Silent Book Club Atlanta Novels & Stories

They swirled around with watchful eyes, one grabbed a drink downing it before meeting in the centre of the room. “I’m mind-linking the Alpha.” I spoke my gaze still watching them. Vivian narrowed her eyes in hopes of seeing something. I was about to open the link when I heard clapping. Alpha Woods was making his way up to the stage. His speech! I paled glancing back at Vivian mouth agape. There was nothing we could do now. “Go drift towards Kayla. Protect her!” I whispered at her. Giving me a brisk nod she slipped in the crowd being hidden from view. I bit my lip mulling over my options.

The water was clear enough for me to see every rock that covered the bottom of it, every color could be seen. "Subhanallah" I whispered as I heard birds chirping around me. The first time I talked my throat felt like sandpaper no one said a word when it came to my past, they knew it all from going through the journal that had been my only companion in the darkness I came from, I didn't say anything when Myra returned the journal to me with tears in her eyes and I looked away from the sympathetic gazes of my family.

I tucked my slate into its carrying satchel and went to find Nora. What was I going to tell her? Would she be happy for me? Of course she would. She was my friend. She helped me even after that whole mess with Prince Gideon and the drugged wine. I found Nora reading in her room. For once it wasn’t an etiquette manual. I winced when I realized I was interrupting one of her few free moments. “Oh, Clara, there you are!” Nora tossed the book aside and jumped to her feet. I waved, and signed that we needed to talk.

Kamara’s pov The library was the only place Silas’s men couldn’t hover directly over my shoulder without drawing too much attention. They sat three tables away, looking like hitmen trying to blend into a study group. I stared at my textbook, but the words were blurring. My mind kept looping back to the silver cufflink hidden in my pocket. 1422 Blackwood Road and 4pm scribbled at the bottom. "You look like you're miles away," a voice whispered.

“Fine. One hour.” The back room was packed. Ten women, two men, wine glasses half empty, laughter already loose. Mrs. Alvarez presided like a queen, waving Damien to an empty chair right in the circle. Elena handed him a well-worn copy of *Midnight Claims*, opened to the marked page. “Your turn, Mr. Voss,” Elena said sweetly, sitting across from him. “We read aloud. Builds… connection.” He stared at the book like it might bite him. The group waited, grinning widely. Elena raised an eyebrow, daring him.

The book club ladies were in fine form this afternoon. Margaret Thompson sat primly on the floral couch in a rented out space close to the library, a half-empty teacup balanced on her knee, her Bible study notes open on the coffee table. The conversation had started with the latest Christian fiction novel — something about redemption and resisting temptation — but it had drifted, as it always did, into more personal territory. Gossip dressed up as prayer requests. “Speaking of temptation,” one of the women said, lowering her voice with dramatic concern, “have you heard what’s going around about that poor Thompson boy?”

The invitation arrives via email. It's from Lisette. The subject line says: "Book Club - You Should Come." And the message is typical Lisette. Direct. No preamble. Just: "I started a book club. First month we're reading your book. You should come read to us." I call her immediately. "You started a book club and didn't tell me?" I ask. "I'm telling you now. It's six women. We meet once a month. This month we're reading your book because it's important and it's brilliant and I want to talk about it with people who will actually understand why it matters."

The living room fell into a dead silence. No one spoke. They clearly had not expected me, the girl who always gave in and agreed to everything, to suddenly say something like that. I did not want to argue with them anymore, so I turned and limped back to my room. Late that night, lying on my bed, I opened my phone and looked at the calendar. December 7th. Only three days left. Just then, my phone vibrated. Salvatore was calling.