Can Aidan redeem himself with a change of scenery?
As I perused the books, I could feel Aidan’s gaze on me. The shop, much like the one downstairs, boasted an impressive selection. These were books to be enjoyed in the coffee lounge, not purchased or taken home. A smile tugged at my lips as I reached the romance novel section. So, Well Thumbed had these too. I wondered if they had hidden gems, perhaps something I hadn’t read or that Uncle Alex’s book club, Bound To Please, hadn’t discovered yet. My eyes scanned the titles, recognizing several from our book club. But a series we hadn’t yet completed caught my attention. Not all the books were in print, and as much as we loved and wanted to support the indie author, A.D. Burnell, those reading apps could be a bit unpredictable. Yet, in Well Thumbed, all nine of her Queen Among series were here in paperback. I couldn’t resist. I plucked A Queen Among Snakes from the shelf and settled onto the nearest sofa. I set my empty cup down and delved into the book. How did they have books unavail
Three hundred years. Three HUNDRED years as friends, and I’d never wanted to smit Aidan or Albert. That record was broken the minute Aidan walked in and proudly announced he took Hana to Well Thumbed, as while he didn’t have sex with her, he did make out and fingered her. It’s irrational. I have never gotten angry over a woman. Aidan has fucked and fed his way around the world for centuries, and not once have I had this visceral reaction to Aidan giving his graphic details. Yet, when it was about Hana, all I could think of was killing him. This bet is ruining our friendship. I don’t care what Albert or Aidan say. It is. If we didn’t have this bet, I wouldn’t have cared if Aidan came home and said he’d gotten Hana on a suspension rack and used every hole available with his cock and the variety of toys offered at Well Thumbed. I shouldn’t be angry about this. Hell, the sooner one of us wins, the sooner this can be over, and I hopefully will stop feeling like I have to compete with my b
I have been trying to put what happened in the coffee lounge of Well Thumbed out of my mind. I blame the fact it’s been a while since I had sex or did anything sexual. It’s been almost a year since I hooked up with Daisuke, and I haven’t even masturbated since I got to campus. Thin walls may be worse than super hearing. I’ve been too embarrassed that Pamela would hear me even to attempt it. I tried to distract myself from the temptation of letting my imagination run wild thinking about Aidan’s fingers by reading. While reading is generally a great escape, reading books Aidan bought for me isn’t an escape from thinking about him. Especially when I picked up A.D. Burnell’s series. Aidan didn’t buy those. He demanded them, and well, reading sex scenes didn’t help. I won’t admit this to anyone. I don’t even want to admit it to myself, but I took advantage of Pamela still being gone and let my imagination take hold… multiple times over the weekend. Today, I vowed not to stay in my room
My people believe the Creator has a plan for all of us and that every choice brings us down the path he designed for us. It’s not all that dissimilar to how the wolves view their Moon Goddess. The difference is that our Creator doesn’t have some destined mate for us. He gave us complete control over that, and I’m glad. And while the Creator has a plan, that doesn’t mean there aren’t hurdles. I can’t say if the Creator intended Hana to be the path or a hurdle. I know that no matter how I view her, it comes with difficulties and questions. If I see her as a hurdle, what would she be in the way of? If she’s the path… then that would make Harris right, and I don’t want to consider that. I’m struggling to push aside Harris’ words with how much it hurt when Hana distanced herself. I cherished our closeness, the illusion of being together. It was a blow to realize she only intervened to deter Miss Asker. Yet, I can’t help but question her motives. It was a territorial act, a term the wolve
“Hannah Ya-sh-id-a?” The woman at the register desk butchered my first name and tried hard to pronounce my mom’s surname. I pinched the bridge of my nose and stepped forward. I wasn’t in Bloodmoon anymore. There was no level of built respect because I’m the pack princess. I also opted to use mom’s surname instead of dad’s. Anonymity. That was the whole point. I chose a university across the country from Bloodmoon to get space from life among the supernatural. I’m a human, and I need to accept it is not my fate to belong in that world beyond the adoption paperwork. I needed to find out who I am as a human. Somewhere, I wouldn’t need to compete and train against beings with powers I’ll never have. That, however, didn’t mean picking just any university. I’m still an accomplished student who graduated top of my class with a 4.0 GPA and had many extracurriculars to pad my applications. Thus, I ended up in New Haven, Connecticut, at Yale, where the closest werewolf pack is either The N
“Are you ready for the fresh blood, Weeber?” Professor Meyer teased as he slumped into a chair in the English department’s lounge. “I certainly don’t envy you teaching first-year courses.” I arched my brow, lowering my tablet to look at him. I knew he meant the saying in the aspect of the crop of freshmen that started classes today. He has no clue what I am, so he doesn’t realize how literal his words are to me. As far as Meyer is concerned, I’m the young professor. It’s almost amusing that the man thinks he’s my senior. Based on looks, I still look the same twenty-five I was when I was turned, while Meyer looks about what you’d expect of a sixty-five-year-old human male. In the six years I’ve worked here, this time around, Meyer decided he should take me under his wing. Aidan loves to tease me about it, while Isak finds it adorable. I’m indifferent to his attempts to act as my senior. “That is where we differ, Meyer.” I shrugged, starting to gather my things. “You prefer the juni
I knew moving so far away would make me homesick. That’s only natural, though. While thousands of students surround me and have Pam as a roommate, it’s not the same. As unique a character as Pam is with her love of rugby, or more so an intense appreciation for the rugby player physique, her love of the occult wasn’t the same. Nothing could replace living in the pack house with Daddy, Aurelia, Rosie, and CJ, with various pack members dropping in during the day. I missed the familiarity of home but also how unpredictable it was. Even with Silvercloud having moved out to start his mated life with Persephone, our house was the hub of activity and outrageous events. And when I wanted peace from the pack, I could always drive over to the ranch to ride on Ashes and enjoy a quiet meal with Grandma and Grandpa Christian. That homesickness is the primary reason I opted to wear my boots like a security blanket today. I didn’t care that I’d been getting weird looks all day. I know cowboy boot
SLAM!The loud sound of the heavy antique red oak double doors being slammed echoed through our shared historic Queen Anne Victorian home. Someone was in a foul mood. It wasn’t me because I was in the study looking through my class rosters to rank potential feeding prospects for the semester. It couldn’t be Isak. I distinctly remember seeing him earlier when I came home. That meant the only person who could be storming in was Albert.I glanced at the grandfather clock and frowned when I saw the time. Nine o’clock? He shouldn’t be home this early. His class should’ve only ended an hour and a half ago. Driving here from campus takes about twenty minutes, so Albert drove straight home. We have plenty of blood bags, but Albert has always preferred straight from the tap. I sighed as I rose and poked my head into the foyer. I wasn’t alone in my curiosity about Albert’s sudden and violent return. I noticed Isak leaning over the railing of the stairs. The street lights from outside coming th