The Elthon hillside was a popular tourist spot in our town. It was essentially a large rock encircled by a small valley. Lilies and lavenders grew abundantly, and in summer, the entire area bloomed with color while the sweet scent of flowers filled the air. I'd been here only a handful of times, mostly during my parents' happier days. I also remembered coming here once with Carter—back when things were simpler. At fifteen, I could never have imagined my dad would vanish from my life, or that Carter and I would grow apart. Yet here we were."You remember this place, right?" Carter asked, his gaze fixed on the horizon. His expression was calm, but something about his tone unsettled me."Of course. Everyone in town knows this place," I replied. "We came here together once, too.""Yeah," he said softly. "This was actually where I fell in love with you.""Really?" I chuckled. "That’s hard to believe.""I’m serious, Kerry. We were eight. You were standing over there, admiring the lilies. Th
"Are you the one responsible for Matt's injury?" I demanded, my voice sharper than I'd intended. The pieces had fallen into place, and Deric was the only explanation that made sense. Why else would both of them be in the forest, bloodied and bruised? Deric bore scratches and claw marks across his face, but they paled compared to Matt’s injuries. If they’d fought, the victor was clear. But why would a vampire and an incubus fight? They rarely interacted, even in school. Creatures stuck to their own kind."Why are you worried about someone else?" Deric smirked, stepping closer. His predatory aura made me want to step back, but I stood my ground, refusing to show fear."You should be worried about yourself, little Red. Even if you scream, no one will hear you.""You can't do shit!" I snapped, my voice firm despite my hammering heart. "If you were responsible for Matt, I’ll call the police.""Feisty," he chuckled, dark amusement flickering in his eyes. "But unnecessary. Call them, and not
"Silas! Open up," I yelled, banging hard on my stepbrother's door. I could hear him curse, probably mad at being interrupted in the middle of... well, that! But at the moment, I didn’t give a damn what he thought of me. Usually, I would choose to ignore something like this—I didn’t like to get involved in Silas' casual flings.I had known right from the day we met that he was a playboy. And why wouldn’t he be? He was the most attractive guy in his college, with a wealthy father to support him, and girls tripping over him. But boy, did he have bad taste! Why would he choose to go back to Tammy after what she had done? I had at least thought he was smart enough to learn from his past mistake. Tammy wasn’t a good girl—why couldn’t he just stay away from her?In my anger, I didn’t even wonder how I knew Silas was with Tammy. Maybe it was the scent; that girl wore way too much perfume! I didn’t stop banging on the door until I heard shuffled footsteps approaching. The door was yanked open,
"Matt, what are you doing here?" I asked, startled."I'm here to ensure you’re okay," he replied calmly."Right, but I’m not the one who almost got beaten to death today. I think you need to take care of yourself first." Despite my words, I found his gesture sweet. Still, it wasn’t like I needed to be taken care of. I walked toward the bed and hastily snatched something—a piece of stray underwear—shoving it into my drawer where it belonged. No one ever came to my room, and I didn’t have friends dropping by, so I rarely cared about leaving things in the wrong places. But seeing the amused glint in Matt’s eyes made me feel deeply embarrassed.I sat on the bed next to him, suddenly unsure of what to say. Matt just watched me in silence until the noises from the room next to mine became impossible to ignore. Silas was back at it again. You’d think he’d at least try to be quieter, knowing I was still in the house. I couldn’t help but wonder when my brother had become so shameless. It was f
Silas was exceptionally good at this. I was writhing and moaning from just his kisses and the way his mouth moved against my neck. But I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised—he was one of the hottest guys in town, and everyone wanted to be with him. He must have had plenty of opportunities to practice his skills. The thought annoyed me. This guy, who always claimed to love me, never passed up a chance to be with someone else.But why did that even matter now? What I should care about was that I was currently in bed with a guy whose dad was married to my mom. It was weird as hell, but I couldn’t deny it—I was greatly turned on by this. There was definitely something wrong with me. Maybe Silas wasn’t the weird one after all. Maybe it was just… me.Silas leaned in and kissed me again, claiming me entirely in front of Matt, who, for some reason, preferred to stand to the side and watch. Silas’s fingers wrapped around my throat, squeezing lightly as his mouth moved against mine. He was ro
I called Carter again, but just like before, he didn’t answer. My chest tightened as I stared at my phone. Why did this make me so nervous? I knew he was with Emily—maybe something had happened, and she needed his help. But still… there was no reason for him to ignore me.I told myself, over and over again, that there was a reasonable explanation for everything. Carter wouldn’t just ignore me for no reason, especially not to spend time with Emily behind my back. Emily—my best friend. Carter’s ex.“Stop overthinking,” I muttered to myself. “It’s nothing.”But my gut refused to believe it.---The cab driver dropped me off at the side of the road, and I had to walk the rest of the way on foot. The path leading to Elthon Hillside was quiet and shaded, weaving through the dense forest. Thankfully, it wasn’t completely dark yet, so I didn’t have to worry about getting lost. Still, I was careful as I moved, avoiding sharp branches and loose rocks along the way.As I got closer to the spot C
I went back home, hoping more than anything that my mom would be there. I needed her now more than ever. But it wasn’t surprising when she wasn’t around. Earlier, she’d texted to let me know she was at Bill’s company—he’d said he needed her for something. Of course, he always needed her for something. And between him and me, she was always there for him. Love makes people selfish. I understood that.I was still reeling from everything that had happened. I sat on my bed, staring at my phone through blurry eyes. My face was soaked with tears, and I was trying to be strong, but I kept breaking down. Emily’s actions hurt, but Carter not even giving me a reasonable explanation hurt even more. He told me he loved me—as if that was suddenly going to fix everything. Emily had spoken terribly about me, and Carter hadn’t even tried to defend me. He let her kiss him, and he kissed her back. Now I was wondering if kissing was all they’d done back there. They might’ve even slept together, and I wo
Seeing the frown on my face, Silas stopped laughing. Concern clouded his eyes as he stepped closer to me. “What happened? Your principal called and said you left school. Dad asked me to come check up on you.”“Of course he did. I’m grateful.” Bill cared a lot—he was doing his best to be the ideal father, and I loved him for that. But what I needed right now was space. I needed time to think, to decide what to do with myself. I couldn’t do that with my stepbrother here. Silas was a goddamn distraction. Sometimes, I even forgot how to breathe when he was around. And the guilt I felt didn’t help. His words kept echoing in my head: Choose someone who loves you.I thought Carter had loved me. I truly believed it. But now, the truth was glaringly obvious. Maybe he’d been using me all along—to get back together with Emily. He must have known that seeing us together would make her jealous enough to want him back. I was just a pawn in their game. The realization made me sick with myself. How h
There was something off-putting about the young man. He looked young anyway, but knowing vampires, he might just be decades older than he appeared. Via wasn’t usually attentive toward other people. Unlike Jess, she preferred her own company. But the stranger was leaning against her car, so she couldn’t just ignore him."Hello, Octavia," he greeted her, extending a hand toward her. Via eyed the hand briefly before reaching out to take it. Her palm tingled as it made contact with the vampire’s cold, stiff skin."Um, I don’t think we’ve met.""We haven’t.""Then, you are...""I’m in love with you.""Huh?" The confession had come out of nowhere and startled her. The incredibly handsome vampire had blurted out the words as though he were simply commenting on the weather. There was no anxiousness, no look of expectation in his eyes. He merely watched her with unblinking focus, as if he were trying to engrave her very features into his memory. Octavia pulled her hand back, feeling relief whe
18 Years Later...The lights in the living room were dim, and if Octavia hadn’t been studying all night—leaving her so tired she felt she might actually pass out—seeing the two figures huddled on the sofa wouldn’t have been an issue. She was almost at the kitchen doorway when the sound of something shattering spooked her. There was a muffled groan and a curse. Octavia blinked into the darkness, willing her vision to pick out the cause of the noise. Nope, she was way too tired for this. If she forced it, she might end up with a migraine.She walked over to where she knew the light switch was and flicked it on. The room brightened, and a yelp echoed as a woman ducked her head to hide.“Mom! What are you even doing?” Octavia asked, mortified as she noticed her mother’s nakedness. Unsurprisingly, a head poked out from beneath the sofa cushions and flashed her an apologetic smile.“Sorry, baby girl. We were hoping you wouldn’t notice.”“You have a bedroom for a reason!” she whined, dreadin
Kerry's POVSilas had me hoisted against the tree, my legs wrapped firmly around him as he thrust into me. He hadn’t even fully removed his pants; they dangled around his ankles, and his belt made a faint clicking sound with every movement.He settled into a steady rhythm, his hands gripping my hips as he drove into me. “God, you feel so good around me, baby—fuck—” he groaned, his forehead resting against mine, his sweat-dampened curls brushing my skin.We’d had sex countless times before, but there was something about this setting that made it feel so much better—more passionate. Or maybe it was because we’d spent the last few days ignoring each other, the craving for touch growing unbearable in the silence.“Silas,” I moaned his name as a particular thrust hit a sensitive spot inside me, sending a tremor through my body. His grip on my hips tightened, and his thrusts came faster, harder. “It feels like you’re in my fucking stomach—God!”“Gotta fuck my baby good if I wanna knock her
Deric had an arm wrapped around my waist as he guided me toward the bar. With a simple gesture of his hand, the bartender mixed a drink and slid it over to me. I took a sip and frowned. "This is orange juice," I complained.Deric grinned in amusement. "There’s a hint of alcohol in there. I’m not about to let you get wasted in my bar, Kerry.""Why not?" I said with a pout. "I want something stronger.""Is this because of your brother? Are you jealous that he’s down there having fun with his fuck buddy?""Are you trying to make me feel worse?""Obviously not. I’m just saying, Silas is a dumbass. You can’t let him get what he wants by acting like this. If he’s trying to make you jealous, why don’t you do the same to him?"Deric took the glass from my hand and placed it aside. Seated on the barstool with his legs parted, he reached for my hand and pulled me off my seat, guiding me to stand between his legs. I leaned back slightly, aware of how intimate this position might appear to others
Kerry's POVSilas and I didn’t speak for two days. Well, more like he didn’t speak to me. I tried. I really tried. I’d corner him in the kitchen or on the stairs, but every time, he’d breeze past me like I didn’t exist. One second he was there, and the next, I was staring at an empty hallway. He acted so human most days that I forgot he wasn’t—until moments like this, when his supernatural ability to avoid me came into full display.It was infuriating. Especially because I hadn’t done anything wrong. Sure, Carter and I had a history, but that was ancient history. I wasn’t a cheat—I would never stoop that low. Silas knew that. He had to know that. So, what was his problem?To make things worse, we were living with our parents. Bill and Sarah had to have noticed the tension by now. Sarah had given me a look earlier, the kind that promised she’d corner me for a motherly chat about "understanding men." God, the last thing I needed was advice from her about "winning my man back." My man—wh
Third POVSilas was a lot of things, and most of them weren’t positive character traits either. Possessive, a bit obsessive, stalkerish—he could be a bit of a rogue sometimes. His dad had spent a fortune paying therapists he thought might help Silas “get better.” But how could Silas get better when he didn’t think he had a problem to begin with? He knew what he was, and he wasn’t really bothered by it. After all, he only acted this way toward the people that mattered most to him. The moment he’d seen Kerina Jones, he knew she was his. She would be his entire world. And he would be hers.It should have been easy, really. Silas was a catch—not to toot his own horn or anything. Girls went crazy for him, and he’d had his pick of them since high school. He hadn’t even cared when his father had gone ahead and married Serah. Their relationship status didn’t mean a damn thing to him.But Silas had underestimated Kerry. She wasn’t like the other girls he’d been with in the past. She didn’t sw
Kerry's POV"What the fuck?!"At this point, I was certain Molly was trying to provoke me for some reason. I didn't even know her, so I saw no reason for her to act this way toward me. Hinting that Octavia might not be Silas's child? The fucking audacity! She had no idea what we'd been through—what right did she have to speak to me this way?!"What?" The woman had the audacity to look offended by my outburst."I'm not saying you're one of those girls, I just meant—""I know what the fuck you meant! And honestly, it's none of your damn business. You don't know me, and I don't know you. You have no right to poke your nose in other people's business!""Silas is my friend. We've known each other since before your parents got together. I'm only looking out for him." Molly placed a hand over her lips to hide her taunting smile. At the moment, I couldn't even find it in myself to wonder how she knew about Bill and my mom's marriage. What bugged me more was how she kept emphasizing her relati
I hadn't been in school for a total of three weeks, and honestly, it was the last thing on my mind. Silas had a job now; he was planning to build a real estate firm from scratch without his father's support. It would take a while before he saw his dream through, which meant Octavia was mostly my responsibility during the day.When I got the call from my father, I didn’t think it would be about me missing classes. I couldn’t help but think, after all that has happened, is that all my dad cares about? He hadn’t come to see me even once since I was brought home. I had a feeling he was avoiding me, and when he finally called me, it was to scold me about missing classes."Are you kidding me?" I asked, anger and genuine shock evident in my voice."I'm serious, Kerina. I know you're dealing with a lot, but school is important. If you want to study something else, we can figure it out.""Dad, school is the last thing on my mind right now.""I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you need to put your life
Kerry's POVIt’s odd. Being a mother was odd—not in a bad way, though. I suppose I just wish I’d had enough time to prepare myself for it, and I wish there wasn’t always a threat looming over my daughter’s head, one I couldn’t do anything about. I could tell Silas, of course, but I had a feeling Asher wouldn’t like that. The last thing I needed was to anger him; he might actually take Via away from me this time.Anyway, aside from the negatives, it was refreshing to look at the world from a different angle. I’d always thought of myself as just human—nothing special. But now I was learning that my lifespan far surpassed that of a human. I had enhanced strength, better vision, and, with enough training, I could grow a killer pair of wings like my dad. It was strange at first, but once the idea stuck, I found that being supernatural wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. Still, I was thankful I didn’t have to stick to just one diet like Silas.“Trust me, it’s not as bad as you think,” Silas had s