My goal is to have Lycan's of Lunar Isle finished this month! I will then begin a short novella which will continue under this book! :) Don't forget to check out Alpha Caius and the Runaway Luna!
OpheliaSomething very strange was going on here.Edwards kindness stretched far beyond wanting me to know the layout of the top floor. Far beyond the odd lingering glances and the pathetic attempts at joking, and far beyond merely wanting to ensure my safety by suggesting I pick the bedroom directly next door to his.Not happening, buddy.Maybe if I were that girl—the one I was before—I would have fallen for it, but I wasn’t and so I recognized the signs immediately. There was no mistaking that pit in the center of my gut, the one that filled with dread and paranoia the longer I thought about his odd behavior.Edward Van Houten was flirting with me.No, I didn’t have much experience with men. Most of said experience was with Ryker and Jude, anyway. That didn’t mean I couldn’t tell when a male was interested in me.After choosing a room far away from his I locked myself away within it. I didn’t spare a glance at the four-postered bed or the wall of glass to my left, one that gave a pe
OpheliaThis was not going to go well.I looked around at the sea of familiar faces staring out at me. Ryker, Jude, Sterling, Nova, and Edward all scattered about, perched in seats around a rattan dining table.“You didn’t tell me we were getting the Brady bunch back together.”“You are still a part of this coven, Ophelia. As a coven we make decisions together. It’s important we stick to that now that we have a new member.” Ryker replied from his place at the head of the table. His hands sat clasped in front of him. A strip of tanned skin peaked out from his shirt where the fabric was unbuttoned. I caught a glimpse of hard muscle as he leaned forward in his seat.He continued speaking, but my mind was lost. Snagged on something he had previously said.… now that we have a new member …Astrid was a part of our coven now. I knew this would happen when I made the decision to put Kimberly in that room, but for some reason it hadn’t hit me as real until now.Goddess, did she know?The shar
Ophelia“They won’t get away with this,” Edward snarled.Ever since the others left he’d been on edge. The vine situation didn’t help his mood, but I wasn’t sure that was what had him all worked up. One look at his pink cheeks and I could tell it definitely wounded his pride a little, but this was something else.Shaking his head, he flicked his sun-bleached hair out of his eyes. They were the color of the ocean, and that should have been enticing considering I loved the waves surrounding Lunar Isle, but I felt nothing when I looked into them.“Their family has done nothing but suppress the people since they stepped into power. There hasn’t been a good Alpha since Alpha Lorenzo. That’s Alpha Ryker’s grandfather if you weren’t already aware.” Pulling back his shoulders splayed each hand out on the counters surface and leaned forward so that our eyes were level. “You won’t be staying with them. I won’t let it happen, and more importantly, your father won’t let it happen.”Who was he to t
Ophelia“Are you sure about this, dad? They’re going to try and use the bond against me.” I winced and rubbed my chest. The phantom ache was right there, stronger than ever. If I listened hard enough, I could hear it urging me to them. “It’s not the most pleasant thing, but I can resist. I’ll do what needs to be done, I promise.”The words tasted like poison, sweet and deadly.Edwards shock turned to disbelief. He looked up at me again and shook his head, miming zipping his lips. I held up a hand and told him to wait. He thought my father would be angry with me, but he didn’t know my father the way I did.My father wasn’t like his.“I know you will, my girl.” Warmth filled his voice. “Accept the Romero brother’s terms. You’ll spend your days with Edward seeing to our plans, and your nights under their roof. There are ways to temporarily dull the effects of a mate-bond. The ingredients are hard to come by, but I’ll have a friend procure them and bring them to the island. It may take a
OpheliaThe ripples in the water fell flat and the herbs began to float to the surface. I stared at them, watching them swirl around and around, while my silencing spell slowly crumbled.Edward walked back in as the final shards of it disintegrated. He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest. The picture of wealth and good genetics. His lips quirked up into a self-satisfied smirk as he caught me staring.I didn’t have it in me to tell him I wasn’t checking him out in that way.I tried to picture myself standing by Edward’s side—by any male’s side that wasn’t Ryker or Jude. It wasn’t just the bond that revolted at the thought, but my very soul. I wanted to tip my head back and laugh up at the heavens. I wanted to demand an audience with the goddess. With the damned deity who gave me three Alpha-hole mates.Even worse, I was fairly sure I’d never be able to feel anything for another man in my life. Wait … that might be a good thing.I was halfway through planning my lif
OpheliaIt was tempting to change into something flat and lifeless. Some black scrap of fabric that would act as armor between me and the world. I was going to conjure something along those lines when I turned and caught a glimpse of the sunset through the window.The sun was hovering just a few inches above the ocean, painting the waves in such vibrant color that they looked like a sea of living flame. It was life and beauty, and I wanted to hold onto that even if it were for just a night.I conjured something simple. Something that wasn’t quite the old me, but also wasn’t quite the new me either.The sundress had thin straps that tied at the shoulders, along with a square neckline that showed off my chest and throat. The fabric was a rich green and soft to the touch, with a lace overlay embroidered with black roses. A slit ran up the side, exposing my bare foot and part of my calf.I held my breath as I emerged into the kitchen. There were warriors everywhere, lounging and grabbing
OpheliaCome on, baby. You’re smarter than this.They were wrong, the two of them. They didn’t know the truth. All they knew was what we were shown the day we scried. I was sure I could’ve found a way to show them the truth myself, but was there a point? Did I really want them on my side?They weren’t on it before. Why would they be now?Just two days later I managed to evade Edward and shift into my wolf to run to the library. I needed to research what might’ve happened to my mother’s soul without him hovering over my shoulder. Surprisingly, Jude and Ryker had been busy the past couple of days. Neither one bothered to tell me what they were doing, but I didn’t care.A twinge started in my chest.Correction, the mate-bond cared.As soon as the library’s door closed behind me I shuffled behind the nearest stack and followed it deeper into the room. There were a few students seated at tables in front of the librarian’s desk. I’d have to avoid them. Word traveled fast when you were a par
OpheliaPlot twist, it meant Ryker was full of shit.When I finally received Edward from Jude’s greedy clutches he was battered to hell and had a broken wrist. The broken wrist, as it turned out, was from Ryker. He didn’t even bother to be gentle as he grabbed him by the back of the neck and hoisted him off Jude.The bond was thrilled. I was annoyed and had a mild case of heartburn.When Edward trudged up to me with his shirt torn and stained with blood he did so with his nose in the air. I wasn’t sure why I thought he had the decency to at least act ashamed. I still had a lot to learn apparently.“Come the hell on before I kick your ass too,” I snarled under my breath. Spinning around, I began to storm off in the direction of his car. Anger had my blood boiling. When paired with this heat it was a deadly combination. “I can’t believe you both just did that, and over what? Over your own silly egos! You’re worried about what my father will think. Well, what’s he going to think about th
NovaI slammed my binder shut, startling several people at nearby tables. Running my fingers through my hair, I felt the tension ease from my scalp as I pulled my ponytail free. The notes I had spent months taking were all blurring together, the dark ink forming thick lines—lines like the ones that ran across the demons body.Everything about him was so terrifying and peculiar. The stark black hair with the white stripe. The crimson eyes. The bands tattooed around his arms and throat. And don’t even get me started on his tongue.Shaken from my thoughts, I realized I’d been sitting there with my fingers pressed against my lips, my entire body trembling.“Sterling,” I called out over the mind-link, the one thing I had that the demon couldn’t track. “You available?”“What’s going on, beautiful?”“Need you to pick something up for me, but it might be hard to find.”“How long do I have?”“Um, a few hours.”“You are very lucky I love you.”My attention drifted back to my hair. Just a few st
NovaAfter coffee with Ophelia, I finished up some late assignments in the library. Sitting in the dimly lit room, surrounded by stacks of books tucked away in shadowy alcoves, made my mind play tricks on me.The light would spill through one of the windows, hitting a vase of flowers or someone’s cup and I’d see a glimmer of red. My heart would clench thinking it was the demon spying on me.Four days ago…The container cracked against his head, but didn’t shatter as I’d hoped it would. He brought his hands up and the container flipped, covering us in sticky frosting. I darted out of the kitchen, sprinting through the dining room and knocking over chairs as I went. The demon followed me with a tauntingly beautiful grin on its face. Those two sets of canines glittered, ready to tear into skin. “You do not always freeze. Interesting. How pleasingly unpredictable.”A whimper crawled up the back of my throat. The fear thrumming through my veins was shifting, morphing into something—No. N
NovaWhatever I thought I’d been prepared for—it wasn’t this.He wasn’t some decrepit, mangled creature dredged up from the darkest pits of Hell. There were no pus-filled boils or swathes of infected, blistered skin peeling from his face and torso. No forked tongue or souls of the damned clawing to free themselves from his rotting body.He was tall and lean, with lightly tanned skin. His body was sculpted in a way that made every line of him feel intentional. Dangerous. His inky hair was unruly, curling around his forehead and ears. There was a thick white streak sliced through it, striking and unmistakable.Two crimson eyes, like polished rubies stared out at me.Tattoos inked his skin in bold, strange patterns. They coiled around his upper arms, around his throat, and around the contours of his chest.In his hand—of all things—was a rubber spatula.He was eating the vanilla buttercream I had made straight from its container. My breath caught again. I had planned to use that frostin
NovaThe sun was a burning halo above me as I made my way back to my towel on the beach. I relished the subtle sting along my shoulders and neck—one that told me I’d have a slight sunburn tomorrow.Waves crashed at my back, spilling from an entire ocean that shimmered like diamonds, whispering sweet secrets of freedom. My muscles still ached from the two hours I had spent surfing.Hoisting my board above my head, I jabbed it down into the moist sand. A cold chill passed over me just as I flopped down onto my towel. Grabbing a cold water from my pouch, I emptied half of it over my head and chugged the rest.A quick glance to my left revealed my phone, the screen flashing with a call from Ophelia. Suddenly, the brief glimmer of freedom I’d been savoring turned to salt and betrayal.Digging my fingers into the warm sand, I breathed in deeply and let the sounds of crashing waves and squealing children blot out my own internal screaming. I could feel the grains of my own lies grinding agai
OpheliaMy head snapped up. The rich scent of whiskey hung in the air, sharp and unmistakable. Edward had been drinking, but not enough to lose himself. His posture was too controlled, his gaze too sharp as it slid over me.“What?”“You were smiling to yourself, and your face is flushed.” He said, his voice smooth, but the tension coiled beneath was impossible to miss. “So, I asked, fun date?”I met his gaze, my pulse quickening for a reason that had nothing to do with attraction and everything to do with unease. Edward wasn’t stupid. He knew what my smile had been about. He knew where I had been—who I had been with.He wasn’t pleased.Internally, I tried not to panic.There was a reason why Ryker and Jude had dropped me back off at Edwards house, despite our agreement stating I had to sleep under their roof.My father was coming today.At two a.m. exactly he’d be stepping through a portal with another batch of those mate-bond suppressing potions. I still hadn’t fessed up to the lie t
OpheliaThe party transformed the moment those below the age of eighteen were corralled and sent to bed.A silencing spell was placed over the house, and the music was cranked up. Its melody spilled through the night like liquid gold. It pulsed in the air, a living thing, twining around the palm trees until even they swayed to the enchanting tune.Everything became louder. The music. The laughter. The conversation. Everything was rich and unrestrained, mingling with the scent of wine and sea salt.Jude stuck to my side like my own personal wraith. There were some tense moments where I thought he’d snap and swing at someone—or worse, stab them—but all It took was a single glance, a brush of my fingers against his bare arm, and he’d turn away from w hat was pissing him off to follow me wherever I went.It was strange, and even worse, I liked it.After being plied with just enough wine to give me a light buzz, I pulled both Jude and Ryker back into the throng of people dancing. There wer
OpheliaI returned to find Ryker in a heated discussion with who I assumed was another family member. The two were speaking rapidly, their expressions darkening like rolling storm clouds.“Te l'ho detto, Jude si è scusato. Ha sostituito la macchina, vero?” [I told you, Jude apologized. He replaced the car, right?]The man pointed at Ryker and growled, “Sappiamo entrambi che sei stato tu a sostituire la mia macchina. Tieni quel punk psicopatico lontano dalle mie cose! [We both know you're the one who replaced my car. Keep that psycho punk away from my stuff!]” Snatching a beer from a nearby ice bucket, he staggered off muttering to himself in Italian.Ryker was smirking to himself when I approached. “Did he say Jude’s name? What did he do this time?”“Nothing as of recent. He may have set Luca’s car on fire in the past though.”“Guy holds a grudge.”“Wouldn’t you, tesoro?”I shrugged. “I don’t know. Jude can be charming when he wants to be.”Folding his arms over his chest, Ryker crane
OpheliaThe fear that had been churning in my stomach, souring the fruit I’d been insane enough to eat from Ryker’s hand, simmered the entire drive—only to fizzle into bewilderment as we pulled into the driveway of a massive house. I could make out its red-tiled roof beyond a courtyard shaded by swaying palms.The sound of music, bold and joyous, trickled to us past rows of fountains and hedges of exotic flowers. There were so many of them that I was momentarily lost in all the color.Ryker held out his arm and my treacherous heart skipped a beat. “Do you really think I’m going to take that after you forced me here?”He could tell I wasn’t angry, and I hated him for it.Taking his arm, I followed him through the courtyard, our feet falling quietly on the stone pathway. A breeze whispered by, but instead of smelling the sea, I was met with the rich scent of herbs and roasted tomatoes, and— Was that bacon?Laughter sounded from somewhere inside the house, past the windows and wrought-ir
RykerThe purr of the Impala’s engine dampened to a quiet rumble as I pulled up to Edward’s place.His scent was everywhere. Salty like the ocean, but with a bitterness that made me feel like I needed to drink a gallon of water to wash it all down. Ophelia’s scent added a touch of sweetness, a burst of ripe cherries that settled across my tongue like a layer of sugar.Scanning the house, I immediately noticed Edward watching from the front window. His eyes held a claim in them that made me long to tear out his throat.Only a fool couldn’t see what the boy was planning. He wanted our mate, and not for the things he’d claim to want her for. Everything out of his mouth was sure to be a lie.Disposing of him would be smartest. Kill him before he kills us. Kills her. He’ll finish the job, and then who will you have? Jude won’t say in this world long—not without her. Edward needs to die. Tonight. Right now. A snarl ripped out of me. “Stai zitto, cazzo! Voci di merda!” [Shut the fuck up! Fu