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
OpheliaHis fingers tangled in my hair, gripping the strands tightly as if to say, I will have this moment whether you like it or not, I will have you.And I wanted it. Oh, how I wanted it.Even the scalding pain of the dark-bond mark hidden on my wrist didn’t ease my desperation for him. For an Alpha that didn’t belong to me. For a man I could never have.I expected our parting to be slow and sweet, the opposite of the kiss that left my mind a mess of need, but it wasn’t.Ryker tore himself away from me with such vitriol that a few strands of my hair were removed in the process. I hissed, reaching up to ease the pain in my skull when he snarled.“Is this why you came here? To seduce me?” He raked his fingers through his hair, his eyes bright and wild. “I see you’ve already gotten control of your magic, strega (witch).”My jaw went lax. What was he insinuating?“What does magic have anything to do with—with what just happened?”Ryker turned his back on me, and the bond wriggling in my
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
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
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
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
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
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
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