Noname's Book Club Novels & Stories

The next morning, Matteo had already left, but espresso still sat warm on the counter beside brioche under a silver cover. He always remembered small things like that, which was exactly why I had mistaken care for devotion for so long. I had barely opened my laptop when Vanessa Ashford’s message appeared in the old boarding-school alumni chat. Private dinner tonight at The Aurelia Club. No excuses. I missed you all. I would have ignored it if Matteo’s reply had not appeared beneath hers almost immediately.

It was more for Kendra's sake, but Demitri would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy an excuse to spend more time with his friends. Every Friday after school, Kendra, Steve, and Kyle would join them for book club. They each took turns picking the book, but as usual Becca and Demitri were the only two that actually cared. While they had written summaries and detailed notes about the book, the others brought blank paper most the time so they could catch just enough facts to make it seem like they read it.

And pulled out a paperback like she was presenting a newborn. The cover showed a shirtless man with a wolf in the background. I stared at it with the kind of horror reserved for secondhand embarrassment. Bailey slapped it on the counter. “For book club.” I read the title and nearly choked on my tea. ALPHA MOON: CLAIMED BY DESTINY. “Bailey,” I said, voice strangled, “I can not read this.” Bailey’s grin turned feral. “You absolutely can. And you absolutely will.”

Her hair was bright pink, her nails painted black, and she wore a T‑shirt that said “Books Before Boys.” “You’re new,” she said, handing me my drink. “Is it that obvious?” “You have that look. The ‘I just moved here and I don’t know anyone’ look.” She leaned on the counter. “I had it too, two years ago. It fades.” I laughed. “How long did it take?” “About a week. Then I found the book club.” “Book club?” She grabbed a flyer from under the counter and handed it to me. “Tuesday nights. The Spined Fox bookstore. We read everything from literary fiction to trashy romance. No judgment.”

Though we came here a lot for at least, one year after the Alpha's ascension. More accurately, we were regulars at the Bookshop on top floor. We didn't go there because we were nerds as there were not a single book to read or buy up there. Naked girls! That's what you'd find there. I always thought "the Bookshop" was a stupid name for a private strip club. But the name was meant to conceal what happened in there. Admittance was strictly by special invitation that you had to RSVP by making a reservation twenty-four hours ahead. Beta Jake and I came whenever we felt liked it in those days.

" I explained. "Why have two names?" Natalia asked innocently. "A club name is usually for anonymity. Some people like to hide their identity when coming to a place like this. It could also be the name her Dom gave her." I shrugged. "Kind of like when I call you my little slave." Natalia thought that over. "Sometimes when you call me little slave, it does seem like a term of endearment. Other times you say it to remind me what I am to you."

0, was filled with exchanges between the ladies during the day. I scrolled through it, reading each text. There was no mention of the video of my torture that was sent to the previous group chat, which was a huge relief, but the ladies did talk about me, some of them wondering when I was going to give them the book recommendations I was about to give them that night before disaster struck. They were being sweet, saying they needed the next book to read for their book club, the one I was now a member of, and said I was the one who was going to choose it for them. They were being adorably nice, and I was in for it. But before I could think about giving them a recommendation from the long list

They entered, drawn in by the aroma of well-loved books and the faint rustling of pages turning. A pleasant bookseller approached them as they surveyed the shelves, their eyes wide with wonder. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" she said, her voice kind and welcoming. Lucian grinned. "We're open to surprises; what do you recommend?" The bookseller's eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. "Ah, then, let me introduce you to our Book Club, which meets here every week to engage in fascinating literary discussions, and you're welcome to join them." Lucian and Ravena gladly accepted the offer, intrigued by the thought of participating in conversations with fellow book enthusiasts. The next week

Her name was Rosie, and the books, she explained, were not for sale. They were for anyone to read and people frequently took them home and brought them back and sometimes traded them for books that they had at home. Or sometimes when they tired of the books they had home they came and brought them here and other people came and took them away. There were even book clubs that met at the cafe and they would be thrilled if their new Luna would attend.

“Why not? So we can always be together.” She shook her head. “We’d be compromised. Pat would be the first to find out.” "Right." She couldn’t believe the man’s suggestion. Was he really serious, or was he just being kind because of her current situation? “I’ve disturbed you,” Ingrid said, changing the subject as she glanced at the book resting on Noah’s lap. It was a hardcover by Clive Cussler, titled Celtic Empire. “Looks like you’re almost done with it.” He took a bite of his burger before replying, “I can always finish reading it anytime.”