This date had started as bland and was speeding right along to abysmal.

The dreams that surfaced upon meeting up with him again winked out of existence, stars darkening for good.

Darkness lingered in those blue eyes, like ghosts haunted him despite only the two of them standing in this cabin.

A lazy smile reached his lips. “The mere sight of me shirtless takes your mind there? Good to know. I’d rather a solid fuck than getting my kumbayas out.

They surrounded him here, but beyond, flames licked the cabins, the incendiary glow striking a similar spark inside him from the injustice they’d faced tonight.

She felt him smile against her neck and bit down, the sensation sending shivers through her. “Bad girl. If you keep doing that, I’ll have you stripped and on your back before you can blink.

Alanna Carrington, head witch of the Philadelphia Coven, hurtled his way, and with her, trouble was a guarantee.

He’d fallen in the trap before of believing she had the cold soul of an ice queen, but moments like these, it seemed more like she’d been encased a long time ago and couldn’t break free.

Everyone’s searching for someone to end the pain of loneliness. Even the darkest of souls wants a shot at redemption.

We deal with so many nightmares on a regular basis. When I’m watching a horror movie, there’s a pattern, a sense of control in them. I’m just an observer, not having to deal with any of the repercussions. It’s a nice dream to think monsters play by the rules, that they’ve got a pattern you can unlock and follow. Real life’s messy, and the chaos leaves you devastated in the wake.

Since her time in the necromancer’s clutches, she was still recovering lost memories from the quicksand of her mind. They’d drop like nuclear bombs, freezing her at the worst time as visuals which should’ve stayed forever buried bubbled to the surface.

I sent a silent prayer up to the Phoenix to keep her safe a little longer, because I would tear the shifters limb for limb until I got my baby sister back.

They’d reached the point of no return, and she wanted to throw herself into the fire until the flames melted away the years of ice that claimed her.

Shards flew everywhere, slicing her hands, her forearm, and cascading to the floor like snow glistening on a winter morning.

Once upon a time, he might’ve chased her and tumbled her in the sheets with the promise of more in the future.

She made him yearn for a future his kind could never have, and a connection he sure as hell didn’t deserve.

A thousand words blossomed to her lips and died there, because no amount of speaking could communicate the depths of how he’d affected her. Of how he’d changed her.

My dad had always said to not trust something unless it’s taken a tumble in the dirt. He’d meant it for people, and for things. Shiny and new didn’t exist for humankind any more.

Her lips against his, the sun soaking into their skin, and the sweet, fragrant breezes that wafted through this isolated picnic area was nothing short of perfection.

Because one look into his eyes, and she was drowning in what existed there and didn’t want to surface.

Despite the cold chill, she burned inside with a hunger she didn’t want to dismiss. Not tonight.

Because if I fell any deeper for the way his eyes crinkled with his smile or his habit of tapping on his nose to emphasize a point, my ship would be sunk.

Too late; my awkwardness had already made an unforgettable appearance, so, of course, I couldn’t be let off the hook.

Geoff’s arm emanated with a solid warmth I longed for after our days aboard S.S. British-Craphole.

As the sky faded to night, her anger dissipated—but not in a healing way, just dulled, like forged iron sizzling in a cold pail of water.

He stroked her back and kept a fierce grip on her like she’d fade away into one of the thousands of ghosts in this cemetery.

Ice upon ice, and yet, inside, she melted and mourned all the same.

Harsh, bitter laughs exploded from her like shrapnel, and she didn’t care who was cut in the process.

What bothered me the most was the hesitation in his voice when he said that— like he was running out of time.

He knew too well the sting of loneliness and how over time it stole you away, piece by piece, until a mere shell remained.

They dabbled in dark magic like finger painters in first grade art class, and then most of them were either killed by their creations or ran the other way from the nightmares they unleashed.

She’d sworn she wouldn’t end up like her little brother, but loneliness didn’t arrive with flashing bulbs and a warning label. The descent was as simple and complex as a faked smile, white lies about being “okay,” and the nod and acceptance as her own peers didn’t delve deeper, shutting the coffin lid for her.

She would never forget how his soul was lonely as the moon they’d met under, and how, for several brief moments, she’d been able to chase the loneliness away.

Truth be told, loneliness had seeped into her bones with the passing of time until it had become her normal way of life.

Despite the way she rallied, the haunted look in her eyes was enough to break him, as lost and lonely as an abandoned child’s.

If you’re supposed to work with someone, I’d recommend not getting all hot and bothered with them the night before. The word of the day was “tense.

Mom used to tell us stories of these bogeymen when we were kids, and Lizzy would crawl into my bed so she could fall asleep. Stories of the monsters who forced us underground, and when the force field faltered, would snatch us from our homes.

May as well have ox blood running through those veins,” I added, “You’re as stubborn as one.

Flirt with the old ladies and you’ll be fine,” I muttered, shoving my stuff into the cubby. He hung his green hoodie on the hooks right beside me. “Is that how you get by?” “Doesn’t work on the old ladies for me, but the old men on the other hand?” I paused and glanced at my nails. “Yeah, doesn’t work on them either.

The night had darkened to the murky sort where the air hung like descending clouds and the overhead branches made the liquid darkness even more impenetrable.

The jury’s still out on your level of intellect. After all, you signed up with Evil Incorporated in the first place.

This one sank deep into her marrow and made her heart soar like the shuttles piercing the stratosphere.

Three things lit her match without fail—abusive assholes, idiots who didn’t use their turn signals, and unannounced shifters moving in on her territory.

Aggression like this demanded slinging the first punch in a bar brawl, firing rounds at a range, or setting a car on fire.

The sharp light of the stars and moon sliced away her misconceptions and pared down their layers until the feelings that had always existed between them lay bare.

Better to leave with good memories than have the last ones be the embarrassing, smoking ruin of what once had been a fantastic friendship.

Took long enough,” she called out, not wanting to admit how the sight of him made her throat hitch, how the man was so gorgeous she lost her mind. “I thought you drowned in the mirror from staring into your reflection too long.

The choice lay out for me. Stay on land or plunge into the icy depths of the sea. I always chose the sea.

Being inside this cottage, with dark wooden walls and hand-carved furniture like my own home, cast a darkened stain onto my heart.

Jev was certain the words “should’ve known better” would go somewhere on her tombstone, but at the moment her focus shifted to the dozens of angry pixies honed in on her.

He looked so frustrated and perfectly serious, and yet here we were talking about his missing seal pelt.

You’ve never had someone you love snatched,” I shot back, annoyed by her ignorance. “Any sense of safety kind of bites it after that. You watch your back because no one else can.

She was the type who chased, who danced into your life like a spring storm, and left you battered and quaking in the wake.

She glanced outside at the sky, filled with clouds and smog. All the pollution, all that hell—even the stars didn’t stand a chance.

As she’d walked along this street, a million stars stretched across an indigo canvas, holding all the freedom she’d yearned for every night.

He’d never forgotten the sweep of her soft mouth against his, the taste of her sweetness, like strawberries, and the way she fired his insides to life.

Despite the gentlemanly kiss, a ferocity burned behind his gaze promising something primal.

Feeling a little calmer?” she asked, leaning against the desk again.Dax snorted. “Mellow as anything. I’m ready to curl up and take a nap now. Don’t mind if I purr.

He might have perfect form and better swordsmanship, but I had one thing on my side that stacked the deck in my favor. I was absolutely crazy.

Overhead the sliver of a moon barely illuminated anything and shadows slunk on every corner.

Ignore the reek of feces in the air, the bloodstains on the ground, and you have yourself a glorious night.

The Cottage Diner’s homey lights glowed onto black asphalt which just sucked up the beams to spit out more shadows.

Sorry, one night stands don't stack up as credentials for tending bar.

Whatever crimes this man had committed, they weren't as egregious as his inflated self-image.

Go figure, that happened to be his same style of flirtation as well—annoy her half to death until, before she could stop herself, she confessed her deep darks and bonded with him to a degree she never had before.

We’d never talked about his parents, like he was some underwater Peter Pan.

Sierra couldn’t afford complications, not in her position, but the way he flirted with her and teased had amped her touch hunger to a deafening roar.

The rest of them looked proper when they did it, but somehow Edward made even this gesture appear like in seconds he'd rip off her corset and do away with her skirt.

For a long time, Conor had known his father and Liam followed a stricter-than-average code, that their hate shone a little brighter than most, but until today, he’d never seen so clearly what fools they were and how blinded they’d become in their intolerance.

Like a firework, a person’s life flashed brightest right before expiration.

Guilt chilled me more than all of this rain combined.

No monster would hold the hurt I see in your eyes or carry the guilt you do every day.

The shadows along the streets were personal, and, every passing day, they seemed to grow longer and hungrier

When honor and glory get your squad killed and your brothers-in-arms shoved under the rug, you stop believing in the terms.

You heard Alanna. Someone’s got to be on you at all times.” His dark eyes glinted with a hot sort of mischief, his double entendre clear as day.

He leveled his gaze on her—the intensity there whispering promises she couldn’t fathom—and she shivered.

Mislabeled the sign,” a cocky voice called from the door. “Should read ‘Doggie Daycare’ with the number of pups packed into this place.

They shot one of ours.” The lines deepened around his grey eyes. “I’d waste the whole army for spilling a drop of my crew’s blood.

Why don’t we keep that secret? Hunters will lose their reputations if we’re seen saving puppies and painting flowers.

The water glittered under the moon’s careful watch, and, in the distance, steeples cut stark black silhouettes into the landscape of the distant city.

Now, now.” I placed a hand on his back. “Jealousy colors you black, Geoff. If you wanted to be a pretty princess too, I would have bought you a crown. I’ll be back soon.

Are you telling me Kara Orris is afraid of rain?” Hunter’s grin twisted into a smirk as his eyes lit up, relishing his new discovery with absolute delight. “Why, that’s adorable!

From the way his face lit with curiosity to the slight tilt of his jaw, even the lingering scent of brine and breeze gave him away.

The tides rolled up to crash against the shore while we sat feet from one another with the remnants of all we’d left unsaid driving us apart.

So this is how the merchant ship won’t follow us,” I mumbled, “They aren’t insane enough to join the party.

His heat warmed her, even as her insides turned to ice.

A chill swept through the air, the sort of graveyard kiss promising bad news to follow.

My hands trembled, so I took a deep drag to calm my frayed nerves. I just wanted to forget that terrible sight, but questions multiplied in my mind as the smoke furled.

Time to make herself scarce because, hell, she didn’t want to pass that thunderhead on her way out.

Blonde hair drawn into a no-nonsense bun, her new manicure the deep red of fresh blood, she’d even donned a blouse and slacks for the occasion, something Neve had forgotten Veronica owned.

Every flutter in her chest when he sat beside her, every flush to her cheeks after a compliment, and every longer-than-average embrace would end tonight.

The last thing I remembered was joining the crew in a rendition of “Take to the Sky,” but the rest of the time blurred after I drank absinthe with the Captain.

While the club-kid lifestyle might’ve once appealed to him, after he discovered even drugs wouldn’t dull his sharpened reality, he went into each round cold.

Luckily, common sense had never been a strong suit of mine and my feet moved faster than my brain.

Wasn’t allowed to have pets. I killed my pet cockroach when it crawled into my ear.

A sullied green “S” stood out on a graying backdrop that made for a road marker up there. We called it the wasteland.