The Witching Hour Anne Rice Novels & Stories

At the high-speed train station security checkpoint, a security officer stops me. "What's inside the case?" he asks. "A living donor heart. It's scheduled for transplant in two hours," I reply and hand over the emergency transit pass. After verifying the documents, the officer is about to let me pass when a hand suddenly shoots out from behind and grabs the case. "He can't go! That case contains illegal stuff!" I turn around. To my shock, it's my brother-in-law, Edward Austin. Pointing at me, he shouts, "Officer, I'd like to report him! He's my brother-in-law. There isn't anything medical-related in that case. It's drugs he bought on the black market. He's planning to use his status

To keep my grandmother's failing organs stable, I simmered a medicinal broth for her every day and strictly controlled her diet. Then the Whitmore family's long-lost real son was brought home. "You're feeding my grandmother something that looks like slop? Julian Whitmore, what kind of heart does a fake son like you have?" The butler wiped sweat from his forehead. "Sir, this is Mr. Whitmore's specially prepared medicinal broth. The old madam's been drinking it for years, and her health has only--" "Shut up!" Tyler Whitmore threw an all-foreign-language menu in my face. "I've consulted top nutritionists overseas. What Grandma needs now is protein!" "I've had the finest bluefin tuna flow

We were supposed to hand in our college applications. The ditzy school belle volunteered to hand in the whole class' applications and told them it could save them time. "Have fun, guys. I'll make sure all your applications are handed in." I was the class president, and I told her that the applications are important. "Their future is on the line. We can't have someone else hand in the applications on their behalf. They have to be there themselves. No exceptions." That made her cry, and she told everyone that I humiliated her. That very afternoon, she climbed up to the main building's roof and jumped off. My childhood friends lost their minds when the results were out. They stopped me from

🔥 WARNING: SLOW BURN and RICH IN NARRATIVE 🔥 Ashley and Josh were in a political marriage. At first, Ashley went along with it because she had liked Josh since childhood. But for Josh, it was a different story. He was head over heels for his girlfriend, Sharon. Josh was always cold to her and openly prioritized Sharon over everything else. It felt like torture for Ashley, and it seemed like it was only her who was dealing with it. Even worse, when they moved to Los Angeles, Sharon was brought along. Ashley desperately wanted to get out of the hell that Josh had built for her, but she was hindered by the agreement she had made with her family. There would be fatal consequences she might

When my fiancee, Gwen Blanchard, insists on giving birth to a child belonging to her ex-boyfriend of many years, Keith Davila, everyone can't wait to see me object to her decision. But now, Gwen's child is officially one month old, and yet I've never kicked up a ruckus about the whole incident. Instead, I focus on preparing my wedding. Thinking that I've finally accepted my position as her caretaker, Gwen decides to show me sympathy, though she does so in a smug manner. "Since you've already learned your place, I shall attend the wedding and let you become my baby's father in name. I'm giving you a chance to take care of the baby and me." But Gwen seems to be overthinking it. I've only m

A witch and a vampire don't mix in a crowd nor do they marry for curse abounds their way. It's highly unthinkable even impossible to think of. But what happens when fate allows two extremely opposite creatures to be united in the farce of marriage? Adrienne Mallory is a fire-witch who lives a quiet life with her bosom friend Mary Crossborough, a wind witch inside their charming house in Ardelean Village. Until one morning Mary accidentally kills a dhampir while she is out practicing her defense magic. The killed dhampir is a young half-human half-vampire named Athan Silos who happens to be not only a mere cousin of the vampire king but his very own first cousin. Alaric Emrick is a young va

Alessia Volkov, the ice-princess heiress to a powerful Russian syndicate, believes her life is mapped out: a strategic marriage to secure an alliance. But on the night of her engagement gala, her world is shattered. Dante Moretti, the most feared and ruthless Mafia Don in the city, storms the event. His reason? A blood debt owed by her fiancé's family. And he’s taking Alessia as collateral. Dragged from a life of opulent privilege, Alessia is thrown into a gilded cage: Dante’s impenetrable penthouse high above the city. Her defiance is immediate and fierce. She fights him with every weapon she has, venomous words, calculated escapes, and sheer, unbreakable will. But Dante is a master of b

I signed the divorce papers on a Tuesday. No tears. No phone calls. No begging. I just picked up the pen, signed my name, and let Dominic Hartley go. For four years, I tried to be everything a good wife should be. I put my career on hold. I pushed my dreams aside. I made myself smaller so he could feel bigger. And somehow, it still wasn’t enough. He looked through me like I wasn’t really there. I loved him quietly while he built his empire, not realizing he was slowly tearing mine down. When he filed for divorce, I think he expected me to fall apart. I didn’t. I started over. A new apartment. A new job. A version of myself I hadn’t seen in a long time. And for the first time in

“ I didn’t do it” “ I didn’t kill her.” “ Believe me I’m your mate!“ She cried and she begged but no one heard a single plea that escaped her lips. Not even her mate who stared at her like she was a criminal. “Logan, please..please..” “ Levy Harlow, under the charges of betraying your pack and leaving your future Luna unattended, I punish you with seven years of imprisonment!” Her mate didn’t listen to her pleas and nor did her family. With just a few words she was trapped in hell for seven years where she was played by the wardens as if she was their toy. In seven years, Levy not only lost an eye but she lost something more, her heart and soul. And just when she th

During our New Year’s Eve dinner, I told my family that my company was not giving out year-end bonuses. The table went silent. Even the TV host counting down to midnight suddenly sounded grating. My husband and daughter slammed the table in frustration. “No year-end bonus?! How are we supposed to pay the mortgage and the car loan? I didn’t marry you so you could live off me!” “Other moms either buy designer bags or send money. You’re the most useless one. You can’t even bring home a $100,000 bonus.” My in-laws sat there with dark looks on their faces and said nothing. I looked at their self-righteous faces and felt a lump in my throat. All these years, every expense in this family was