OpheliaThe reflection in the water shifted.Gone was the orange glow from the single candle. Gone were our haggard, severe-looking faces.The water showed us the room we were in, but at what had to be a different point in time. Both curtains were drawn, pinned to the far wall. The moon hung like a droplet of blood in the sky. Even the stars had vanished, blotted out by its harsh light.Large pillar candles dripping wax sat in clusters, their flames casting a glow upon our faces. The furniture was pushed against the wall, leaving the majority of the room open and bare.On the floor, painted in dark ink, was a circle. There were runes dispersed like the numbers on a clock, their shapes unlike anything I’d ever seen before.There was something blunt about them that instantly set me on edge.“A blood moon.” Ryker murmured, “The demons were released on a blood moon.”Jude stiffened, “Not just by anyone. By our parents.”A man and woman appeared within the room. I knew instantly that the m
OpheliaRegina, her bun askew on her head, screeched at my mother.“Where is he? Where is Morningstar?”Our parents, what was left of them, were fighting the demons with everything they had. Morningstar, whoever he was, was nowhere to be found.It was a pointless fight, anyone with eyes could see that. The demons were unlike anything in this world, nightmare given form.Some spat acid that melted through the marble floors, others cackled and chittered, limbs protruding from their warped bodies as they scuttled forwards, blasted back by wave after wave of magic. Blood, black and scented like rotted flesh, coated the walls.And still, more continued to pour through.The image in the water wavered as my mother returned her attention to the portal. She flung her hands out once more, eyes glowing with magic. As the water rippled, the scene sped up.Abraham, Sterling’s father, was battling several demons at once. My heart slammed against my ribcage as I caught one creeping along the floor,
Ophelia A simple freeing spell was all it would take to unlock the doors of the prison my mother had been thrust into. Matteo Romero, possessed by a demon, had trapped my mother within the pages of the journal, hoping it would break the chantment she'd placed on the island. Plot twist, it didn't. Unfortunately, I had to wait until the third quarter moon at the end of the month. It was a time for release and new beginnings. According to my mother, its energy would be needed to perform the spell. After skimming her instructions, I swallowed my nerves and scribbled out a hasty reply. ‘Does the name Atticus Morningstar mean anything to you? He’s my father, isn’t he? I know you’re the one that put the spell on the island. Is there any way you can undo it?’ I wasn’t sure why, but her reply came faster this time. Right before my eyes, my questions melted into the page, replaced by a neat, delicate script. ‘Yes, Atticus Morningstar is your father. Tread carefully, daughter. There is muc
OpheliaI was screaming, screaming at the top of my lungs but the sound refused to escape my lips. Instead it lived within my head, scraping and scratching against the walls of my skull.“You want to keep me.” I sounded dead, dead, dead.I couldn’t even feel his fingers as they brushed down my cheek and across my jaw. “I made a mistake doing what I did, but I had to ensure you’d help me. My father thought it best I eliminated any inkling of doubt.” He shook his head, “I can see this is upsetting you, but you can’t possibly think that Alpha and his sadistic brother would care for you the way I could.” He paused, “You do, don’t you? Do they have feelings for you?”“I don’t know.”Hunter nudged my chin, forcing me to look him in his eyes. “Tell me what you think, then. Be sure to tell the truth.”“I think,” I dragged my tongue over my dry lips, wincing when Hunter’s gaze tacked the motion. “I think they want me. I think sometimes they might feel something more, but they throw it away so
OpheliaI followed Ryker back to Lucille’s. As we entered, magic seeped from him, cloaking us in an iridescent sheen.His eyes flicked back to where I stood, dripping in the foyer.“If Lucille hears us, Kimberly will find out. She will take her anger out on you.”“She’s been doing it for years. I can handle it.”Pushing away his magic, I walked past him and headed up to my bedroom. He followed, of course. I could feel his presence hovering over my shoulder. His scent, dark chocolate and spice, left my head permanently swimming.“Do you have something I can wear?” he asked as the door clicked shut behind us.I snorted, “You do realize you’re like five times bigger than me, right?”“Yes, I’m aware.” His lips twitched. “You do realize I am a witch, yes?”How that mattered, I wasn’t sure. With a shrug, I walked over to my lopsided dresser and found an old t-shirt and a pair of oversized sweatpants. They were both several sizes too small.I tossed them at him, hoping to hit him in the head
Ryker“Get on your knees.”There was a fire in her eyes, a breathtaking fire that consumed me and left me utterly raw.Just as she had said, I needed to be worthy of her submission. It wasn’t until now, until that moment on the beach, that I realized I would never be worthy of someone like Ophelia.Someone pure, someone who saw the darkest parts of humanity and somehow found a way to remain kind and compassionate. Someone who, despite everything thrown at her, has remained strong.How could she have been rejected? It didn’t make a lick of sense. One look at this girl and I was crumbling. Whoever her mate had been, I prayed he never realized what he’d given up.Slowly, my mate—Goddess, my fucking mate—dropped to her knees before me.She peered up at me through those stunning eyes, past long lashes the same unique shade as her hair. Heat warmed her face, turning it pretty and pink.I was so hard it hurt.“I’ve never done this before.” She whispered, “Can you teach me?”I swallowed past
RykerI headed back to my place to wash Ophelia’s scent from my body before Jude—or worse, Kimberly—could pick up on it.The last thing I wanted to think about while in the shower, watching Ophelia’s touch swirl down the drain, was Kimberly.At the time, nothing mattered more than uncovering what happened to our parents and removing the spell placed on the island. For far too long we’ve been separated from the world, cut off and cast aside. Magic wasn’t meant to be contained to one set place.Now, if I could go back, I would’ve kicked Kimberly to the curb without a second thought.Jude walked into my office half an hour after I sat down at my desk.I held my hand up, my phone pressed against my ear, signaling for him to wait. Of course, the smart ass bowed and marched over to the wall. As he leaned against it he mouthed, “your majesty.”On the other end was one of my father’s numerous assistants. All his previous staff members worked for me now, but it was habit to call them his.My f
Ophelia The days passed quickly after that terrible, wonderful night. I awoke the next morning to find a class schedule, student ID, and stack of textbooks sitting outside my bedroom door. The thought of attending Eclipse University was harrowing, but at least this proved Ryker had planned it ahead of time. I might’ve been his mate—one he couldn’t claim—but that didn’t mean I needed his charity. Much to my horror, I also awoke to a text message from Alpha Hunter. It was short and to the point, which only served to make things worse. Hunt: Play all you want, just don’t forget who you belong to. My first day of evening classes and I was beginning to rethink my stance on not asking for help. I had coasted through an intro to occult studies class and had been floating through the halls on a cloud of naïve hopefulness. That was until I slammed head-first into Diana, who used her coercion magic to force me to dump out my bag of text books onto the floor. It was my luck that the one ti
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