Novels by Cortney Nelson

JACOBI hid around for a few minutes before I decided to scare her a bit. I wanted to see how strong she could get before breaking and begging.“Leave me alone!”Aria shrieked at the top of her lungs, grabbing a massive handful of snow and throwing it directly at my face.The white powder hit my snout with a soft thud. I did not even blink. Instead, I let out a loud, rumbling sneeze that blew the heavy winter hood right off her head. Her long brown hair whipped wildly around her face in the freezing wind.Sitting in front of her hiding spot in my massive Lycan wolf form, I simply tilted my head. I let my tongue loll out of my mouth, panting a thick cloud of white steam into the freezing air.“Go away!” she screamed again, kicking her heavy boot at my massive silver paw.I easily pulled my paw back an inch. Her boot hit absolutely nothing but empty air. Losing her balance, she slipped on the icy ground and landed right on her backside with a heavy thud.A low, vibrating chuff of laught

JACOB“Alpha! She is gone!”Elias slammed my office doors wide open, his face pale and dripping with cold sweat. He held out a silver object in his shaking hand, clutching it like a death sentence.“Calm down, Elias,” I said smoothly, leaning back in my leather chair. I slowly set down my pen, not a single muscle in my face twitching with surprise.“She took the master map from Room 402, sir!” Elias shouted, his voice cracking with pure panic. “She tricked Martha, slipped past the perimeter shift change, and scaled the old armory roof! We found Alpha Richie's pack lighter buried in the snowdrift right below the outer fence!”A slow, dark smile stretched across my face.“I know,” I stated flatly.Elias blinked, his jaw dropping open in utter disbelief. “You... you know? Alpha, she escaped into a raging blizzard! She has a twenty-minute head start!”“Did you honestly think she outsmarted my entire guard rotation, Elias?” I chuckled, standing up from behind my heavy mahogany desk. “Did y

ARIATucking the final piece of dried beef into my small satchel, my heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Preparation was complete. Hiding the stolen goods under the loose floorboard beneath my bed, everything was perfectly set for tonight's escape.Just as my fingers brushed the edge of the heavy rug to cover the hiding spot, three sharp knocks vibrated through the bedroom door."Miss Aria?" Cora called out from the hallway.Standing up quickly, I smoothed down my skirt and took a deep breath. "What is it, Cora?""You have a visitor in the main parlor," the maid replied through the thick wood. "General Elias, the King's head secretary, is requesting your immediate presence."A cold spike of pure dread stabbed my stomach. Elias was looking for the map."Tell him I will be right there," I answered, forcing my voice to sound perfectly calm.Quickly checking the mirror to ensure I looked completely unbothered, I walked out of the bedroom. Stepping into the parlor, I found Gen

ARIA I had barely slept a wink last night. My tired mind spent the entire night tracing hidden mountain passes and memorizing the intricate guard rotations drawn in black ink.A sharp, sudden knock echoed loudly through the quiet room."Miss Aria?" Cora called out from the hallway. "Breakfast is ready. The Alpha requested that you join the table immediately.""I will be right out," I replied, grabbing a dark grey sweater from the wooden closet and pulling it over my head.Walking down the long stone corridor with the muscular maid trailing closely behind me, my stomach tied itself into nervous, tight knots. I fully expected to see Jacob sitting at the head of the long dining table. I prepared myself to endure his dark, obsessive stares and his cocky remarks.Stepping through the massive oak doors of the dining hall, I completely froze in my tracks.Jacob was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a very familiar, deeply infuriating older man sat comfortably at the table. He was casually sippi

ARIA “Who are you? Step outright now!”The sharp voice cracked like a whip through the dusty silence of the archive room.Freezing in place, my heart slammed against my ribs. I pressed my palm flat against my chest, feeling the stiff, folded parchment maps hidden securely beneath the tight bodice of my black dress. Taking a slow, shaky breath, I forced my facial expression to remain perfectly blank.“I know someone is in here,” the voice demanded again. “Show yourself!”Stepping out from behind a towering wooden bookshelf, I walked into the main aisle.A stern, older woman holding a bright brass lantern stood in the open doorway. She wore the crisp grey uniform of a senior pack manager. Her silver hair was pulled back into a painfully tight bun. Raising the lantern higher, her sharp eyes narrowed into suspicious slits the very second the light hit my face.“Miss Aria?” the senior maid asked, caught off guard. “What exactly are you doing in the restricted archives at this hour?”“Jus

ARIA “Your mouth says you hate me, but your body is telling a different story.”Jacob’s deep, mocking voice vibrated against the cold stone walls. He stepped even closer, trapping me between his massive, blood-soaked chest and the hard marble of the hallway.“Shut up,” I hissed, turning my face away so I would not have to look at the rogue’s gore smeared across his skin. “I am just terrified. You are a murderer.”“Terror smells different, Aria,” he murmured.Reaching out, his large, rough hand grabbed my hip. The sheer heat of his palm burned straight through the thin fabric of my oversized white sleep shirt. A violent, involuntary shiver wrecked my entire body. I tried to twist away, but he easily pinned my hips flat against the wall.“Let me go right now!” I demanded, pushing my palms frantically against his stomach.“Why?” Jacob chuckled, lowering his head until his lips brushed the sensitive shell of my ear. “Are you afraid I might actually ruin your little defiant act?”“You