Dust gathered on the old books that lined the shelves of the library in the Harkness Manor. So many of the volumes were on the history of the town and Cillian’s family. I’d always known Cillian’s family were the keepers of the past, but I hadn’t realized the magnitude of it. It was in this very room that I’d learned of my own family’s history and why we’d come to Moon Valley. I remembered the legends surrounding the founding families. Legends that turned into myths and ghost stories that humans would tell around campfires and adolescent sleepovers. The stories of skinwalkers and werewolves were the stuff of nightmares for humans. But for me, they were history. Sighing, I stepped back from the bookshelves. My mind raced through thought after thought, trying to figure out how we had come so far, yet everything still seemed so much the same. Even after two hundred years of living in peace and obscurity, humans wanted to eradicate us. I shook my head and turned my back to the books tha
CILLIAN “Thank you,” Colleen said as AP held the door of the precinct open for her. “Anytime, darling,” AP murmured, eyeing Colleen from behind. I nudged my shoulder into him and shook my head. “I’m going to head to the barr—” My lips disappeared into a thin line, and I shook my head as AP caught my warning. “What’s that?” Colleen asked as she stopped at the front desk, eyebrow arched. There was an expected glare in her eyes that I wished wasn’t there. “The bar,” AP answered. “You know, the Golden Goose?” Colleen’s attention shifted off AP and landed back on me. “It was nice to have met you.” “Oh, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.” AP winked, the corners of his mouth curling up. “Seriously?” Laya scolded. “All day. You know, I have it in my right mind to inform my sister what you’ve been up to.” “Go ahead,” AP said with a shrug. “It’s not like Malia and I are exclusive.” “Since when?” Laya asked as her voice trailed into the parking lot. I glanced at Colleen, but
The files in my hands felt like hot, smoldering coals. I had to get the information to Evelyn. The trek back to the Harkness Manor seemed to take forever on foot, but I didn’t want to ruin the evidence by shifting and having to carry it in my mouth. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, giving the forest a soft golden hue. If I hadn’t been in such a hurry, I would have enjoyed stopping at the river for a swim. It was a nice reprieve from the storms that had come through here. Monsoon season was nearly over. It pained me a bit to think I wouldn’t get a chance to snuggle into Cillian’s chest and listen to the rain with him anytime soon. But it would be one of those things that we’d look forward to and savor the moments when they did come. I exhaled as Harkness Manor came into view. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if Cillian was back, but as I probed my mind for him, I deflated. He wasn’t there. I wanted to tell him everything Holden found out, but I would have to wait. The only per
CILLIAN Ispun my car keys around my finger as the gravel crunched under my feet. Harkness Manor always looked so ostentatious to me with its wrought-iron lattice and wraparound porch. A million people would kill to live here, but the place didn’t fit me. It fit my parents to a T. But for me, it was simply too much. Maybe Ciara’s right. Having a nice place with room to grow wouldn’t be so bad. My mind stretched out to her, and I smiled when I sensed her in the house. I had hoped to have to track her to the hot springs, but as I climbed the steps, I couldn’t help but be grateful she was here when I came home. I pushed through the door and glanced around. The house was quieter than usual. There was a shift in the atmosphere. Bartholomew rushed down the steps to greet me. “Master Cillian,” Bartholomew said with a nod of his head. “I’ve come to inform you that your parents have left for a few days.” “Not surprising,” I said. “Where’d they head off to?” “Arizona, sir,” he said before
“Later,” I said. It took every ounce of my strength to pull away from Cillian’s kiss. His lips were so alluring and inviting. If I could, I would keep kissing him until I died. “What’s the matter?” he asked as he nibbled on my neck. “My parents are out of town—we practically have the place to ourselves.” “I want to, I do,” I said as Cillian slipped his finger under my bra strap and slid it down my arm. “What’s stopping you?” he whispered as his teeth grazed my earlobe. His kiss was intoxicating and so delectable. My body tingled from my head to my toes. Cillian pulled me closer to him as if he could will our bodies to merge right then and there. I lost myself in his kiss, all my thoughts and cares sinking like stones at my feet. Cillian grabbed me by the thigh and drew my leg to his hips. I stumbled back as he corralled me to the wall. Pinning my hand over my head, Cillian stared at me. The lust enhanced the golden flakes in his eyes. I yearned for him. Cillian slipped his free
CILLIAN My eyes fluttered open as I struggled to breathe. There was a great deal of pressure on my chest, and I thought I saw a metallic shimmer around my view. My heart stopped, and panic slammed into me, clouding my senses. The nightmare I had endured when I thought Ciara had been taken flashed through my mind, stealing every ounce of my reasoning. “Mmm,” Ciara’s low murmur startled me as my eyes adjusted. The metallic shimmer vanished and was replaced by the golden halo of dawn. I pulled in a ragged breath as I realized the only person pinning me down was Ciara. Her arm was draped over my chest and shoulder as she used me as a pillow. I chuckled. The woman took over the entire bed. I was surprised she hadn’t pushed me to the floor. Thirsty, I glanced to the left for the water bottle on the nightstand and sighed. It was torture to see it so far out of my reach yet so close. I tried lifting Ciara off me a bit so I could gain a few more inches. She didn’t budge. If I tried for the
There was an ache in my heart that I didn’t quite understand. It felt as if my chest wanted to cave in or implode. I couldn’t quite figure out what it wanted to do. I ran my fingers through my hair and drove down Main Street. With each passing moment, my mind raced through every possible scenario I could be walking into. I didn’t want to allow myself to think about getting kidnapped again. Cillian would feel it and never let me go on an assignment again. No, I had to be brave in the face of danger. I glanced around the town as I waited for the light to turn green. It seemed as if Moon Valley had turned into a ghost town overnight. Sure, there were people out and about, but there weren’t nearly as many as there should have been at nine-twenty in the morning. Normally, Main Street would be bustling with activity from the shops that lined both sides of the road. But there was an eeriness to the town, almost like a dark cloud had come over the whole state of Nevada. I couldn’t help but
CILLIAN White light blended and molded into various colors behind my closed eyes. I felt weightless and free. When I was a child, I always wanted to be an astronaut. Being able to go out into the vastness of space and see into the heavens had seemed like a thrilling idea. The reality was much harsher than I’d expected and far more terrifying. Every muscle in my body ached as my limbs twitched uncontrollably. Only one consistent thought fluttered through my head as my body shifted from weightlessness to extreme gravity. Ciara. She was the cord tethering me to the earth, keeping me bolted and anchored to the world around me. I struggled against my heavy eyelids and peered through the fuzzy, bright light. In the distance, I heard Ciara’s voice calling to me. It was muffled and strained, but I knew she was right beside me, even if we were worlds apart. “Ciara,” I called to her. Her name tasted like hot cakes fresh off the griddle and melted on my tongue like honey. A weary smile tugge
CILLIAN “You sure you wanna be doing this?” AP asked as he snuffed out the cigar in the ashtray. “I mean, this is kind of permanent.” “It’s already set in stone for me, AP,” I said as I chuckled at his disgruntled expression. “But marriage? Isn’t it enough that you two marked each other? Why you gotta go and get all traditional? Oh, wait, never mind. That’s just who you are.” “What’s the matter, AP? You don’t like my sister?” Aiden asked as he stood before the mirror, fumbling with his bow tie. “You all know what she did to me in tenth grade,” AP grumbled. I laughed. “Still can’t get over the fact that she kicked your ass, huh?” I laughed. “Ciara didn’t kick my ass,” AP insisted. “She cheated. There’s no way a girl of her size could fit that many pies in her little stomach. Losing that contest ruined everything for me.” “Didn’t you end up with Malia a few months ago?” I asked as I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. “Yeah, but I’m not one to settle. Everyone knows tha
“This is nice, isn’t?” Laya asked as we waited outside the Picasso. I couldn’t help but smile as Laya looked over the menu posted on the wall. “Really, when was the last time we got to do this with just us girls? It seems like we’re always stuck with one of the guys, you know?” “Never,” Sam said as she checked her watch. “Do we know when Melody and Kenzie are going to get here? I’m starving,” I said as my stomach started to grumble. “Kenzie said she’d be here around six thirty the last time I talked with her,” Sam said. “Isn’t that them over there?” Daisy asked. I turned my attention toward the walkway and smiled as Kenzie and Melody stepped off the escalator. “Hey!” Melody shouted as she rushed through the crowd. “What took you so long?” Laya asked as Kenzie threw her arm around my neck and gave me a tight hug. “Traffic,” Melody answered. “But damn, this place is nice.” “Wait five minutes and the Bellagio fountains will start,” I said as I released Kenzie to hug Melody. “I’m
CILLIAN “Holden,” I snapped. “Yeah, I heard,” Holden said as he scrambled to disconnect from the system. I pulled him away from the system and shoved him toward the door. We did not need to get arrested for trespassing. “AP, Laya! Torque, Hatchett!” I called over my shoulder, hoping they heard me. I spotted AP and Laya rushing around from the back of the house. Their shadows bobbed through the broken windows. “We’re right behind you,” Torque called. I took a moment to glance over my shoulder and take one last look at the destruction. Everything was so surreal. It was as if the place had been in a war zone. The stench of death lingered in the air, but I knew it had nothing to do with the Corpse Lily. I was smelling what remained of Colleen and Tippy. “Pick up the pace,” Torque snapped as he rushed by me with Hatchett on his heels. We made it outside, and I glanced to the west. The clouds of dust coming off the tires grew as my heart drummed violently in my chest. “Take the back
Igasped and shot up. The room was pitch black, and my heart pounded fiercely in my chest. “Hey, you okay?” Cillian asked as he shot up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Relief came over me when I realized I wasn’t dreaming anymore. I was safe and all was well. “Yeah,” I said. “Just a strange dream.” “Come here,” Cillian said as he lay back down. “Come sleep on me. I promise I’ll protect you from those bad dreams.” A smile drifted over my lips as I scooted down into the nook of his arm. He was so warm and comforting, it amazed me that he could banish the bad thoughts in my mind so easily. “What did you dream about? Or do you not want to tell me?” Cillian asked as he played with the tips of my hair. “It was weird. I was back at the sacred oak tree, and it looked sick, like it was dying.” “That’s not a good sign,” Cillian whispered. “But then the red fog came through and I was rescued by Preacher in a chopper.” “What, I don’t get a cameo in your dreams?” Cillian teased as he h
CILLIAN The gentle knock on the hotel door roused me from my sleep. Pins and needles plagued the arm Ciara was sleeping on. Carefully, I slipped my arm out from under Ciara’s head and nudged her to the pillow. It had been more than a rough night, and I couldn’t bear the thought of having the maid wake her. Slipping the sheets off me, I let my legs fall over the edge of the bed. Ever so slightly, I got up, keeping one eye on Ciara and praying she wouldn’t wake. As quickly as I could, I moved to the door and peeked through the crack. “Housekeeping,” the woman said. “We’re good,” I answered. Before she could say another word, I closed the door and exhaled. Ciara stirred, and I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t wake up. She had been through so much; I just wanted her to get some sleep. “Cillian?” Ciara’s voice was tired and muffled. For a moment, I wondered if she were asleep or awake. Tiptoeing to her, I craned my neck to spy on her as she slept. A sensation of peace washed over m
Cillian growled in my ear, drowning out the clinking and clanging as we moved through the casino. It was amazing that we got anywhere at all with the way he refused to let me go. Every fifth step, I found myself caving to Cillian’s needs. “What if I took you right here and now?” His lips brushed against my neck as he spoke. My skin tingled as his hot breath caressed my skin. “You just want the hot waitress to watch us, don’t you?” I asked as Cillian pinned my arm over my head and kissed me. “No,” he growled and pinned my arm against the slot machine. The old woman playing at the machine gasped as she sent us a disapproving look. I flashed her a smile, wondering if she had ever experienced the kind of passion I had. “You’re the only one I need,” Cillian said. “The only woman who could ever sate me. Don’t you know that it’s only ever been you?” With my free hand, I grabbed his hair and jerked his head back. A small whimper escaped his lips, and it pleased me to hear his soft seduct
CILLIAN “Are we ready?” I asked as I walked into the Las Lobos Cantina where Torque and Blue were chilling at the bar. It seemed as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Of course, I knew where they stood when it came to Colleen’s safety, but I’d figured they’d be more excited now that we were so close to finally getting rid of the Raze. “Easy there, tiger,” Torque said as he patted the empty chair next to him. “Have a drink. We can’t do anything until we get word from Hatchett. He’s doing recon for us and will be back any minute.” I exhaled sharply, trying to ignore the itching in my limbs. It seemed as if a storm was coming with how much electricity was coursing through my veins. Sitting around and waiting had never been my strong suit. Frustration bubbled and brewed within me, but I wasn’t on my turf anymore; I couldn’t call the shots. “Fine, I’ll have a drink,” I conceded and marched over to join Blue and Torque. “What’s your poison?” the woman behind the bar asked. I tilt
Ilet out a heavy sigh as I stepped into my old office. It seemed as if it been forever since I was last here, yet everything was exactly as I remembered it. There were papers stacked on the desk that I hadn’t looked at in months, and a thin layer of dust covered the bookshelves. I moved around the office, reminiscing about all the things I had collected here. My heart drummed in my chest as I caught a glimpse of the picture I had of Cyrus. The pain nearly crippled me as I plucked the picture off my desk and stared at it. It was like it was another life. Everything from who I dated to what I did had changed. I was no longer Sia—that girl had died the second I decided to go back to Moon Valley. I just hadn’t realized it until this very moment. I moved around the desk and sat down. Running my fingers over the mahogany wood, I couldn’t help but think of all the times I had given orders here. How many lives had been saved because I had created this company? It was a noble cause, and some
CILLIAN The tension in my shoulders that had only just vanished returned in an instant, bringing with it a hellish headache. Just when I thought we were in the clear… I should have known something was going to happen. The echo in my bones rattled my consciousness. Ciara and I couldn’t get a moment’s respite. “What’s going on, Sam?” I asked into the walkie. “It’d be best if you came to the Crescent Falls Motel,” Sam said in a grave voice. “We’ll be there in five,” I answered and clicked the button three times before setting it down. “Well? How do you feel about checking this out?” All the color had drained out of Ciara’s face. The worry etched on her brow filled me with a murderous rage, but it was the devastation in her gaze that really ripped me to shreds. “I promised Colleen nothing would happen to her. I put her in the most secure room we have,” Ciara said. “How did this happen?” “The only way to get answers to that question is by going to the motel,” I answered as I grabbe