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2022-03-25 15:25:35The slant light of the afternoon sun streamed in through the kitchen window, glinted off the knife slicing the herbs. Marga watched Marissa wield the blade with calm precision. Her hands were steady, her movements sure, her eyes focused on her task. She was quiet in a way she hadn’t been before. Her temper had always been calm, had never flared like Marga’s, but now it seemed as if a part of Marissa had gone silent.
“Here.” Marga handed her the next bundle of herbs to cut.
Marissa accepted them without a word, still not able—or ready—to speak. Marga had tried, at first, to get her to talk, just as she’d tried to convince Marissa to rest and recover. Stubborn though as her little sister was, she hadn’t heeded Marissa’s advice. The day after Marga had bound Atticus in the Shadows again Marissa had started to quietly help out in the house while Marga had straightened out the chaos produced when the Elders
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Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 29
Darkness. So thick, it penetrated his very being, each and every cell. It coiled around him, within him, through him. The worst part about the Shadows? They were sentient, and they were hungry. The squirming black ate at his foundations, each bite a sharp sting spearing through him, gnawing at his soul until he wasn’t Atticus anymore. He was pain. The starvation had hit him on the heels of the pain, depleting him of all his energy, leaving but a glimmer of life inside him. Enough to feel, while refusing him the mercy of death. Burning anguish, gut-wrenching hunger, despair beyond hope, and still he held on to the image of sky-blue eyes and flaming hair, to the memory of a love that had broken and steeled him at the same time. Not even the most vicious darkness seeping into his mind could wrench this away from him. Abruptly, the Shadows roiled as if agitated. If he’d had control over his physical form,
Forbidden Desire THE FINALE BOOK 1: EPILOGUE
Marga shut the door behind her, put her purse on the dresser, shrugged out of her coat and hung it up on the rack—which had yet again been straightened while she’d been out. Bouncing with mischief, she deliberately rearranged the jackets, coats and scarves into a new mess, and then strolled over into the kitchen.There she stopped dead in her tracks, blinking in disbelief at the sight.“Are you cooking?” she asked, shell-shocked.Atticus flinched as if caught, and stopped cutting the meat into small pieces. He surreptitiously shoved something with his foot around the corner of the kitchen island. “Well…”“What are you hiding there?” She narrowed her eyes and stepped farther into the kitchen.He pointed the knife at her, pursing his lips. “You know, I don’t appreciate that assumption.
Forbidden Desire BOOK 2: CHAPTER 30 - EMBRACE THE EVIL'S SOUL
Witch Anastasia Giezl keeps a damning secret. At age twelve, she saved the life of a boy not much older than her. Which would have been a good deed—if that boy wasn’t a shadow demon, and Anastasia meant to hunt and kill his kind. Now, ten years later, she discovers that the elusive dark protector who has covertly guarded her for years is in fact the shadow demon she once saved. Determined to face her past, she confronts him to find out if sparing his life was right—or whether he’s the biggest mistake she’s ever made.Donovan Mintz has never forgotten the girl with the dazzling green eyes, nor her inexplicable act of kindness when she saved his life. For years, he’s been her silent, stealthy protector, not daring to act on his desire for her. When Anastasia stubbornly wiggles her way into his life—and further into his heart—he fights the passion sparking between them—for the secret he keeps holds the pow
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 31
It was her.His witch, his Anastasia, stood before him, as if conjured out of thin air like some entrancing vision. Wavy onyx strands had come loose from her ponytail, caressing her face. A scratch marred her cheek where she’d grazed the wall. And those deep brown eyes, the ones he’d dreamed about for over ten years, they looked right at him. Saw him.His heart plummeted, leaving a wake of almost painful tingles in its wake. On the heels of that excitement came a rush of fear, though. He checked the tunnel for the presence of other witches. Was she alone? And how the fuck had she managed to sneak up on him like that? Having someone shadow him was indeed a novel feeling. One he didn’t particularly appreciate.As he shifted his weight, glass crunched under his heel, and he looked down. A mirror. Puzzle pieces clicked together in his mind. Some sort of invisibility charm. Clever.Throat raw, he spoke before he could catch himself. “Wh
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 32
The scent of books hit Anastasia’s nose even before she regained consciousness and opened her eyes. Hmmm, like walking into one of those cozy little stores filled to the brim with literature. She’d always loved that moment of stepping into a bookstore, of entering a world of fiction, fantasy, and beautiful escape into other realms.Her eyelids fluttered open. Dim light greeted her, coming from a single steel reading lamp on a nightstand to her right. She rolled over and sat up, and immediately a throbbing in her head punished her for her movement. Darn, that hurt. She rubbed at her temples, trying to alleviate the pain shooting through her skull. Her hand came away wet, and she frowned at the blood.Right. The rhino monster in the tunnel had hit her, and she’d fallen down, crashed head first into the wall—and blacked out. How’d she gotten here? Had her shadow demon brought her here? And where was here? Was this his home? And what in the wo
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 33
“Don’t like them,” he rasped. He hated the feeling of losing control, even a little bit, over his own body and mind. He’d rather suffer through hours of agony than be numbed and drugged.“So you never—oh gods, are you okay?” She was at his side in an instant, lifting his head, brushing his hair out of his face. “What’s wrong?”Her eyes searched his, and there was such worry in them. For him. A novel feeling, having someone care like that. Having Anastasia care like that. He could only stare, and marvel, at what felt like a dream, a hallucination. Maybe the pain had gotten to him after all.She bit her lip, a line forming between her sleek black eyebrows. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? You’re in pain because I threw myself at you. I shouldn’t have assaulted you like that.” She closed her eyes. “I’m so, so sorry.”He touched her face, his thumb
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 34
Sounds of people moving in the apartment above broke through the veil of sleep, pulling Ana back into the waking world. Blinking, she opened her eyes, disoriented for a moment. Then, her vision adjusted to the room’s darkness. Small slivers of light glimmered at the edges of the shutters on the windows, the only indication that it was, in fact, day outside.Her neck and back ached from lying slumped in the armchair next to the couch for hours, but she hadn’t dared move to the bed again. At some point after Thorne had fallen asleep, his arm had dangled down from the couch, and when she’d carefully tried to tuck it back under the blanket, he’d grabbed her hand—and held on. He hadn’t woken, his movement unconscious—and all the more touching for it—and Ana hadn’t had the heart to disentangle her hand from his. So, flooded by more feels than should be legal, she’d sat down in the armchair while holding on to his hand.
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 35
White-hot jealousy fired through him, making him growl. He knew about the guy, though. He’d seen her with her boyfriend while he’d been protecting her, and even back then, watching them together had sliced off little pieces of his heart. Nothing he could do about that, however. He’d never had a claim on her.Not until now.As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, she laid a hand on his cheek, her eyes softening. “I’m yours.” She stroked his skin, ran her fingers through his hair. “Only yours.”“Yes.” He caught her mouth in a kiss of possessive passion, tempered with a tenderness that had him tremble inside. “Mine.”The reservations he’d had, his fears of getting closer to her, his plans of leaving her? Fuck that. He’d stake this claim, and he would keep it.With one hand he spread her knees farther apart, balancing his weight on the other, his cock nudging her s
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- Forbidden Desire
THE FINALE BOOK 3: EPILOGUE
“Bye, Uncle Shay! Bye, Aunt Cara!”The door closed, shutting off the kids’ voices and their franticwaves.Cool night air stroked over Cara’s skin as she and Huxley descended the front steps to the sidewalk. Twining her fingers with Hux, she stole a glance at her mate—mate—and smiled, her heart ready to burst. She’d never get used to thisfeeling.“So,” she said, “howdidyou get to be scared of spiders? You never told me thestory.”He shot her a look from behind narrowed eyes, the silver in them catching the moonlight. “Won’t let it go, willyou?”“Like a dog with a bone. Nowspill.”He grumbled something incoherent, and she nudged him with herelbow.“Come on, Mr. Quire-orgy.”“Agastopia.” His smile made her belly fl
- Forbidden Desire
CHAPTER 65
Sounds and lightfiltered through the darkness blanketing Huxley mind. His thoughts disentangling from a web of images and sensations, he became aware of his current surroundings. A pillow beneath his head, a mattress underneath his back, a soft sheet coveringhim.And two warm bodies pressed against hisown.Eyes flying open to semi-darkness, he looked to his legs, where Max snored softly, snuggled up to him. Hux turned his head, silky black curls brushing against his jaw. The scent of lush flowers and rain teased his nose, let him draw in a breath that threatened to burst hislungs.Cara.Her head resting on his shoulder, hands tucked between their bodies, she lay curled against him, one leg thrown over his. Eyes closed, her black lashes fanned out over her cheeks. Even though he hated to disturb her sleep, he couldn’t help brushing a lock of her midnight hair from her face, his fingers
- Forbidden Desire
CHAPTER 64
“Huxley. Look at me.”Her vision swam, her throatraw.His aura had faded to all but anember.She stroked his cheeks, her lips trembling. “I love you. I’ll mate with you, quire-griffin style and all. I’ll fucking mate with you. But only if you holdon.”Her breath hurt, going in, going out, from her aching throat all the way down to her chest, to the epicenter of a pain so cutting it might annihilateher.“Please,” shewhispered.His lips parted. Silver-gold shimmered as he opened his eyes just a slit. Breath rattling in his throat, he met her anguished stare. “Holding…on.”She choked on a sob of relief. Her fingers tender on his skin, she caressed his jaw, histemples.Raising his hand, he touched her lips. “Tell me…” he rasped. “Need to…hear&helli
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CHAPTER 63
“Cara, no.” Venina cowered against the door, her face tear-streaked. “I’m not worth it. Don’t let—” Jacob’s raised arm silenced her without evenstriking.Trembling, Cara met Venina’s red-rimmed eyes. And saw something she hadn’t noticed before. There was steel in that emerald green, a courage Cara hadn’t reckoned with—no one had reckoned with, judging by how carelessly Jacob turned his back on Venina, his focus on Cara.Away from a threat he’d clearlyunderestimated.It showed in the surprise in his icy eyes when Venina wrenched the dagger from his hand. In the moment of shock when his features slackened after the young witch-turned-demon slit her own throat. In his gasp when she managed to slice through both femoral arteries on her thighs as well before she collapsed. Her blood gushed onto the floor, ruby red on the whitecarpet.
- Forbidden Desire
CHAPTER 62
Forcedinto a glittering black and red nightmare of a dress that was as tacky as it was ridiculous, Cara walked down the hall in front of Jacob, otherwise known as Leading Asshole, her hands tied again, this time behind herback.“Tell me,” she said, flicking a glance over her shoulder and indicating the hideous dress, “did you ask Mira’s permission before you raided her 80swardrobe?”Jacob shoved her, making her stumble and crash down face-first on the carpeted floor. It still hurt like hell, since she couldn’t break her fall with her hands, and the recent wound from when he’d slashed her with his dagger started stinging again.Cara should have kept her mouth shut, but when it came to sadist bastards like him, she couldn’t resist the compulsion to poke athim.“How’s your side?” he asked with a sweet smile while she struggled to her
- Forbidden Desire
CHAPTER 61
They should be herebynow.Staring at the digital clock on the nightstand, Cara clenched her jaw, her heart pounding in her chest. Her hands and feet were tied, the rope also fastened to the headboard of the bed the brutes had thrown her on after dragging her into the house, so Cara had no way to get free. It had surprised her how normal the house seemed, with nice if bland-looking furniture straight out of a catalog, and a level of cleanliness suggesting that either whoever lived here had some OCD going on, or this was a model home in a newcommunity.She tried—again—to loosen her bonds. To noavail.Honestly, where were Marga and the others? They shouldn’t need this long to trackher.Sounds of movement in the hall. She snapped her head up, her body tensing for whatever—whoever—was coming. The door to the room opened, and two demons slipped inside—fem
- Forbidden Desire
CHAPTER 60
Shakingthe water from his hair, Hux jogged back to his truck, the cool night air seeping through his soaked clothes, his wet skin. When he reached his vehicle, he set the tanzaniteon the pickup’s bed, opened the tool box, and pulled out the towel and change of clothing he always kept there for visits to Lucas. With speedy efficiency he stripped, dried himself, and put on the fresh set ofclothes.Tanzanite securely tucked in his jeans pocket, he hopped into the driver’s seat and checked his phone, which he’d stored in the glove compartment for his audience with the Demon Lord. His heart jumped into his throat. There were several missed calls from Cara as well as Hunter, and text messages from both, asking him where hewas.Cara’s face before he left flashed through his mind, the utter despair, the tears glistening in her eyes, the hurt confusion when she saw him back out the door. She&rsquo
- Forbidden Desire
CHAPTER 59
An audiencewith the Demon Lord always involved some form of humiliation. Like being forced to take the scenic lake route, and then showing up before Lucas dripping wet and chilled to thebone.Huxley waded out of the lake and trudged up onto the shore. Pausing for a moment, he shook his head, then peeled off his soaked tee and wrung it hard. Water hit the sand with a muffled splash.Ten years.Ten damn years of working for the son of a bitch, and he’d never figured out another way to reach Lucas lair. And there were other ways. Those closer to the Demon Lord traveled back and forth without arriving soakingwet.He eyed the crumpled, soggy lump in his hands and grimaced. He’d rather have the cool night air assaulting his bare skin than put that dripping wet T-shirt back on, but appearing topless before the Demon Lord was not an option. Not that Hux had any problem with showing some skin, no. Lucas s
- Forbidden Desire
CHAPTER 58
The stenchof fear permeated the air, so acrid it turned Draco’s stomach. Never mind that it was hisown.Above him, the single bare bulb hung from the basement’s ceiling, every now and then swinging with the vibrations of the people walking on the upper floor. Sometimes, when someone banged a door above, fine dust would drizzle down on his sweat-slick, blood-encrustedskin.I’m fucked.That realization should have been a given when Seth’s men grabbed him, but he’d held on to the sliver of hope that maybe he’d be able to escape later. He looked again at the magic-infused manacles shackling his arms and legs to the metal table.Yeah, not verylikely.The door to the basement opened, and warm light spilled in, before a shadow blocked the view of the hall beyond. The agastopiamale closed the door, and his heavy footsteps thudded on the stairs while he desce