your mother raised you better than this, James,” Joan shook her head as she flopped into one of the creaky wooden chairs. James ran his fingers through his hair before sitting in the seat across from Dante. I hesitated a beat before Joan’s eyes found mine, “You are part of this family. That seat right there is yours.” She’d softened her voice when she spoke to me, patting the table in front of the only empty seat. “I’m sorry, James,” Dante muttered quietly, but Joan interrupted, “You should be sorry. The both of you shou
Last Updated : 2024-05-03A Marriage of Convenience Target
“Well spit it out,” James growled. I don’t think he realized that Dante had skillfully waited for the perfect moment to drop that bomb into the conversation, and I couldn’t agree with the timing more.The thought of Marina makes my stomach churn. “Like I said before, since your appearance at the Gathering, there has been a lot of talk. The werewolf community doesn’t consider you an Alpha anymore, given your lack of pack.” Dante looked nervous, which was comical considering the man was massive and covered in tattoos. “There has been talk about finishing the job that the rogues started,” Dante started, pausing for a moment to reach James’ angry glare. “You still think a bunch of rogues outsmarted me?” he spat through gritted teeth. The air in the room thickened with tension, making it hard to breathe. “I don’t think anything,” Dante snarled. “I know you were attacked. I know we don’t have names on who did it. And based off the information I’ve been given; I know that Rogues were pai
Last Updated : 2024-05-03A Marriage of Convenience Broken
“Are you okay?” James glances over from the driver’s seat. I force a smile, “Do you want the honest answer, or the one that will pacify you?” “Rosa,” he opened his mouth, releasing a heavy breath, “I don’t want you to ever simply pacify me. I want the truth. All of it. Even if it hurts like hell.”I nodded slowly, not expecting that response. “I’m not really sure if I’m okay. I feel like everything that happened when I’d found out you were a supernatural creature doesn’t even compare to what’s happening right now.” My head falls to my hands, and I scrub my eyes with my palms, “Nothing makes sense.”James’ hand gently grabs mine, pulling it from my face and up to his lips. The soft skin brushes against my knuckles, and for a brief moment; I feel like everything is going to be okay. But that moment is so short lived, I don’t even have time to enjoy it. “Why does someone want you dead?” Out of everything I’ve found out today, that’s the thing that has stuck out in my mind. I can’t w
Last Updated : 2024-05-05A Marriage of Convenience Bring Onyx back
“The first time I felt him again was when you’d gotten hurt at the hospital,” James whispered, looking away from me for the first time. His eyes screwed shut and his features morphed into those of pain. “When you’d fallen and cut your head.”What a day that was. “What exactly changed?” I finally pulled away from his face, urging him to pull over to the side of the road so that we could continue this conversation. He nodded, continuing to look as if he was going to be sick at any moment. “Honestly, I think it was your blood. I was sitting with the doctor in the other room, and the scent of copper mixed with what I now know was your scent carried me back. I felt Onyx fighting against whatever has been keeping him away,” James leaned his head back, staring out of the open sunroof. “What do you mean by something keeping him away? Do you still feel him?” His head lolled to the side, “It feels like he’s in a little glass box in my head.” A ghost of a smile graced his face, “And before
Last Updated : 2024-05-05
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
