by Alicia White
Novikov Clan 4
Third Time's a Charm
Forced into a life she doesn’t want, Beth Steele leaves her husband behind in Seattle. She doesn’t have any family or friends to turn to. As a last resort, she calls her cousin Emma in Alaska who she hasn’t seen in ten years. Luckily, she’s welcomed with open arms and starts over.
Kaden and Jason Schiller want a mate. They’ve watched their friends find their happy endings, and now it’s their turn.
Younger brother, Jason, leaves home in search of the woman that he’ll share with Kaden. Bored and lonely, Kaden waits behind until he meets his mate. Without Jason around, Kaden and Beth start a relationship. When Jason returns, Beth isn’t sure she wants to be shared.
If Kaden is willing to pass her off to his brother then who’s next? With her past heart breaks…will Beth be able to accept both Kaden and Jason?
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 40,311 words
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
Novikov Clan 4
Alicia White
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
Copyright © 2013 by Alicia White
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-562-1
First E-book Publication: September 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Third Time’s a Charm by Alicia White from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Alicia White’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. White’s right to earn a living from her work.
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DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my wonderful readers! I’m glad that you love the Novikov Clan and wanted Beth to have her own story. Third Time’s a Charm is about a woman who starts over and her journey to find love once more.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” —Maria Robinson
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
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
About the Author
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
Novikov Clan 4
ALICIA WHITE
Copyright © 2013
Chapter 1
“Fucking bastard!”
Beth screamed as she threw her laptop across the living room, flinching as it hit the far wall before tumbling to the ground. Gritting her teeth, she tried to get her breathing under control and slow her racing heart. She wanted to destroy everything, rip pictures off the walls and tear them into little pieces. The pain of betrayal sliced through her heart, shredding not only her self-esteem but every gentle feeling she had. She collapsed onto her couch, their couch. How could he do this to me? How could that fucking jerk cheat on me?
Wrapping her arms around her chest, she rocked back and forth trying to draw comfort as tears tracked down her cheeks. There was nobody she could trust, nobody she could talk to. A loud, tortured sob was ripped from her. She tried to gain control, afraid to break down. He would be home soon, and she needed to gather every bit of strength she had to pack up her things. Anything left behind would probably end up in the trash. The heartless prick! She couldn’t face him, not now.
Agony overwhelmed her. A horrible keening sound could be heard, and it took a second for Beth to realize it came from her. The devastation was too much, threatening her very sanity. Panic settled over her like a thick blanket, choking her. She was no stranger to this particular pain. It was her second marriage, and she’d waited years to avoid making the same mistake. Another bad decision resulting in pain. No, stick a fork in me, I’m done.
Wiping her face with the sleeve of her sweater, Beth forced herself to get up and move. She drifted down the hallway where dozens of pictures mocked her walk of pain. Scattered memories from a life filled with deceit. One in particular caught her eye. Their wedding day. Had he been faking it even then? Or was she such a disappointment, it had become a gradual descent without her realizing it?
“What a fool I’ve been.” Pain ripped through her as she stared at their smiling faces, full of hope, dreams, and love. Love? “You bastard.”
With shaky hands, Beth removed the photos one by one as tears streaked down her cheeks. They dropped from her fingers in a satisfying thunk that did little to appease the rage lurking behind the hurt.
Beth took a shaky breath at the bedroom door and forced herself inside. Her gaze slowly traveled the room, looking for what? Perhaps a sign of a bad dream? Reality stared back at her with dead, unseeing eyes. How had she not seen it b
efore? Nothing about this place said home. It was like a fucking museum that left her empty and cold.
Tears filled her eyes once more as she made her way to the walk-in closet. Her favorite room. It held her clothes and mementoes. Books she’d had most of her life that she’d read so many times the pages frayed. She would visit the closet periodically just to read and escape into a world where she could be herself. Strong. Confident. Real.
She would meet a man—current husband, ex-husband, and former boyfriends—they all seemed to like and accept her before ultimately changing her over the course of the relationship. Beth started out strong, independent, and happy. Over time, she’d weaken and become what they wanted her to be. How pathetic.
Anger spiking, Beth grabbed piles of clothes, ripping them out of the closet and tossing them on the bedroom floor. She didn’t know how much time she had before he’d be home, so she needed to move fast. Beth shook with rage as she cleared the space of her belongings, muttering to herself about fools, cheats, and lying bastards.
After what seemed like hours, but was only minutes later, she stopped and surveyed the room. Shoving shaky fingers through her hair, Beth picked up a pile of clothing and headed toward the garage.
“Fuck the suitcase. I’ll fill up my car with everything I can fit in it and then leave. Fuck him. Fuck this house. Fuck this life.” She panted as she strode to the garage.
Throwing open the door, she marched to her SUV, glad she had insisted on getting the bigger one versus the sporty version. She could fit more crap into this vehicle. She opened the door to the backseat and threw the pile inside before making her way around the car, opening all the doors. Without having a plan of action, she headed back toward the bedroom and scooped up more of her things.
She made at least two dozen trips before the SUV was filled to the brim. She didn’t pack a bag, which now as she surveyed the huge, disorganized mess was probably not the best idea. With her heart pounding rapidly, Beth made her last trip inside. She grabbed her purse, keys, and cellphone before staring at the empty walls.
Her nose tingled as the pain in her chest returned with a vengeance. The power, hate, and self-confidence she’d felt a moment ago dissipated. Shoulders dropping, Beth bit her lower lip. Where the hell am I going to go? She wasn’t close to her family and didn’t have a best friend. Hell, she didn’t have any friends. Her husband had become her life and he’d slowly taken everything from her, leaving an empty shell behind, pretty on the outside, miserable within.
She stood there, in the middle of a house that used to look perfect. At least it did to anyone who saw it. Everything was always clean, organized, and polished. The model home with the fake happy couple, that was her crummy life and she’d pretended to be happy. The façade ended the minute she checked his cell phone bill.
She scoffed, shouldering her purse on her shoulder and gripped the key tightly in a fist. Beth shook her head and trudged back to the garage. She needed to get out of this place before he got home from work. A confrontation was the last thing she wanted. He could choke on his empty excuses, lies, and deceit.
Spotting a few large glass vases on the way down the hall, an idea formed. She’d cause a bit of damage before she left this fucking place. A bitter smile twisted her lips as she grabbed one and threw it over her shoulder. The glass shattered behind her in satisfying finality that did little to appease the need for retribution.
She lifted another, an 1800s Pinner Qing Dynasty replica, and turned it in her hands. How much did these things cost? It didn’t matter. With a smile, she chucked it behind her, and moved to the next one, where she repeated the process.
She stopped at the garage door and glanced back. It wouldn’t replace what he’d done to her, but damn it felt good to hurt him back in the only way she could…His wallet.
Stepping into the garage, Beth opened the driver’s side door and pulled herself into the SUV. Once seated, she buckled up, pressed the garage door opener and started the engine.
Beth shoved the gear into drive and eased out of her space. She slid on her sunglasses and drove to the street, without bothering to close the door behind her. She glanced down the road ahead. “Where to now?” It didn’t matter, she’d figure it out once she put some miles behind her and this place. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out and turned right without looking back.
She couldn’t go to her parent’s house. She hadn’t been welcome there since college, since the car accident. Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She didn’t want to relive that day. She wasn’t even supposed to be there. If it hadn’t been for her sister, Lindsey, and her cousin, Emma, she wouldn’t have ever been at that damn party.
Grabbing her phone, Beth looked through all her contacts, hoping that she would stumble across a place to go. She didn’t know if she should get a hotel room in Seattle or leave town altogether. She could barely even think straight, her heart and mind a complete mess. She scrolled through the names, stopping on Emma’s. Anchorage, Alaska. Beth bit her lip. Damn. Am I really considering driving all the way to Alaska? Hell, that’s at least a two-day drive. Where else can I go?
“Stupid…stupid…stupid! Emma’s not just going to open her arms in welcome. Jeez. And why would she? I haven’t been exactly nice to her. Hell, we haven’t spoken in years.”
Throwing her cell phone onto the passenger seat, she drove through the upscale neighborhood, hating each and every mansion she passed. This was what she sold herself for. Shame was an instant and unwelcome passenger.
She almost passed her bank. Her mind was a haze of grief and misery. Horns blared as she shot across the busy two lane and pulled into the drive-up window. Money…that’s what she needed. Hell, she wasn’t even sure how long she’d be able to have access to the credit cards. He paid the bills. She didn’t have a job. She had nothing but the clothes inside the SUV. The vehicle she was driving didn’t even really belong to her.
“Good Afternoon, Mrs. Maier. How can I help you today?”
“I need to make a withdrawal. Account number 52423576.”
“How much would you like today?”
“Uh…I’d like to take it from the savings account, please.” Beth bit her lip and racked her brain, trying to figure out how much money she would need until she could find some sort of job. She didn’t want to raise any red flags either. “Eight thousand.”
“Large bills or small?” the teller asked without even blinking at the large amount.
“It doesn’t matter. Whatever is easier.”
“Okay…let me count it out for you.” Beth watched as the woman behind the glass took a pile of money from her drawer and began counting.
Eight thousand dollars would last her a while. She would start living on a budget as soon as she pulled out of the bank. How much would it cost for her to stay in hotel rooms? Monthly rent? She wasn’t prepared to take care of herself. She’d married someone with money that could take care of her. He paid the bills, gave her a weekly allowance, a credit card, and a gift card to her favorite coffee place allowing her to purchase one daily. He’d ruled her entire world and made every decision. She was embarrassed to admit the things she’d done and allowed.
“Have a wonderful day, Mrs. Maier.” The metal tray opened, and Beth reached in and grabbed the thick envelope.
She placed the money inside the center console, smiled, and drove off. At least, she had some cash now and access to the credit cards. For now. A red-and-white gas station sign caught her attention and she pulled up next to the pump. Better use the card while I still can. She swiped the card and leaned against the side of the SUV watching a couple of kids play in the backseat of a green sedan, while their parents talked over them. She envied their normal lives.
As the vehicle filled up with fuel, Beth looked away from the happy family and tried to remember the last time she’d been independent. She’d allowed herself to be a doormat, used, taken advantage of. She was weak. No wonder men treated her like property, and no wonder
her own parent’s didn’t accept her. When the nozzle stopped pumping gas, she replaced it and climbed back in.
Leaving the gas station, Beth took the onramp to the 5 northbound and left the city behind without a second glance. She drove in silence and stared out the windshield. With each mile that passed, she breathed a little easier. She’d known something had been going on with her husband but chose to ignore it. Now, the truth was exposed and she couldn’t continue to live a lie. When she’d only suspected, she hadn’t felt like such a fool. How ridiculous.
The shrill sound of her cell phone pulled Beth out of her thoughts and she leaned over, grabbing it off of the passenger seat. Kirk Maier.
“Oh, if it isn’t my loving husband.” She sneered sarcastically, hitting the ignore button. “Fuck you!”
Beth shut the ringer off before tossing her phone to the floorboard. She didn’t want to talk to him. She wasn’t ready for that, not yet. Exhaling loudly, Beth shifted in her seat and held the steering wheel a little tighter as her eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t help but go over past conversations and analyze everything he’d said. He always knew exactly what to say to make her feel unworthy.
He wanted her to be his little slave, but it was more than that. If it had been just cleaning, that would be one thing. Instead, he wanted her to sleep with other people and all for his sick pleasure. His love came with conditions. At first, she tried it. She wanted his love and acceptance, but the price was far too steep. Her self-esteem and worth were at an all-time low after those emotionless encounters.
