CHARLOTTEHis fangs sank into my neck before I could blink, and a burning sensation swept through my veins.My mouth parted, but not a single sound came though, as I felt my head go blank in shock. A forceful wave of uncontrollable pleasure coursed through me, making me gasp out.My nipples tightene
Taide marked me.He fucking marked me.I bit my nails, pacing, my breathing sounding raspy.This wasn't happening, I told myself, placing my hand on my neck, but the shiver that zapped through my brain woke me up.Panic flooded in at once.He has unlimited access to my very being, and the worst part
CHARLOTTEMy hand rushed to the mark, in a pitiful attempt to cover it up.Shit!I should have locked the door!"Mads, why didn't you knock?" I asked, hoping I could divert her attention, but Madeline watched my actions, with worry written all over her face."Madeline," I berated, pulling my wet hai
"I asked if it was Reigh who marked you.""Oh," I blinked, "No.""Then was it Caeson?"This time my response came slower. "No."None of those two.I watched Madeline hesitate to ask for the last triplet. She didn't want to ask if it was Taide, because she knew what the answer would be.Over the year
CHARLOTTENot a sound could be heard, and only tense silence filled the kitchen air."Madeline," I called hurriedly to explain, but she only looked at me with hurt. She turned to glance at Taide, then at me, before slowly backing away."Madeline, I can explain." My voice sounded pained, "Please just
CHARLOTTE We were back at the dorms, sitting on the bed, and facing each other. We needed the privacy. "Alright, Char," Mads said, folding her hands across her chest. "Talk." It wouldn't be easy to say. None of this would, but I needed to do this. I closed my eyes, sighing, and opening them. "W
The girl on the right was taller than the rainbow dressed girl. The taller one pushed the shorter one down, knocking over the food trays. "Ouch, that's gotta hurt." Madeline winced, touching her back, and I had to admit feeling a little hurt for her. We were still looking over at the table, when a
CHARLOTTE "Good day sir," I greeted a customer as I took his payment, while wearing the best professional smile I could muster. I worked as a clerk for one of the hotels’ restaurants in the area. Right then, I handed the receipt over, watching as the customer went back to his seat. It was a Tuesd
Emma folded her hands across her chest, her mouth pulling up into a wicked smile, “Charlotte the Harlot.” Bitch. “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, shouldering past her, she wasn’t worth the energy engaging with her would require. “I thought you dropped out,” She said to my retreating back, “Thought maybe
At first, she texted me every day. Then, as weeks passed, the messages became less frequent, less ecstatic. I knew she and Sean had been working through their issues, but based on some of her recent updates—the ones I still hadn’t replied to—they had hit a wall. They had broken up. Madeline thought
FOUR MONTHS LATER CHARLOTTE Running laps had never come easy to me, and today was no different. My lungs burned as I pushed through the last lap, my sneakers slapping against the pavement in a rhythm that didn’t feel natural no matter how many times I did this. My breath came in short bursts,
He hadn’t even raised his voice, yet despite the distance, his words carried like he had just whispered them in my ear. Seductive and bitter. My damnation. “But you made it too easy, Harlot. You almost ruined the fun.” Harlot. It was the first time I had heard him call me that in months. All
But then again, what made me think I knew what strange was for Reigh? Yesterday had taught me that I really didn’t know anything about the brothers I had given my heart to. Caeson pulled away from the small crowd, ever the individualist. Always the grand tormentor. He refused to let me walk
No. It fucking burned. “I’d say I’ll miss you, Charlotte,” he continued, only loud enough for me to hear, “but I never lie.” No, he didn’t. Except when he did. “Go home, Charlotte,” he said with finality, pulling away from me. His words were soft, but his eyes were not. I could see the w
They were there to see me off. To remind me never to show my face on their turf again. But I refused to let myself be bossed around by the same people who had taken it upon themselves to ruin my life. Fuck the Deviltree. Fuck their elite group of preppy rich kids who had only made it this f
PRESENT DAY CHARLOTTE Whoever said a person’s world couldn’t go up in flames in the blink of an eye deserved an award. It was the best lie ever told. I stood alone, even though I was surrounded—by the same people who had set out to destroy me ever since I showed up at this school two years a
I started pacing the room, my mind racing through the words I’d planned to say. I knew I had to be strong, I had to tell her the truth, even if it was going to hurt her. “Madeline,” I said, my voice rough. “Sit down.” Her brows furrowed in confusion, but she did as I asked. She perched on the edge