Names That Sound Tough Novels & Stories

“You do know we have people from all countries in there.” As he searched, my stomach felt tighter. “Actually, there is no one by that name.” “Uh… Y-O-K-E with an acute on the top of the E.” “So, E with an accent mark?” “Yes.” “Strange name…” He muttered before trying again. I waited, feeling my stomach get tighter and tighter. “Nope.” He said shaking his head. “No one by that name here.” “Try Danlie Forbes.” I told him. He tried again. “Yeah… I see him.” He said.

“Fine. Rose is too obvious. What about Harper? Sandra Harper Kane. Keeps your name in there. The fighter. The one who took down an empire and still looked hot doing it.” I tilt my head. “I like Harper. It’s strong. It’s me. But then her initials are SHK. Sounds like a cough syrup brand.” He snorts. “True. Sandra Harper Kane. The miracle baby who clears congestion.” We both crack up. “Okay, no Harper,” I say, wiping tears of laughter. “What about Grace? Sandra Grace Harper-Kane. Classic. Elegant. And honestly… we could use some grace after everything.” He nods slowly. “Grace is nice. But it feels a little… safe. Our girl’s going to be a hurricane. She needs a middle name with some bite.”

“If one’s a boy, I vote we name him Brimstone. Brim for short.” “Brimstone?” Cheyenne blinked. “What is he, a villain from a fantasy novel?” Chelsea shrugged. “It sounds cool.” Isolde sipped her lemonade and added, “How about Ember and Ash? That way, they’re always on fire—just like their mom’s temper.” That got a collective cackle from the group, Tora flipping them all off as she shook her head. “Oh come on,” Cheyenne teased. “You have to admit, it has a ring to it.”

"All of it." We spend an hour suggesting names. He proposes three that are apparently very traditional wolf names with meanings I don't know and he explains and I veto two of them because they sound like ancient battle cries, which he argues is a point in their favor. I suggest ones that feel too soft to him, or too human, or that remind him of someone he once fought. We land on a list of four that we're both willing to consider. Then she kicks, right in the middle of the fourth name, with the particular emphasis of someone weighing in.

His eyes are cold, and his voice is flat, but the fury simmers beneath it. Fuck. I knew it was bad, but I had no clue it was that bad. I groan internally. Then I steel my spine. I'm not showing him any weakness. “Oh, so those are their names.” I shrug, and I hope it looks indifferent. “I just know them as snap, crackle, and pop.”

I could smell the anxiety rolling off them in waves, sharp and acrid. I winced inwardly, the word hitting my ears like nails on a chalkboard. Luna Zane. God, it just didn't sound right. It felt like trying to shove a square peg into a round hole, and the sheer awkwardness of it made my skin crawl. I'd have to get used to this, I supposed, but that didn't mean I had to like it. Maybe I could convince everyone to just use 'Consort' or something equally neutral. Anything but Luna.

Then she sat upright immediately. “But why didn't he have an introduction?” “A name you mean.” “Those are their names? I thought that was just their description. Like, what they're made up of. Because I somehow got that aura from them before they spoke the words.” “They're named based on what they do. Fury comes up when I'm so angry and kill mode has been activated. Fierce comes up when I'm ready to do something that takes bravery, guts and determination. It's that confident and extremely powerful part of me.”

“We need to start finalizing names. Two weeks is not a lot of time.” Ana hums softly. It’s the most relaxed sound I’ve heard from her in days. “Something strong,” Greta continues. “But not too… intimidating.” Ana shifts slightly. “No weird names.” Greta laughs. “Define weird.” “Anything that sounds like it belongs to a seventy-year-old Alpha with ten wives.” Despite myself, the corner of my mouth twitches. Greta flips a page. “Okay… what about Adrian?” Ana shakes her head. “Too common.”

Not just how to block, but how to end a fight when you’re outnumbered and bleeding and scared. I don’t need perfection. I need people who don’t give up. We name ourselves one foggy morning after Sora makes a joke about “being Beatrice’s backup misfits.” Someone else calls us “Blades.” Then someone else adds “Nyx.” It sticks. Nyx’s Blades. It sounds a little ridiculous. It also sounds exactly right. By week three, the jeers start. The elite warriors walk past us during lunch and chuckle loud enough for everyone to hear.

This whole daddy thing is scary as shit! So here I was, running my thumb over the touch screen of my iPhone, looking at the hundreds of baby names, considering them for a future Alpha, this is what I chose after a long thought; Asher Braxton Callum Ethan Maddox Malachy Orlando Reuben Spencer Theodore All strong, masculine names in my opinion… I just hope Bethany and I could set on one name for our boy; this is the name he’ll live with for the rest of his life. He deserves to not be embarrassed every time his name is said out loud.