OpheliaThe morning after the dinner from hell I showered, dressed, and ran from the villa to make it to the Moonlight Lounge on time.I’d wasted precious minutes puffing on the last shred of Dark Matter I had, hiding behind the detached garage in a corner where the cameras couldn’t reach. Now, with my head swimming blissfully, I waltzed down the sidewalk pointedly ignoring the baby pink Corvette that trailed after me, driving at a whopping three miles per hour.“You’re being ridiculous!” Nova shouted, her voice carrying through the passenger window.I lifted my chin even higher. Goddess, she was a stubborn one.She let out a loud, overly dramatic sigh. “Fine! I’ll just keep following you. Our overlord has commanded me to train you today, so I have nowhere else to be.”I rolled my eyes, which was a bad idea because the entire world shifted, nearly causing me to stumble.“Well, our overlord needs to remember that unlike his royal self, some people have to work. And by some people, I me
OpheliaWe drove in silence to Nova’s house, which turned out to be a cream-colored villa just a few neighborhoods over.A sand-stone driveway, lined with neatly trimmed shrubs, circled the place. Pillars that gleamed beneath the setting sun stood in clusters around the patio, and within the villa itself. Gaping windows trimmed with gold showed a perfect view inside.Where Lucille’s place was cold and sterile, this one was brimming with warmth.Nova led me into her bedroom, which was easily the size of a modest apartment, and to a closet large enough to fit a pack of wolves.From the canopied bed that sat against the far wall to the throw pillows on top, each one shaped like a little candy heart, everything in Nova’s room was pink.“I know my style isn’t for everyone.” She said, her voice muffled since she’d vanished into her closet.Slowly spinning in a circle to drink it all in, I shook my head.“No, it’s nice.”I’d never been one of those girls who hated all thinks pink or girly. I
Ophelia“Well, this party went from fun to lame. Who let you in?”“It’s a beach.” I said flatly.The bartender slid a drink Kimberly’s way. It was a bright shade of violet, shimmering with flecks of swirling silver. As I looked closer, I noticed streaks of lightning within the liquid. They crackled against the rim of the glass, lighting up her drink from within.She smiled coyly at the guy. The snake tattoo slithering up his cheek rippled as he smiled back.I was too busy glaring at Kimberly to pay attention to the bottle of water he slid my way. Sneering, Kimberly plucked it up and shoved it at me. She stepped close, her scent—which consisted of expensive perfume and sunblock—invading my nostrils.“Listen good and well you attention seeking bitch. There isn’t a single person on this island who wants you here. Yes, our darling little coven needs you, but that’s it.” She snarled, “That is the full extent of your usefulness.”Her words were shards of glass digging into my flesh, but I w
OpheliaI blinked the tears from my eyes to find Ryker standing a few feet away. His eyes were molten silver, latched on my heaving chest and the sweat that speckled my breasts.He stormed up to me, his hair blown back from the wind.We were concealed by the darkness, far enough away from the torches for this moment to feel private.“What do you think you’re doing?” Slowly, his eyes trailed down my body, sliding over my flesh like cold water. If his stare felt this good—this euphoric—I couldn’t imagine how his touch would feel.I hadn’t realized my hand had been slowly climbing up my dress, veering towards the source of that painful heat. I forced my lips to move, forced the words to tumble free regardless of how embarrassing they were because I needed—Oh Goddess, I needed it.“Please, Ryker—” I gasped as my fingers brushed against the hem of my underwear. “I’m burning up. I’m burning up! It’s—It’s too much.”I could think of nothing else. Nothing but his hands on my body and his fing
JudeI walked away from Ophelia and my brother without so much as a glance back.The urge to murder had crawled beneath my skin and was now worming it’s way through my veins like a hoard of maggots. I pulled out my hunter’s knife and ran my thumb along the blade until it drew blood.So, Ophelia had seen Ryker. What did that matter to me?It didn’t.What caused the sudden onslaught of murderous inclinations must’ve been her treatment of poor Jameson. Watching his bones snap and twist had been the best fucking foreplay I’d ever experienced.A thing like that would get any guy worked up.That still didn’t explain why I felt so—so—annoyed? Aggravated? Irritable? I wasn’t sure what this particular emotion was called, but I didn’t like it.Too bad I couldn’t go back and finish the job. Believe me, I was severely fucking tempted, but Ryker would never (and I mean never) let me hear the end of it. With Jameson a member of his own coven, doing such a thing would start an all-out war.The only
OpheliaI stared out the window of Nova’s car, firmly trapped within my own mind.She was talking to me. I could feel her words ripple across my sensitive skin, but they faded long before they could reach my ears.Was this shock?I could feel every inch of my body, and yet I was neither hot nor cold. My mind floated in and out of oblivion, forcing me to relive the conversation I’d had with Ryker back on the beach.Jameson’s other coven members, which included Diana, Gemma, and Chloe, came to drag his writhing body away. I was horrified at the disappointment that surged through me as Ryker told me he would live.One of the males in Jameson’s coven was the bartender that had given me the bottle of water. I noticed the snake tattoo crawling up his throat, it’s beady eyes focused on my face.“They’ll retaliate for what you’ve done.” Ryker had said, his expression grim. “Joining our coven is now the only protection you’ll have. They won’t be able to hurt you once you join us. Now tell me e
OpheliaThe first thing Nova did as we entered the restaurant was plop a gargantuan binder in my hands.“This,” She tapped the cover, “has all the herbs and spell ingredients in a witches arsenal, along with their properties. Study it because I’ll be testing you on Friday.”I set the binder on one of the tables and quickly put the two of them to work.The food truck was coming today to drop off meat and fresh produce, which meant I had a long day ahead. Everything needed to be measured out, labeled, and dated for opening day. Come tomorrow the chefs would arrive expecting a fully stocked, functional kitchen to begin their prep.While we worked, Nova and Sterling plied me with lecture after lecture on magic.“Spells are a specific application of magic. They usually require some form of incantation and ingredients. The outcome can also depend on the time of day it’s performed. I’ll get you some more worksheets on the lunar cycles and how they affect magic.” Nova explained as she carted
OpheliaNot that it mattered, but I half expected Ryker to tell me to turn my ass around and get back to my lessons. The last thing I anticipated was hearing his smoky, accented voice roll through my mind.“The door is unlocked.”So lost in my anger, I hadn’t bothered to check my phone to see how long of a walk it was to his place. Half an hour later I was dripping in sweat.I had just reached the end of the gated neighborhood where his villa sat, looming over the town like a palace comprised of pale stone, sharp balconies, and reflective windows. A gentle breeze kicked up, and as I basked in it a trickle of tart cherries hit my nose, faint yet noticeable.I froze, cursing myself because I hadn’t thought to bring the scent blocker with me when I left the restaurant.Setting my jaw, I decided I had no choice but to go inside and hope my scent was too weak for the bond to solidify. If I turned back now, I’d lose hold of the anger that drove me here in the first place.The inside of Ryke
OpheliaWe ran into a familiar face just outside of La Stella.“Ophelia?”Nova stood a few feet away from the back-alley door leading into the club. She wasn’t wearing her usual lacey, coquette clothing. The babydoll dresses, Mary Jane shoes, and frilly socks were her staple. Her outfits were what drew my attention when we first met. This time there were no bows in her hair or eyeshadow on her lids. It was exhaustion she wore.Her eyes darted around before settling on us. Something had her on edge. Nova wasn’t usually this flighty.“Nova.”I meant for her name to come out as nothing more than a passing greeting, a wall thrown up between two people who had once been friends, but instead it came out like a projectile. The stupid drink that heightened my emotions was still screwing with me.Stupid, it had been so very stupid taking a sip of that drink without confirming it had been the right one. I’d been distracted from the girls slamming into me, but that was no excuse. I had only mysel
RykerI had never paid much attention to what women wore. To get my attention they typically dressed themselves in the finest clothing they had. Jewelry, heels, gowns, the works. They thought it impressed me. It should have.I liked Ophelia most when she wore those small jean shorts that hugged her bottom while she ran across the beach. The little lace tank top she paired with it barely concealed her perky breasts. It wasn’t at all modest, but she was oblivious to that fact. Tomorrow she’d quietly whine and pout, muttering about the horrible sunburn she had. A sunburn that traveled down her chest to the soft swells I wanted to taste.Ophelia was the warmth of Lunar Isle. She was the brightest of colors and softest of sounds.The memory left as quickly as it had come.We talked as we danced. She had her back flush against my chest, her chin tipped to the side as she spoke. Back and forth we went. She was intoxicated from something and would need to be watched. As for me, I was drunk on
RykerWe arrived back at my place to find the house empty, and the wards carved through like sheets of tissue paper.Scraps of the residual magic hovered over just about every surface like confetti.Jude stuffed his hands into his pockets and whistled. “She did this on purpose. Could’ve just unraveled or drained them in that little way of hers, but this? She wanted us to notice.” His eyes sparkled. “Our mate wanted our approval.”I wasn’t going to risk his heart—or his sanity—by telling him I didn’t think that was the case.We found the door to her bedroom wide open, which wasn’t a surprise. I noticed a ball of crumpled paper sitting on the bedside table and picked it up. Almost immediately I could feel Jude hovering over my shoulder like a phantom.“…tasks for Ryker and Jude … earn forgiveness—” Jude lunged forward to try and snatch the paper from my hands. I evaded his grasp and used my magic to knock him back a step. His nostrils flared. “I want it. I’m not fucking around. Give it
RykerA few hours ago…We left Ophelia at the house knowing she’d find some way to eventually break out. Morningstar clearly left her here for a reason and underestimating her had only fucked us over several times. It would never happen again.She was our mate. Kind and compassionate as a ruler should be, but also as vicious and bloodthirsty as a wolf.Jude loved Ophelia as much as he was capable of loving anything. I knew my brother better than anyone else in the world, and I could see that she now meant more to him than I ever had. It didn’t upset me, but it did make me cautious.She knew she held him in the palm of her hand, but I wasn’t sure she realized just how fragile he could be. Her praise would transform him just as quickly as her rejection would shatter him.I wouldn’t lie and say her rejection wouldn’t shatter me as well, but no one had to worry about me leaving a string of bodies in the wake of my grief.Everything would work out in the end, I told myself. We would give ou
OpheliaThe dickhead was right.The moment he stepped away, melting into the crowd, my mind began to race. Jude had been in the fighting ring the first time I laid eyes on him. The brutality of his fight had been both terrifying and beautiful. Would it be Ryker in the ring tonight? Or would it be Jude?I had a feeling they’d be using the remaining members of Diana’s coven. It wouldn’t surprise me if they punished them publicly to try and earn my forgiveness. Too bad it wouldn’t work.The only asses I wanted to kick were Ryker and Jude’s.I made a mental note to add that to my list.Half an hour later the lights flicked off, plunging the entire club into darkness. The music went down in volume until I could hear the excited chatter coming from the crowd.The fighting ring flared to life beneath the stage lights. A young guy with a mohawk stepped into the light. His voice rang with magic, the volume eclipsing that of the music.“Humans, Witches, and Wolves!” The murmuring died down. “We
OpheliaBrushing some stray curls back from his face he grabbed his drink and brought it to his lips. The way he moved was smooth and sensuous, as if he’d had plenty of practice mastering his reactions. “Isn’t it obvious? Our fathers want us to work together.”My eyebrows jumped. What on earth did my father have to do with Lunar Isles military commander? How did they know one another? Clearly my father must have inspired some kind of loyalty for them to go against Ryker.The bond tensed in my chest. On one hand this would benefit my father immensely, but on the other … the bond didn’t like that they could potentially hurt Ryker or Jude.Tears burned the backs of my eyes. What if one of them got hurt? What if one of them—oh that stupid fucking drink.I grabbed the glass of untouched water sitting on the table and took several gulps uncaring of how I looked. A glimmer of panic arose in my chest. The drink was definitely heightening my emotions. Even those few sips were affecting me.I h
OpheliaWaltzing to the shelves of liquor he grabbed three off the first and began pouring random amounts into a large cup. I turned away at that point and leaned against the bar, scanning the basement for any familiar faces.The locator spell wanted me to head straight through the crowd towards the large fighting ring in the center of the room.Standing on my toes, I was immediately slammed into by a group of girls.I righted myself just in time, and bit down on my tongue to keep from lashing out. There were times I swore the potion I took nightly increased my anger. Perhaps that was another side effect.Standing front and center in a group of seven girls total was Diana, Chloe, and Gemma.They looked awful. All three had dark circles around their eyes and looked a good twenty pounds lighter.Before I could say a word the three of them paled, draining of blood until their faces were the color of cold marble. Chloe began to tremble, and Gemma looked as if she were going to vomit. Sens
OpheliaI had plenty of time to plot while spending the next two hours trying to untangle the mess of wards Jude and Ryker placed on my bedroom.Using a notepad and pen I found in the drawer of the bedside table, I’d compiled a list of tasks I’d have them to do earn my forgiveness. Most were juvenile like keying their cars (or in Jude’s case his motorcycle) or having them build me a castle with their own two hands. Others were a bit more demented and ranged from branding them with my name or tattooing it into their skin. Maybe I’d have Ryker declare me Alpha of Lunar Isle.Definitely adding that one.Oddly enough the bond, and my wolf, liked this little outlet I found. The thought of Ryker and Jude reduced to groveling had it humming in my chest.“Hah! Found it.” I lurched into a sitting position. Even though my back was sore from laying on the carpet, a grin took over my face. With a bit of magic I removed the sweat from my body and refreshed my clothes, swapping the torn shorts for
OpheliaI spun around. “Wards. You think wards are going to keep me in here? I’ll drain them just like I drained the dark spell Kimberly placed on Jude.”“That’s if you can find them all, which you won’t.” Jude rolled his lower lip between his teeth. The bond unfurled in my chest. I barely bit back the pathetic whine that threatened to leave me. “I missed hearing you say my name.”Ryker cleared his throat. His hands were clasped behind his back, making him even more imposing than he already was. It didn’t help that his dress shirt and slacks did nothing to conceal the muscled body that hid beneath.“I didn’t take a stand before, but I should have. We should have claimed you the second the bond snapped into place, because you’re all that matters, Ophelia. Not Kimberly. Not the idiotic deal I’d made with her. I fucked up by letting you think otherwise. You might end up hating me more, but this is me taking a stand.” He clenched his jaw, the muscles within twitching. “You aren’t leaving