Winner of Best New Story of the Year 2017. The Haven High Series:
Book 1: Enlightened;
Book 2: Addicted;
Book 3: Despaired;
Book 4: Protected;
Book 5: Abducted;
Book 6: Betrayed;
Book 7: Beloved;
Book 8: Transformed;
Book 9: Ascended.
(All...
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It was the middle of the night, but something had woken him from a sound asleep. His dreams haunted him, but he was too tired to care or resist the direction they took him in.
He strained to hear whatever it was to find that it had come form this apartment. He had to wonder who could be up. He spared a look at the bedside clock to see that it was just after three in the morning. Now he was no longer curious, he was concerned.
Who could be up at this hour? He tried to explain away the sound by telling himself it was just Kelly's dad in the kitchen getting a drink or a late night snack, but when a crash echoed loudly through the room he couldn't kid himself anymore.
His heart began to race and fear clogged his throat. They'd found him and he was going to have to fight his way out. A secondary, not too distance crash rang through the inky black of Kelly's room, which sent his eyes darting over to his beautiful sleeping companion to find miraculously that she was still sleeping soundly.
How? The noise was loud enough to startle anyone awake, but then he remembered that she slept with her headphones in.
So he stood up and arched his back and stretched his legs to work out the stiffness before morphing to his human form. From there he stepped over the protective barrier to creep silently to Kelly's bed. If they were being invaded he didn't want to alert the intruders to the fact that he knew they were there.
He gently shook Kelly awake and at first she went to roll over, but seemed to come to the realization that someone was touching her, and then that it must be him, and then again -- if it was him -- he must not be in the circle any longer. Her eyes opened wide and she was on her feet in seconds standing next to him and prepared for anything. And even though she was wearing a pair of PJs that included a spaghetti strap top and pajama pants she looked ready to take on the world.
She yanked the buds from her ears and whispered inaudibly knowing that even the smallest noise could be heard by the Cait Sith or Liam's crew," What's happening? Why are you out of the protective ring?"
"Cara I hear something crash in the house."
The look she gave him was inscrutable. It looked like she was torn in some way. Years of hurt and anger washed over her face before she charged for her bedroom door.
But she paused at the door and when a loud crash echoed through the dark room he was surprised to find she didn't look surprised she looked resigned.
Turning to him, she asked sincerely, "If I ask you to stay here . . . will you?"
"Cara I must come with you. It is too much for you to do alone."
"Trust me Sugah, I've been dealing with this by myself my whole damn life."
When tears pricked the corners of her lashes he was more confused than ever. He rushed to her side to say, "Cara tell me what is happening? You don't every again have to deal with anything alone. This I promise."
