He has lost a lot of weight. The plain food in the dungeons and no access to sunlight has taken its toll on the shifter. Even if he tried to fight Jacob off, a weakened vampire is still stronger than a healthy shifter. In this leaner state, Bernard stood no chance.Bernard’s gray lifeless eyes stare
His pale blue eyes gleam with hatred. “Fuck…you…”“I missed you too, Jake.” I lean down and grab Jacob by the shoulders, hauling him up like a limp marionette. “Come on, princess. I’m taking you back to the dungeon.”“No!” The threat of being imprisoned again brings the fight back to Jacob, and he p
LexThere is a commotion that evening when an unexpected guest arrives at Castle Blackmoor. No one will tell me who it is at first, but I’m able to guess the identity from Opal’s reaction. She only cares about a few people in this world. When she runs to the medical wing in her nightgown with no car
I go to the desk and reach for the landline. The line is bugged, but it’s better than not communicating with my brother. I sit down at the desk and bury my face in my free hand as I wait for Kane to answer. He finally answers after a few rings.“What’s going on?” he asks.“Weather report,” I answer.
My face feels hot from anger and humiliation. Memories of orgies where I had let myself be used by this scum of a human being disgusts me. I’ve never felt shame when it came to sex before, but now, all I want is to scrub myself clean. Looking at him now, Jacob’s handsome face has lost all its appeal
RainerI make it back to the castle despite the head injury. Dr. Martin wants to keep me in the hospital wing overnight for observation. My ribs aren’t broken, but I have bruises on my torso. This makes it hard to lie down in any position besides on my back.I’ve had worse injuries. Nothing a little
“No, to you.”Kane smiles, his gratitude at my loyalty clear on his face. “Once Dr. Martin lets you out, come visit Emory and your godson. Mikey is the cutest baby you’ll ever see.”I laugh because he called him Mikey. My charm works on everyone. “He’s cute thanks to his mom’s pretty genes.”Kane ro
She’s quiet. Her mouth quivers, and I watch the play of emotions on her face–sadness, anger, longing, joy, and finally, acceptance.“I’ve tried to fight this,” she tells me. “I fought as hard as I could, but you got underneath my skin.”“I know, sweetheart.” I coax her to move forward. “Come here.”
Fractured memories of the night I nearly drank myself to death careen to the forefront of my mind. There was a woman. I don’t remember her face or her name. I was so far gone with drink and self-loathing that I gave in to whatever kind of attention and stimulations she had to offer. It was consensua
ColeThe letter came in the dead of night, rain-soaked and smeared, but I’d know her handwriting anywhere, in any condition. She’d written that she needed to see me, urgently, that it couldn’t wait, and she couldn’t explain why, not in a letter, not at the risk of what she needed to tell me going pu
EmeldaIt’s a quiet night. A long, silent walk from the castle. I needed this quiet, this stillness in the late summer air. Ravenfell comes into view beyond the trees, twinkling in the darkness. I smile, shaking my head as I look down at my shoes. I can still feel the weight of the twins in my arms
MichaelI haven’t been to Scarlet Thunder in… years. I didn’t realize how long it’s been until I pulled up to the back of the castle, somewhat startled by how small it looks compared to my memories from my childhood. Not that it's a small castle, but I'm much bigger now. I step out of my car, my fac
Faye“Oh, Faye, this is beautiful,” Emory says as she walks around the wide room on the second floor of the newly constructed manor. She runs her fingers over the pale blue and pink floral wallpaper and white trim, her jade eyes sparkling as she takes in the lace curtains and soft cream carpet. “I l
EmeldaIn the week since the twins were born, I’ve been busy with the final touches on my cottage. I spent days this past spring digging in the front garden, planting herbs and vegetables, and fixing the front path. I hired a group of shifters to replace the roof and update the inside, installing ne
Emelda“Thank you,” I say, hurrying at a near run as a maid takes my cloak. The castle is buzzing with nervous energy but remains quiet with even the maids tiptoeing around, trying not to make a sound. I’d remained in Ravenfell for the birth. I spent all night and most of this morning at Alma’s hou
FayeSomething’s wrong. Something has to be wrong. “You’re doing great. Keep pushing, Faye. You’ve got this,” Alma says, her face glistening with sweat and determination while I roar in pain. Michael clutches my hand, his other hand bracing my inner thigh as I bear down with all the strength I hav
Michael“It could be hours–or a day,” Alma says quietly as she arranges her tonics on a table just outside the bedroom where Faye’s finally getting some rest. “It’s been hours already,” I tell her, motioning toward the window in my suite in the castle where moonlight drifts through the panes, casti