Logan Kemp buried the love of his life when he was nineteen and, unable to face the loss of his future mate, he left Shadow Pines. Six years later, he’s been summoned back to deal with his ailing father and take his rightful place as Pack Alpha. Only, the pack he left behind has changed and everything he thought he knew is turned upside down with one fateful encounter.
She’s done with the lies.
Wren Culvert was sixteen when her sister drowned. It was ruled an accident but she always believed Lark’s boyfriend was involved and that his Alpha father covered for him. She wants to rip him apart when she sees him again but instead, a bond sparks between them and all her righteous fury is suddenly wrapped up in the confusing need to be mated with this man she hates.
Only the truth can set them free.
Can Logan and Wren manage to put the past behind them or will the need for revenge ultimately destroy them… and their pack?
Jess Bryant is an avid indoorswoman. A city girl trapped in a country girl’s life, her heart resides in Dallas but her soul and roots are in small town Oklahoma. She enjoys manicures, the color pink, and her completely impractical for country life stilettos. She believes that hair color is a legitimate form of therapy, as is reading and writing romance.
She started writing as a little girl but her life changed forever when she stole a book from her aunt’s Harlequin collection and she’s been creating love stories with happily ever afters ever since.
Jess holds a degree in Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma and is a lifetime supporter of her school and athletic teams. And why not? They have a ton of National Championships! She may be a girlie girl but she knows her sports stats and isn’t afraid to tell you that your school isn’t as cool as hers… or that your sports romance got it all wrong.
Logan Kemp buried the love of his life when he was nineteen and, unable to face the loss of his future mate, he left Shadow Pines. Six years later, he’s been summoned back to deal with his ailing father and take his rightful place as Pack Alpha. Only, the pack he left behind has changed and everything he thought he knew is turned upside down with one fateful encounter.
She’s done with the lies.
Wren Culvert was sixteen when her sister drowned. It was ruled an accident but she always believed Lark’s boyfriend was involved and that his Alpha father covered for him. She wants to rip him apart when she sees him again but instead, a bond sparks between them and all her righteous fury is suddenly wrapped up in the confusing need to be mated with this man she hates.
Only the truth can set them free.
Can Logan and Wren manage to put the past behind them or will the need for revenge ultimately destroy them… and their pack?
Wren sniffed at the air again, breathing in a lungful of that powerful, masculine scent, and then she turned down a street that wasn’t normally on her running route and followed it. The burning she’d been feeling in her legs earlier in her run faded to a distant memory. The plans she’d been making were forgotten. There was only the need to follow the scent, find her mate, and complete the bond.
She cut through an alleyway as the scent grew stronger, focusing only on the magnetic pull that tugged inside her chest now, towards someone and something she had never expected for herself. She didn’t even realize she was running full speed until she rounded a corner and collided with something that felt like a brick wall but was warm and moving.
She stumbled again but this time there were big hands there to grab her by the shoulders. The scent of her mate surrounded her and she closed her eyes to soak it in, to relish the feeling of heat that washed through her from the simple contact of his rough fingers on her skin. When they stopped shuffling from the collision, her back was against the cool brick wall and she opened her eyes to look up at the mate that fate had chosen for her.
The feeling of hope that had begun to fill her popped like a party balloon stabbed with a knife as soon as she recognized the face looming over her.
It wasn’t a stranger. It wasn’t someone new to town or just passing through. It was someone she knew and had hoped to never, ever see again.
“Logan?” She felt his name rip from her lips in a broken curse and he blinked his beautiful hazel eyes at her as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
He was even more handsome now than he’d been at nineteen. His dark brown hair was longer and fell over his forehead with sunkissed highlights that she remembered from long ago summers. He’d grown into his features, no longer the lanky teen but a thick, muscular man. His jaw was dusted in dark stubble that emphasized a full mouth that she should never have noticed just like she shouldn’t have remembered the way his dark lashes were enviably long and thick, framing his gold-flecked eyes perfectly. He was all rough, square angles offset by the softness of his full mouth and those mesmerizing eyes that she would know anywhere.
“Lark?”
It was the sound of her sister’s name that broke the spell and sent pain shooting through Wren and shattering everything inside of her. Because of course he was looking at her like that because he thought she was Lark. He had loved Lark. He had loved her and lost her, just like Wren had.
But she shook that thought away because no, that wasn’t right. That was the bond, the mating heat, trying to make her soften for this man who she hated. He hadn’t lost Lark. He had killed her or he knew who had and yet he was gripping her shoulders so tightly she knew there would be bruises tomorrow, all because he thought she was his dead teenage girlfriend.
Wren shoved him as hard as she could and he stumbled back, likely more out of surprise than her actual ability to overpower him, “Don’t touch me.”
He blinked again, slowly, as if he was fighting through the fog of the mating heat that was trying to control them as well. He looked her up and down, slowly, from top to bottom, and Wren fought a shiver of awareness. He met her gaze again and this time she saw the same look of horror that must have been on her own face when he shook his head.
“Wait… Wren?” He looked as lost as she felt. “No. It can’t be.”
The words sliced through her, as sharp as a blade, even though they were the same ones running through her head. Wren told herself the pain was only because of the bond. It was already there, burning through her veins, burrowing under her skin, forming despite her hatred for this man. It made her long for his touch even as her stomach twisted and she felt sick.
She’d always thought that if she came face to face with Logan Kemp again that she would shift and let her wolf rip him apart, shred him to pieces the way he deserved. But now her wolf was lunging for the surface and it was taking everything in her power to hold the animal at bay because she didn’t want to rip him apart at all.
Her animal side only wanted to sink her fangs into his skin, to claim him and to be bonded to him forever. All because fate had decided something she never would have chosen for herself.
Logan Kemp was her mate and she, apparently, was his.
Jess Bryant is an avid indoorswoman. A city girl trapped in a country girl’s life, her heart resides in Dallas but her soul and roots are in small town Oklahoma. She enjoys manicures, the color pink, and her completely impractical for country life stilettos. She believes that hair color is a legitimate form of therapy, as is reading and writing romance.
She started writing as a little girl but her life changed forever when she stole a book from her aunt’s Harlequin collection and she’s been creating love stories with happily ever afters ever since.
Jess holds a degree in Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma and is a lifetime supporter of her school and athletic teams. And why not? They have a ton of National Championships! She may be a girlie girl but she knows her sports stats and isn’t afraid to tell you that your school isn’t as cool as hers… or that your sports romance got it all wrong.
Fangs, Frost, and Folios by Elizabeth Hunter is now live!
An all-new holiday mystery for your favorite book-hunting vampires!
Giovanni and Beatrice left vampire conspiracies and supernatural adventures for a peaceful family life. But peace only lasts so long for a vampire assassin and an undying scribe.
The death of an old friend leaves Giovanni with a rare opportunity. He knows that Lady Penelope’s library hides more than one rare book, but can he break into her family’s ancestral home without raising alarms? Giovanni and Beatrice are looking for literary treasure. Other immortals might be searching for a different and more dangerous haul.
Back in Los Angeles, Ben and Tenzin were put in charge of protecting the family. But can two powerful vampires survive the mercurial mood swings of a preteen girl? Ben and Tenzin could be facing the end… of their sanity.
Fangs, Frost, and Folios is a holiday novella and a brand new adventure for Giovanni and Beatrice, the heroes of the Elemental Mysteries series by eleven-time USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Hunter.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
ELIZABETH HUNTER is an eleven-time USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in both Central California and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over forty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of the Glimmer Lake series, Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant returns for a Dragon King holiday novella.
The holiday season is Rhi’s favorite time of year, which means Con loves it, too. Except they’re on Zora, where there are no traditions—and beginning one could be hazardous. Finding the lost dragons should’ve given everyone peace. Instead, they’re facing powerful enemies at every turn. Despite the danger, the King of Dragon Kings knows his mate longs to have their space dripping with holiday decorations and gifts piled under the tree, and he’s going to do his best to give it to her and make sure they have time to celebrate the season and their love.
And perhaps a surprise or two.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dragon Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives in Texas.
Kelsey Owens just wants to settle in with her gorgeous husbands, surrounding herself with her reclaimed family. Preparations should be made for the arrival of their new son. The world has other plans. War is brewing, powerful forces are lining up against everyone she loves, and her latest prisoner also happens to be her best friend in the world. Being the sheriff of the supernatural world really sucks sometimes.
Olivia Carey lost everything. Stripped of the magic that gave her life color and substance, she thought it couldn’t get worse. Then Kelsey was gone. She found a light in the darkness. A path back to her magic, but claiming it somehow put her on the opposite side of a war with everyone she knew and cared for. She knows that her cause was just, but lately things are confusing. Captured by the rebels she tormented and once called friends, she is forced to question everything she knows.
When someone dear to them both is struck down, Kelsey and Liv must join forces again. Only Liv can work the spell to save them, but that spell requires a unique ingredient found only on the Hell plane. Stealing it will mean risking everything—including the growing bond between Liv and her old boyfriend, Casey Lane. Hell has some tricks up its sleeve for both Liv and Kelsey. And in the midst of battle, Liv will be forced to decide between saving their world and burning it all down.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.
Tempt Me with Darkness by Shayla Black is now live!
I hate her as much as I can’t live without her.
Marrok
I’ve been cursed, and I’m out for vengeance. I’ll do anything to end my damnation, including kidnap an innocent with telling violet eyes.
For over a thousand years I’ve been an immortal recluse. Suddenly, I’m tortured by filthy dreams that leave me craving my captive. Worse, once I lay rough hands on her soft skin, I demand things from her I shouldn’t. I feel things beyond the hatred that has consumed me.
Protectiveness.
Possessiveness.
And a hunger more demanding than any vengeance.
***
Olivia
The second I meet Marrok, my heart stutters. My world stops. I’m drawn to the brash stranger, until…
He abducts me.
He vows to slake fifteen centuries of lust on me.
He commands me to uncurse him—or he’ll kill me.
We should never have met. We’re enemies. Fate makes us lovers. Magic decrees us mates, unlocking secrets and unleashing a dark, paranormal power determined to burn down the world. Unless we band together, we’re doomed.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS is the first book in the Doomsday Brethren series by author Shayla Black. Paranormal romance is one of my favorite genres, and this world also has Arthurian legend tied in, so I was very excited to jump in and meet Marrok, Olivia, and the rest of the cast.
TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS is a long book, and while that’s not a bad thing, you’ll want to prepare yourself to settle in for the ride. I did enjoy the storyline, although it took me a bit of time to get into it. Once things were rolling along, and the action picked up, I was invested in seeing just how things would play out for everyone involved, because the backstory was quite a kerfuffle.
When an author is stepping out into a different part of the book world than their norm, it can take some time to find the groove. I feel like this book was coming into its own by the end, and will be interested to see where Shayla takes everyone in future books. ❤️
Meet Shayla
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly ninety contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.
As an only child, Shayla occupied herself by daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and started pursuing a publishing career. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America, her heart was with her stories and characters, so she left her pantyhose and power suits behind.
Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, gaming, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
Sean is trapped by a painful past, but if Juni can accept him on full moon nights, she might hold his future in her hands.
Sean Quinn returned to Cambio Springs to help his shifter clan find their way out of trouble, but before he can hit the road again, a new threat emerges on the border of his hometown. A threat that could leave Sean stuck in Cambio Springs when he’s most desperate to escape.
And one unsuspecting human might be stuck right there with him.
Ever since Juniper Hawkins came to Cambio Springs to visit her big brother, strange things keep happening. Not the least was running into the man who’d almost made her change her wandering ways. Juni wasn’t the kind of woman who settled down, even when the object of her affection was a tall, dark, and handsome photographer who kissed her senseless then abandoned her in Southeast Asia.
Not that she was still irritated about that.
DUST BORN is a brand new novel in the Cambio Springs Mysteries, a paranormal romance series by eleven-time USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Hunter.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a eleven-time USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in both Central California and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over forty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of the Glimmer Lake series, Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
When stakes are high and ruin nigh, beware the sorrow in the banshee’s cry.
Cry of the Banshee, an all-new steamy paranormal novella set in the Krewe of Hunters world from New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham, is available now!
Strange things are happening at Castle Darien, the legendary home of Angela Hawkins Crow’s family just outside of Dublin, Ireland.
People are dying in the most unusual ways: drowning where there’s no water, falling from heights that don’t exist…
But before every death, the banshee lets out a cry, warning that loved ones are in danger. The Irish death ghost’s haunting shrieks and sobs echo within the ancient stone walls and travel up and down the hillsides.
Terrified and broken after the death of a friend, Moira Hawkins, Angela’s second cousin, turns to her family for help, convinced that evil is at work and sure the Krewe of Hunters can determine what is happening and put an end to the strange and deadly haunting.
Angela is mystified and stricken, but she and Jackson travel to the Emerald Isle to investigate, certain that someone very much alive is behind whatever is going on.
But she and the Krewe just might need the dead to uncover the truth.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Keep reading for a look inside Cry of the Banshee!
At first, Moira Hawkins thought she might be imagining the sound. It was so soft at first, like a sigh on the wind or a whisper through the trees. Except she wasn’t in the woods. She was lying in bed in the private wing of Castle Darien, her family’s nearly ancient stronghold. But the windows were open. That had to be it. The temperature was cool but pleasant, and she didn’t need to use the heat or air-conditioning systems. Which was good since they would never be great in such an old stone fortress. Moira had promised her grandmother she wouldn’t let the castle, built at the end of the thirteenth century, go to ruin. She said she would do everything needed to bring it up to the standards so many others used to save the structure and turn it into a hotel. She was partway there. While she worked on getting the necessary loans and finding contractors to undertake such an epic restructuring, she hired a tour company to bring visitors through. There were even a few Haunted Ireland tours put on by historians, who talked about some of the dire events of the Emerald Isle’s bloody past. She figured anything around for over eight-hundred years must have some nightmarish events to relay. And her ancestral home was in the Republic of Ireland, which had suffered a great deal of bloodshed to get where it was today. Yet… It occurred to her that she had heard—or at least imagined—the soft, mournful sobs before. The night Granny had died. Imagination. Had to be. But she’d heard the sound the night before they found the old man drowned in the river that ran alongside the castle’s western wall, too. And the time the would-be thief fell to his death from the wall. They’d learned the elderly gentleman, visiting family in the area, had been suffering from cancer. Moira wondered if he had chosen his end. And while the thief shouldn’t have been trying to climb the wall, he hadn’t deserved death. As she thought back, she realized the sound had preceded all those events. She shook her head. She had to be imagining it. She might have spent the last few years of Granny’s illness working in the States, but she’d grown up with all the tales of leprechauns, pixies, fairies, and banshees. Granny had been so good at telling them, holding her cousins and her spellbound as she wove her magical tales. The crying grew louder. She wasn’t imagining it. She could definitely hear it. It wasn’t a frightened cry. It was mournful, heartfelt. Yet Moira was afraid. Where is it coming from? She glanced at the clock on her bedside table—just past midnight. The last ghost tour had ended by now, but she wasn’t alone in the castle. Stewart McKenna, her grandmother’s longtime castle steward, slept down the hall with his wife. Their son’s bedroom was next door to theirs. Nellie Antrim, the head housekeeper, was on this floor, as well. And while the tour of the two unoccupied towers had just ended, Mark Meadows, the tour agency’s director, often stayed behind to answer any questions the guests might have regarding the castle or Ireland’s history. Because, of course, Mark wasn’t just a businessman, though he was a good one. He truly loved history and didn’t mind working late. He was…wonderful. The sobbing continued. Moira’s mind went to something her granny had told her. Banshee. Banshees are the remains of the Tuatha dé Danann, the gods of Ireland, driven underground when the Milesians arrived—Gaels who traveled the Earth, seeking a home. And there, in Éire, they claimed the land while the Tuatha dé Danann settled the underworld. Once, keeners had been on hand at funerals, sobbing mournfully for those who had left the earthly world. The banshees fulfilled that tradition now, warning of someone’s death… Get a grip! she told herself. Seriously, she’d spent enough time in the United States to learn all about all kinds of myths and legends from around the world. There are no such things as banshees. Still…
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant returns to the beautiful and mysterious Isle of Skye with a captivating tale of magic, mystery, and unexpected passion.
A desire that won’t be denied.
Ferne Crawford is a Seer with unique abilities that set her apart from other Druids. She once ignored her magic with tragic results. So, when she’s bombarded with visions of a great evil that call her to a place she’s been warned never to go, she’s powerless to resist. Her life takes a drastic turn the moment she arrives on Skye and encounters a handsome, valiant stranger. Theo makes her ache for his touch. Their meeting stirs an explosive passion, awakening a yearning that only he can satisfy. However, there’s more than the malice which brought her to the isle that intends her harm.
Detective Inspector Theo Frasier carries the weight of the isle and his people on his shoulders. With more Druid murders and no leads on who’s controlling the killing mist, he’s beginning to feel the strain. The last thing he needs is anything—or anyone—distracting him. But once he meets Ferne, he can’t get her out of his head. Or his heart. She fills his every thought, day and night. His need for her consumes him, pushing everything else aside. But will his love be enough to save them from the growing threat?
After her parents and the London Druids told Ferne relentlessly never to set foot on the Isle of Skye, and that the Druids who called the isle home were not to be trusted, she ignored them all to follow an instinct she continued to question.
The closer she got to Skye, the more her stomach churned. She could turn back. She had yet to reach the isle. Sure, her brother knew where she was going, but Mason would accept if she returned before going farther. Yet she didn’t turn her car around. She kept driving.
The bridge that connected mainland Scotland to the Isle of Skye came into view. There was still time. All she had to do was pull over and turn around to head back to England and Mason. Generations of Druids knew never to come to Skye. It meant immediate banishment by family, though Mason would never do that to her. He supported her. Always. Still, she felt a gnawing uncertainty that made her want to retch.
“Last chance,” she whispered as she came upon the bridge.
Her foot lifted from the accelerator, but she kept driving. Her heart slammed erratically against her ribs when she reached the top of the structure, and then she was on the descent. Before she knew it, her tires rolled onto the Isle of Skye.
She shook so badly she thought she would have to pull off the road, but as quickly as the shaking had begun, it slowed and then stopped altogether when she was on Skye. Ferne’s gaze swept around her, taking in the shops, houses, cars, and people, not to mention the unimaginable beauty everywhere. The navigation system directed her toward the cottage she had rented, but she ignored it and just drove. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Not only because it had been ingrained in her from her earliest memories but because there was a really good chance the Skye Druids would force her out as soon as they learned who she was. Ferne would take whatever time she had to see Skye while she could.
The sun remained hidden behind soft gray clouds that intermittently sputtered drizzle. The sea whitecapped in some coves, while others had smoother water. The mountains rose like stony giants watching over the isle. There were lochs, waterfalls, and a landscape of such rugged splendor that she began to understand why so many tourists frequented the isle. But there was something else, as well. Magic.
Ferne had once heard a London Druid whisper about how a friend of theirs had said they could sense the magic on Skye. She had dismissed the claim as an exaggeration. Now, she knew they hadn’t lied. While she wouldn’t say she actually felt the magic, there was something different in the air. And she wanted to feel more of it.
The only thing missing was her brother. Mason loved their Druid side more than she did. She had shied away from her magic for several years. Not Mason. He went all-in on everything. There were no half-measures for him. He would love it on Skye.
Her intention to drive and take in the beauty of the isle was soon cast aside by her need to get out and experience the majesty for herself. The instant she saw the signage for the Fairy Pools, Ferne turned off the road and headed toward them. It was a main tourist attraction, but she didn’t care.
Her mobile rang as she maneuvered down the lane to the nearly empty car park. She glanced around, searching for the pools. All she saw was a path. The insistent ringing brought her thoughts to a halt. She didn’t need to look to know who called. Only one person ever rang her.
She answered through her car. “Hey, Mason.”
“Is everything all right?” His deep voice held concern. “It took you longer to answer than normal. By my calculations, you should’ve reached Skye. Have they given you problems?”
Ferne maneuvered her Mini into a parking slot. She squashed the irritation that rose at her brother’s overprotectiveness. She was the same with him. They had been that way since they’d lost their parents in a plane crash. “I’m here. The drive was uneventful.”
“Have you gone to the house yet?”
She grinned, shaking her head as she put the car in park. “I haven’t.”
He released a long sigh, and she could well imagine him running his hand down his face as he did when he was restless and agitated. Or worried. “There’s still time for you to come home. No one has to know you’re there.”
“I’m not afraid of them.”
“Ferne,” he said, reminding her of their father when he chided her. Very British, with his voice dripping disappointment.
She closed her eyes to the gorgeous backdrop of the Black Cuillin mountains. “I had the same argument with myself the entire ten-hour drive here. I have to do this.”
“You’re all I have left.”
“And you’re all I have, but that doesn’t mean we should shut ourselves away from the world. Or stop doing what’s right. The Druids on Skye are in danger. If they’re toppled, the rest of the Druids around the world will fall.”
Another sigh. “This is a dangerous thing you’re doing.”
Ferne opened her eyes. “So is what you’re doing.”
“Excuse me?” he said after a slight pause.
“I admit, it took me longer to sort through things because I was preoccupied. If it weren’t so important for me to be here, I would’ve turned around and come home.” She took a deep breath and released it. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you’re not looking into whether Mum and Dad’s accident was more than that.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Then a soft, “Bloody hell.”
“What you’re doing is much more dangerous, Mas. You should’ve told me.”
“The elders—”
“Can bloody well sod off,” she snapped. Then she pressed her lips together. “They want to control everything and everyone. Neither of us has ever been satisfied with the reports from the plane crash. If the London Druids had anything to do with the accident, then they’ll be watching you.”
“Us.”
She winced at the truth of his words. “They don’t care about me. It’s you they’ve always had their eyes on.”
Mason chuckled, surprising her. “You sound just like Mum.” The smile left his voice. “Just as you have to do what you’re doing, I need to do this. I know what I’m doing. Trust me, Ferne.”
“I do.”
“I’m going to get us answers, and while I hate that you’re on Skye without me to watch your back, it’s better that you’re not here. Not after they kicked you out of London.”
She rolled her eyes. “If they do anything to you, I will burn them to the ground.”
“That’s how I feel about the Skye Druids.”
She grinned. “I almost feel sorry for anyone who comes against us.”
“I don’t,” he replied, no humor in his voice. “It’s what happens when tragedy strikes a family, and all they have is each other.”
Ferne wanted so much to reach out and hug him. “I’ll ring once I’m at the house.”
“Stay in touch as you promised.”
“I’ll be just as worried about you.”
He paused. “Find out all you can about the Druids there. Just…”
“I know,” she replied. “Be careful. The same goes for you.”
She disconnected and turned her attention to the landscape. Her worry for Mason wouldn’t lessen until she returned to the family estate in Derbyshire, but she couldn’t do that until she finished on Skye. But now that she was here, she knew it would be harder to leave than she’d ever anticipated.
Ferne unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car. The air was damp and chilly, made more so by the soft wind. She grabbed her purse and walked around to open the car’s boot. After she’d tucked her keys and mobile into her pockets, she hid her purse and dug out her hiking boots from her suitcase. Once she’d changed shoes, she put on her coat and secured the car. Then, she walked around the vehicle.
“So. This is Skye,” she murmured.
She started across the road to the trail that wound through the land. A path that millions of feet had walked. Like all of Skye, the pools had originally been for the Druids. But there was no stopping change. Now, the Fairy Pools were a popular tourist stop for anyone who visited the isle. Not that Ferne could blame them.
After tripping a couple of times, she had to force herself to look away from the mountains and watch where she stepped. She crossed a small trickle of water that grew wider and deeper the closer she got to the pools. In her excitement, she hadn’t taken the time to look around to see who was about.
As much as she dismissed Mason’s worry, he had a point. Many wouldn’t want her on Skye. Ferne paused next to a boulder that towered over her and took out her mobile. She recorded a video, turning in a slow circle to get everyone in. From what she could tell, only a couple with two young kids was at her back toward the car park. As for the other car besides hers, she guessed it was the lone figure in the distance. She couldn’t make out if it was a male or a female, but she was on guard regardless.
Ferne continued walking. She contemplated getting pictures for Mason, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the land. With every step, she thought about the generations of Druids who had walked the path, seeking the pools. This was the land of her ancestors, a territory that had beckoned to Druids long, long ago. And she finally understood why.
She also understood why the London Druids were so adamant about no one visiting. The land was stunning, yes, but it was also magical. It felt like home. The magic within her recognized Skye and found contentment here, which meant she was relaxed and comfortable. After years of being twisted with grief, it was like coming out of hibernation. The air was fresher, the wind like a caress upon her skin. Her steps were lighter, her mood brighter.
A few minutes later, she passed the young family. The kids, twin girls, held hands as they walked, singing in what she thought was Swedish. The mother and father gazed adoringly at their children and flashed her a quick smile. Ferne knew how well some could deceive, so she once more pretended to take pictures and watched the family out of the corner of her eye until they were gone.
She reached one of the first waterfalls. She stood for long minutes, simply watching the rush of water as it poured into a waiting, crystal-clear pool. As she climbed higher, the waterfalls became grander, the pools bigger and deeper, and the rocks below larger.
She spotted one that jutted out in the distance and headed there so she could stand over the waterfall and look down the gorge where the water had cut into the rock and land, carving out the pools. A glance around showed she was alone. She looked behind her at the car park and saw only her Mini. She had the pools to herself. She almost broke out in a dance. If Mason were here, he would’ve egged her on. Her father would have, too. Only her mother, laughing all the while, would’ve hurried them along.
Knowing she was alone, Ferne lowered her guard and took her time climbing the path. A smattering of rain came quickly and ended just as rapidly, but even that couldn’t get her to return to her car. When she reached the rock she had seen, she lowered herself onto it, letting her legs dangle over the side. It was quite a considerable distance down.
Ferne leaned back on her hands and considered Rhona, the leader of the Skye Druids. She probably should’ve been Ferne’s first stop, but she would go see Rhona first thing in the morning. It was already late afternoon, and Ferne still needed to get to the house she had rented.
She lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes. The magic of the isle pulsed here. It was what had initially drawn the Fae when there had been an alliance between the Skye Druids and them. The rumors swirling around the London Druids was that an alliance might be intact once more. However, whether she could believe anything her old group said was something else altogether.
The London Druids had their fingers in a lot of pies. They believed they were more powerful than the Skye Druids, who probably didn’t even know they existed. Every group of Druids around the world compared themselves to Skye. It was hard not to when it was the land on which the Druids had settled in the beginning.
Until her ancestors and countless others had been banished from Skye forever.
Yet here she was, wading into dangerous territory to save the very people who had turned their backs on her relatives. Ferne had tried to reach Kirsi, one of the Druids on Skye, and while she had connected with her through magic, she wasn’t sure if she would go to Rhona as Ferne had urged. There was also a darkness swirling around Skye that prompted Ferne to come herself.
She wasn’t here just to save the Druids on Skye, but all Druids. She would need to convince Rhona of that—however long it took. She wasn’t leaving until she knew the Skye Druids had their enemy in hand. Ferne hadn’t told her brother that she was prepared to fight alongside the Skye Druids to achieve that, but he already knew. Because he would do the same.
Meet Donna Grant
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dragon Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives in Texas.
He knows the exact moment she will die and he will risk everything to stop it… even his life.
The Grave Robber, an all-new steamy paranormal novella set in the Charley Davidson world from New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones, is available now!
Eric Vause is done.
Done with ghosts. Done with hellhounds. And definitely done with asshole demons, mostly because he’d been possessed by one. Even now, five years later, the rage he absorbed from the creature has yet to wane, so he decides a road trip is in order. Surely some cool air, great scenery, and a case of Dos Equis will shake things loose. Unfortunately, supernatural events happen everywhere. When he meets up with a friend whose partner’s daughter needs help with a pest problem—aka, a ghost—Eric takes that as his cue to leave.
Until he sees her.
He can tell Halle’s house isn’t the only thing that is haunted. The hopelessness behind her eyes tugs at something deep inside him. Something all too familiar. The fact that she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen has nothing to do with his change of heart. And he vows to leave her in his rearview the minute he takes care of the poltergeist. Then again, vows were never his strong suit.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.*
“What do the notes say?” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, stalling. She stalled some more when she said, “I can’t always read them.” “Halle,” I warned. Her shoulders deflated as she released a surrendering sigh. “At first, they were just numbers. They started right after my mom died. The number twelve kept popping up. But a month later, it changed to an eleven. Then a ten. Then a nine.” “A countdown.” “Yes. Every month for the last year, he’s been counting down. And now we’re at number two.” She leveled an accusing gaze on me. “And you’ve known since the first time you laid eyes on me.” “Not the first time,” I said, slightly offended. “What makes you think they’re death threats? They could mean anything.” “Because the other note he leaves is pretty explicit. It’s just one word. Payback.” Ah. Now we were getting somewhere. “Halle, what happened seventeen years ago? What changed your life so dramatically? And who wants payback?” She shook her head and looked away, tears shimmering in her eyes. I leaned onto my elbows and put a hand over hers. “Halle, I know this is hard, but please trust me.” “It’s not that. It’s not that I don’t trust you. You’ve earned that and then some. But if I tell you what happened, what I did, you won’t want to have sex with me anymore.” I almost snorted. Clearly, she didn’t understand the male thought process. But I needed to chill. I was pushing her too hard. I wanted her to bend. Not break. The furball started whimpering at her feet. Halle picked her up, nuzzled her, then set her in the box she’d brought along with a dry towel from the bathroom. With a full belly, the furball settled immediately and went to sleep. Halle straightened and walked over to stand in front of me. “Is that a yes?” “No,” I said, taking in every curve she had to offer. She smelled sweet, like jasmine. “It’s a hell yes.” I put a hand on her hip, the heat from her body soaking into my skin as she straddled me. With hesitant fingers, she tested the abrasion on my jaw. “Are you sure this is okay? You were hit by a truck yesterday.” “I was sideswiped by a truck. Huge difference.” She nodded and grew thoughtful as though making calculations in her head. Now was not the time for math. “I’m pretty sure you’re a supernatural being,” she said, completely serious. “That you’re not real and will disappear as soon as all of this is over.” “I have several friends who are supernaturally inclined. I am not one of them. And I’m not going anywhere.” She buried her fingers in my hair and covered my mouth with hers. I’d never welcomed a kiss more in my life.
For More Information about Darynda Jones, visit her website: https://darynda.com/
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He’s keeping secrets.
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