I have nothing to say, so I say nothing. “I know you’re brave. Probably think you’re smart. Don’t worry. This place will break you.” I turn and look at him as a cocky smirk spreads across his face. I don’t know this man, and I don’t know the king, but I have to wonder… does King Kane know who he’s
Kane “What do you want, brother?” I ask as I take in my younger brother’s cocky grin. He clearly has something up his ass or else he wouldn’t be over here bothering with me at all. Most of the time, he is out chasing women or feeding on whores in the human village nearby, which means, of course, th
I hurry toward the door, thinking about all of the awful things that can happen to a new girl in the feeder’s dungeon. The wolf shifters down there are usually prisoners of war, criminals, or people who have decided they’d rather come here than try to repay their debts. A large swath of Moonraker pa
Emory “Well, what do we have here?” The snarl from the squatty guard filling the majority of my doorway is enough to set my teeth on edge as my shifter body longs to call forth my wolf to defend myself. Unfortunately, I’m not quite old enough for that yet and will have to rely upon my other fight
As he comes toward me, I use his torso as a stepladder, twisting my body so that my feet go over the top of my head at the same time as I bring my arms together. It burns in the places where they have their grips on my skin, and in my shoulder blades, but when I hear their skulls whack into one anot
I feel his gaze on me before I turn to see him looking at me. “Did they harm you?” he asks me. I know I have some bruises on my arms and maybe a few scratches, but I am confident when I shake my head. “No, Sir.” He stares at me for a long moment, and I feel a chill pass down my spine, something I
Emory King Kane is flying up the stairs, and I am going as quickly as I can to keep up with him. Normally, I think of myself as pretty fast, but clearly I am either too tired after the adrenaline rush has worn off, or he is even faster than me. Not that it would surprise me that a vampire is faste
I shake my head, returning to the hallway. “Oh, uh… because… you’re the king,” I stammer. “It’s not polite to walk next to you.” He snickers and shakes his head. “How about right behind me instead of so far away I have to keep pausing to make sure you haven’t gotten lost? Or stolen?” His voice is
MichaelI pace the foyer, running my fingers through my hair over and over again as I listen to the voices of Emelda and Alma drifting down the staircase. Lowe walks in from the kitchen with an armful of firewood, his face drawn with fatigue. I nod at him in greeting as he walks past me toward the
“What did they do to you?” I press. I wave my hand at the mess of jars, herbs, and healing… potions, not just tonics. Actual potions. Potions made by a witch.“What didn’t they do is a better question,” she murmurs, turning away. “Emelda–”“I was a girl,” she whispers over the simmering water and c
MichaelThree hours later, in the dead middle of the night, I stand in the doorway leading into the cozy guest room I brought Faye into what must have been weeks ago. I guess that much time has passed since then. It feels like seconds, honestly. I feel like I haven’t had a chance to catch my breath
MichaelAlma and Lowe speak in quiet tones in the foyer while he helps her into her thick coat. The usual, ceaseless sprinkle of rain has finally turned to sleet–a vicious mix of freezing rain and the first hints of snow that’s going to make the village an icy mess when day turns to night. Lowe pus
MichaelFaye’s room is chaotic. Nurses and the physician crowd her bed to the point I can’t see her through the fray. I push through them, seeing her pale and writhing, arching off the bed in pain. “What’s wrong with her?!” I shout. Faye murmurs, white foam tinted with blood bubbling from her lips
Six Weeks AgoFayeMy slippers pad across the pale marble tiles. I hike up my dress–pink, just like the slippers I spent hours upon hours embroidering with little stars and white flowers. My hair fans out around my shoulders and down my back in my haste to reach my father’s office. Cara, my lady’s m
MichaelI find my mom out in the garden. I had a feeling she’d be here, surrounded by petals and green plants–things that keep her grounded to the nature shifters crave. She’s kneeling, her fingers deftly pulling up weeds–or something. She straightens and lifts her head as I approach, reveling in he
Faye“What are you doing here? I thought you returned to Scarlett Thunder?” Michael gives Cole a skeptical look, but Cole rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his broad chest. His dark hair catches the light and gleams as he replies, “My mother thought it would be best to return a few days before
FayeThe next morning, I wake up alone in the little inn room. Soft gray daylight filters through the curtains, illuminating the rumpled sheets on the bed and my clothing from yesterday still hanging near the fireplace. I blink into the shadows, rubbing my eyes as a figure appears to my left, pulli