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Thank you!!
Last Updated:
2022-10-02 09:47:29First off, I want to thank all of you who've stuck with me since the beginning of this book. I appreciate all the patience you've shown as I navigate through this bumpy part in my life. I've had a pretty crappy couple of months, from the many goodbyes in my life to a freaking hurricane interfering with everything, I've struggled to put anything into words, but I'm slowly coming back to myself.
There are a ridiculous amount of edits waiting to be approved (particularly at the end), but editors are on break, so it may unfortunately take a while for them to show. The word count should be over 120k once they are approved, but you may also have to log out and then back into the app for them to show.
Any feedback would be much appreciated!! Reviews and/or comments are an author's brainfood!
I do want to also touch base on the ending. I realize I've left some things unanswered. This was done intentionally because Gage will be getting his own book. However, I do not have a timeframe for when I will be writing that one as of yet.
My novel, "Ruined by my Bosses," is a CEO/Menage romance that is already live on the app with over 30k if you're looking for another book to read. I'm only writing one book at a time from now on, so it will be uploaded daily.
I also have a completed quartet on the app that begins with, "Mated to the Alpha of the North," if you're looking for more werewolf romances. Each book focuses on one couple, but the story is interconnected and has wolves, bears, and dragon shifters.
Thank you all for taking the time to read my novel! This one has been in my head for over a year, so it's nice to finally get it all out on paper so to speak! Happy reading :)
{P.S. I may consider writing kind of an epilogue/bonus chapter for this book if there's enough interest.)
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After the Downfall Epigraph
The Road Not TakenTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to way,I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.—Robert Frost—
Last Updated : 2022-04-30After the Downfall Prologue
Ten Years Ago Concern sparked through me at the sight of my father sprinting towards the driver’s side of the vehicle, my eight-year-old mind not comprehending the extent of what was happening around me, but I was already on edge from being roused in the middle of the night. My mom hurried over the center console as soon as the truck came to a standstill, fumbling with her seatbelt due to her shaking hands, but my dad didn’t waste any time, tearing off down the road as he closed the door behind him. The stench of burning rubber and gasoline filled my nostrils, and I couldn’t stop my right leg from bouncing up and down as I watched our surroundings whiz by in a blur, blaring horns and wreckage following in our wake. “What’s going on Daddy? Mom?” The questions spilled out at last as fear began to set in, but they remained unanswered as my dad weaved through traffic, blatantly ignoring the stoplights as we barreled through the semi-crowded streets. I was terrified of what would make
Last Updated : 2022-05-07After the Downfall Chapter One
Present Day I hunched in on myself as salty tears leaked down my face in rivulets, the moisture trickling across my cracked lips as gravity took over. It felt like I should’ve been all cried out by this point, having watched my mother, and now my father, wither away before my eyes. I knew I had been neglecting myself in the interim, but it was hard to think about anything with death surrounding me at every turn. I wrapped my arms around my legs where I sat in the hardbacked chair at my dad’s bedside, opting to rest my head on my knees while his eyes were shut, and I tried to envision what my future would look like with me by my lonesome. My mom had been the first to go, the nausea and hair loss she’d experienced signaling that her health was rapidly declining, but she’d slipped into a coma without us knowing the reason for it. Hell, the cause was unknown to this day. Nothing we tried could bring her back, and it seemed as if the light had left my dad’s eyes ever since the day that
Last Updated : 2022-05-22After the Downfall Chapter Two
I’d braced myself for the bitter cold beforehand thanks to my dad’s warnings about what to expect in this new world, but it didn’t stop the shivers from wracking through my slender frame as gusts of wind washed over me. The sky should’ve been lit up by the sun at this time of day, but it was as dark as if it was still nighttime due to the radioactive dust and ash still clinging in the atmosphere. My father had been an environmental scientist before the downfall of society, but all his knowledge hadn’t been enough to save him in the end. Numbness threatened to take over as despondency crept in with the memory of my parents’ deaths still raw, and I considered simply giving up for what seemed the thousandth time since I’d started losing my family members. Howbeit, some tiny portion of my head reminded me why I had to carry on, the promise I’d made to my dad replaying in my mind as I forced myself to take one step after another. On some subconscious level, I’d been imagining a complet
Last Updated : 2022-06-06After the Downfall Chapter Three
I was terrified that I might slip off as the motorcycle moved unsteadily through the trees, but that feeling faded the longer I remained safe, another extreme emotion filling the void as electricity thrummed through me. He helped me readjust my position after we were no longer in imminent danger, and there was no doubting that my rescuer was indeed a he considering the impressive muscles that I could feel flexing under my fingertips as he expertly steered despite the added passenger. I kept expecting him to slow down now that we had outpaced the wolves, but the male kept up the same breakneck speed, carving a path through the underbrush with a metal guard that I could see he’d attached to the front of the bike. Boom! Craaacck! Shit! I’d completely forgotten about the storm rolling in, but I evidently didn’t need to worry about it with this guy around. He was already driving straight into the mouth of a cave before the next rumble sounded, the pitter-patter of rainfall starting sec
Last Updated : 2022-06-07After the Downfall Chapter Four
I was tentative the second time around when it came to gripping Gage’s waist without the danger obliterating my boundaries to smithereens, but he only chuckled, grabbing my arms and yanking me forward until I was plastered against his back. My body was reacting in ways that I hadn’t experienced before, but I deflected, asking the first thing that popped into my mind, “You’re not worried about someone taking off with your stuff?” “Nah, it’s rare that I come across anyone this far out. I have a few spots all over the place for when I’m too far from home. No one has messed with any of them for the months I’ve been out here, but I also have some silver hidden near the entrances to deter shifters from investigating.” I was left with the distinct impression that he was leaving something out, but I trusted him, just the same. He’d already saved my skin after all, and he seemed to be in a hurry to leave now since the rain had forced us to take cover through the night and well into the next
Last Updated : 2022-07-01After the Downfall Chapter Five
I entered the faintly lit room behind Alissa, opting to stand regardless of the incessant throbbing coming from my foot when I took in the last two seats available. There was a metal folding chair, which Alissa had claimed for herself, and a dingy brown, leather loveseat as the only furniture in the spartan room. It seemed this area had missed out on the homey makeover Gage had spoken of, but no way in hell was I risking the creep, who was currently very conspicuously appraising me, ‘accidently’ brushing up against me. No thank you. So yeah, I would stand. My disgust was made all the worse when Alissa introduced him as Robbie, whom I knew to be the leader of this little community, and I was grateful for Gage’s intel while we’d been holed up waiting out the acid rain. “It’s Robert.” He snapped, anger flashing across his face, and he seemed sinister as the shadows converged around him in the shady corner, his all black apparel causing him to blend in. Smoothing over his features aft
Last Updated : 2022-07-02After the Downfall Chapter Six
I awoke with a start, the banging of the door slamming shut behind someone startling me up into a seated position, but I saw Gage’s familiar visage before I could freak out too much. “Hey Zoe, still in bed, I see?” He teased, but I was more distracted by the sight of what I was assuming was engine grease spotting nearly every surface of his visible skin. That was, until it dawned on me why he’d frozen in place, his voice turning husky at the end, and his hazel eyes zeroing in on my stiff nipples in the thin, black tank I’d gone to sleep in. I wasn’t planning to address why I’d fallen asleep in his bed, but I did need to muster up the courage to ask him about Robbie’s demands before he went gallivanting off again. Heat flooded my face, and I knew my chest was just as flushed as my reddened cheeks with Gage’s gawking. My brain was moving slow as I struggled to wake up, but it kept churning as I jerked the blanket back over my chest. Then, it hit me. “Still in bed? Is it morning?” I
Last Updated : 2022-07-03
Latest chapter
After the Downfall Thank you!!
First off, I want to thank all of you who've stuck with me since the beginning of this book. I appreciate all the patience you've shown as I navigate through this bumpy part in my life. I've had a pretty crappy couple of months, from the many goodbyes in my life to a freaking hurricane interfering with everything, I've struggled to put anything into words, but I'm slowly coming back to myself. There are a ridiculous amount of edits waiting to be approved (particularly at the end), but editors are on break, so it may unfortunately take a while for them to show. The word count should be over 120k once they are approved, but you may also have to log out and then back into the app for them to show. Any feedback would be much appreciated!! Reviews and/or comments are an author's brainfood! I do want to also touch base on the ending. I realize I've left some things unanswered. This was done intentionally because Gage will be getting his own book. However, I do not have a timeframe for w
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Nine
Silas didn’t need to ask why my mood had plummeted when he returned to walk back to the pack house with me, and he didn’t pressure me into anything when we were alone in the spacious room. Instead, he ran me a bubble bath, encouraging me to relax in the soapy water as he massaged the tension from my shoulders, comforting, “I’m sure they’ll both be here any day now, Bell. Atlas and Gage can take care of themselves, but I’m more than willing to knock some sense into them when they do finally make it here after all the worry that they’ve put you through.” I chuckled weakly at his attempt to bring a smile to my face, but it was transient at best, even if I had no misgivings about whether Silas would follow through on his threat if I really wanted him to. We didn’t end up continuing what we’d begun earlier in the evening, but Silas didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, holding me securely against his chest in the king-sized bed throughout the night without even a whisper of what he’d bee
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Eight
Needless to say, Silas, nor Slade for that matter, were pleased with the way things were turning out, but they couldn’t necessarily ignore the bond that had been formed between Rylan and Rhona. Truthfully, it would probably be just for Rylan to lose his chance at finding happiness given all the hurt he’d perpetrated over a period of years from what the males had revealed, but that wouldn’t be fair to Rhona. Moreover, I couldn’t help but think my epiphany would change things. I didn’t know everything about how the mate bond worked, but if I was correct and Alissa had been Rylan’s first mate, there was no doubt in my mind that her erratic behavior could have contributed to his crazed state of mind with her absence. I remembered how Silas had eventually confided in me how my distance was affecting our mental health when I’d overheard parts of his conversation with Saint above ground prior, and I felt confident the level Alissa had gone to would likely drive any man insane. It was conv
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Seven
Notwithstanding the relatively uncomfortable lack of furnishings and creature comforts in the cave, I thoroughly enjoyed my respite from reality with Silas as we took the time to solidify our relationship, but I knew our escape was drawing to an end. I felt the same soreness from when my canines had made an appearance, only the feeling was emanating from my whole body. It’d been hours since I’d claimed my mate, but it seemed the rest of my body was determined to catch up now. Silas was slumbering peacefully at my side as the pain woke me up, and I’d moved away from his body in an effort to not rouse him. Yet, he was awake a minute later, his familiar voice soothing some of my frayed edges as he explained what was happening, saying, “It’s time to shift, Bell. The pain will stop once the first transformation is complete. I’m here, baby. Let your wolf guide you.” The anguish deepened, and I writhed on the ground as my body splintered apart, an inferno razing its way through me, leavin
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Six
After everything we’d been through to get to this point, I knew every minute of heartache and pain had been worth it, and I beamed as the strength of our connection blossomed in my mind, seeming to branch out its leafy tendrils as I basked in the exhilaration flowing through me. The feelings spreading through me were beyond incredible, and my wail was the only thing I could hear as I floated high up in the clouds overhead, figuratively speaking of course. Even so, I wasn’t so gone that I didn’t revel in the feeling of Silas’s dick spurting deep into my rippling core, his hard body pressing mine into the unforgiving ground as he released my legs to fall forward until our naked chests were smooshed together. He was breathing hard, still brushing a few soft kisses across my face as we both came down from our zenith and laving his tongue over where he’d claimed me at long last. Sweat slicked our skin, cooling my overheated body as he pulled out, rolling over and positioning me to where
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Five
All thought ground to a halt in my mind; then, my brain kicked into overdrive, and I was blurting out the first thing to pop into my head, “Blaze was down. I got him with my daggers. There’s no way he was going anywhere.” My denial was prompt. Gage couldn’t be missing. It just couldn’t be true. Saint exchanged glances with Kat as he moved to put his arms around Mira, whom had tears leaking down her face for some reason. Silas pulled me in closer to his body, wrapping his own burly arms around my shaking frame. “I don’t know what happened between when you saw Blaze and when I did, Zoe, but I’m positive it was him that Gage was tracking. Maybe he was able to resist the poison longer due to him being an Alpha, but Gage and Atlas can handle him, regardless. Your uncle went out looking for him, so he’ll guide Gage back to our pack.” Woodsy oak and damp moss invaded my nostrils as Silas pressed my face against his chest, the coarse hair tickling against my cheek providing another sensati
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Four
“Shit! When the fuck did they join the fight?” Silas shouted, speedily setting me on my feet as he shifted shapes, sprinting after the rogue wolf. I wanted to follow them, worry for Rhona already blossoming in the pit of my stomach, but I made myself split off to hobble through the waterfall, intent on checking on the others. Not to mention, I was plainly in no condition to be launching a manhunt. Hell, I was barely standing on two feet by this point. The icy liquid washed over me, and I was spluttering as I advanced through the short cave until I reached the others, using the rocky wall as a support. All the females were on guard, Rhona’s scream having put them on high alert, but Mira threw herself forward once I’d made it within the circle of light, her voice frantic as she inquired, “Zoe! What happened?! Are you okay? Where’s Rhona?” I didn’t have the strength to keep standing upright, the weight of Silas’s and my own wounds coalescing to leave me feeling as if a hurricane had
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Three
There was instantaneous chaos surrounding me, and I sprung up onto my feet as I scanned the area, unable to see further than a foot or two in front of me. It was still dark outside, but I knelt down once more, fumbling around for my bag as I registered the females’ cries and the wolves scampering towards the exit. It took me a minute, but I was bolstered by Silas’s determined aura radiating back to me through the connection we shared. I didn’t question anything for now, simply grateful when my hand came into contact with the familiar worn canvas of my backpack, and I dipped out of the way of a shifter who’d nearly bulldozed over me in his haste to cut off the assault before it’d truly begun. A fleeting jolt of fear rocketed through me as I grasped that we were on our own, and I silently said a prayer that we could manage to keep the enemies at bay without Katya and Slade. I knew Silas was strong, and the other guys I’d been travelling with had proved they could take care of themsel
After the Downfall Chapter Sixty-Two
Silas and the others returned before I had the chance to panic too much, and they brought some much-needed provisions with them to everyone’s relief, even if it wasn’t much after it had been divvied up between the members of our group. It was enough to keep the girls calm and the shifters from complaining until the cows came home anyway, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe we were out of hot water. Still, I thought it wise not to bring the issue to everyone’s attention, knowing it would only throw the others into disarray if they hadn’t already figured out that something was up. While everyone was engrossed with filling their bellies, I joined my mate, asking in a low voice, “Is everything okay?” I didn’t miss the anxious look in his amber brown eyes, but he responded with a tight smile, saying, “It will be. I contacted Slade and Katya. They’re gathering a group to come meet us so we’re not traveling through the forest at such a disadvantage. The girls need rest before we move a
