Copyright
Evernight is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
EVERNIGHT: A NOVEL
Copyright © 2018 by Michelle Areaux
All rights reserved.
Editing by Michelle Areaux
Cover design by KP Designs
Published by Kingston Publishing Company
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Extras
More from the Author
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I want to thank my amazing family for their unconditional love and support through my crazy writing journey. They have never stopped encouraging and motivating me to continue following my dream as an author.
I can’t forget about my partner in crime, chaos coordinator in publishing, and event co-host: CK Green. She once saved me from a terrible publishing situation and together, we created Kingston Publishing Company.
Amanda Lindsey, PA you have promoted my books for the last few years, bringing me new readers and attention and I can’t thank you enough. You have been honest with me with my writing and have made me a better writer because of it. I can’t wait to road trip to St. Louis in September!
Finally, I can’t forget my amazing readers who have continued to support me and read the words I write. Without your belief in me as a writer, I wouldn’t be able to continue writing or traveling as I attend book signing events.
Each and every one of you are amazing and hold a special place in my heart. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Prologue
I gave them my all.
Every ounce of my life drained out of me as I fought to save the ones who would have died for me. It was my role, part of my destiny to become one with the evil that threatened to end my life. Before, evil and death snuck upon us in waves, I had lived a once peaceful life. However, as the darkness began to take over, my life was placed in their hands as they tempted to render us helpless, only we were bigger, stronger, and faster. However, their destruction lingered in our hearts and minds, preparing us for the next battle we would face.
Only, this time, the battle upon us wasn’t one we ever could have prepared for. As I struggled with my own internal demons tearing at my heart, I also found myself in the middle of a storm none of us saw brewing.
My only goal: survive and conquer or die in the hands of my captor.
Chapter 1
I was blinded.
The merciless sunlight was shining down on me, its rays taking all of my energy and soul with it. My body was hot to the touch, like a burning coal and I felt as though if I didn’t get shelter soon, I may not make it another day.
“It’s so hot,” I yawned, as I struggled to find water nearby.
“Stop complaining, Elle,” my mom said, as she handed me a bottle of water from the cooler. “We are at the beach, what did you expect?” she asked, with a wink.
Rolling my eyes, I flipped over on my large, pineapple decorated beach towel and took a large sip from the water bottle she had handed me from our cooler. The ice-cold drops of water cascaded down my arm, and it felt refreshing and cooling on my almost sunburnt skin.
“I’m not complaining,” I said. “I was just stating the obvious,” I added, trying to hide a smile. I dug my toes into the soft sand which felt like tiny little fingers messaging my feet. The further my feet sank into the sand, the cooler the sand felt against my skin.
Sitting up, I began to scan the scenery around me. The emerald blue water sparkled under the vivid rays of the afternoon sunlight which looked like tiny diamonds dancing off the white waves of the ever-moving ocean. Sounds of the waves crashing against the shoreline had lulled me to sleep earlier, acting like a gentle lullaby. The warm air baked my skin and sounds of laughter mixed with the waves were like a peaceful tranquility only to be found in tropical paradises such as this. I had felt like I could stay here forever, in our safe oasis, but that was until the heat took over and replaced my happiness with irritation. I had drifted off into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by the burning of a sunburn beginning on my back. The beach was super crowded today, as it was the last Saturday of Spring Break. We had escaped for a week-long family vacation to our favorite destination; Shell Beach. To say this vacation was needed would be an understatement. After the last few months, my family and I desperately needed to get away from our lives-- even if only for a little while.
After learning I was a Shifter, my world had completely flipped upside down. A group of Hunters had come for me and my pack and thankfully we had stopped them from exposing and ending Shifters forever. However, our battle didn’t end there. Only three short months ago, a Huntress had arrived in my hometown of Shady Oaks with one mission; to end Shifters and Vampires. While that wasn’t insane enough, learning my boyfriend was a Vampires and I possessed a strange power to morph into other beings and objects, made my world seem like it was beginning to implode on me.
When Spring Break arrived, and we were given the opportunity to leave Shady Oaks, we jumped at the chance.
Now, as I sit in this tropical paradise, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness come over me--
Asher.
Maddox
My friends.
I missed them all desperately.
Reaching for my phone, I glanced at the screen to find several missed text messages and phone calls.
Asher: I miss you, Elle. When are you returning?
Maddox: At some point, you have to talk to me
Melanie: I am so mad at you right now. You went to the beach without me! You better bring me back something pretty.
Laura: Why didn’t you tell us you were leaving town?
I also had about ten missed calls from each of my friends, too. When my family and I decided to leave town, we made a promise not to tell anyone until we were gone. We needed this escape and to leave without causing any attention. When our plane had landed in Shell Beach, I had sent a text to my friends explaining that we were gone for the week. I hadn’t returned any of their calls yet and I was dreading those conversations. The only person who I had verbally spoken to was Mrs. Allan, the owner of the coffee shop where I worked. Thankfully, she was more than happy to accommodate my work schedule and gave me the week off. Sighing, I scrolled through my social media pages too, trying to see how everyone else was spending their Spring Break.
“Elle, put your phone away. Life will still be in Shady Oaks when we return. Enjoy your last few minutes of peace and solace,” my dad stated, as he stood from his beach chair. “I am going to go for a swim,” he announced.
“Maybe he will
decide to shift into a shark and terrify everyone,” I teased, as I watched him head for the shore.
“Elle,” my mom snapped. Even though she tried to frown, I could see her trying to fight back a laugh at my statement. It was true, my dad could shift into practically any dangerous animal he wanted to. His strength and agility as one of the pack leaders gave him an advantage on dry land. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself at the thought of him using his shifting abilities in the ocean. He might give Jaws a run for his money.
“Sorry, but you have to admit it is a little funny,” I teased, as I placed my phone back into my bag.
My dad was right, the real world would still be there later. I could read my texts from everyone when I returned home. For now, I should enjoy my last few minutes of vacation because, in my life, there was always one thing I could rely on.
Nothing ever stayed calm for long.
Chapter 2
Our plane landed in Lexington around seven in the evening. The sun was still dimly lit in the evening sky as we soared above the heart of the Bluegrass. I looked out the tiny window at the rolling green hills of the horse farms below. While I had enjoyed my vacation, I was relieved to be back in my hometown. Shifting in places where there are few wooded areas proves to be a very difficult task. We made do though, shifting in a nearby state park at night when everyone was long gone.
Once we retrieved our baggage, we headed to my dad’s SUV parked in the airport parking garage. It would only be around thirty minutes until we left the City of Lexington and made our way back home to Shady Oaks.
I could feel my heart swelling at the thought of being home again. Dorothy knew what she was talking about when she said, “There’s no place like home.”
As we drove out of the busy city streets and into the small town of Shady Oaks, my heart became full again. Large skyscrapers were replaced with towering trees so old, they had ancient stories to share. Turning onto the small, one lane road that led to my house, I could feel the excitement rising in me. I also felt a flutter of butterflies’ dance in my belly. I knew that once we came into view of my house, there would be an image I had longed to see. I could feel sparks in my veins as a connection between us had grown so strong, I could sense his presence.
Pulling the SUV into our driveway, I spotted Asher standing on the front steps of my front porch. Seeing his black hair slicked back and his blue eyes following the SUV, I almost jumped out of the vehicle before my dad pulled it to a stop.
Rushing to the house, I leaped into Asher’s arms as he lifted me off the ground and pulled me in for a tight hug. Placing a soft kiss on my cheek, he nuzzled his nose into my hair. “Elle, I have missed you fiercely,” he whispered.
Returning the kiss, I pulled back, so I could look at his beautiful face that I had missed so much it had hurt.
“I’m so sorry that I left without telling you but… I had to,” I said, as I stared into his eyes, willing him to forgive me.
Smiling, Asher flashed his perfect teeth at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. “I have to admit, I was upset at first, but I understand your need to get away,” he said. “I just wish I would have known I was going to have to survive a week without you. I would have prepared better,” he said.
“Prepared?” I questioned, raising my brow at him.
“Yes, I would have spent double the time with you,” he smirked.
“Hey, Romeo and Juliet, why don’t you help us unload the car,” my dad yelled at us as he smiled.
“Sorry, dad,” I laughed, as I let go of Asher.
Asher rushed to the car with lightning speed. He grabbed my suitcase and then before I could blink, he was in the house and up the stairs.
“I guess that’s one advantage to having a Vampires for a boyfriend,” I laughed, looking at my parents before going into the house to look for Asher.
He was laying my suitcase on the bed when I entered my room. “Well, that was helpful,” I smiled.
Sauntering toward me, Asher grabbed my hands and pulled me against him. “I couldn’t stand the thought of another second coming between us. I just used my abilities to my advantage,” he said with a smile.
Hugging him tightly, I inhaled his sweet scent of vanilla and spice. I wanted nothing more than to commit that scent to memory to have forever.
Forever.
That word was something I had also escaped from. Asher and I had discussed the idea of him changing me-- turning me into a Vampires or Hybrid, as we had recently learned I would be called. That word was still looming in my mind. I still had time to consider spending eternity with the love of my life, but there were other factors to be considered, too.
As Asher held me, my eyes drifted to my bedroom window which overlooked Maddox’s house. I hadn’t spoken to Maddox since New Year's Eve when he had confessed his love to me in front of Asher. I had avoided him at all costs and it was starting to destroy me internally. While I had Asher to fill my heart with love and joy, Maddox filled another part of me, too. He was ingrained in my soul and I needed him in my life, too. I just wasn’t sure how to make it work, now.
Noticing my distant stare, Asher’s eyes traveled to where mine were. Sighing, he shook his head.
“Have you talked to him?” he asked.
“No,” I replied.
“You need to. No one dislikes Maddox as much as I do, but he is your best friend and a member of your Evershade pack. You two need to talk and figure out how to handle this,” Asher said. I saw him wince as he mentioned Maddox’s name.
It was no secret that Asher and Maddox hated one another. It had been that way ever since Asher arrived in Shady Oaks. Now, sadly, I understood why Maddox hated Asher.
“I know I do,” I replied.
“When are you going to talk to him?” Asher asked, a touch of disdain lacing his voice.
Sighing, I shook my head. “I need to just get it over with. I know exactly where I can find him,” I said as I noticed the garage where Maddox could usually be found was empty. There was only one other place where Maddox would be.
***
I pulled up in front of the empty ball field and parked my Ford Explorer in the parking lot. I could hear the crack of the bat as Maddox forcefully hit a ball coming toward him at a raging sixty miles per hour.
Maddox loved baseball. He had ever since we were little kids. He had forced me one year, when we were ten, to play on his little league team. I did, but I hated it, but I would have done anything for Maddox back then. I still would. Watching him now, I felt my stomach drop as fear engulfed me. I dreaded having the awkward conversation with him, but we couldn’t go on pretending that what he had said to me, confessed to me, never happened.
Suddenly, my thoughts drifted back to that night only a few short months ago.
Sighing, Maddox squeezed my hand in his and finally spoke again. “Elle, I know you can’t understand what I am feeling right now, but I do feel like he stole a part of you from me. We were once soul mates. You and I were inseparable. Now, I feel like I am losing you and I can’t because… I am in love with you. I always have been. I tried to tell you last year at the Fall Dance, but then…” he trailed off as the images from that night came flashing back. I, too, remembered seeing the dead wolf with a threat from Macon and Sutton, the Hunters who were after us.
“Ten, Nine, Eight,” the countdown continued as we inched closer to the beginning of a new year that I would surely miss ringing in.
Shaking his head, Maddox brought his attention back to what he was saying. “I can’t sit back anymore and watch you fall deeper for Asher. I know you love him, I am not blind or stupid to your feelings. But, what you and I share is beyond love. Elle, I need to know-- do you ever think you could give up Asher and love me as more than just your best friend. Love me as something more like a soul mate. Love me the way that I have and always will love you?”
Closing my eyes, I tried to squeeze that image and his words from my mind. Mustering the courage I needed, I took in a big brea
th before stepping out of my SUV and walking toward the batting cages. I knew Maddox sensed me even before he saw me. Being a Shifter, we have that kind of power. But, Maddox and I had a connection that went further than our Shifter powers. We were like soulmates; and when one hurt, the other did too.
“You’re back,” Maddox said, as he didn’t take his eyes from the machine launching the baseballs toward him. His blond hair was messy, and his eyes were focused on everything but me.
I walked up to the cage and pressed my fingers through the cool, metal design. “I just got back,” I said, hoping he would turn and look at me.
Maddox only nodded as he continued to take out his anger on his bat as three more rounds of pitches were sent to him. When the machine finally stopped, Maddox dropped his bat and stood still. He was breathing hard as large drops of sweat cascaded down his forehead.
“You know we have to talk about this,” I stated, my voice quivering.
Sighing, Maddox would barely look my way. “Where is your boy-vamp?” he asked, with a snarl.
I wanted to reach out and slap him for being such a big baby. How dare him act upset? I was the one who should be upset. Especially when he used that name, which he had created last winter, to call Asher. Maddox had sprung a confession of love on me so unexpected, I didn’t have time to react. But, he just left me there. So, I left him, too.
“Maddox, if you ever want to speak to me again, you need to stop acting like this. You are the one who caused this awkward tension between us, not me.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but no sound came out. I could see the sadness radiating from his gaze, and part of me wanted to reach out and hug him while another part wanted to pound him into the ground.
“Elle, this isn’t easy for me,” he began, after a few minutes of silence had passed.
“And you think this is easy for me?” I asked, throwing my hands up in the air.
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