Ophelia“I see I should have reminded all of you not to force too much magic into your objects. As you see they become quite—,” Her voice lifted to a shriek, “WATCH OUT FOR THE HAIR CLIPPERS! Goddess, why did I give them hair clippers?”I would have laughed had my enchanted toothbrush not chosen that moment to jam itself into my mouth.“Under these extenuating circumstances, I believe I’ll end class early today!” She shouted above the chaos, “These enchantments will wear off on their own. Let us give them the space to do so, shall we? EVERYONE, OUT!”A herd of students raced for the door, chased by a hoard of enchanted objects. I made to join them when a flying marker slammed into my face, scribbling a mess across my cheek before lunging for Henry’s glasses. By the time he managed to swat it away, one of his lenses was entirely blacked out.When I finally made it home, I was greeted by Lucille.Stone-faced and oozing disdain, she set her shrewd gaze upon my cheek where the enchanted m
Ophelia“I don’t think I’ve heard you laugh once since meeting you.” Ryker murmured, shadows dancing in his eyes.Jude glanced away; his jaw oddly tight. “I was beginning to think she wasn’t capable of it.”“I haven’t exactly had many reasons to.” I said pointedly. “And I’m pretty sure I laughed when I was drunk the other night.”Removing his sopping wet t-shirt, Jude snorted. “This laugh was different.”My mouth went a bit try at the sight of his chiseled stomach. Bold images were inked into his flesh, starting from the top of his pants, spanning all the way up his throat.Feigning indifference, I rolled my eyes. “I’m not sure why it matters so much. Anyone would’ve laughed at the two of you flopping around the floor like a couple of fishes.” A giggle threatened to spill past my lips. “The formidable Alpha Ryker and his enforcer, defeated on laundry day.”Using the wall for support, I hauled myself to my feet. My stomach dropped as I took in our surroundings.There was water everywhe
Jude“I’m going to kill her.”Ryker sighed, the sound only half as grating as Kimberly’s nasal laugh.“No, you’re not.”“I am.”“Jude—”“Ryker.”“You’re not going to kill her.”“You’re right. I’m going to torture her first. Then, I’ll kill her.”Kimberly rolled her eyes from the passengers seat. Biting down on a plastic forkful of gas station salad, she smacked her lips and clapped her teeth, crushing the foliage in between her molars.“Honestly, I’m trembling in my wedges.” She clicked her shoes together.I turned to Ryker, whose jaw was clenched as he glowered at the road. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. The bastard would deny it until his final breath, but he hated Kimberly just as much as I did.“Let me drive.”He sighed, again. “No.”“Why the fuck not?”“You’ll drive us into a tree.”I sank into the seat and folded my arms over my chest, “Whatever.”I wouldn’t have. Well, I would’ve. But I would’ve only crashed into Kimberly’s side. See? Big difference.Popping an ea
JudeI grinned at Kimberly, “I’ll hold him down, and you tie him up.” When she refused to move, shuffling her weight between her teeth, I chuckled. “Don’t look so worried, Kim-Kim. I’ll make sure he doesn’t bite you.”The rope we used to restrain the demon was soaked in purified water. Humans had crafted legends of their own about demons and angels, and while I didn’t know shit about angels, I did know that demons didn’t give two fucks about “holy water” or priests.It was purified water that weakened them, burning their skin like acid.Exorcisms were all for show. In fact, I’d bet my dick there hasn’t been a single human priest alive that’s actually come into contact with a demon.I grabbed Flint by the ankles, snorting when he tried to sit up and snap at me. I began dragging him towards the back door, pausing when Kimberly moved to follow.“Where do you think you’re going?”“Inside. Where the fuck else?” She snapped.I pointed at the half-decomposed corpse lying in the dirt. “No, yo
OpheliaRyker had left after our conversation, intent on finding Jude before he could take his aggression out on another Dark Matter dealer.To be honest, I didn’t want to think about Jude.I knew in my bones he felt something for me. Even if it was only the tug of the mate bond trying to draw us together, it was something. He could deny it, fight it—and part of me wanted him to—but it was there, nonetheless. Rather than think more on the topic, I turned my attention to my chores.Neither my cousin nor Lucille had a thing to say about the seven piles of laundry I’d miraculously managed to clean in one day. Without Nova, I would’ve never gotten it all done. Now all that was left was to get her out of the house without Lucille noticing.It had been Astrid of all people who had caught us red handed.It was well past midnight. She must’ve crept downstairs in search of a snack, because she was at the counter making a miniature fruit platter when Nova and I slipped from the laundry room.I
OpheliaAn hour later, and I was ready to strangle each and every one of Lucille’s friends. If one could even call them that.Mrs. Samuels, an older woman who would’ve appeared elegant if not for the perpetual sneer on her face, continued to ask me for every nutritional fact for every dish placed in front of her. After the fifth time, I started lying.“This honey braised Atlantic Bluefin is sugar and fat free? How delightful!”I smiled until my cheeks ached, barely holding back the urge to roll my eyes. We were werewolves, for crying out loud! What did the sugar content in a baked fish matter?Mrs. Denmark, who sat to the left of Lucille, prodded her fish with her fork. She by far looked the youngest of the bunch, her dark skin free of any wrinkles. The only creases on her face were around her eyes, telling me she either smiled or scowled a lot.I was willing to bet it was the latter.“When was this fish caught?” She sniffed, “I only eat seafood if it’s been captured the same day.”I
OpheliaRyker, Jude, and Kimberly returned the very next day.“We managed to find another two demons after the one Jude interrogated,” Ryker supplied, looking much too appealing in his crisp suit. This one was the color of storm clouds and matched his intoxicating eyes perfectly. “They were lower level, so we weren’t able to get any information from them.”Nova frowned and brushed a lock of pale hair from her face. She peeked into the dining room and called out, “The tables been set.”We were going to discuss everything we’d learned over dinner. I wasn’t sure how to reveal what Lucille had told us without alerting Kimberly to the fact that we used magic on her mother, but I was sure I’d figure something out.I turned to Ryker. Butterflies swarmed my stomach. I pushed them down, along with the blush that rose to my cheeks.“How exactly do you kill a demon?”His thick brows gnashed together, telling me this was a sore subject for him.“The only way to expel the demon back to their realm
Ophelia“Oh, shit. Oh, shit.” Nova murmured, leaning into Sterling’s side.My lips popped open in mock surprise, “Oh, gosh! I wasn’t supposed to say that, was I? Sorry, I’ve never been a good secret keeper.”It was petty, but I didn’t care.Sterling snickered under his breath, “I fucking love you, Ophelia.”“She’s my mother, Ryker! My mother!” Kimberly squealed, her voice ratcheting in volume, “How dare you go behind my back. I’m going to be your Luna! You can’t keep blatantly disrespecting me like this. I won’t stand for it. I already told you my mother is off limits. OFF! LIMITS!”“For fucks sake,” Jude snarled, “Shut the fuck up already. Can’t you see he doesn’t give a fuck?”“You shut up! You’re just mad we’re visiting your dead mommy’s house for a séance. You’re an angry little boy who—”A fractured, unhinged sort of rage filled Jude’s eyes. His teeth were bared, clenched so hard I could hear them grinding against one another like stone on stone. The sound that flew past his lips
OpheliaAfter one last game we returned to our table for another round of drinks and for some crappy bar food.“Cheese fries.” I moaned, not caring that the waitress had given Jude the food whilst completely ignoring me. My stomach let out a snarl, the vicious kind that came when you had a few too many drinks. “At least there’s one good thing left in this world.”Jude took a drink of his whiskey. “Is that what you think? That there’s nothing good left in the world.”I licked some cheese off the tip of my thumb. “It’s what I know.”“If you’re here that means there’s good left in the world. That’s what I know.” He said, simply put. This wasn’t him trying to be charming, it was just Jude.The laugh I let out was one I didn’t recognize. “I’m not good anymore.”“That’s a load of shit. Since when?”“Doesn’t matter.”“No, you said it, now follow through. You’re not good anymore, fine. When did it happen? What made you go full dark side? I’m going to assume it wasn’t Ryker and I, because you
OpheliaAs we stepped inside, the scent of leather, whiskey, and cigarette smoke assaulted my senses.I was enveloped by the low rumble of conversation and the clinking of glasses. In the background I could hear the squeal of an electric guitar from the classic rock music playing from a jukebox in the corner. Men and women of all shapes and sizes filled the dimly lit space. Several of them, though not all, had tattoos and leather vests full of patches. A motorcycle gang, then.Jude's hand rested on my lower back as he guided me through the crowd. I could feel the heat of him through the thin fabric of my jacket. The phantom caress of sparks licked up my spine and I shuddered. His lips twitched and I knew he felt my reaction to him, the bastard."You brought me to a biker bar?" I asked, more than happy to change the subject.He looked downright sinful in his long-sleeved Henley. It clung to every ripple of muscle across his broad chest and arms. The sleeves were currently pushed up to
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
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
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 t
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