TWISTED FATES BOOK 1: THE FIRST TWIST

by Jacklyn Scott Rogers

  "Eyebrows maketh the man," Jay would always preach, which is why his trimmed and styled brows were always flawless.

  So true, my friends, so true.

  I loved Jay. He was everything that represented extraordinary and then some. My eyes began to tear up even more as I recalled how much I missed having him in my life. He was my partner in crime, the love of my life, okay correction; he was the love of my life in a platonic way just as I was his. We had even made a blood oath in high school, solidifying our commitment to each other. In a nutshell, if neither of us ever settled down by the time we were 35, we would marry each other and have the best non-sexual, open relationship marriage EVER!

  Hell, when Dasha came into the picture during our sophomore year of college, we even indoctrinated her into our promise of marital bliss. Of course, we’d need to move to Utah, where polygamy was still legal, but we’d cross that bridge when and if it ever came. The pledge behind our oath was simply meant to express that we’d always be there for each other unconditionally no matter what.

  Unfortunately, our promise was something that would never come to pass. I had lost Jay not too long after I met Devon. A month later, to be more precise. Jay had passed away in his sleep, peacefully, I always hoped, due to a brain aneurysm that neither Dasha nor I saw coming.

  If Jay was aware of his affliction, not once had he ever given any indication that something was wrong with his health. Jay’s demeanor never slipped past the joyful façade he had always graced us with.

  So, of course, when I saw Jay again, my heart literally melted into a giant puddle of goo.

  “Jay!” I cried in a raspy voice, barely above a whisper that I hardly even recognized as my own. I immediately wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. Taking in his familiar scent of citrus and musk, choking back my tears, I quietly muttered into his taut chest.

  “I … missed you.”

  Not that Jay would understand why I was acting so intense with my emotions, but I didn’t care. I held on to Jay for a long time. It was as if some part of me believed that if I held on tight enough, he couldn’t be taken from me again.

  “Please don’t leave me again, Jay … it was so hard the first time.”

  I whispered into his chest, trying to keep myself from tearing up even further. I know it makes no sense, but the scale of my emotional balance had been unmistakably tipped every which way. After a minute or two, Jay let out a deep sigh and gently removed my arms from around his neck while gently placing my trembling hands in his own.

  “I’m so sorry, Sammie. I never meant to abandon you. I love you so much; please believe me. I will always keep you safe from harm. I’ve always been watching over you. No matter what happens, you will always have me by your side. Even if you can’t see me ... I’m there.” His words didn’t sound like Jay from this timeline, but rather words that were originating from some distant place that only he understood. He stared at me, looking troubled but then gave a slight smile that never quite reached his eyes. Somehow, I just knew that he was aware of what had upset me. He released my hands and ever so lovingly, with his thumb, wiped away the one tear that had managed to escape the confines of my lashes and placed a soft, gentle kiss on my forehead. After which, he placed both of his arms on my shoulders, reintroducing space between us.

  Then as if some sort of switch had been flipped, Jay’s entire demeanor reverted back to the carefree entity that he was just before my emotional breakdown. I looked at him, examining his face for any telltale signs, but there was nothing to the contrary. He seemed as if the events that conspired between us during the last few minutes had never even transpired.

  Curious …

  Our conversation's focal point, or rather Jay’s, was his ogling of the men a few feet away from us. His carefree words seamlessly jumped back to the point of our interaction as it had initially transpired three years prior.

  Chapter 5

  Sammie's POV

  Events from 3 Years ago

  “Hottie Alert straight ahead! Whoop Whoop! “Jay excitedly pointed and pretended to blow an invisible train whistle; one of his many animated signals that a very eye-catching male was within our visual vicinity.

  “Oh. My. God Sammie!” Jay exclaimed, emphasizing every single word with zeal, as he grabbed my left hand and shook it enthusiastically.

  “Have you EVER seen a more gorgeous group of men in your entire fucking life? I think I just died and went to heaven!” Jay declared as he placed the back of his left hand over his forehead in proper drama queen form and gasped.

  Luckily, he didn’t notice me shudder, as his analogy of him dying had reverberated throughout my brain, making me cringe.

  “Dasha is sooo going to wish she came tonight, girl. This is like the Haley’s Comet of the bar scene. We Ain’t Ev-ah gonna see this many delectable looking male specimens up close for at least another 75 years. You know I’m right, girl, so we may as well bask in the hotness while we can. Damn Sammie! You don’t think just maybe one of them would take a swing in my direction ... do you?” Jay jokingly leaned over and proclaimed in my ear as he gave me another light nudge at my side.

  Gently giving his chest a light shove back, I giggled at his oh so fanatical regard of the men he was eyeballing. I remembered this entire conversation like it was yesterday, save the brief interaction where I held Jay tightly. That was an event that the future me made happen.

  That was … new.

  **********************************************************

  I, with much persistence on Jay’s part, Goddess he could be so pushy, reluctantly looked over at the group of people that had so clearly caught his abiding attention. I know I had been postponing it, but I couldn’t delay the inevitable forever. That wasn’t supposed to be how everything played out. I indulged myself with a quick shot of some fruity mixed shooter that Jay handed me. Or as I like to think of as liquid courage, thank you. I set the shot glass down on the bar and stealthily peered over my shoulder to see them.

  To see him.

  Oh, My Goddess! There he was, looking every BIT as beautiful as I remembered.

  Don’t get me wrong, the other guys that accompanied Devon would definitely give your eyes a cavity or two. But Michael and Aiden, whom I would later find out where his Beta and third in command, had nothing on Devon Montgomery.

  Devon was the epitome of all romance novel’s werewolf Alpha males rolled into one. He was undeniably breathtaking. Angels even sang when he walked into the room. Devon was just that damn sexy.

  Well, maybe a teeny bit of an over-exaggeration, but you get it - love at first sight and all.

  Devon was just perfection personified. From his six-foot-four tall, muscular frame and his piercing ice-blue eyes, that sometimes would reflect a bit of deep violet whenever his emotions were at their fullest. His sexy chiseled jawline adorned the perfect five o’clock shadow and those soft kissable lips that always seemed to have a hint of the devil whenever he would smile at you. Lastly, let's not forget his body, which must have been created by Adonis himself.

  Sigh...

  He was sheer perfection. Just picture the love child of Alexander Skaarsgard and Liam Hemsworth if you really need something to spark your visual imaginings of Devon, and you’ll get where I’m coming from.

  His presence alone commanded attention and adoration from whoever had the pleasure of being within his company, and tonight he was definitely receiving it tenfold with all the stunning Femme Fatales hovering around him and his buddies. The gaggle of wannabe models, donned in barely-there curve-hugging designer dresses which left nothing to the imagination, eyed him like a parched man in the Sahara Desert would ogle a glass of water. They were hungry, and Devon was unquestionably the menu item of choice. Hanging on his every word, giggling, and the occasional flirtatious flip of the hair, these women were enchanted by him. They were hoping that one of them would be the lucky recipient of having the pleasure of Devon’s company for the night in their bed. These women just craved one
hint of his mutual attraction tossed their way, but Devon was never one to give his predilection generously. He liked his women eager for the promise of something they would more than likely never get but still begged to receive. He got off on it and roused them all with his sly sexual innuendos that never came with a promise of fulfillment, simply because he could. Devon was a player, but I couldn’t blame him. He had a literal buffet of women throwing themselves at his feet. What red-blooded 25-year old male is going to turn that down?

  At least all that changed when he had met me. I never once doubted his fidelity.

  Staring at the beautiful creature that had consumed my entire being, I had to look down and remind myself that he wasn’t meant for me.

  Be Strong, Sammie. You can do this. I chanted in my head. Devon deserves someone worthy of his kind, someone that fits into his world, and that isn’t you.

  Despite the loud music pulsating all around me, I still managed to hear the fits of laughter and smug carnal insinuations being pitched around Devon’s group. Devon would smile and toss of few of his devilish witticisms into the mix of all the lively banter. Even still, I could see clearly that his smile was simply a painted-on façade, and his eyes appeared to be almost … vacant.

  I watched how Devon futilely scanned his surroundings, reviewing the sea of inhabitants at this evening’s events.

  He seemed really, really bored.

  That is, until his gorgeous eyes landed at the bar, particularly where Jay and I stood. Then, just as he did three years ago, Devon appeared to have stopped paying attention to everything around him, and his piercing ice blues looked directly at me.

  There was a look in Devon’s eyes that seemed to reveal some semblance of recognition and something else. Sadness? His scrutinizing eyes slowly made their way up and down, admiring my petite frame.

  As if my body had a mind of its own while holding his gaze, I let go of the breath that I didn’t realize I had been holding, placed my unsteady hand over my heart, and smiled at him.

  Devon, however, did not return the gesture. Instead, he looked at me almost as if some part of him may have recognized me, deep within the recesses of his mind perhaps, but then gathered that he had probably been mistaken. He then turned away and reverted his attention to the statuesque blond hanging onto his arm. It was evident that she seemed to have caught our brief interaction by the glare she threw my way. She slyly leaned into Devon and whispered something into his ear, then smiled at me like the cat that ate the canary.

  Bitch!

  As I stood there watching Devon return her visibly skanky advances with one of his killer smiles, my heart sank.

  Ish

  OK, so yeah, I was feeling jealous. Do you blame me?

  He whispered something into her ear as she placed her hand on his rigid, muscular chest and licked her lips while seductively nodding in agreement. With no sense of hesitation, Devon directed the bimbo towards the club’s exit. He then gave a knowing wink and waved over at his comrades. Michael and Aiden smirked and nodded towards each other with knowing grins. Nothing needed to be said. It was quite obvious. Someone was getting laid. Soon after, Devon departed the building with blond skank in tow.

  I felt nauseous and disgusted.

  This was so NOT what I wanted. How could I have decided to do something so fucked up?

  Argh!

  I internally screamed at myself for being such an idiot.

  I just did the same damn thing to Devon that I got mad at him for doing to me. What a damn hypocrite I was! I should have tried harder to get through to Devon instead of giving him up.

  This was all so fucking … WRONG!

  Realizing I just made a massively HUGE mistake based on my own stupid anxieties, my adrenaline suddenly kicked in.

  I had to stop Devon and make things right.

  Ready to chase after Devon, it occurred to me that I was unexpectedly holding a martini glass filled with what looked to be a Cosmo in my hand.

  I totally don’t remember having that... hmm... okay, weird

  Not letting my confusion deter me from my newly found goal, I let the delicate glass slip from between my fingers and began sprinting after Devon and the bimbo.

  Strangely enough, as my drink fell, I never actually heard its delicate glass shatter. I only heard Jay’s voice fading in the distance, begging me to come back as I ran towards the exit.

  I’m so sorry, Jay, I thought to myself worriedly.

  I can’t come back; I need to fix the mess I made.

  I needed to get to Devon before it was too late and remind him of us.

  But just as quickly as it happened before, my body felt as if it was set on fire and the world around me suddenly began to fade away quickly.

  Once again, I was plummeting towards the darkness.

  Chapter 6

  *** SEXUAL CONTENT***

  Devon's POV

  Looking over at the inhabitant of the disheveled king-sized bed to my right, I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to make the impending headache disappear. I get them a lot. It seems that my wolf, Slade, gets pissed off whenever I hook up with someone who's not my mate.

  He'll get over it.

  I'm Devon fucking Montgomery. Alpha to the Blood Moon Pack!

  I have urges, and I intend to satisfy them. When and If I ever find my mate, I'll settle down and devote myself to her. But until then, I'll do whatever the fuck I damn well, please. My wolf will not dictate who or when I decide to fuck some nameless participant!

  After I left the club with Felicia ... Fiona ... Farrah - whatever the hell her name is, I had my driver take us to the nearest, decent hotel. I had an itch to scratch, and blondie here made it quite clear that she was willing to do whatever I wanted.

  They always do.

  Blondie was a very naughty girl, and I made sure she was good and punished for her bad behavior A LOT.

  Apparently, this one liked it rough.

  After our little romp, I laid on the bed leaning against the headboard, which we happened to break. This wild cat was kinkier than I had expected. I'd make sure to have my driver reimburse the hotel for any of the room's repair costs. He'd gotten quite proficient in dealing with these types of sticky situations. Money tended to keep things quite amenable, especially when you slipped a few extra bills to management for their troubles.

  Our naked bodies were still covered in sweat, and the smell of sex permeated the sheets. I glanced over at blondie’s nude body; she was passed out from exhaustion laying on her toned stomach and silicone double Ds. Her shapely ass had a few red handprints from where she begged me to spank her, as well as several love bites that were beginning to bruise her inner thighs. Well done, my boy, I chuckled to myself. She was unquestionably a wild cat.

  This one almost wiped my ass out, and I'm a fucking Alpha. That tells you how crazy she had to be for her to be able to keep up with my sexual appetites.

  The wild cat was undoubtedly one for the books. I'd have to give Michael, my Beta, and Aiden, my Gamma, this kitten's number so that they could enjoy a taste too.

  I don't mind passing down my little leftovers to Michael and Aiden. Women like the wild cat aren't my mate, and I never go back for seconds, even though several little vixens have tried their damndest. I never take the bait. When I fuck them, that's all it is for me, a release and nothing more. Before I even extend an invitation to accompany me to a hotel, I make it perfectly clear what their significance is to me.

  Absolutely nothing.

  Some have tried to put on a brave front and act as if they fully accept their position as my temporary distraction, but I can always smell their deception. Without warning, these death traps get tossed to the curb with no hesitation or remorse on my end.

  I can always find another.

  Just as I got up out of bed to get dressed, I felt a slender hand with long and manicured red nails slink around my arm. "Where are you going, lover?" She whined in a sickly-sweet tone that caused bile to creep up into my throat, g
agging me. "I was hoping for another round. Your cock made me feel so fucking good. I need another taste." She let go of my arm and rolled over on her back, moaning and writhing as she caressed her beaded pink nipples in front of me. "I'm so fucking wet right now, baby. I know you wanna fuck me again. I can make you feel so good, baby." She pleaded.

  I observed her as she slowly glided her other hand deep within her slick folds and moaned while staring directly into my eyes, begging me to shove my thick rod insider her once more.

  ***END OF SEXUAL CONTENT***

  I tsked and shook my head.

  Pathetic cling-on.

  Disgusted already at the sight of her, I briskly turned away, pulled up my pants, and slipped on my shoes. I grabbed my shirt and coat, not even bothering to put them on, and headed for the door without so much as a second glance. I could hear her beginning to curse profanities at me as I made my way out of the room and lifted my hand in a dismissive wave.