by A. C. James
“She’s beautiful,” Cyn said softly, staring into the small, perfect face. She had Fallon’s eyes and her own nose, only in tiny, perfect miniature. “I can’t believe how tiny and beautiful she is...”
“She’s bloody stunning,” Felicity said, leaning in close for a look at her new sister-in-law. “I’ve never seen such a cute baby. Well, except for Kira and Braden of course.”
Maelíosa chuckled. “She’s lovely, Cyn. Shall I go fetch Da? I’m sure he’d love to meet the wee one.”
Without waiting for Cyn to reply, she took off, running through the door of the birthing chamber.
“She’s really perfect, Cyn,” Felicity said. She reached down and stroked the baby’s forehead. “What’re you going to call her?”
Cyn grinned. She was wrung out, almost delirious, but more satisfied and proud than she’d ever been in her entire life. “Fallon and I should decide together, but something beautiful.”
“How do you feel?” Ariel asked.
She closed her eyes and relaxed on the birthing table. “I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my life. Well, maybe aside from the pain, but it’s worth it.”
Felicity laughed. “I’ll take your word for it. Twins is enough. I don’t plan on having another one anytime soon.”
The door swung open and Fallon stepped in. His eyes were shining with love as he walked over to his mate and new daughter.
“’Ello, love,” Fallon said. He leaned down to kiss Cyn’s sweaty forehead. “And that’s our new little girl? What a stunner!”
“She’s perfect,” Cyn said softly. “What d’you want to call her?”
“Do you have any thoughts?”
Cyn blushed. “Well, I’ve always liked Charlotte...but now we’ve got competition from the Windsors. What d’you think about Emma?”
Fallon grinned. “A bonny name for a bonny wee lass.”
“I’m going to give you some space,” Felicity said. She stepped backward and turned to walk out of the room. Cyn and Fallon didn’t even notice—they were too enthralled with their new daughter.
OUTSIDE ARIEL’S HUT, Maelíosa stood with Sage, Felicity, Niall, Carina, and Darcy.
“They’ve decided on Emma,” Felicity said with a smile. “She’s such a wee little girl. I can’t believe how much older Kira looks than her already!”
“They grow like weeds,” Sage said, pulling Carina close and rubbing his knuckles on the top of her brown head.
She squirmed and pulled away, pretending to glare at Sage as all of the adults laughed. Carina righted herself and smoothed her hair back, a smile creeping onto her lips. Again, Maelíosa had to admire the similarities between young, serious Carina and herself. I’m going to really enjoy watching her grow up. The thought filled her with surprising tenderness. She half-wondered what it might be like to have a child of her own, but she realised with a pang that might not be possible because of Sage’s cancer treatments.
“I can’t believe it—I have a new baby sister!” Darcy said. “She’s going to be so much fun. I always wanted a younger sister. Now no one can call me the baby of the family anymore!”
Maelíosa laughed. “I felt the same way when I saw you. I couldn’t believe that you were so small! And wrinkled!”
“It’s going to be so smashing,” Darcy said. She spread her arms in the air and twirled around, her dark brown hair flying out behind her, clearly ecstatic. “A wee babby to play with. We can go play outside and read books together! And I can help teach her how to walk. And I can teach her how to race, and how to run, and how to best filch stuff from the kitchens when the cooks aren’t looking...”
Maelíosa smiled. She couldn’t deny that she was excited about new life in the castle, too.
“Y’know, Dad,” Carina said, deadly serious as usual. “It’d be kind of nice to have a younger brother or sister to play with.”
For a moment, everyone was silent. Then Sage chuckled and wrapped his arms around Maelíosa’s waist, pulling her close.
“I dunno about that, at least not right now,” Sage whispered to Maelíosa. “But it’d be a hell of a lot of fun to practice, whaddya say?”
An uncharacteristic blush spread over her cheeks. Sage pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately. Her mare pranced and neighed, tossing her mane proudly in the wind. This is it... I found love. I never thought that it would happen to me, but it did.
“I love you,” Maelíosa said quietly, so only Sage could hear. “I’m so glad we found each other.”
Sage slid his hands down her back and squeezed her bum before she could push him away. There was an impish twinkling in his eyes that made him look years younger than he actually was. Maelíosa couldn’t believe the man standing before her was the same man whose body and spirit had been almost ruined by cancer. This Sage was handsome and strong, and a total daredevil.
“I love you, too. Now, how about that practice?” Sage raised an eyebrow at Maelíosa.
Maelíosa blushed harder than ever. “Aye, I think that’s a brilliant idea.”
The End.
Hold your horses! Don’t get your knickers in a twist. Turn the page for more...
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Happy Reading,
A.C. James
P.S. I’ve included a preview of my Ever After Series in case you like vampires who are into a little kink and enjoy new adult paranormal. Just turn the page ;)
P.S.S. I was invited to write in Milly Taiden’s Paranormal Dating Agency world. So if you like HAWT shifter romance with alpha males and curvy women then you should check out my book Finding Her Bearing. Turn the page for a little taste...
Finding Her Bearing Preview: Milly Taiden’s PDA World
First love + mistaken identity + one BBW Latino and a sexy bear shifter = one smoking HAWT romance.
If you liked GEEK BEARING GIFTS from the Paranormal Dating Agency you’ll love FINDING HER BEARING.
Trigger Warning: This book was written to shine a light on domestic violence and may be difficult for survivors.
CHAPTER ONE
CARI SMOOTHED HER HAIR, sucking in one last breath before knocking on the door. This was stupid-crazy, and the last thing she needed right now. How she let Jess talk her into it, she’d never know.
The door swung open to reveal a small woman, a shock of white hair framing her smooth features in a stylish bob. She was short, but her wide smile made her seem larger than life.
“Hello, dear. I’m Gerri, and you must be Cari. Why, you’re even lovelier than Jess described. Come on in. I was just about to have some tea.”
Cari smiled at the spitfire of a woman and
stepped into the apartment. Gerri closed the door and led her into a small kitchen.
“Have a seat. Would you like some tea?” Gerri’s shrewd, knowing eyes measured her movements as Cari pulled back a chair and took a seat at the kitchen table.
“Sure.”
The woman poured two cups from the kettle on the stove, placed one in front of Cari, and sat across from her.
“Thanks,” Cari said, taking a tentative sip from the oversized cup.
“So, how’s your sex life?”
Cari choked, trying to keep a mouthful of tea from spewing across the table. Jess hadn’t been kidding when she warned that Mrs. Wilder was a bit blunt. That seemed like an understatement.
Cari straightened her shoulders and met her inquisitive, no-nonsense look with bold caramel eyes. “Nonexistent.”
She hated to admit it, but it was true. She hadn’t been with anyone since her ex. That disaster had ended eight months ago, and she’d moved back here. It wasn’t where she’d grown up—Cari moved here with her grandmother in the ninth grade—but she always considered it home. When she inherited her grandmother’s old, ramshackle house two years ago, she hadn’t known what to do with it. Now it was the perfect escape, a place her ex had no idea even existed. Cari had been on her own fixing it up for the past eight months.
“Do you want it to be?” Gerri asked.
Cari thought for a moment. This whole thing was Jess’s crazy idea. They’d been friends since high school; everyone else had been standoffish to the new girl living in the rundown house on the edge of town, but Jess hadn’t cared.
She was enjoying the hell out of her newfound independence, but a woman had needs. She was comfortable with her curves, her plus-size hourglass shape, and her sensuality. Cari licked her lips. Didn’t she deserve to live a little? Besides, she needed a date for her ten-year reunion.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for a major commitment, but no-strings-attached sex is something I could handle. And I need a date for my high-school reunion.”
Gerri pursed her lips. “Is that so? I may have a shifter in mind, but are you certain all you want is sex?”
Cari frowned. She really wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore. It’d been a long time since anyone even asked her. She was just getting to know the smart, sexy, self-assured woman she’d forgotten. Her ex had really torn her down. Then she thought about the only guy who ever made her feel like a goddess: her high-school crush. It was a like a lightbulb went off. She’d been too scared to say anything back then. Maybe all this reunion business was bringing back old memories, but he was definitely the definition of what she wanted in a mate.
“I just got out of a really bad relationship,” Cari explained. “I’m not sure I can make any promises.”
Gerri studied her for a moment. “You don’t trust yourself.”
Wow. Gerri really knew how to read people, in a spooky, second-sight sort of way.
Cari swallowed. “That’s exactly it.”
Gerri’s eyes lingered on her, and Cari made an effort to keep herself from fidgeting.
“Honestly, I’m not sure I’d know what to do if someone was nice to me. I have an uncanny way of attracting assholes,” she admitted.
Gerri let out a full-belly laugh, and her whole face lit up. “I can see why you and Jess are such good friends! Shifters can get their alpha egos in a twist sometimes, but I can assure you I’ll find you one who isn’t an asshole.”
Cari laughed too. She really liked Mrs. Wilder’s candor, a refreshing change from polite, superficial exchanges. “Hopefully you can find one before the reunion next week.”
“I think we can manage to find you a date. What kind of man are you looking for?” Gerri asked.
Her hunky high-school crush popped into her head again. He’d been sweet, lanky, and easy on the eyes. She squirmed in her seat and cleared her throat.
“I want someone who’s smart, fun to be with, trustworthy, a good friend, and someone who makes healthy choices. I need someone who shows up, and calls when he says he will,” Cari said, her gaze reflecting in the large cup in front of her. “I deserve someone who makes me feel good and accepts me.”
She swallowed against the lump in her throat. She couldn’t believe she was telling Geri all the hopes she’d pinned on relationships that always ended badly. That’s what she wanted, but she attracted men who were all wrong for her. She’d been cheated on, put down, and put up with shit when she should have walked away a helluva lot sooner.
Gerri grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You leave it to me.”
Cari couldn’t imagine anyone could measure up to her crush. They’d met painting scenery for the high school drama club. He always made her feel safe and comfortable. Cari could really be herself around him. He was her best friend besides Jess. They’d talk for hours about everything and nothing. She’d always regret not telling him how she felt about him, but it wasn’t until college that she’d embraced her curvaceous Latino body. If only Liam could’ve met the version of herself that was bold, fearless. She wasn’t sure that girl existed anymore.
She wasn’t sure that that Gerri could find someone who met her qualifications, either. Cari smirked. “Well, it’s a pretty tall order.”
“Honey, what you want in a man is what every woman deserves, and I assure you it does exist,” Gerri said, her eyes twinkling.
Continue reading this story or turn the page for vampires and BDSM...
Eternal Ever After Preview
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.”
–Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version
Preface
I NEVER GUESSED THAT I would die with a sea of faces surrounding me, all cheering for my death. A woman wearing a jacket dress made of brocade only laughed louder when blood splattered her low, square neckline. Where is Arie? I scanned the crowded club, but all I could see were pale faces, some half-covered by masks.
My time had come, and I prayed she would finish me off quickly. The warm trickle of blood ran down my neck and chest, saturating the corset bustier of my gown. It seemed like a shame to ruin such a pretty dress. Strangely, I felt relieved the bodice was black and not a light color that would show a stain.
The fear of dying, or more accurately the fear of not existing, scared me stiff. Perhaps if I had satisfied this existential anxiety with faith I wouldn’t jump from panic to ambivalence. I should be angry at everyone who simply watched. They must think the gruesome display was part of the entertainment for tonight. After the bloody burlesque show, I could hardly blame them.
-Holly, I gave you the chance to leave.- The telepathic transference hardly seemed relevant at this point. I knew if I’d never gone to the Hellfire Club, I wouldn’t be facing death now. Still, if my death meant the killings would stop, it seemed justifiable.
“No!” I could barely hear Arie scream above the cheering voices clamoring for attention. The constant drone defied my effort to form coherent thoughts. I looked up and could see him on the balcony. When I blinked, he’d disappeared into the throng. I could feel the blood continue to trickle down my neck as she drained me. Dizziness threatened to pull me under. The audience applauded her brutality as I crumpled at her feet, looking up at her paper-thin smile.
Blood. So much blood. My blood.
I didn’t want this to be the story of my death, but this part was only a fragment of a narrative as old as time. Its voices filled the shadows with whispers of legend. We are told that the damned cease to exist, and those absolved from sin are given eternal life. The damned can never be saved. They walk the earth in an eternal hell. I fear it will be my curse if death doesn’t claim me instead.
Chapter 1
Chicago
Three Months Prior
I wanted to ask the man gawking at me from behind the counter what the hell his problem was. But I didn’t dare tell off a customer when my boss, Marshall, had been such a hard-ass since his wife died. The
tongue-lashing from him wouldn’t be worth the momentary satisfaction I’d get from reprimanding the man for staring at me. Nice to look at or not, it was just plain rude. It made me uncomfortable, yet tied my stomach into knots at the same time. God, I bet he could make my toes curl. I let out a sigh. It had been way too long since someone had ground my hips into a mattress.
I’m not bad-looking—maybe a little mousey, with wide brown eyes. But I make up for it with a narrow waist and decent cheekbones. And I usually wear my hair piled on top of my head, held in place with two pencils. Wiping my clammy hands on my apron, I glanced over at the man.
Damn.
His gray eyes watched my every move, and the coffee cup in front of him looked almost empty. I tried to plaster on a smile to cover my annoyance as I waited on him. Part of me was dying to talk to him, but another part wanted him to approach me instead. He’d been coming in here for a few weeks, and it annoyed me that I got these ridiculous butterflies in my stomach every time he looked at me. There was no way to avoid waiting on him, and nervous excitement bubbled inside me as I approached him. Images of him pressing me against a counter and his mouth tasting every inch of me didn’t make it any easier.
I took a deep breath. “Can I get you some more coffee? You take it black, right?” He smiled in a way that twisted my stomach and made me nervous, but in a good way. “Sure. You’re observant. I like that.”
“Well, you’ve been in here almost every day.” Although I usually ducked away and let Trina wait on him instead. Feeling tongue-tied when he was around was out of character for me. Usually I’d talk to anyone as long as they weren’t an asshole.
“What can I say? I like the coffee.”
I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks from his flirtatious tone. “Yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes. “That’s why this place is so packed. Because I make a mean cup of coffee.”
