Novels by eniolaolusesi814

August's POV "Mom, I found you finally. I don't know where best to start, so I'll start with the bad stuff and work backwards. Dad is in prison. I know you always believed he could change, and I know you loved him in your own way, but he couldn't and he didn't, and now he's exactly where he belongs. Russell too. You don't have to worry about either of them anymore. I made sure of that, with a lot of help from the people in my new life. About those people, I have found my grandparents, Fiona and Frank, and they are good people. I know you have your reasons for not telling me about them, and I understand now. Aunt Martha's boy, Kade, is in my life as well. He is the best man I know. I have a mother figure named Samantha who opened her home to me when she had every reason not to, and her daughter, who I will tell you about in a moment. I went to college like you wanted, and I played hockey there too. And I have a spot on the national team waiting for me in January. Do you remember y

Dona's POV That eventful November rolled into a cold, gray December, and on the morning of the trial against Peter, my mother couldn't sit still. She was beside me on the hard wooden bench in the courtroom gallery, her leg bouncing up and down in a rapid, anxious rhythm that she probably didn't even know she was doing. I put my hand over her knee and she stopped, looked at me, and managed a nervous smile. "It's going to be fine, okay?" I told her. "Keisha hasn't lost a case in four years. I googled her." Mom laughed without humor. "You googled my lawyer?" "I try to be thorough when it comes to things like this." I leaned my head sideways against hers and she leaned back, silently letting me know she had my back just as much as I had hers. I thought about the police car pulling away from our curb that night in November, her hand slipping out of mine. I thought about all the mornings I'd spent in this past year being furious at her for choices I didn't understand, and all the nigh

August's POV The second we skated out onto the ice, the crowd roared at the top of their voices. I'd played in front of big crowds before, junior league games that packed out smaller rinks, and scrimmages with decent turnouts. But this was even crazier. Every seat was filled, the FSU student section was a wall of garnet and gold. The noise felt like a physical hit when I walked through the tunnel. It was like walking into a wave. I was still adjusting to the light when the commentator's voice roared through the speakers. "AND HERE COME YOUR FLORIDA STATE ICEHAWKS! Led out by captain August Reynolds, who we understand will be taking his talents to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in January! This is the man's last outing as FSU captain, folks, and what a stage to go out on!" I stopped skating for half a second. How did they already know that? I'd told my teammates this morning. It had been approximately three minutes since that conversation happened in the locker r

August's POV The day of every hockey match was always raucous. But this one was even more loud than the past ones. Everyone in the locker room was on a roll. Nate was sitting on the bench with his phone, reading out loud to whoever would listen. "So, the Gulf Coast University captain is a guy called Bryce Holloway," Nate announced, scrolling on his face. "He's six foot two, plays left wing, has scored seventeen goals this season." "Whoa, monster!" Diego muttered. "Damn right." Nate continued. "Their defense is physical, they like to crowd the boards and slow the game down." "Classic south Florida hockey," Mason replied. "They can't skate fast so they just make it ugly and messy, those gorillas." "But we skate faster," Diego answered, throwing a jab at the air. "Simple." I was half listening, half staring at my phone. I pulled up Samantha's contact and typed quickly. ME: Are you coming for the finals today? She replied a few minutes later. SAMANTHA: I can't, sweetheart. Keish

August's POV The day of every hockey match was always raucous. But this one was even more loud than the past ones. Everyone in the locker room was on a roll. Nate was sitting on the bench with his phone, reading out loud to whoever would listen. "So, the Gulf Coast University captain is a guy called Bryce Holloway," Nate announced, scrolling on his face. "He's six foot two, plays left wing, has scored seventeen goals this season." "Whoa, monster!" Diego muttered. "Damn right." Nate continued. "Their defense is physical, they like to crowd the boards and slow the game down." "Classic south Florida hockey," Mason replied. "They can't skate fast so they just make it ugly and messy, those gorillas." "But we skate faster," Diego answered, throwing a jab at the air. "Simple." I was half listening, half staring at my phone. I pulled up Samantha's contact and typed quickly. ME: Are you coming for the finals today? She replied a few minutes later. SAMANTHA: I can't, sweetheart. Keish

August's POV A week later, the four of us were at Tallahassee International Airport, and Piper was already a disaster. She was sitting on the bench between Dona and me, staring at the departures board with a desolate look. Her eyes were dry but only just, and every few minutes she'd pull in a slow breath through her nose that was doing absolutely nothing to help. Kade was at the check-in counter doing whatever needed to be done, his duffel bag on the floor beside him as he spoke to the woman behind the desk. "He's only going for five months," Dona reminded Piper, rubbing her shoulder gently. "I know," Piper replied, in the flat voice of someone who knew but didn't particularly care about the information. "And Christmas is literally around the corner. You can fly out to Chicago and see him." "I know that too." "So technically it's not even that long before..." "Dona, I know, okay?" Piper cut her off, but without any real heat. She just kept staring at the board. I leaned forw

Yara's POV I walked into Alpha Malachi's chambers with my head held high and my hands folded neatly in front of me. He was sitting in an armchair near the window, a goblet of wine dangling from his fingers. The light streaming in from behind him made him look almost otherworldly, like some kind of dark god lounging on a throne. He looked up when I entered, his eyes tracking my every movement. "Ah, Yara. Come in." I stepped closer and stopped a few feet away from him. "You summoned me, Alpha." He took a slow sip of his wine, then set the goblet down on the small table beside him. "I did. We spoke about Yulia's punishment the other day, and I've been waiting to hear your thoughts. Have you come to a conclusion?" A cold smile spread across my lips. "I have, actually. I've given it quite a bit of thought." "And?" "I think she should be starved," I offered. "Not all at once, of course. That would be too quick and too merciful. No, she should be given just enough food and water to ke

Yara's POV The silk of Yulia's gown whispered against my skin as I walked through the corridors toward the kitchen. It was a deep emerald green; it used to make me stop and stare when I saw her wearing it. Now it was mine. Her entire wardrobe was mine, actually. Every dress and every delicate piece of jewelry she'd hoarded like a dragon guarding treasure. I ran my fingers along the fabric as I walked, feeling the smooth texture beneath my fingertips. It felt expensive. It felt powerful. It felt like everything I'd ever wanted. The kitchen was bustling when I stepped through the doorway. Steam rose from pots on the stove, and the smell of roasting meat filled the air. Slaves moved back and forth carrying trays and chopping vegetables, their heads down and their hands busy. But the moment I walked in, everything stopped. One by one, heads turned in my direction. Knives paused mid-chop and the entire room went silent as every single person stared at me. I enjoyed their shocked sta

Raven's POV "What are you doing here?" Liam's voice was hoarse and strained as his eyes darted between me and the men standing behind me. "And why are there so many people with you?" "We're here to rescue you from Ramsey," I replied, stepping closer to him. "We're getting you out of here." His face twisted in confusion and he opened his mouth to ask another question, but Leo stepped forward before he could speak. "I don't mean to interrupt, but we're really out of time." One of the other men nodded immediately. "The guards caught the decoy team. We need to move now." I listened closely, straining to hear what was happening above us. I heard the faint sound of battle echoed through the stone walls. Growls, snarls and the snap of teeth. I could smell blood, thick and cloying against my throat. People were getting hurt up there. Quickly, I turned back to Liam. "I know you're in a lot of pain, but we really have to go now. I'll answer all your questions later, I promise." Leo and

Raven's POV When the bell rang for the shift of guards, we were all in position. I lifted two fingers. The decoy unit peeled off immediately, moving north without a word. One of them gave me a look as he passed by. “Fifteen minutes,” he murmured. "We'll be done in fifteen minutes." “Make it count." I replied, and then they were gone. I turned the other way and started to move towards the tunnel, as the tunnel team fell in behind me. Twelve of us. We slipped through the east-side entrance one by one. The stone door that led into the tunnel was already cracked open from earlier, hidden behind a stack of unused crates. The moment I stepped inside, the air became cooler and damp, and I shivered instinctively. Someone behind me pulled the door closed again, slowly, until the light narrowed to a thin blade and then disappeared. “No talking, okay? We need to be as silent as possible” I said quietly, more out of habit than need. Everyone nodded anyway. We moved in pairs just like we

Raven's POV I was still awake when the sky started to pale. I hadn’t slept. Not really. I’d laid there, staring at the ceiling, counting breaths, listening to the pack house settle and creak, waiting for exhaustion to knock me out the way it usually did, but it never came. Every time my eyes closed, my thoughts jumped straight back to Jaxon in a cage somewhere I couldn’t reach yet, to Liam chained underground, to Ramsey sitting in my husband’s seat like he belonged there, and the fear kept my nerves buzzing. I didn’t want to admit it, even to myself, but I was terrified. Even though I already had a plan on what to do to rescue Liam, I was still terrified out of my mind. By the time I stepped out of the pack house, the world felt distant to me. The field was empty when I got there, damp with morning dew, and I just stood there for a moment with my arms loose at my sides, staring at the packed dirt around me. “Luna Raven.” The voice came from behind me, and when I turned, Leo w

Raven's POV Sleep eluded me on the night that Ramsey made that proposal to me. I just couldn't believe my ears, that a man would be so bold as to approach his brother's wife with such a topic. But then, knowing the precedence that he has set with Jaxon's first mate, it all made sense to me. At the crack of dawn, I was already up and dressed, heading towards the training field. If Ramsey and his mother and the Council of Elders were not going to give me what I wanted, then I would go to the warriors of Night Howler's Pack and demand it. The training field looked like a funeral when I walked in. Because it was still early morning, the grounds were half-empty. The weapons were clattering half-heartedly, warriors moving like they’d rather be anywhere else. Ramsey’s stink was all over it. I spotted a kid I used to train: Leo, who was still too skinny for his sword. He nearly dropped it when I called out. “Where is Jude?” He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “He is at border duty. Alpha Ramsey r