by Helen Scott
“Woah.” She pulled back and looked at me. “Are you okay? You look different.”
“Yeah, I'm good. Just finding myself a little more, I think.”
“I should work on that,” she said, suddenly serious.
“You know yourself,” I said, bumping her shoulder as we walked into my room.
“I'm getting there.” She smiled a little at the end. All I could do for her was be there and be her friend. Everything else would happen if it was meant to.
“So here's the thing, the guys and I are going on a road trip, and I have no idea how long it will take.”
“Send me postcards?” she asked hopefully.
“Always.” I smiled. “I'll still pay rent and whatnot, but I'm going to take a lot of my clothes and stuff, okay?”
“It's your life, babe. You have to do what makes you happy. Human life is too short for anything else.”
Her words caught in my brain. Human life? She had said things like that before, and it was almost as though she didn't consider herself to be human. “Could you go check on the guys? I don't want them to think we just abandoned them.”
“That is a chore I'll gladly do.” She smiled. “You get to have all the fun.”
“For once,” I said, sticking my tongue out at her.
We both knew she was the one who brought a different guy home every weekend. It wasn't even that she was slutty; it was more that she couldn't seem to find what she was looking for, whatever that was.
After she left, I grabbed my remaining suitcase from the closet and began shoving stuff inside. I was much less careful with it this time, half expecting to get in another accident on the way back to the guys’ place and lose even more of my clothing. By the time I was done, I had packed the rest of my clothes and intimates, as well as some of my more treasured belongings and jewelry, even a couple books I liked to reread every year. Everything I was leaving behind was stuff that I could live without, even though I didn't necessarily want to. When I came back into the living room, the guys were relaxing on the couch while Rox chattered away.
“I think I've got everything,” I said.
When they saw my suitcase, their eyes widened.
“It's half empty! It's just the only luggage I have left,” I said defensively.
When they stood and got ready to leave, I felt a rush of anxiety. Was I really going to do this? Leave my life? Leave Roxanne?
Knox came over and stood directly in front of me, gently cupping my face in his hands as he said, “Don't doubt yourself now. You know what you want; it's just your fear trying to hold you back. Don't let it prevent you from claiming your throne.” He leaned down and kissed me, and the familiar feeling of his fire chased away my fears.
Emmett was by my side then and taking the suitcase from my hands. “I'll just go put this in the trunk,” he said with a nod to Knox. “It was nice to meet you, Roxanne.”
“You too, handsome,” she called.
I laughed, but as she walked toward me, that laugh caught in my throat. We had lived together since freshman year of college, and it was going to be weird to live without her now. It wasn't as if I'd be living alone, though. I was trading one Rox for four insanely attractive men. It didn't seem like a fair trade. They had big shoes to fill, fortunately not literally—the woman's feet were tiny.
“I'll see you soon, yeah?” she asked, her eyes shimmering in the light. We both seemed to know that this was a turning point in our lives.
I nodded, a lump forming in my throat.
“I better. Also, I expect at least a weekly text of all your, um, adventures,” she said with a glance at Knox, who rumbled with laughter.
After a tearful hug and another round of goodbyes, we finally left. Knox hugged me tight under his arm and said, “You'll see her again. I promise.”
I smiled weakly, and we got back into the car and drove away. After a quick stop at my old job to pick up my most recent check and officially quit, we were back at the house and loading up the huge SUV that had appeared out of nowhere. I stood resting against the door, and our resident ghost appeared next to me. For some reason, it didn't startle me. Maybe because I noticed the temperature drop before she appeared? Or maybe I was just starting to adapt to the weird?
“Well, aren't they a sight?” she asked, fanning herself. “You definitely hit the jackpot with them, dear. You be careful on that trip now, and make sure you all come back and visit. It was nice to have someone living here who could see me.”
“Do you know why you're still here?” I asked.
“No, but I do love the house, so maybe that's it.”
“Would you want to come with us to the Underworld when we go?”
She looked at me for a long time before saying, “I'll think on it. You just be sure to stop by before you go down there.”
“We will,” I said, smiling at the older woman. I glanced over at the guys, and when I looked back, she was gone.
Nolan ambled over to me. “Talkin' to the ghost lady?”
I nodded with a smile. “She's lovely.”
“Well, best say your goodbyes, 'cause I think we're getting on the road.” He turned and started to walk away, but I caught his hand and pulled him back to me.
“Give me a kiss for luck?”
He leaned down, and his lips brushed over mine for a second before he settled and all but devoured me. That same crackling fire burst through me, and the desire I had felt since the first time I saw him flared to life. When his hands gripped my ribcage, I gasped, and then he dropped me like a hot potato, disappearing into the vehicle.
Knox and Emmett came over next. The two of them really seemed to have bonded even more than when I’d first met them. Each of them gave me a breath-stealing kiss for luck as well. Finally, Hunter came over.
“Kiss for luck?” I asked, expecting rejection.
He stepped forward, his eyes flashing, and then his lips were on mine and I felt as if the whole world were splitting open. I could see and feel everything that had only ever been on the edges of my perception before. Then he was gone just as fast.
Knox being Knox circled back around and walked me to the car. Our hands were intertwined as we climbed in, taking the back seat so we could snuggle, while Hunter was in the driver's seat and Nolan was being navigator. I had given them the general direction of the pull, and they’d decided on the nearest big city in that direction, but if I noticed a significant change, I had to let them know. Emmett sat alone for now, but he was going to be my next snuggle buddy whether he knew it yet or not.
As we pulled away, I glanced over my shoulder and saw the ghost in the window. She waved, and I knew we would be back. I wanted to give her the chance to come with us. I waved back, but as we got further from the house, she disappeared. When I turned back, I felt the weight of the task ahead of us settle in. Luckily, I had my guys to help me along the way. Four of the strongest, smartest, most amazing men I had ever met. With them helping me, what could go wrong?
Thank you for reading!
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Don’t forget to check out Helen’s other series.
The Siren Legacy
The Oracle (A Siren Legacy Novella)
The Siren’s Son
The Siren’s Eyes
The Siren’s Code
The Siren’s Heart
The Banshee (A Siren Legacy Novella)
The Siren’s Bride
Fury’s Fire
Fury’s Valentine
Wardens of Midnight
Woman of Midnight (A Wardens of Midnight Novella)
Sanctuary at Midnight
Cerberus
Daughter of Persephone
Daughter of Hades
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank you most of all, as the reader, for giving me a chance to entertain you and invite you into my world. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you to Amanda Munson for suggesting the awesome band name of Forsaking Midnight!
A big thank you to my cover designer, Natasha Snow, for helping me bring these books to life, and to my editor, Courtney Umphress, for making sure that the readers get the best possible version of the book.
Thank you to my family for helping me pursue my dream and putting up with my wandering mind.
Last, but not least, thank you to my husband for pushing me to share my stories with the world. Thanks for putting up with me every day, babe. You’re amazing!
About the Author
Helen Scott lives in the Chicago area with her wonderful husband and furry, four-legged kids. She spends way too much time with her nose in a book and isn’t sorry about it. When not reading or writing, Helen can be found absorbed in one video game or another or crocheting her heart out.
