Author Center Novels & Stories

Despite its austere appearance, the safe house was a place of refuge for the hunters, a sanctuary where they could rest and regroup before heading out on their next mission. Displayed proudly above the fireplace rows upon rows of master vampires fangs lined the wall. Master vampires over 500 years old are among the oldest and most powerful of their kind. They have survived countless battles, witnessed the rise and fall of empires, and accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience that sets them apart from their younger counterparts. These vampires are often solitary creatures, preferring to keep to themselves and avoid the conflicts that come with ruling over a group of vampires. However,

They sat a little high right now, but when they settled in she would be ready for a centerfold. "Well?" she finally asked because her brother was so quiet. "Hmmm..." he tried to look thoughtful, "Well, should the right one be green on the bottom?" "What?!" "Just kidding. Everything looks fine. Looks like you at least kept the size down to something realistic looking." Jessica bit her lip. "Dr. Nelson called them 'a very generous C.' He wouldn't go any bigger." "Well, I think you're still definitely eligible for that 'BT' nickname you asked me for this spring. Want me to get you a mirror so you can look?"

--- The first hour was torture. I took orders with the plug sitting heavy and silent inside me, every step shifting it deeper. My voice wavered as I recited specials. Then, while I was balancing three plates on a tray near table seven, it buzzed to life… low at first, then jumping straight to high. I nearly dropped everything. A soft, broken moan slipped out before I could choke it back. The elderly couple at the table glanced at me strangely. My face flamed as I set their food down with trembling hands, thighs pressed tight together, the vibrations hammering against my g-spot.

The core center of the network. Avery pressed her left palm flat against her sternum, forcing down the frantic rhythm of her pulse, and drew a deep breath. Beep— A faint electronic confirmation cleared the interface, and the heavy alloy barrier glided open with a slow, mechanical rotation. The space revealed... A massive administrative data core? Endless arrays of server units flashed with a low blue luminescence through the pitch darkness. Located at the absolute center of the layout within a reinforced glass containment structure sat a primary terminal computer.

Every system has a center. --- A point where all control originates. --- Where decisions are made. Where outcomes are calculated. --- And where resistance is evaluated. --- Ariana stood facing it. --- The Core Entity. --- Not human. Not machine. --- Something designed. --- Constructed from logic. From control. From purpose. --- Its presence distorted the framework around it. --- Connections tightening. Reforming. Stabilizing under its influence. --- “You’ve restored partial control,” Ariana said.

] [Someone who fights over an apple leaving is probably for the best. [Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong.] When I saw those comments, I didn’t feel much at all.

“And the centre.” “The eighth mechanism.” There was no need for another explanation. The seven alcoves represented the known anchor sites, while the central platform was the point from which they drew their power. We had finally reached the place the old records had kept hidden. I searched the alcoves for Derek and Helena, but neither was immediately visible from where we stood. The chamber was silent, and the silence made every small movement seem louder. Then I saw him. A figure stood on the central platform with his back to us. He had not moved since we entered. His stillness was so complete that, for a moment, I wondered whether he was even aware of our presence.

A delicious smell of chocolate makes my mouth water, and my stomach growls. In the center sits a tray full of chocolate cookies and a small cooler filled with juices. "Sit down!" Katy insists with a huge smile. "Sam told me you like sweets," she adds, holding the tray out. I only manage to nod, and we all sit. "Alright, listen. I have very delicate information," Katy says, spreading out a rustic hand-drawn map. "The hunters are already in the south. They're taking longer than usual-you know what that means."

I reply. That earns a sharp look from the Beta trailing us, but Kalen only nods, like he expected that answer. The Alpha remains at the perimeter. Watching. Not hovering. Giving me space without retreating from it. That might be the most dangerous thing of all. Kalen gestures toward the center circle—etched stone, old symbols worn nearly smooth by time. “This is as neutral as we get.” “Neutral to whom?” I ask. He doesn’t answer right away. “That depends on whether you decide to cooperate.”

"Done." I capped the marker. Looked at the diagram I had drawn. It was complex but it was knowable. Every network had a center of gravity. Every operation had a single point that, if removed, caused the rest to collapse. Elena Marsh was that point. Daniel was infrastructure. Keller was a tool. But she was the reason any of this existed.