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martelldoran · 4 years

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i have too grieved a heart (redux)

Fandom: HP Characters: Lily/Narcissa, Snape, James, Mary, Dorcas

NSFW: no

Summary: After the incident at the lake, Lily realises that more than just her relationship with Severus Snape is doomed. She now must say goodbye to Narcissa.

Read on AO3

May 1976

Lily Evans was many things. She was a witch first and foremost, and currently – though not for very much longer – in her 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was a proud Gryffindor. She was muggleborn, the first witch in her family. She was a talented potion maker, often spending her free time down in the dungeons mixing her brews and revelling in the multicoloured fumes. She was a dab hand at her charm work and liked to summon little sparkling lights to brighten up her study spaces. She was a passionate friend. She was bright, loved nothing more than spending her afternoons listening to records in the sun, and adored being outdoors surrounded by nature. Yes, Lily Evans was many things.

But at that precise moment, on a sunny afternoon in May after having just sat her Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L, she was absolutely fucking furious.

“Evans!”

It was the bellowing voice of James Potter. He had not stayed to try and remove Severus’s underpants as he had said, instead choosing to charge after her. Reaching the steps to the main door with her breath rushing and chest tight, she didn’t pause.

But then a hand closed around her wrist.

She wrenched herself away. Her wand was lifted and a spell teetered on the edge of her snarling lips as she spun round.

“Do not touch me!”

The boy staggered back onto the grass, hands lifted with the palms facing her. His mouth was a small ‘o’ shape and his hazel eyes were wide.

“Okay, I won’t.”

Her wand did not lower and neither did his hands. White knuckle fury still beat through her.

“I’m sorry, Evans. I went too far. I always go too far,” he said, his voice was tight, restrained as he measured each word. “Not that it’ll make a difference but I’ll apologise to Snape too, though I think I burned that bridge a long time ago.”

This last part he added as an afterthought, saying it more to himself than her. He shifted from foot to foot before slowly lowering his hands. The normally perfectly tousled black hair had fallen flat and was falling into his eyes but he didn’t try to fix it. Instead he continued looking right at her. It made him look like a little boy again.

“I am sorry. Truly. I hope you can see that, Lily. If not now, then later.”

He had said his piece. With a stiff, defeated nod of the head, he turned and made his way back to the lake. The fury had lessened somewhat. She watched his retreating back for just a moment before beginning her ascent up the stairs once again.

Half way across the Entrance Hall he made himself known to her, calling her name. Somehow having detangled himself from the clutches of Sirius Black, he must have skulked in a bush until he’d seen James leaving. Severus Snape’s normally pale, sallow face was flushed and his eyes darted around the hall, never resting on her face for long.

It was as if she was seeing him for the first time. And she was repulsed.

“Lily,” he began, taking a step towards her.

She retreated and raised her wand once more.

“Stay away from me,” she growled, in no mood to hear his excuses.

She knew what he’d say. She was a vengeful, wrathful god, ready to smite down those who had wronged her. She was Artemis condemning Actaeon to die by the jaws of his own dogs.

“Lily, please, I’m sorry,” he pleaded. He had his hands up like James but he took another step towards her. “I didn’t mean it. It just slipped out.”

“And is that supposed to make me feel better?” she snapped, wand trained on his face. “How many times have I heard you say you’re not like them, Mulciber and Avery? Then heard you defend them in the same breath? You agree with what’s being said, don’t you, by the one they call the ‘Dark Lord’. Maybe not all of it but there’s something in there isn’t there, that calls to you.”

Severus, inching forward, shook his head vigorously, lank hair dancing on either side of his face.

“No!” he wailed. “I don’t, I don’t think that, Lily. You’re my friend.”

She wavered. He was her oldest friend. He’d introduced her to magic, told her she was special, been there for every rant and every time her sister rejected her. Emboldened by her indecision, he took yet another step towards her.

A warning shower of red sparks streamed from her wand and crackled at the boy’s feet. He yelped and jumped away.

“I told you. Stay. Back. I don’t want you anywhere near me.” Her voice rose, ringing in the empty Entrance Hall. It was deserted, everybody had surrendered themselves to the sunshine. She hardened herself. “I see it now Severus, you’re one of them or if you’re not, you want to be. You and that fucking chip on your shoulder.”

She gave a humourless laugh, staring him dead in the eye. Her rage had not cooled but she was steady, held up by steel and smouldering fire.

“You’ve made it clear where your loyalties lie. And let me tell you now, if we come across one another out there” -- she gestured vaguely around the Entrance Hall – “I will not hesitate to cut you down.”

At this, he lurched forward, a cry on his lips. He tried to reach for her.

‘Petrificus Totalus!’

The spell screamed within her mind hit him square in the face, freezing the boy’s pained expression to stone. He tumbled to the floor, landing frozen on his side. She was Medusa victorious

“I warned you. Come near me again and I won’t be so lenient.” In that moment with fire coursing through her veins, she meant every word of her threat.

Turning on her heel, Lily tore up the staircase. All in a rush, she could feel the weight of everything that had just happened come crashing down around her. Hot tears bulged in her eyes and a golf ball sized lump in her throat threatened to choke her. A bathroom, a bathroom was what she needed, somewhere nobody would disturb her. Without thinking she turned her course to the girls’ toilet on the second floor.

Bursting through the door with a loud, resonating bang, a painful, heavy sob wracked her body. She stumbled towards the nearest stall and locked herself in. Animalistic wails tore from her mouth and echoed off the tiled walls. It was like her grief had manifested into a physical form and was joining her for a macabre duet.

Hugging herself, she crumpled to the floor. With her back to the door, she leaned her head back against the wood and let the grief she felt come in waves. How had it come to this? All she’d wanted to do was help her friend and now here she was.

Lily had been called a Mudblood before. More times than she truly cared to count. But never had she imagined, even in her wildest dreams, that she’d hear that word come from the mouth of someone she considered her friend, let alone said with such venom.

Tears slid in a continuous stream down her flushed cheeks. They hung off the end of her chin and pooled in the hollows of her neck and collarbones. Slowly, a damp patch grew down the front of her robes but she paid it no mind. Lily was a raw, gaping wound and nothing else mattered but her pain. Her mind was a jumble. The scene by the lake replayed in a hideous loop. Then it was the argument in the Entrance Hall. Severus’s pained expression was seared onto the back of her eyelids and her words echoed in her ears.

How long did she sit there sobbing? She cried and she cried and then, when it seemed like she had no more tears left, she cried once again. Time had no meaning in that cramped toilet stall. It could have been seconds, it could have been days, she didn’t care. Noone would come in here and disturb her anyway. They would hear her howls, assume it was Moaning Myrtle off in one of her moods and steer well clear.

Eventually, however, she stilled and the tears dried up. There was a certain calmness to her now. With a dull realisation, she was unsurprised about Severus. Some dark part of her already knew that he was lost. He wanted to be the best, he always had. And if following this man got him what he wanted then so be it. He would do it.

Ever since they were children, there had been this urge to prove himself and to rise above everyone else. It came out when they raced across fields and threw stones into a lake. It came out during exams and every time there was a potion or poison to be brewed. Glory would be his one way or another.

“Lily? Lily, are you in here?” Dorcas Meadowes’s husky, mellow voice cut across her reverie. She hadn’t even heard the door open.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Her voice was thick and raspy with disuse.

“Will you come out? We’re worried about you.” She was closer now, right outside the door.

“I can’t. I never want to come out,” she moaned. Her face hurt. There was no need to look in a mirror to see how awful she looked, she could feel the swelling around her eyes and cheeks.

“Don’t say that, come on, open the door,” Dorcas reasoned, giving the handle a gentle shake.

When no answer came, there was a weary sigh and she murmured, “Alohamora.”

Lily shifted her weight off the door just enough so that she wouldn’t keel over when her friend opened it. Dorcas knelt next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. The redhead leaned in, the familiar scent of wood smoke and amber in her nose. Dorcas’ shirt was open at the collar - her blue Ravenclaw tie undone and hanging loose around her shoulders – exposing the dark skin of her throat.

“Let’s go.”

Not wasting any time, Dorcas pulled Lily up by her armpits and observed the damage. Her glittering black eyes skated over her from top to bottom. She pursed her full lips together and tsked loudly.

“Oh dear. You truly look awful, you know that,” she said, a sad but understanding smile on her face.

A sniffle and a half-hearted quirk of the lips was all the answer she received. With a sigh, Dorcas propelled her from the bathroom. Quick steps and a firm hand on the small of her back guided her through the corridors. They didn’t meet a soul, the castle was almost deserted. Through the fog clouding her brain, Lily registered this and was thankful. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her, a Prefect, like this.

“Oh, good heavens! Is everything alright Miss Evans?” It was the deep, plumy voice of the Fat Lady. She ignored the portrait’s question.

“Pygmy Puff,” she mumbled. Somehow, from somewhere, a new wave of tears rushed up and threatened to spill down her cheeks.

The portrait swung open but Lily didn’t move.

“Marlene is waiting for you, honey. Go on in,” murmured Dorcas, giving her a gentle push.

Silently, she climbed through the portrait hole, leaving Dorcas to make her way back to the Ravenclaw common room, and was immediately met by Marlene. She appeared in a whirlwind of blonde hair, ready to ferry Lily up to their dormitory. The common room was full, that much she knew, and she could tell that every single pair of eyes were trained on her as a heavy silence fell. But she was too tired to care. She wanted to go to bed.

“Is Remus here?” she rasped.

Marlene nodded and pointed to the cluster of armchairs by the fire where all four of the Marauders were staring at her. All but Peter Pettigrew were unnaturally still, caught in the spell of Lily’s dishevelled appearance. Peter couldn’t seem to stop himself from twitching, fidgeting with anything he could lay his chubby hands on.

In a daze, she approached the four boys. Although she could feel James’ eyes boring into her, taking in every single red blotch and the puffiness of her face, she refused to look at him. If she did then there was no way to stop the tears that were once more lingering right beneath the surface.

“Remus, I can’t do my rounds tonight. Can you cover?” Her voice was dead, a thick monotone that didn’t sound like her.

“Uh, yeah, yeah of course I can. Whatever you need.”

There was a slight pause before he asked, “What will I tell Cissa?”

But she had already turned away, Marlene her golden shadow.

“Whatever you want. I don’t care,” she sighed.

In that moment, she didn’t. She couldn’t bear to think of Narcissa, with her star bright eyes, gleaming hair and the purest of pureblood status. It hurt too much.

Never before had the walk up to her dorm seemed so long. Every step was an effort. It was like her bones had been replaced with lead and added weights had been strapped to her ankles and wrists for good measure.

The quiet of the dorm was a blessing. Not bothering to undress, Lily kicked off her shoes and collapsed into bed. Marlene perched on the edge. Her blue-grey eyes were stormy. Words pressed up against her lips, clamouring to be released but she kept her mouth shut tight. She simply stroked Lily’s hair, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead head, told her to get some sleep and bade her goodnight. With a flick of her wand the curtains to her four-poster shut, enclosing her in blessed darkness.

It didn’t take long for sleep to claim her.

When she awoke, the grey light of the pre-dawn leaked between the curtains of her bed and the familiar snuffles and even breathing of her roommates cradled her sleep addled mind. She was still in her robes from the day before, rumpled and creased. Her sleep though deep had clearly been plagued by ceaseless tossing and turning. Mouth dry and tasting stale, Lily sat up and pawed at her still puffy face. The damage of the day before a cruel mask she would have to wear for a few more hours yet.

Lily slid from bed as silently as she could, gathered her wash bag and towel, and slipped into the stone stairwell. Before the cold could seep from the flagstone through her socks to chill her feet, she flited upstairs to the wash room. Peeling off her soiled robes, she shivered as the cool air met slid over her bare skin.

The shower’s warm water was bliss. It beat the last of sleep’s cobwebs away, leaving her mind clear and focussed. Of course, all she could think about was the previous day’s events. If it hadn’t been clear to her before, it was now. For some witches and wizards, it didn’t matter what she did or who she became. It wouldn’t matter if she was the most powerful witch or the most talented. For those few people, she would be a Muggleborn before all else, a parasite siphoning off magic from those who they deemed needed, no, deserved it more.

Names flashed in her mind: Rodolphus Lestrange, Evan Rosier, and, of course, Bellatrix Black. Narcissa’s sister. Her sweet, darling Narcissa who she loved so dearly. Bellatrix’s name appeared in The Daily Prophet almost daily now. The young witch made no attempt to hide her name or her loyalties. The more chaos and misery she sowed the better. It was reported just yesterday that she was single-handedly responsible for over 80 muggle deaths and had seriously injured several muggleborn witches and wizards over the last few months. Details on the way she conducted her business were scant but gruesome. Torture was her art and her greatest pleasure. After all, what information could a muggle possibly give her? No, it was all a game.

As she pondered these thoughts, Lily scrubbed herself clean with care and precision. She dragged the sponge across her skin until she was pink and raw. A growing sense of dread grew in the pit of her stomach and settled there, rock hard and heavy. There was something she knew she had to do.

She couldn’t shake the feeling of dread for the rest of the morning. It was there while she dressed, and crowded her while she ate a solitary breakfast in the Great Hall. Her owl, Artemis, somehow knew she was there and brought her that morning’s copy of the Daily Prophet but she couldn’t bear to open it. She didn’t need to know about the latest terrors and growing anti-muggle sentiment that was growing in certain wizarding circles. Any other morning it wouldn’t be an issue, but after the previous afternoon’s excitement, she could live without it.

Th first of her friends to make their way to the Great Hall that morning was Mary MacDonald. Mary had not changed much in the five years she had known her. She was still small and slight and still wore her hair in a blunt bob with a heavy fringe that hung into her eyes. When she rose to meet her, the Hufflepuff embraced Lily without a word. They stood like that, intertwined, for several minutes.

“Yesterday was a bit shite, wasn’t it,” said Mary, stepping back from their hug.

Lily chuckled.

“That’s something of an understatement.”

Mary inclined her head and shrugged one shoulder.

“Look, I know that Severus has been your friend for a long time, but maybe it’ll do the two of you some good to have some distance? Let the dust settle. He can maybe get his priorities in order,” she offered.

Lily wasn’t so sure but she nodded anyway.

“I meant to ask,” she said, with the most unsubtle change of subject known to witchkind. “How did Dorcas find me?”

“Oh, well, we looked for a while but couldn’t find you so we asked Remus, who asked Sirius, who asked James and for some reason, he knew that you were in the bathrooms,” Mary explained. “I don’t know how he knew. He disappeared up into his dormitory and when he came back, he knew where you were.”

“Curiouser and curiouser,” Lily murmured, unable to work out how on earth James Potter could have worked out where she’d been hiding.

After a few more minutes, Lily left Mary in the Great Hall and hurried up to the owlery. She scratched out a quick note and sent Artemis out to find the addressee.

As she watched her owl swoop through the sky, she felt a tremor of trepidation through her body.

A rap on the door alerted Lily to her presence. She swept into the spare classroom with a flourish, her long, white blonde hair swishing as she twirled. Star bright eyes twinkled at her and a broad smile adorned her face. She was as brilliant as a winter’s day and just as beautiful. Lily’s heart wrenched and she longed to fall into her embrace, to lose herself to a thousand kisses.

Narcissa pulled her close before she could say a word. She cupped her face, one hand slipping through her hair, and kissed her deeply. Lily could feel her resolve weakening with every second. All too soon, Cissa pulled away with a coy smile.

“Hello darling.” Her voice was warm, an undercurrent of excitement running through her words.

Her head was cocked to the side and she ever so gently pushed a stray strand of hair away from Lily’s face. The redhead shifted out of the embrace needing to put space between them. If she felt her touch again then she knew any remaining resolve would leave her.

“We, uh, we need to talk,” Lily mumbled.

“Uh oh, that sounds ominous!” she laughed, her smile hadn’t faltered for even a second.

“This has to end.”

The words were out like a bullet train.

Narcissa let out a cold, humourless laugh.

“No. Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t ending. Lily, come on, this is us,” she insisted, reaching to take her hands. But Lily avoided her touch.

Hurt flashed across Narcissa’s face. It was only for a second then a mask of cool collectedness covered it.

“Is this because of what happened at the lake?” she asked, very matter of fact. “Snape is an idiot. Mulciber and Avery are rubbing off on him.”

She was being dismissive. Of course she was. It was her go to defence mechanism.

“Well, yes. They are. That’s part of the problem. What he said, there are others who think that as well.”

“And they’re wrong.”

“Even when it’s the likes of your family saying it, Cissa?”

There was a beat where neither of them said anything.

“Oh, come on, Lily! Just because my family runs their mouths about Muggleborns and blood purity doesn’t mean I believe that nonsense.”

Lily wanted to stop this. She wanted forget about the lake, the war, and the man hellbent on securing pure blood supremacy but there was no turning back now. Even if she wished it with all her heart, she couldn’t go back to how it was before. If there had been such a thing as before.

“Bellatrix isn’t just running her mouth though is she. She’s killing people Cis. She’d kill me too.” The words faltered in her mouth, turning to ash.

She couldn’t keep looking at Narcissa. She shone too brightly.

The blonde shifted, stiffened.

“I wouldn’t let that happen.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But you told me yourself what she did to Dromeda. Why wouldn’t she do the same to you?” Lily reasoned in a quiet voice. Her eyes were trained on the hem of her robes. “I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt. . . And I don’t want to get hurt.”

The pause was bloated, filling with unsaid words, waiting to burst open like a sore.

“That’s bullshit Lily and you know it. We could run away. I could protect you.”

“I know that you would try but your loyalty is to them, not to me, and I wouldn’t ask you to choose. But, I can’t be with you like this. Your family would never accept me, never accept us. It was always a fool’s game to think otherwise.”

“You know what, Lily, you could have been a Slytherin with that attitude,” Cissa snapped, lips pursed and jaw jutting.

“Yeah, well we both know why that didn’t happen.”

“There are Muggleborns in Slytherin!”

“Oh, and Elijah Robertson’s head just magically cracked itself open on the flagstone did it?”

Narcissa drew up short, whatever she was about to say died in her mouth. And whatever it was must have left a sour taste judging by the way her face twisted.

“N-nobody knows who did that.” She faltered, voice meek and unsure. It was an unsettling role to see her play.

“Yeah. Sure. But it’s an open secret. Everyone knows that it was Dolohov and his goons,” Lily scoffed. She could feel her ire beginning to rise, heart racing. Before she could argue any further, she added, “I’ve made up my mind. I can’t be with you anymore.”

With a huff, Narcissa slumped against a desk.

“I don’t want this to end.”

It was a whispered admission. Tears glimmered at the edges of her star-bright eyes and there was an almost imperceptible wobble to her bottom lip.

“I know. But it has to.”

Lily hated seeing her like this, hated the fact that it was her fault. She shifted, twisting her hands together. They sat in silence once more. There had been a seismic shift between them and now they stood on opposing sides of an endless ravine. There was nothing either of them could say that would bring the other back.

“So, that’s it,” murmured Narcissa. Her tears remained unshed and her light had dimmed. Their eyes met and Lily thought she saw the faint ghost of a smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. “I don’t suppose I get one last kiss?”

There was no question. Pushing off the desk she had been leaning against, Lily closed the gap between them in two strides. The pull was as magnetic as it had always been. With gentle hands at her waist, she pulled the blonde girl into a standing position. The rich silk of her robes was slippery under her fingers; its familiarity calmed the fluttering of her pulse. The expensive perfume Narcissa so loved to wear tickled her nose as they drew closer.

Their lips brushed together like a sweet whisper. Again and again and again. They were all featherlight touches.

Until they weren’t.

They were a thunder storm breaking through a summer drought. Mouths hot and bruising, they drank each other up. Hands tangled in hair and grabbed at clothes; all Lily wanted to do was lose herself in this last fevered embrace. She gripped the girl tight, crushing her against her as if they might sink together and never be apart. Heart pounding and blood rushing in her ears, her mind was a tumultuous sea of everything Narcissa.

But, with time, as with all things, they slowed. Foreheads pressed together, still breathing each other, their eyes locked together. A pink flush had crept into the blonde’s cheeks and her lips were cherry red. They stayed that way until their breathing stilled and became even once more.

It was Narcissa that pulled away first, smoothing her hair and straightening her clothes. She now avoided Lily’s gaze, trying to compose herself.

Lily said nothing. What more could she say? Anything else would be an insult.

Cissa brushed and brushed and brushed down her robes but the wrinkles in the silvery silk would not disappear so easily. She paused, head bowed, and sighed. When she raised her chin once more her jaw was set and eyes tight, but that practised mask of cool collectedness was full of cracks.

“I will see you around, darling,” she said, squaring off her shoulders and drawing herself up to her full height.

With a flash of a smile and an airy wave of the hand, she spun on her heel and left. It was only as the door snicked shut that Lily allowed her tears to come. From some unknown reserve, the tears came and fell silently onto her cheeks. She had never felt more alone.

#hogwartsonline #hpfemslash #marauderseragang #hprarepairnet #lily evans #narcissa malfoy #usertessa #hp #marauders #my writing #angelblue007 #fics #narlily

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foreverwayward · 4 years

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“The Demon Inside You”

Demon!Dean x Reader

Word Count: 3588

Warnings: 18+ language, smut, dominance, oral

Summary: the reader struggles with the loss of Dean after the Mark took him from her and Sam. But, a night alone with the Demon brings out the darkness in them both.

God, my heart ached knowing we had locked him up down there, shackled and trapped. He’s the love of my life and I helped make him our prisoner. It’s true, I know, Sam and I had no choice. It was him, but it wasn’t.

After years of us being partners, family even, I know that man better than I know myself. So, when I looked closely at the man chained and pinned under a devil’s trap, I knew that wasn’t my Dean.

The way my name fell off his tongue sent shivers down my spine. There was almost an audible hiss in his words that reminded me of the monster that had taken over. Even his smile had changed. It was sinister, evil in ways that I can’t describe. The playful banter, intoxicating laughter, and beautiful grin were dead and gone, replaced by the features of the devil himself. Those perfect forest-green eyes were gone, stolen by an obsidian black that made me sick to my stomach. They were like pits into hell itself, and with one glance, you were dragged into the depths with him.

My Dean, was gone.

The truth was, Dean didn’t know my feelings for him. I never had the courage to tell him. You don’t just fall in love with Dean Winchester, you’re captivated, drunk on his very existence. It’s what kept me awake at night, distracted me during hunts, and had me terrified beyond all reason when I didn’t know if he was safe.

For years I’ve watched him shuffle through women like a deck of cards. He was flippant with his one-night stands, caring very little about what would come the next day. At first, that fact made me disgusted by him. He was a player, and I couldn’t stand it. But then, I met the real man behind those escapades. His need to feel close to someone, anyone, haunted him constantly. Never feeling like he had worth, he found a sense of belonging in the arms of a woman. There, Dean could shine, touching her in ways that would ruin all other men for them forever.

I had the misfortune of hearing him with some of his conquests and tried my best on those nights to spend time with Sam or find something to occupy my time. Though secretly, I’d touch myself to the sound of his grunts and moans; the thought of me being the one that writhed beneath him, screaming his name. I’ve never had better orgasms than the ones I’ve had fantasizing about Dean.

Dean’s my best friend, so is Sam. Those boys are my family. When I finally got to know them, I mean, really know them, I understood who they were and why. With Sam, he was always a gentle giant, constantly worried about others and willing to give everything he could. He never stopped feeling the need to prove himself, though why, I’ll never understand. Sam Winchester is one of the greatest men I’ve ever had the honor of knowing, and I’m lucky enough to call him brother.

With Dean, he was the opposite side of the Winchester coin. He was the one forcing himself to be strong for others, hiding every emotion whenever it dared to surface. There was true disgust for himself that haunted his every waking moment, and it breaks my heart more with every day. His humor, selflessness, and spirit are what made me fall head over heels. Those lucky enough to know Dean, consider it an honor to have encountered a truly good man.

But, that was all gone. Sam was a broken shell of who he once was, mourning the death of his other half. He was always tired from his lack of sleep as he spent every moment he could looking for ways to bring Dean back.

And Dean, our Dean, wasn’t the one locked in that dungeon. Our Dean died in our arms that night in that dark alley. My Dean bled out into our laps as he took his final breath. I can’t think of the loss without aching for death to come for me too.

Sam had gone out to follow a new lead on a witch that said she might be able to help. I offered to stay behind to watch Dean. Sam made me promise not to go into that awful room.

I wish I didn’t have to lie to him.

I took a deep breath before I opened the heavy metal door. The loud creak echoed into the bunker hallways as I hesitated before peeking inside. And there he was, sitting right where we had left him, his gaze cast toward the ground with shackles on his wrists. He slowly looked up at me at the sound of my entrance with a smirk that stained the face of my greatest love.

“So, I’m guessing Sam doesn’t know you’re down here,” he teased as he cocked his head. “Long time, no see.”

I tried to steady my nerves though my hands trembled. I clenched them into fists trying my best to be strong. But, I could see it in his face, he knew I was terrified.

He snickered at me and lifted his cuffed hands as the metal clanged together. “Doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere anytime soon, so you can stop pissing yourself.”

Dean would never talk to me like that--ever. He never saw me as weak and made me believe I had a strength that I didn’t know I had. This monster only intended to debase me, to let me know that I was nothing.

“I’m not afraid of you,” I told him as I folded my arms across my chest. “I know you--the real you.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” His eyes flickered into a demonic black that nearly had tears welling at my lashes. “You don’t know shit.”

“Sam and I know that you’re still in there somewhere. We’re not giving up on you.”

He threw back his head and laughed, though it was not the laugh that I loved above anything else. “That’s adorable. You really think that there’s anything left of the old me in here?” He clicked his tongue as he taunted me. “It’s sad really.”

I ran a hand anxiously through my hair and sighed deeply. “We’ll find a way. We’ll bring you back.”

Leaning into the table in front of him, he eyed me like a piece of meat. “And what if I don’t wanna come back? What if I like this ‘disease’? If you ever loved me, you’d leave it be.”

“I--I--” Stumbling over my words like an idiot, I had no idea what to say to him. Did he always know how I felt? Or was this just the demon trying to break me down?

“Oh, you didn’t think I knew, did you? That’s so cute. You see, I always knew. I saw the way you’d look at me, how you’d cross your legs with just one glance from me. I wound you up and drove you crazy, leaving you to make yourself cum under your sheets thinking of me.”

That was it, the final straw. If he wanted to play this little game, then I was ready to play. “And what’s your point?” I asked plainly.

“I think you know my point. In fact, I think your panties are getting wetter by the second just being alone in this room with me. I can smell you from here.” Licking his lips, he went on. “Tell me, how badly do you want me to fuck you? To bend you over this table and pound into that sweet little pussy until you scream my name…” He sucked in air through his smiling teeth. “Making you cum until you shake and beg for more. Because you would--you would beg for more.”

I swallowed hard at the thought. I hated that he knew that even then, I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything. My stomach clenched and I felt the wetness between my legs. Even with darkness staring back at me, I wanted him on me, taking me in ways I only ever dreamed of.

“And if I did beg,” I murmured with confidence as the fire in me roared on. “Would you give it to me?”

He was taken aback and chuckled to himself. “Ooh, she’s come to play. I like it.”

Without hesitation, I retorted without emotion in my voice, “I asked you a question.”

“Mm! I do like this side of you. This you--oh, we’d have some fun. You know I’d give it to you. I’d fuck you even after you begged me to stop as you came all over me.”

“I don’t believe you. I think the only thing you want is to use that chain to choke the life outta me.”

“Not that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, sweetheart, but no. I need you awake for this.” When I didn’t reply right away, he snickered as he beckoned me with a finger. “Come over here.” His green eyes returned and called me in like a siren’s song.

I questioned myself for only a moment before everything in me surrendered. Maybe he was right, maybe my Dean really was gone. And if that was true, that being with him right then was the only way I could ever have him, then I was ready to risk it.

With slow steps, I made my way toward him and then stopped only feet away. He turned in his chair off to the side and leaned onto his thighs as he studied me. I watched him drag his eyes over me like he was sizing me up, hungry and ready to devour me. The thought sent tingles through my core.

“Closer,” he told me, and I obeyed. The space between us closed as he peered up to me. I was trembling inside, whether from fear, or arousal, or even both--I didn’t know. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted you?” He ran his fingers down my exposed forearm and my breath hitched in my chest. “From day one, I watched your every move. The way your ass curves so perfectly--how your lips make me want to swallow you whole.” The metal shackles clanged together again as he reached out and took my wrist to pull me closer with his eyes never leaving mine. Dean’s massive hands sat on my hips and he licked his lips as he ran them down my sides. I closed my eyes into his touch and felt the fire from his skin burning through my jeans.

His grip tightened and I gasped softly as his calloused hands took hold of me. “Take off your top.”

A small voice inside begged me to run the other direction, while the rest of me screamed to let him have his way with me. I unbuttoned my plaid shirt and dropped it off my shoulders. With what little bravery I had, I then took the bottom hem of my shirt and took my time dragging it up and over my head. I shook out my hair as it fell over my shoulders.

He gave a soft and pleased grunt. “Now the pants.”

I worried he was going to humiliate me, make me as vulnerable as possible and then laugh me out of the room. But, it was then or never. He watched as I kicked off my boots and unbuttoned my pants, shimmying them down my legs. I stood in front of him in my bra and panties with my heart racing out of control. I never wanted him to take his gaze off my body ever again.

He looked down at my underwear and smirked at the small wet patch seeping through. “Looks like I was right,” he said eyeing what little fabric kept me from being completely naked. His grip found me once more and yanked me close. As Dean stared into my eyes, he talked to me while teasing the side hems of my panties with a single finger. “You know what I’ve always wondered? How you taste.” He hummed in his chest. “I bet it’s good enough to eat.” Leaning back into his chair with his legs open, he pat the tabletop. “Up here.” I did as I was told and he immediately began to slide off my underwear. My breathing was erratic and I thought I would faint as he looked at me. Once I was finally bare in front of him, Dean took his time opening my legs as if opening a present and he smiled at the gift he was given. “Fucking perfect.” A small whimper escaped my lips as his still trapped hand reached out, his pointer finger dragging painfully slow through my slit and teasing my entrance with a ghost-like touch.

As he took his finger back, it glistened in the light, covered in the wet that soaked me. He raised his hand and watched me intensely as he sucked his finger clean. There was a moan that came from deep inside him that made me ready for him to fuck me right there.

“Be a good girl,” he commanded. “And don’t fucking move.”

He growled as he buried his face between my legs and I cried out as my head fell back. I leaned against my hands to prop myself up as he went to work eating me like a starved man. Every flick of his tongue, every nibble of my skin, or suction of my clit had me losing my mind. His fingers returned as they played with my entrance and slowly crept inside me. Like magic, he instantly found my sweet spot and tickled it like an instrument he had played all his life.

I moaned out in pleasure and my legs began to shake. “Dean…” I mewled.

“That’s right. Say my name,” he muffled against my sex.

“Fuck, Dean.”

“Again.”

“Dean!”

He pulled his mouth away and it was covered in my slick, even his whiskers were drenched and glowed. With his finger still inside me, he inserted a second digit and I cried out.

“Do you wanna cum?” he asked.

“Yes...oh, god…”

“You ready?”

I squealed as I felt myself ready to explode. “I’m ready.”

As I squeezed around his fingers, the motion stopped and he stared me dead in the eye. With a serious expression and sudden black eyes, he demanded, “say please.”

I’ll admit I hesitated but quickly gave in. “Please.”

“I don’t think you really want it.”

“Please!” I could feel my entire body quake and as if I would lose my mind. I was on the edge and my explosion was inevitable.

He chuckled under his breath. “Mm. One more.”

“Please!” I begged as I felt tears well in my eyes.

And just like that, his mouth found my clit once more and his fingers danced inside me. My body shook as if I was being exorcised while my high reached an unbearable peak. I yelped as I came crashing down into the best orgasm of my life. I twitched and moved against his face as he forced me to ride it out while he held me pinned.

As I began to catch my breath, he licked me clean and I gasped at every lap. I could hear the sounds his mouth made filled with my cum and it was like fucking music.

He sat back up and wiped his mouth against his sleeve with a pleased smirk as I shakily tried to pull myself together. “Now, tell me, sweetheart. When was the last time you came like that?”

“Never…” I panted.

“That’s right. Because only I know how to touch you, only I have been fantasizing about you long enough to know what every inch of your body craves. And honey, we aren’t done yet.”

Dean went to work on his pants and unbuttoned them before shoving them and his boxers to his ankles. His erection sprung up and I felt my mouth water at the sight. He was perfect, delicious even.

But, before I could lean in to return the favor, Dean had grabbed my hips and yanked me down onto his lap. His hands squeezed my ass as he picked me up, holding me above his throbbing cock with ease. I could feel him at my entrance and gasped once more. “Hold on, sweetheart.” And with those words, Dean slammed himself into me as he pulled me down.

I thank god that Sam wasn’t home with the sounds I made. It’s possible I screamed as he filled me, stretching me in ways that took me by surprise, but it all got too foggy to focus. He held me still, seated on his hard dick and I knew he could feel me tense around his length again and again.

Dean seethed through his teeth with a primal growl. “Fuck, you’re perfect. You feel so goddamn good.”

“Oh, my god…” I uttered weakly.

“There’s no god here,” he snarled as his eyes turned black once more. I wasn’t thinking as my hips instinctually began to grind into him. It was like I was a woman possessed, my body beyond my control as my desires took hold.

He licked his lips as he ripped off my bra and took my nipple in his mouth. I held tight to the back of his head, playing with the short hairs on his neck as I rode the man of my dreams. Even as he sunk his teeth into my shoulder, I could only moan in response.

I was fucking a demon. I must have been out of my mind with love and lust as I let him have his way with me. He thrust into me again and again as I felt the bruising impact against my cervix. It burned so good and the pain made me hungry for more.

His bound hands went over my head and grabbed a fistful of my hair. I whimpered and he pulled me flush against him as he whispered in my ear. “This pussy is mine. You’re mine.” I didn’t know how to respond as we continued to lose ourselves in the heat. “Say it. Fucking say you’re mine.”

“I--I’m yours,” I admitted with little breath.

With a firm hand, Dean took my jaw and held my gaze. “And don’t you forget it.” He immediately picked me up under my ass cheeks and plopped me onto the table, never taking himself out of me. I had no time to adjust to my new position as he rammed into me again and again with all the force he had.

I knew he could feel me tighten up, ready to cum again and he snarled as he put a hand around my throat. He wasn’t choking me enough to really hurt me, but enough to steal my breath away as he held me at his mercy.

Soft squeaks and gasps of air were all I could manage as he used me to build his own high.

“You like that?” I nodded against his hold and he chuckled again under his breath. “You gonna be a good girl and cum all over me?” Again, I nodded with a squeal. He leaned down to get in my ear once more and whispered in an eerie but arousing tone. “Say please.”

“...please,” I choked out.

“That’s my good girl.”

I felt my eyes roll in the back of my head as he plowed into me mercilessly. He began to falter and his muscles tightened as he grunted through gritted teeth.

“Dean…”

And with that final cry, he came inside me with full force. I could feel him filling me up and it was just enough to send me over the edge with him. The room was a cacophony of sounds of pleasure and euphoria until it all went still once more.

He pulled out of me, leaving me feeling a hollowness that made me already desperate for more. As he tugged his pants back on and fastened them, I quickly got to work on dressing myself again.

I only had on my button-up plaid shirt hanging open over my bare breasts and my soaked panties as I scooped up the rest of my clothes into my arms.

Sighing and looking pleased beyond measure, Dean smirked. “Finally, after years of waiting, I got what I wanted.” I suddenly began to doubt my choices that night. “You know, you weren’t the only one cumming into their hands thinking about us doing this.” He grinned at me and his tongue peeked out from his teeth.

“Wait, is that true?”

“Pfft. You have no idea how many times I imagined the woman underneath me was you. It was the only way I could ever cum the way I needed to. Must have been because I was in so ridiculously love with you,” he scoffed.

I couldn’t help the snap of my neck in his direction with shock in my eyes. “You got what you wanted. Don’t fuck with me just to spite me.”

“Who says I’m lying? But, it’s too bad that’s all gone now.” He shrugged condescendingly. “Oh, well. Guess we’ll never know.”

I’m pretty sure my heart stopped right then and there. Did Dean once love me--like, really love me? The question alone brought more motivation than anything I had ever known as I quickly began to head for the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

I turned back to him with my bundle of clothes still in hand and smiled. “I’m gonna get my Dean back.”

------

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#supernatural #spn #smut #spn fanfic #spn fanfiction #supernatural fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #dean winchester #demon!dean #dean #winchester #sam winchester #sam #18+#spn smut #supernatural smut

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tea-and-cardigans · 4 years

Text

Lay With Me - Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn

Read on Ao3

Summary: Following from S02E03: Macy is still not sleeping after the encounter with Abigael and her sisters and Harry are becoming more concerned about her state of mind. Harry has been doing some research on how he may be able to help, there is however a catch.

“Do you think we should be worried that the Elders have an actual dungeon in this place?” Mel commented as she returned up the stairs to the hub of the command centre. Macy looked up briefly from the dagger in front of her on the table before running her fingers over the blade again.

“Seems about right,” Macy muttered, after the story of what had happened to Mel and Harry in the astral plane, not much surprised her now about the Elders. Personal torture seemed to be their default.

She placed the dagger back onto the table looking up at Mel who took a seat next to her, starting to go through the pages to the book of the Elders, the one she couldn’t even touch without being thrown across the room. She felt like a blunt weapon, a tool to be used up and then disposed of when the cost was too high.

“Anything about that scarab thing?” Macy hadn't attempted to try even touching it, instead eyeing it warily from the other side of the desk.

Mel shrugged, “Nothing yet.”

Macy sighed, leaning back in her chair.

“You should go rest,” Mel told her, unable to mask the worry in her voice, and Macy knew she was right. Being knocked out was the most rest she had been able to get in days. She was running on empty and she knew it. Abigael had almost gotten the drop on her because she felt like she was barely even here.

The draw of sleep was so powerful, and the temptation to rest her eyes for even a second was almost irresistible. But what she might find in her dreams once she did surrender herself to it kept her focused on avoiding it.

“I’ll let you know if anything happens,” Mel rested her hand over hers, “promise.”

Macy gave a defeated sigh and got up from the desk.

“Harry’s there,” Mel added as Macy headed for the secret exit, pausing at the mention of their whitelighter’s name. Her breath hitching as she wondered if Mel had noticed the awkwardness between them.

“He said he was working on something, non-powers related.” Macy returned Mel’s gentle smile and nodded in response.

“At least I’ll have some company then.”

Solitude was the one thing she was craving. The ability to be alone with her own thoughts without the threat of someone intruding on them. She knew her sisters were keeping tabs on her. She had messed up with Abigael, removing the blindfold, allowing her into their fold so easily.

She had wanted to believe so badly that if she was half witch, like herself, then she was good, she had to be right, because if the demon side always defined you then, well, she knew the rest.

She decided to walk back to the house. Money from Maggie’s job only stretched so far, and an Uber was a luxury at this point. Besides it was a mild night and the gentle breeze managed to bring her some relief however brief.

Until she could almost hear her name on the wind.

Calling out to her, begging her to come to it, to stay, to talk, to dream. She shook her head trying to clear her mind, looking up at the street signs constantly to ensure she was on the right path. That she wasn’t being pulled in another direction. Her strides becoming faster as the safe haven of home was just within reach.

A sense of relief washed over her as she came around the corner to the seemingly empty construction site.

Home.

She stepped up where the steps should be and found they became visible as she did so before she disappeared into a nothingness entering the front door.

She pulled off her coat placing it on the rack beside the door, pulling the sleeves of her ‘Safe Space’ hoodie over her hands, finding peace in the small comfort of the soft material against her skin.

“Maggie?” A voice called out from the study, and Harry appeared in the doorway a book open in his hands, “Ah, Macy.”

“Maggie is still at ‘Safe Space’, new management responsibilities. Mel’s keeping an eye on the map while I got some rest.” She replies with a small smile, in her heart knowing just how unlikely that will be.

“They think you're pushing yourself too hard.” Harry responded moving towards her, “You still haven’t told them?”

Macy shook her head, “There is enough going on without them needing to know that I’m receiving visits from the assassin when I sleep. They think it’s because I can’t let go. They look at me like I’m about to crack again, almost afraid.”

Macy pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes closing at the pressure before she was jolted by the sensation of a hand on her shoulder. She moved away immediately, her arms wrapping around her body, as Harry pulled back his hand.

“Sorry, I,” he rakes the hand through his hair, and Macy wants to reach out to him remind him that none of this is his fault.

“It’s, I’m just on edge. He came again, he knows I’m avoiding sleep, avoiding him.” She slumped down on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest, while Harry took the seat on the other side of the room, the book now closed on his lap.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. And I’m afraid that if I don’t that-”

“He would torture you-”

“That I might give in,” she interrupts, the words hanging between them as she stares at the floor, trying to block out the way that he makes her feel. Desired, worshipped even, it sends a shiver down her spine.

“I may have something,” Harry says gently, a hint of trepidation in his voice. Macy straightens at his words, at this point willing to try anything to find some peace.

He moves over to the couch, sitting next to her as he opens the book between them, flipping the pages until he stops. The pages are clearly written in latin and Macy looks at him expectantly, sure an explanation will follow.

“It came to me, while I was with Mel accessing the astral plane. This spell is a type of meditation, it allows someone to enter your space instead of their own. It may serve as a type of protection against the assassin.”

“That I would be in your dream space where he wouldn’t be able to enter.”

“Exactly, in theory anyway, and even if he did manage to break through.” His hand rested on her arm, “I would be there.”

“Harry, I-”

“You can’t go on like this Macy. We have to at least try.” His grip tightens on her arm, his thumb running over her skin, firm enough that she feels it through the material of her sleeve. She knows the sensation like the back of her hand, the way it makes her feel, safe and protected.

“Okay,” she replies with a nod. The offer of even a few hours of uninterrupted sleep is too good to pass up.

Harry clears his throat, “there are, um, some conditions.”

***

Macy pulled at the sleeves of her pajamas, the black satin soft against her skin. Her heart had skipped when she saw her satin snakeskin nightie hanging in her closet, like an apple dangling in front of her and she had had to pinch her skin to make sure she hadn’t slipped away again and he was coming.

She pulled back the duvet on her bed, smoothing out the material with her fingertips. A familiar routine that had become foreign to her.

Harry entered the room, similarly dressed for bed, there was a nervousness to his demeanor that did not go unnoticed by Macy. Harry didn’t give much away when she had told him about her dreams. She thought perhaps there had been a flash of jealousy but she reasoned that it must be concern for his charge. Duty was important to Harry even without the watchful gaze of the elders.

He placed the tray with two cups and saucers on her bedside table. Picking up a cup, gently blowing on the liquid before handing it to her. She took it with a smile, smelling the liquid before instantly regretting that decision.

“This smells worse than you ‘hair of the dog’, Harry.”

He returned a small chuckle before picking up his cup, breathing in the scent, “Can’t say I disagree with you on that one.”

He indicated for her to take a sip, and thy both did, quickly swallowing the liquid to dissipate its taste.

“Hoc auxilium somno introducat in locum concordiam penitus permitto, at mini parce esse.” Harry recites the incantation before finishing the remainder of the drink.

“At mini parce esse.” Macy repeats before finishing her own. They continue to look at each other before Macy makes a move for her side of the bed.

“Okay,” Macy climbs into her bed, already feeling the softness underneath her body, the temptation of sleep calling her, as her head lands on the pillow. Her duvet pulled up securely to just under her chin.

She feels the bed dip next to her as she concentrates on the ceiling above her with a level of intensity the task does not deserve. She feels his fingers brush up against her own, as the interlace together, trying to ignore the way it makes her feel. Her mind bombarded with what she has seen in her dreams, the way his fingers have felt against her bare skin.

“To aid the connection,” he murmurs, his voice soft, as she turns to meet his eyes, the concern she finds there assures her that she has not yet fallen asleep. He is real.

Her Harry she reminds herself.

“I understand if-”

“No, it’s okay,” she reassures him as her fingers grip his tighter, as she closes her eyes allowing sleep to finally take her.

#hacy #harry greenwood x macy vaughn #charmed reboot #fanfiction #charmed cw #spoilers #post season 2 episode 3 #harry x macy

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thunderheadfred · 5 years

Text

æther

so, uhhh.... A) I have no idea if this ficlet will end up in the final chaptered version of Mirror, Mirror or if it’s doomed to be a permanent headcanon and B) I spent too much time to just let this sit in my WIP files for however long it takes to finish this monster of a fic because my brain is a shrivelled little acorn that requires constant validation

pairing: Asra x Julian (plague-era, post-Lazaret, AU-flavored) length: 3,750 words rating: explicit. bitter. citrus. warnings: gore, plague-related horror, trauma, unresolved angst, emotional constipation, gothic narrator syndrome, a 200-coin paid Asrian bath scene

...well. here goes nothin’...

It might be two in the morning.

Something about the tightness of my chest, the irregular, lumpy beating of my heart… tells me the night must be wearing thin. There is no other earthly way to divine the hour. No light penetrates the dungeons, and Valdemar seems to loathe timepieces; I have yet to find a single clock squirreled away in this bottomless hellhole they call a laboratory. What good would time do us, anyway? Other than to mark the endless stream of anonymous deaths, one tick after another…

tick… tick… tick…

Something drips onto my notes, running ink all over the place, ruining whatever half-lucid thought I’d been in the middle of. Useless anyway. I’m getting nowhere. I throw down my quill and drop my face into my hands. Crying does not feel good, or even bad. Like everything else in this place, it is simply draining, inevitable. Often, I seem to leak unwittingly, my body going through motions my mind has become too numb to sense.

I should sleep. I should. But the thought of that cramped bunk, at least half a foot too short, crammed against the molding, always-damp wall… It makes more sense to rot where I sit.

Outside, someone moans hoarsely. My hands turn to fists in my hair. No… not again...

Valdemar and their retinue of nameless numbered assistants have retired for the evening, leaving half a dozen “experiments” in mostly-inert pieces on various slabs to chill overnight. One of those unfortunate souls is coming back around, and it’ll only be seconds until they feel the extent of the horrors that were inflicted… Hands moving to either side of the desk, I brace myself.

Nothing prepares me. Young. Too young. Her voice, even in agony, sounds just like… I’m up and out the door before I know what I’m doing.

I lunge for her: the one writhing body amidst a pile of dissected remains. One look at her puts a clamp over the bleed in my heart: not a red hair in sight. She’s too tall, too dark, too anonymous to be my sister. But all the same, she is suddenly every bit as dear to me.

I take one of her hands, stilling her grasping, spasmodic fingers. My other hand takes up the cleanest rag I can find and mops sweat and muck from her forehead, a flimsy excuse to comfort. She’s too far gone already; all I can hope to do is ease this wretched passing. In shock, the body can act out a series of stirring autonomic reactions… or so Valdemar claims.

My tears fall freely now, because I’m still not dead enough to know better.

This girl should have died hours ago. Days ago. Should have died at home in her bed, tragically, yes… but whole. Not like this. But what Valdemar never understands—refuses to understand—is that people don’t die clean, on a schedule. It’s startling how many of these abandoned experiments wake up hours after they’ve been declared hopeless… and still go out screaming. In my own twisted way, I suppose I find their tenacity inspiring. The girl beneath me wails incomprehensibly, but I know exactly why, and I tighten my hold.

End it.

The pain of being left here, the fury of being abandoned, the indignity of being cut open for beetles and maggots and the curious field notes of a demon.

End it.

She writhes and foams and her ferocious red eyes track my every movement. Obeying her wordless commands, I grab the precious vial of contraband æther from my pocket. Keeping a firm hold on her hand, I depress the trick top of the vial and tip a few potent drops onto a rag, pocketing the bottle as quickly and secretively as I produced it.

Blackbreath Æther: the reaper’s kiss. A single whiff of the fumes is enough to dull the most extraordinary pain, and any more than that, well… Even at a distance, I can feel my own head swimming. Carefully, I hold my breath and bring the cloth to cover her nose and mouth. The æther smells warm and earthy, like fresh-tilled dirt, and the girl gulps down her own inevitable darkness, her shrieks of agony transmuted into the deepest, sweetest sighs…

Through the hole Valdemar left gaping and raw, I can see the girl’s healthy pink lungs expanding with the last breaths she’ll ever take. And just like that… she goes still, her face slackening. The way her pupils blow wide as they stare at me, gazing through me, seeing nothing and everything… fills me with hideous peace.

The silence she leaves behind knocks me off balance. Clinging to her lifeless hand, I stumble into the nearest stool, landing so hard I bruise the length of my thigh. The pain is welcome: at last, a feeling. It wakes me somewhat, and I realize that head to foot, I’m shaking.

Behind me, the door to my office creaks.

I leap from my own skin, wild with terror. No one else should be down here. The lift hasn’t returned, I would have heard it, I would have known... I can’t be that far gone…

I grab the closest, sharpest thing I can find, slashing a broken bone saw through the air. When I turn on my heel… I see Asra gaping at me, hands held up in surrender.

Inexplicably, the magician is emerging from my office. He looks coiffed and groomed, every bit the pampered palace pet he so skillfully plays at… but the moment our eyes meet, his façade flickers, words dying on his lips.

I swallow heavily, realizing I’m still clinging to the girl’s hand. “You don’t belong here,” I spit, unable to force the hostility from my voice.

As far as I know, Asra has never visited the dungeons before. He’s never so much as asked what work is done in this ever-worsening dark. No, he’s always dancing around the subject of the Plague. Always running back to his shop, or his “realms” or his god-forsaken dreams. Always pretending Vesuvia might wake up from this whole charade some day, like it was all just a terrible Masquerade-weekend hallucination.

Why should he open his eyes now? Why even bother? No one can wave a hand and vanish the apocalypse.

“Get out.” Suddenly infuriated, I brandish the bone saw in his direction, flinging at him all the bits of gore Valdemar left so carelessly behind, hoping the gesture looks as horrible as it feels.

“Blackbreath…” he whispers, voice gone ragged. “That’s why you wanted it…”

Funny. At the time, he hadn’t bothered to ask why I would beg for a vial of something so deadly, so forbidden. He’d just handed it over without so much as a ‘do not imbibe’, as if he’d give me anything I wanted… as long as I pleaded wantonly enough… as long as I spent enough time bloodying my knees for his amusement.

My stomach turns. “Thought I wanted to off myself, is that it? And you just handed it over anyway, you absolute bastard.”

Slowly, reverently, I tuck the dead girl’s hand neatly against her side… and then throw the bone saw onto a steel tray full of tools. The broken blade lands with a dull clang and a satisfying explosion of scalpels and clamps.

“You don’t know anything, do you?” I hiss, revolted by the deepening permanence of my own snarl. “What kind of magician has never sawed a person in half?”

His turns as if to leave—but how? Through my office?—and stops himself, eyes falling to the floor. He stands there silently, shoulders slumped in a noncommittal gesture: half dismissal, half acknowledgement. For a brief moment, Asra allows the expression on his face to play out naturally, a whirlwind of confusion and pain.

Good.

He holds out his hand, and my sneer falters.

I don’t move, but the mind-reading devil always seems to know what I’m thinking. His face softens into true pity and my intestines knot together.

Part of me wants to trust those watery, delicate eyes… and part of me will always be wary of snakes. As he waits for my answer, his unguarded gaze slides behind me, darting across the pile of nameless bodies. I don’t even have a shroud to cover them.

He seems unable or unwilling to hide his terror; I’ve only seen him look so lost once before. That horrible beach in the shadow of the Lazaret, where everything came apart, never to be put back together again… As if I’d spoken aloud, his jaw sets and his eyes snap back to mine. Witch.

I expect him to turn tail and run, but his hand stretches for me with redoubled insistence.

Well. He’ll never say ‘please.’ I know that.

I wish I had something else to throw at him, but I’m all that remains. Huffing out a breath, I step down from the stage and clap our hands together so hard that my palm stings. Asra doesn’t flinch, but tightens his mouth as if under better circumstances, he might owe me a smile.

He gently leads me into my office, the last place I want to be with him, with anyone. I open my mouth to protest, but in two steps he crosses the room and presses his pristine hand against the far wall. A sigil of light pulses beneath his palm, resonating with magic. Solid brick shimmers like water, opening into a portal, and he looks back at me, waiting.

I’ve seen other such passages hidden throughout the palace, but never trusted one enough to walk through it. I want to ask how long that secret escape has been there, how long he’s been waiting to taunt me with it. I have a feeling he wouldn’t answer honestly anyway, so I keep my mouth shut and square my shoulders, allowing him to pull me through.

As the portal envelops us, Asra feels so close he might as well be a part of me, as if the universe has folded us together inside a bolt of loose silk. A heartless drop, then we step unharmed into a room so bright I have to squint and cover my eyes.

He pulls me deeper into the blinding light, until carpet gives way to tile and the melodic trickle of flowing water. His guest chambers, his bath. Dimly, I realize he’s speaking to me.

“…here. You’re freezing.” He drops my hand and begins to gently lift my shirt. I flinch. He stills, but does not let go. If anything, he takes a surer grip. “Let me help,” he whispers.

My eyes finally adjust, and the room comes into focus. I didn’t realize he was standing so close… as he looks up at me, his perfumed hair tickles my chin, and his eyes seem to get caught on my mouth. I feel my breath quickening as the last shreds of equilibrium crumble out from under us.

“What do you want from me?” I didn’t mean to grunt that so pathetically. Didn’t mean to say it at all; and maybe I didn’t. Maybe he’s just in my head again. Always.

His brow crumples; his eyes glisten. “I… Nothing…”

We’re a hair’s breadth from it now, but this is as close as we’ll ever get to our apologies. We have too much to be sorry for, too many losses, too much yet to lose. Never mind the words. All this steam and closeness, he’s making it hard to even breathe. This shouldn’t be complicated. My chest hurts.

I can’t…

The first sob cracks me open like the chink in a dam, and it’s already too late. I can’t stop it. I fold over his shoulder, clinging to him, burying my face in his shield of silken scarves. Just being near him… too much. Warm and bright and blinding, like something that fell from the sky and left me smoldering in a crater of blackened glass. A dangerous star to wish upon.

He stands still and lets me weep on him. Seconds, hours, I don’t know. I don’t know. He lets me empty out.

When my eyes clear again, I see that I’ve stained one of the patterned scarves on his shoulder. A new one. A gift.

“Was that expensive?” I mumble, stupidly.

He jumps as if I’ve startled him from a dream. “What?”

I try to explain, but he pulls my shirt over my head, muffling my nonsense before it can begin. Warm hands skitter over me, and I watch, dumbstruck, as he traces countless bruises I didn’t even know were there. I shiver, finally feeling the cold of my own skin under this new and burning touch.

Healing magic moves up my chest, my neck, leaving tingling warmth in its wake. Slowly, he cups my face in his hands and forces me to meet his eyes. I feel my mind churning, and wonder if this tilting feeling is magical too… or a symptom of mutual insanity. With his fingers covering my ears, all my terror seems to ebb, all the kicking and screaming misery of the past few months reduced to the pulsing white noise of a tide. The muffling calm of deep water slips over my head… pulling me toward him… just him…

I want him so badly it hurts, but I know if I close the distance now, I’ll make a fool of myself. So I root down, standing there, waiting. Trying not to care what happens next.

He grabs the waist of my trousers. Like all of him, his hands are small but surprisingly strong. His swift, certain movements jerk me to and fro, and by the time he’s loosened my belt and unbuttoned my front, I’m rigid with need.

His eyes pass over my arousal. “Get in the bath.”

I struggle with the fastenings on my boots, distracted by the sight of him removing his own clothes and slipping gracefully into the water, like he belongs there.

The water feels painfully warm, but I force myself to submerge to the chest. I’ve gotten so accustomed to the cold, so numbed by it, that here in tepid bathwater, I feel like bones boiling in a pot, all pink marrow and jelly.

The water must be enchanted. The dirt sloughs from me in grimy clouds and then vanishes as if it never existed, just like the bruises. Too comfortable, too easy, like this is only a dream or another frivolous, expensive illusion.

Asra floats nearby, glittering and feral, watching his magic take hold, his spell forcing me into human form. Gulping, I dip my head back to wet my hair and face, scrubbing hard. My scalp burns, every inch of me burns, but I feel… I feel…

I should say it, I should tell him, but what? I don’t know. Too much. What name could I give this thing that’s been eating us both, whittling us down to salt and gnashing teeth, leaving only a bitter taste?

Just as I feel my heart tightening with panic, Asra’s hand slides over my chest. He waits for my pulse to slow, or quicken, or simply obey, then he moves up my neck, behind my head. He pulls me up by the root and all of my traitorous body throbs at that touch. The sight of him, too, is equally bewitching. Heavy wet curls falling over hooded eyes, lips moist and soft.

He’s leaning in, pressing his open mouth to my cheek, hot breath melting the path of my tears. When he pulls away, he looks feverish, and his tongue swipes across his lower lip, tasting.

Oh, Asra. That’s too much…

His eyes flash. Did I say that out loud? I don’t know. I can’t think. My head is moving back and forth—yes, no, yes—my mouth opens but my words are swallowed by the thickening steam. Asra’s lips graze over mine once… twice… again… again…

Who made that noise? I don’t know. We both vibrate, and I’m done for, my hands are on him, my mouth locks over his, the heat of his skin burning through my palms. I’m breathing too heavily, his teeth are too sharp. His kiss plucks my nerves and cuts my tongue, but I need more. This is all there is.

My back meets the edge of the pool with a painful thump, and our mouths break apart with a clack of teeth.

Asra pushes at my hips, urging me out of the bath even as he bends to lick water from my neck. Between breathless sweeps of tongue, he barely gets out one word: “…Bed.”

It rings like a command, but as I’m stumbling toward our mutual goal, I realize that it might have been a question. I trip horizontal and pull him along for the ride, our knees banging together. A lingering pause as he pushes up onto his elbows and looks down at me, his eyes wide, his chest heaving, water dripping from his face to mine.

I try to swallow, licking my lips. “Maybe…”

The thought dies as his hand closes around my cock. He watches my face, giving me a chance to stop this… but I can’t, I won’t. I pull him down and invite his ragged breath into my mouth, let him bite and steal and consume. He tightens his hand and pumps me to full hardness, his kiss deepening as he scrapes my lips with his teeth. The only indication of his own arousal is the ragged sound of his breath, the low moans he tries to mask against my tongue. Knowing that I have any effect on him at all… even this meagre sampling… I writhe greedily and Asra drags his mouth away. As if to distract himself, he tongues the sharp bend of my jaw and opens his mouth, bares his teeth… then stops, breathing deep.

No, no… he can’t quit now. At least one of us isn’t above begging; I turn my head and offer him my neck.

Asra looks at me with darkening eyes. He’s breathing hard, his face strangely tight. “Julian… I… I want to hurt you.”

I laugh on reflex, dizzy with light-headed relief. Knowing how desperate I must look, I surge my cock against his idle hand and croak out: “That makes two of us.”

The shift is immediate. Just like that, he becomes ravenously, furiously alive. His teasing hand tightens around my cock, and with a slap of fervor, his other hand meets my throat. He tightens both hands until I’m gasping.

He straddles my waist and hovers over me, his mouth wide open and inches from my own. Eyes aflame, he devours every scrap of desperate air… and just as my lungs start to burn, he releases the pressure and grants me one gulp of relief before sealing his mouth over mine, choking me with his searing tongue.

Electrified, I reach for him, my hands roving up his well-shaped thighs, squeezing greedily over his muscled rear. I feel him roll with a fleeting show of pleasure… before he yanks my hands away and throws my arms to the mattress.

Forget shame, I whine and fist my hands into the sheets. I hold on as he scrapes his teeth down my neck, bites my collarbones, stutters his chin down the heaving, bony column of my sternum…. and eases his thigh between my legs. Using both sets of nails to draw angry red lines over my ribs, he bites my nipple hard enough to bruise. I squeak as he laves the wound with his tongue, soothing just long enough so that when he bites again, the pain sings through me even more sharply.

Keening low and long, I shamelessly thrust against his thigh. Just as I’m edging close, he pulls away, extracting his leg with a cruel bump of his kneecap. I open my eyes, bleary and confused, as his dark chuckle roils in my blood. I see the sweetened plum of his grin rising over my groin and he pulls my hands into his damp ringlets.

“Hold on tight.”

There’s no further warning. His soft lips slide down around me, his luscious, infuriating mouth swallowing my cock as his otherworldly eyes stare up with the confidence of the damned, daring me to breathe. An unholy sight, one I’ve dreamed of all too often, and the sound I make is anything but human.

He laughs, his tongue pulsing, his teeth scraping just enough to keep me from shoving all the way to the back of his throat. He works me expertly, easily reading my moans, setting a confident rhythm. My eyes roll back as the room spins. I cling to his hair and match his movements: thrusting and fucking his mouth as he bobs up and down. Every few strokes he scrapes me with his teeth, threatening to bite, savoring my yelps. He seems to know exactly how much I can take until my toes curl with pain… then he opens his mouth and slathers me with a cooling dose of lewd, loud, whorish spit. There’s barely enough relief to breathe… then he starts the torture all over again until I’m cursing, begging, speaking in tongues.

I try not to think about how he might have gotten so very, very good at this… but it’s impossible to resist imagining a barrage of possibilities. Asra choking on a thousand healthy cocks, cum sliding down his throat… Asra buried between countless sticky thighs, his face drowning in mystical, hallucinatory pussy, his eyes iridescent with a rainbow of shifting, seething pleasures…

…the world tilts around those lips, spinning on that magic tongue. I’m upside-down… look at this maze, we’ll never get out… she throws her head back and moans so loud that anybody might hear… her loose curls trail into the fountain, bobbing with pleasure… she’s grown her her hair long in the Prakran style and trussed it with tiny moonblossoms… dressed like a silver moth, her skirt pulled up, her leg thrown over his narrow, muscled shoulder... oh, yes… you two are so beautiful like this… both of you… Asra, Emry, my darlings… her hips roll as she cries out his name, clings to his hair, rocks into his eager face… his tongue lavishes her to oblivion, drinking her, worshipping her, fingers pumping into her until she sparks and ignites, lost to the flames…

Asra jerks away, staring at me like a man about to die.

#asra x julian #asrian #lemon #asra #julian devorak #the arcana game #fred writes #mirror mirror #long post #it doesn't have much of a beginning or an end #because again... larger fic plans #but still #i think this stands alone fairly well #asra alnazar

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jsilva0117 · 6 years

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CS Sleeping Beauty AU: Once Upon a Dream

Summary: Emma knows nothing about her past nor being the princess of Misthaven, and little does she know she has met her betrothed and true love.

Start from the beginning here.

*I am working on this fic without a beta at the moment, so I do apologize for grammatical errors.

Chapter 10

King George paces relentlessly in his throne room. A habit he’s picked up recently ever since reading his son’s letter. His royal guard has been searching the entire kingdom and beyond for him with no luck. He stops at the window to look out. “That boy will regret ever defying me,” King George proclaims to himself.

“Having trouble keeping track of your own son, King George,” an unknown voice speaks.

Startled, King George turns around, wondering who has intruded in on him.

“I guess some people are just not meant for royalty.” Regina is planted firmly on his throne, grinning like a snake.

“Guards,” King George shouts out when Regina cuts him off.

“Don’t bother. I soundproofed this room. I thought we could have a chat.”

“And who might you be? And how did you get in here,” King George raises his voice with clear inpatients for his intruder.

Regina laughs and stands to introduce herself. “oh, calm down your majesty. I’m here to offer you a most appealing opportunity. I’m queen Regina.”

“Regina? Queen Snow’s mother? You were exiled years ago.”

Regina’s lips curl in anger. “Stepmother.” Her poise returns back quickly. “And that’s an excellent Segway as to why I’m here.” Regina starts to pace the room. “I’m about to reclaim my throne from my step-daughter and her prince charming,” slithering King David’s moniker out with a sarcastic tone. “ This will no doubt cause a war. A war I plan to win, for I have a plan in motion to obtain something most precious to them.”

King George smirks, ready to call her bluff. “You don’t have Princess Emma. Everyone knows she’s in hiding.”

“Oh, but I have the next best thing.” Her smile grows in the most sinister way, sending chills up King George’s back. “See, I know that Princess Emma will come to me because I have the man she loves.”

“And who is that?”

“Why, her betrothed, of course. It seems they have already met and have fallen for one another. Your wish come true your highness.”

“Killian? You have my son!” King George starts to charge at Regina with anger in his eyes, but before he can get the second step in he feels an invisible grip wrap around his throat, cutting off his air supply. It stops him in his tracks as he struggles to breathe.

“You dare to approach me in such a manner!?” Regina’s grip gets tighter, enjoying watching King George fall at her mercy. “I’ve come to offer you a deal, George. Join me in my quest to take back my throne. With Princess Emma in my procession and your army, Snow and David will have no choice. It’s no secret you have the most powerful army in the realm. With your army and my magic, we can be unstoppable.”

Regina finally releases her grip on the King, letting him crumble to the floor, gasping for precious air. Rubbing this strained neck and coughing he responds, “And what exactly is in this form me?” He slowly makes his way back to standing to face her. “After you’ve gotten your thrown back, what do I get out of this?”

Regina’s lips curl into a wicked grin. “Why, you king George, get your son back.”

King George’s eyes go wild with anger. “What have you done with him”, he yells at Regina but hesitates to put himself any closer to her.

“He’s fine. He’s making himself comfortable in my dungeon as we speak. Help me, and you may have him back. Do nothing and he dies.”

King George hesitates, studying Regina and weighing his options. “I’ll never help you. I know Killian. He’ll find a way out. He’s my son, and he’s the most resourceful man I know, and I’ve grown tired of our little visit. It’s time for you to leave.”

Regina’s expression goes cold with rage. “Well, that would be a mistake, George.” She quickly strides over to him and plunges her hand into King George’s chest and pulls out a glowing, beating heart.

King George gasps and falls to his knees, grabbing his chest, surprised to feel no opening or injury there.

“See King George, with my magic I can take your heart. And when you hold a heart, you control it. Now, let us have a visit with my step-daughter, shall we.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Snow will you please stop pacing. I know you’re anxious to see our daughter, but there’s no need to wear out the floor”, King David teasingly says to his wife as they both await the arrival, and a long-awaited reunion with their only daughter, whom they have given away so many years ago.

Maleficent had sent a message via bird saying the princess was on her way to them. Snow has not sat down since.

“Snow, Maleficent just sent that bird. They’re still miles away.”

Snow stops to look at him, realizing how anxious she was to see her daughter. “You’re right”, she sighs out. She walks to her seat to sit next to her husband in the dining hall awaiting their dinner. “But David, do you think we did the right thing? I mean, how can we expect her to forgive us for sending her away?”

David takes Snow’s hand into his. “Hey”, he says softly. “We had no choice. Regina would have found a way –“

Snow cuts in. “We could have protected her. We could have found a way. We always do!”

“Maybe, but I think you know we couldn’t take that risk. Sending her away was her best chance,” David responds to Snow’s unease and regret, stroking her cheek, giving her as much comfort as possible. The pain and guilt were eating at him too. He knew what she was going through. “And it’s not us we should be projecting this on. This lies on Regina. She’s responsible for those years lost with Emma. She’s the reason she grew up without her parents.” David’s throat gets tight and his eyes get watery with the rage and heartache swirling inside him. “We can only hope Emma will understand.”

Snow looks at her husband with love and adoration, feeling so lucky she has him. She leans toward him bringing her lips to his, cupping his cheek, a single tear rolling down her face. When she breaks the kiss she rests her forehead on his. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you. I only hope you’re right. That Emma will understand and hopefully forgive us because I’m not sure I can.” More tears stream down Snow’s cheeks and David grabs her for an embrace, hoping to comfort her.

“I know,” he says softly. “Me too.”

The castle’s butler interrupts their moment as he opens the doors to the dining hall. “Your Majesties, King George has arrived and has requested he speak with you.”

David takes a moment to answer, wiping a tear from his eye, trying to regain a king’s poise. “Send him in.”

King George walks in bowing before the King and Queen of Mishaven. “King George. To what do we owe the pleasure? Please tell me it’s not about Princess Emma’s return. We’ve already told you, we won’t force our daughter to marry your son. We agreed we’d set up the conditions for them to meet and court, but the rest would be up to them.”

King George stands to address them. “I’m afraid that’s not why I’m here. Queen Regina paid me a visit.”

“Regina,” Queen Snow interjects. “What did she want?”

King George hesitates for a moment. “For me to break my alliance with Misthaven and join her to overtake your kingdom.” His voice breaks, conflict present in his features.

“Well, what’d you tell her,” King David commands.

“She sends me with a message.” King George’s tone and voice change slightly, almost as if it didn’t belong to him. “Give up the crown now and avoid a war with my army that will end countless lives. You will then live the rest of your days in her dungeon, while your daughter lies in an eternal sleep.”

David and Snow quickly come to their feet, David drawing his sword. “You’ve aligned with Regina,” David growls.

“Not by choice.” King Georg pauses. “She has my son.”

“Killian,” Snow whispers. “We will stop her and save Killian George. You don’t have to do this. We’ll find a way.”

“His son isn’t the only thing I have,” Regina says as she waltzes in from behind the doors, King George’s heart on hand.

“Regina,” Snow’s voice gets low with fury. Snow takes David’s sword from his hand and charges at Regina with full force. Snow screams as the blade lead her charge.

“Oh please,” Regina sarcastically responds at the sight. Her wrist flicks toward Snow’s weapon, causing it to fly out of her hand and land several feet away.

Stunned, Snow looks at her husband’s sword on the ground, unsure of her next move.

“You think you can come at me with your petty weapons,” A snarl escaping Regina’s lips as she grips the air with her hand, making Snow gasp for air.

“Snow,” David yells from across the room. He starts running toward his Wife.

“Move any closer Charming and I’ll snap her neck.”

David stops in his tracks, feeling helpless, watching his wife gasp for air to no avail.

Regina looks Snow in the eye. “I would love nothing more than to watch you die right here and now, but killing you wouldn’t be enough. I want you to suffer as I have. I want you to know loss.” Rage and grief battle within Regina as a single tear traces down her cheek. Regina’s vengeful stare bores into Snow’s as she watches the life drain out of her. It’s a challenge to let go and not fulfill her revenge right then and there, but Regina releases her grip and Snow falls for the floor coughing and rubbing her neck.

David runs toward his wife to catch her before she can hit the ground. He checks over her, making sure she’s okay. Turning to Regina he shouts, “What do you want Witch!”

Regina looks down at the King and Queen, satisfied with how she’s wielded her power over them.

“Why, I’ve come to accept your surrender of course. I have at my disposal King George’s army. You can’t win. Soon I will have your daughter under my curse.” She kneels down putting her eyes in line with theirs. “I’ve won.”

“You won’t get her,” Snow manages to speak under a raspy voice. “We’ll see to that.”

Regina slowly stands back up, looking down at them. “Well then, I’ll just have to make sure you can’t stop me.” With another wave of her hand, a purple mist casts over Snow and David. Before they can realize what’s happening they both fall to the floor resting in a deep, deep slumber. Regina grins, feeling the buzz of victory in her grasp. She turns to walk out, King George’s heart still in hand.

“What have you done to them,” King George asks as she strides past him.

“Oh don’t worry. I’ve just put them under a sleeping spell. Different than the one I have in store for the princess. Their sleep is temporary. This spell eventually wears off. I just need to make sure no one gets in my way.” And with that Regina steps outside twirling her free, magical hand in the air as if creating her own magical twister. The purple mist gets bigger until she blows on it with her mouth, sending it out into the atmosphere, putting everyone in the Kingdom under the same spell as the King and Queen.

#captainswan au #captain swan ff #Prince!Killian #PRINCESS EMMA #killian jones #emma swan #emma and killian #kmomof4

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coralpiratekingdom-blog · 6 years

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amorremanet · 7 years

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*pointlessly invents a list of 525 one-word prompts because of reasons*

I know what I’m planning to do with them, but hey, I felt like sharing because why hoard prompts when you can share instead. Soooo… here you go. Prompts. Send each other characters/ships + number(s) or do whatever. Or don’t, if you want. I’m not your boss. ♥

Fuck

Marry

Kill

Kiss

Crush

Linger

Stain

Autumn

Emperor / Empress

Stray

Space

Mirror

Relationship

Disaster

Impress

Plan

Around

Trail

Gentle

Monster

Under

Freeze / Frost

Ice

Sin

Encounter

Salt

Still

Wicked

Wave

Waste

Deliberate

Mask

Fog

Justice

Paint

Hell

Voice

Feel

Predator(y)

Covenant

Ripple

Rabbit (Hole)

Angel

Dream

Think

Shadow

Build

Scream

Flood

Butterfly

Selfish

Midnight

Scarecrow

Together

Nerve

Prey

Hold

Demon

Garden

Create

Courage

Floor

Laugh

Tyrant

Ordinary

Bud(ding)

Disease

Cauldron

Ghost

Ignore

Duty

Heartless

Lips

Achilles

Bury

Spite

Glance

Discover

Dionysus

Regret

Will

Lost

Satisfy

Lion

Silver

Careful

Late

Sweet

Phoenix

Third

Tradition

Loyal(ty)

Suffer

Sword

Honor

Survive

Bewitch

Prometheus

Dawn

Rain

Book(s)

Common

Diamond

Otherworld

Artemis

Counter

Surrender

Meeting

Coin

Smell

Dedication

Air

Hierophant

Daring

Pine

Chair

Chance

Improve

Safe

Yellow

Knowledge

Myth

Speak

Werewolf

Idea(s)

Dungeon

Acid

Chess

Prophet

Asleep

Sleek

Claim

Greed

Reality

Riddle

Wood

Hunt

Razor

Black

Deep

Grove

Hatred

Pilgrim

Melody

Violet

Practice

Beneath

Impossible

Crack

Revolution

Fall(en)

Glow

Smoke

Old

Hecate

Cling

Spirit

World

Orpheus

Sister

Fear

Protect(ion)

Dew

Tails

Bad

Failing

Forever

Humanity

Sense

Babble

Stole(n)

Word(s)

Brother

Mutant

Alone

Piece

Glitter

Sloth

Negative

Nightmare

Deserve

Forbid(den)

Ease

Volcano

Comfort

Table

Cup

Club

Hang(ed/ing)

Hurricane

Judgment

Paradise

High

Lies

Party

Grey

Beginning

Worth

Sea

Watch

Compassion

Toxic

Blue

Trap(ped)

Shallow

Borrow

Chaos

Teacher

Left

Pride

Lover(s)

Jinx

Final

Starve

Make

Stone

Weapon

Curse

Early

Weakness

Earth

Block

Joke

Snow

Defend

Dusk

Found

Road

Crumble

River

Art(ist)

Bard

Right

Submit / Submissive

Strength

Savory

Night

Sacrifice

Grave

Heat

Glass

Numb

Darkness

Call

Creature

Lust

Hermit

Private

Tone

Question

Control

Man

Far

Confession(s)

Strand(ed)

Weight

Touch

Heaven

Tower

Illusion

Rule(s)

Death

Fair

Fortitude

Fragment

Purple

Persephone

New

Wind

Wall

Choke

Fatigue

Tale

Bless

Forest

Emergency

Winter

Grace

Decide

Devil

Free(dom)

Sound

Charm

Empty

Peace

Get

Preen

Guilt

Pink

Ace

Fool

Hades

Enemy

Sculpt

Gamble

Sphinx

Respect

Way

Answer

Order

Alive

Saint

Hard

Water

Wrath

Fat

Tangle

Island

Awake

Sharp

Sunset

Suffocate

Lace

Wander

Admire/Admirable

Brutal

Apollo

Eternal

Harsh

Complicated

Vengeance

Wild

Duckling

Gluttony

Effort

Behind

Fruit

Bronze

Danger

Outsider

Cave

Mercy

Blur

Shatter

Over

King / Queen

Ring

Miracle

Charity

Wolf

Wound

Bed

Before

Cold

Serpent

Burn

Adonis

Heads

Knife

Lead

Whole

Leather

Twilight

Temperance

Companion

Mischievous

Rough

Won’t

Brick

Sour

Action(s)

Day

Serve

Denial

Tear(s)

Green

Wing

Silent / Silence

Explanation

Joker

Star

Forgotten

Comedy

Wish

Release

Wheel

Glory

Shine

Good

Cowardly

Chariot

Blade

Legend

Summer

Faint

Thin

Dominate / Dominant

Gold

Truth

Cruise

Stairway

Smooth

Code

Drink

Across

Smile

Enchant

Jealous

Separate

Atlas

Ecstasy / Ecstatic

Key

Advise

Orange

Vomit

Never

Dust

Seek

Intoxicate(d)

Wand

Drown

Zombie

Leaf

Contact

Wrong

Indigo

Nymph

Dragon

Melt

Thorn

Fortune

First

Moon

Warm

Stop

Thunder

Mourn

Half

Serenity

Bright

Mute

Fire

Within

Swan

Disguise

Damage

Live

Changeling

Heal

Shame

Prowl

Caterpillar

Magic(ian)

Cockroach

Second

Couch

Spider

Confused

Iron

Positive

Reject

Extreme

Haze

Fault

Back

Pray

Sight

Carry

Power

Escape

Raw

Poison

Dance

Ash(es)

Blood

Beyond

Paragon

Storm

Desire

Chastity

White

Last

Steel

Rest

Corrupt

Priest(ess)

Curious

Excuses

Sometimes

Envy

Mermaid

Magenta

Sisyphus

Witch / Wizard

War

Force

Take

Clean

Sanctuary

Ask

Wisdom

Calm

Royal

Sunrise

Red

Covet

Torn

Tempt

Play

Cyan

Tragedy

Taste

Dorian

Sun

Amber

Content

Skinny

Goblin

Aphrodite

Temper

Unconditional

Spring

Copy

Change

Missing

Bitter

Shovel

Always

Vampire

Haunt(ing)

Shamble

Listen

Delirious

Bone

#prompts #inspiration #writing prompts #prompt meme #word prompt #mine: memes #mine: prompts #mine: writing #that story with the mutants that i should find a working title for fml

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: 30 Best Kindle Unlimited Romance Books Available Right Now

If you’re new to Kindle Unlimited, here’s your chance! Amazon is offering a free 2-month subscription to new customers, giving you access to thousands of ebook and audiobooks. Below is a 30-strong list of some of the best Kindle Unlimited romance books I’ve read. I’ve divided them up by subcategory of romance, and tried to spotlight many brilliantly-written, lesser-known books which deserve your attention. As of writing, they’re all available on KU.

Book descriptions are taken from Amazon, but for some books I particularly enjoyed I’ve added extra notes. It’s worth saying here that Amazon are very generous with their free KU subscriptions. I got a whopping six-month one back in 2018, three months in 2019, and I’ve just taken them up on another one-month trial they (inexplicably) offered me. Worth it!

Best Kindle Unlimited Romance Books: Fantasy Romance

#1. Red Winter (Red Winter #1) by Annette Marie

Emi is the kamigakari. In a few short months, her life as a mortal will end, and her new existence as the human host of a goddess will begin. Carefully hidden from those who would destroy her, she has prepared her mind, body, and soul to unite with the goddess – and not once has she doubted her chosen fate.

Shiro is a yokai, a spirit of the earth, an enemy of the goddess Emi will soon host. Mystery shrouds his every move, and his ruby eyes shine with cunning she can’t match and dares not trust. But she saved his life, and until his debt is paid, he is hers to command – whether she wants him or not. On the day they meet, everything Emi believes comes undone, swept away like snow upon the winter wind. For the first time, she wants to change her fate – but how can she erase a destiny already wrought in stone? Against the power of the gods, Shiro is her only hope…and hope is all she has left.

[I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS SERIES ENOUGH. It’s a beautifully rendered fantasy world grounded in Japanese mythology, with a breathtaking romance and incredible plot. Technically YA but absolutely don’t let that put you off. I’d also recommend Marie’s Guild Codex: Demonized series, a new adult paranormal series available on KU.]

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#2. Zodiac Academy: The Awakening (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts #1) by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

What happens to the students who anger the cold-blooded Dragon Shifter, vicious Vampire, black-hearted Werewolf and cruel Siren who run this school?

They pay in blood. But what’s that got to do with me? A helluva a lot more than I’d like…

I just discovered I’m a Fae with unspeakable power, an heir to an entire kingdom, and a threat to those four ruthless supernaturals who are also in line to rule this world. And I’m a twin. So she’s damned to the same fate too.

They want to hurt us. They want to break us. And they’ll stop at nothing to make us bow at their feet.

My Gemini sign meant little to me until now, but the stars rule this world. They define my Elemental magic, determine my nature and twist my will. But I’ve never bought into daily horoscopes, so I’m not gonna start now. I’ll determine my own fate. And I’m here for one thing and one thing alone: the inheritance my royal parents left in their wake.

There’s just one catch…

We have to graduate before it’s given to us. So until then, the heirs won’t stop fighting to get rid of us. And I have the awful feeling they don’t just want us gone, they want us dead.

[While it’s not quite Harry Potter, this is an insanely fun New Adult enemies-to-lovers romance which has wonderfully assertive heroines and great world-building. Another trope it features is teacher-student romance – the student is 18 – if you’re into that!]

#3. Stolen (Alpha’s Control #1) by Addison Cain

No one will take what’s his…

The Commodore stole her off the streets in broad daylight—the first Omega female discovered in Bernard Dome in generations. He took her with violence while none intervened. He broke her, swearing he’d put her back together.

Brenya Perin was ordered to submit.

Bernard Dome is the jewel of Europe, a bastion of art and culture, pleasure and decadence. But life in the city depends on the occupation chosen for you at birth. There is no subversion, no question of who rules. There is no freedom. And there is no interference from foreign Domes… until a new threat arrives from a distant continent. Shepherd’s right hand man, Jules.

Peace has a price, a price the Commodore of Bernard Dome is willing to pay… so long as the rare Omega remains his.

[This is technically a sequel series to Cain’s bestselling Born to Be Bound books, but I prefer it to that series and it can be read as a standalone. It’s a dark, scorching Omegaverse romance featuring total power exchange, disturbing but incredibly memorable. For a few more details on Cain’s background and Omegaverse in general, click here.]

#4. Trickery (Curse of the Gods #1) by Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington

Willa Knight: Dweller. Slave. Non-magical being.

In Minatsol, being a dweller means that you are literally no better than dirt. In fact, dirt might actually be more useful than Willa. Her life will be one of servitude to the sols, the magic-blessed beings who could one day be chosen to become gods.

At least her outer village is far removed from the cities of the sols, and she won’t ever be forced to present herself to them… Until one small mistake changes everything, and Willa is awarded a position to serve at Blesswood, the top sol academy in the world—a position that she definitely did not earn.

Under the sudden, watchful eye of the gods, she will be tasked to serve the Abcurse brothers, five sols built of arrogance, perfection and power. They are almost gods themselves, and under their service she is either going to end up sentenced to death, or else they are going to ruin her so badly that she will wish for it.

Either way, she is in trouble.

[An absolutely hilarious series; I love how it actively undermines a lot of romance cliches. Note: the heroine ends up with more than one hero. See here for a fuller explanation. The series straddles the line between YA and NA, becoming more explicit in later books.]

#5. Air and Ash (Tides #1) by Alex Lidell

After a lifetime of training, seventeen-year-old Princess Nile Greysik, a lieutenant on the prestigious Ashing navy flagship, sails into battle with one vital mission—and fails.

Barred from the sea and facing a political marriage, Nile masquerades as a common sailor on the first ship she can find. With a cowardly captain, incompetent crew, and a cruel, too-handsome first officer intent on making her life a living hell, Nile must hide her identity while trying to turn the sorry frigate battleworthy. Worse, a terrifying and forbidden magic now tingles in Nile’s blood. If anyone catches wind of who Nile is or what she can do, her life is over.

But when disaster threatens the ship, Nile may have no choice but to unleash the truth that will curse her future.

[Astonishingly good world-building and a deeply satisfying romance. Reminscient of Tamora Pierce. This one is YA.]

#6. Wicked Ugly Bad (A Kinda Fairytale #1) by Cassandra Gannon

Scarlett Riding is NOT an ugly stepsister. Cinderella is the evil one in the family and Letty is determined to prove it. Unfortunately, that’s kinda hard to do from behind bars. After the debacle at the ball, Letty and her sister Dru were dragged off to the Wicked, Ugly and Bad Mental Health Treatment Center and Maximum Security Prison. While Cindy’s planning her dream wedding, her two stepsisters are being forced to endure life in the dreariest dungeon in the land.

Luckily, Letty has a plan to change that unhappy ending. If she can just get to Prince Charming and prove the glass slipper doesn’t fit Cinderella’s foot, she can reclaim her life. In order to do that, though, she needs to convince The Big Bad Wolf to lend a hand in organizing a jailbreak.

Marrok Wolf isn’t sure what to make of the idealistic redhead in his group therapy sessions. With fifty counts of Badness on his criminal record, Marrok’s used to being surrounded by crooks and scumbags. Scarlett wants to lecture him about equal rights for trolls! When the little do-gooder comes up with an elaborate plan to break their entire “share circle” out of prison, though, Marrok is certainly willing to go along with the plot. And not just because he wants to see her naked. The woman may not be wicked, ugly, or Bad, but she’s definitely the only one who can save him.

Together with a wicked witch, a timid bridge ogre, an evil prince, and other villains straight out of a storybook, Scarlett and Marrok are about to make sure that Baddies finally have a happily ever after.

[A wonderfully funny adult spin on Little Red Riding Hood, and one of the best romances anywhere – let alone KU. Gannon deserves a lot more attention than she gets.]

#7. Land of the Beautiful Dead by R. Lee Smith

He ascended from the darkness years ago—Azrael the Eternal, Azrael the Undying, Azrael Who Is Death—bringing with him the black rains, the fires, the souring of the sky, and the Eaters. Now he rules in the walled city of Haven with his favored Children and his dead court, while all that is left of the living struggles to survive in the ruins of a world that used to be their own. But even as extinction looms, humanity will never surrender to their monstrous conqueror.

For Lan, this brutal life has been the only one she’s ever known, but she still believes it can change. If the war can never truly end until the Eaters are ended, she will go to Haven, to Azrael himself, and demand he end them. To her surprise, she does not immediately die the hero’s death she expected. Instead, Azrael offers her a chance to convince him, and all she has to do is submit herself to the chill embrace of the lord of the Land of the Beautiful Dead.

[This book is very hard to describe. It’s part psychological horror, part dystopian romance, part fantasy. I have never read a hero like this one. It’s very long, and not a feel-good book, but so unforgettable that I return compulsively. Hands-down one of the best Kindle Unlimited romance books out there.]

Best Kindle Unlimited Romance Books: Paranormal Romance

#8. The Baker’s Guide to Risky Rituals (Sweet Pea Mysteries #1) by Kathryn Moon

Josie Benoit, gourmet patissier and kitchen witch, may not be a Sweet Pea native but she’s made the small town her home and she intends on keeping it that way. When trouble rolls into town on the seats of shining motorcycles, and the safety of her home and her own reputation are put at risk, Josie bands together with her coven to protect her world from a dark influence.

If only that dark influence wasn’t so deliciously handsome.

King Beleth is not a demon to be trifled with. Leader of the Hell’s Bells MC and one of the great warlords of the Bowels, Beleth takes pride in his work and has the patience of a… man who knows what is best is worth waiting for. Known as Bell—to his friends, which you are not—he’s come to Sweet Pea to dismantle the core of good at the heart of the little town. But upon arrival he discovers three things that might just get in the way of his work:

Sweet Pea is more disgustingly adorable than they were warned. The town has a coven of witches protecting it. He’s developing a sweet tooth.

[A funny, not-totally-cosy paranormal romance mystery. Features a heroine with Haitian roots who practises voodoo; great insight into non-European cultural systems!]

#9. The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1) by Deborah Wilde

Nava Katz cares about two things: perfecting the art of being a hot mess and her hard-working twin brother. But she accidentally torches his life-long dream when she disrupts his induction into a secret demon-hunting fraternity and steals his destiny.

Horrified she’s now expected to take his place, Nava is faced with something she never wanted: a purpose.

The society isn’t cool with a woman in their ranks and teams her with a surly but smoking-hot ex-rock star to keep her in line. Too bad he’s exactly what Nava’s always wanted: the perfect bad boy fling with no strings attached, because a hook-up with him is as dangerous as the vengeful demon out for blood–her brother’s.

And Nava’s the only one who can save him.

Odds of survival: meh.

Odds of a good time before she bites it: much better.

[A snarky, kickass heroine paired with an Indian hero, enmeshed in Jewish mythology. What more could you want? Admittedly I have some issues with the way the romance develops in later books, but this first installment is gold.]

#10. A Dead and Stormy Night (Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries #1) by Steffanie Holmes

After being fired from her fashion internship in New York City, Mina Wilde decides it’s time to reevaluate her life. She returns to the quaint English village where she grew up to take a job at the local bookshop, hoping that being surrounded by great literature will help her heal from a devastating blow.

But Mina soon discovers her life is stranger than fiction – a mysterious curse on the bookshop brings fictional characters to life in lust-worthy bodies. Mina finds herself babysitting Poe’s raven, making hot dogs for Heathcliff, and getting IT help from James Moriarty, all while trying not to fall for the three broken men who should only exist within her imagination.

When Mina’s ex-best friend shows up dead with a knife in her back, she’s the chief suspect. She’ll have to solve the murder if she wants to clear her name. Will her fictional boyfriends be able to keep her out of prison?

[Another reverse harem romance, this time where the heroes are characters from English literature. Holmes pulls it off impressively well – much better than I expected; it’s funny, sexy, and sweet. There is also a disabled heroine (she’s going blind).]

#11. Rhapsodic (The Bargainer #1) by Laura Thalassa

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear.

Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want … at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects.

But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more.

For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken.

If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.

[While I didn’t find this NA paranormal romance to quite live up to my expectations, it’s still well-written with an intriguing premise.]

Best Kindle Unlimited Romance Books: Contemporary Romance

#12. Fear Me (Broken Love #1) by B.B. Reid

I don’t believe in fairy tales and Prince Charming.

I believe in fear.

He taught me how to be afraid.

We first met on a playground on a wonderful summer day. It was the first time he hurt me and it wouldn’t be the last. For ten years, he’s been my tormentor and I’ve been his forbidden. But then he went away, and yet I was still afraid.

Now he’s back and wants more than just my tears. You see…he thinks I sent him away so now he wants revenge…and he knows just how to get it.

[Warning: a dark enemies-to-lovers romance. While the writing is a little stilted at times, and there are plenty of grammatical errors, I found myself unwittingly sucked into the engrossing plot.]

#13. Ruthless Knight (Royal Hearts Academy #2) by Ashley Jade

Cole Covington is the most popular heartbreaker at school. Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to screw him. Except me. His devastatingly good looks, golden arm, and flirty smiles don’t do it for me anymore…because I know what’s lurking underneath the star quarterback’s gorgeous armor.

At least I thought I did.

Sometimes the most beautiful people…hide the ugliest truths. And sometimes the only way to save someone… is to walk beside them through hell. _ Sawyer Church is the bible-thumping nerd of Royal Hearts Academy. Girls pick on her and guys don’t notice her. Except me. Sweet, curvy, and sarcastic, she’s impossible to ignore. No matter how much I try. Everyone at school has her pegged as the chubby, Jesus loving geek, but unlike them—Sawyer’s real and never pretends to be someone she’s not.

Until I ask her to be my fake girlfriend.

Sometimes the most beautiful souls…hide the greatest pain. And sometimes the only way to save someone… is to fight for them.

[I promise this is much, much better than the blurb might suggest. It features a plus-sized heroine who’s confident in her beliefs and doesn’t let the hero (who’s incidentally half-Indian) walk all over her. I was really impressed with the way the author tackled some of the heavy issues in this book, namely drug abuse and body-image issues. The prose is a little overwrought at times and I loathed the first installment in the series, but this book is awesome.]

#14. Untouchable by Sam Mariano

Senior year was off to a rough start: lube in my locker, panties on my front porch, unimaginative name-calling. See, I got a player suspended from the football team for harassing me, and in my small Texas town, you don’t mess with the football players—even if they mess with you first.

I didn’t care if it was an unpopular thing to do; I stood up for myself… and in doing so, opened Pandora’s Box.

I never dreamed I would attract the attention of locally worshipped star quarterback, Carter Mahoney. Never imagined his coveted attention would turn out to be such a nightmare. Beneath his carefully constructed façade lurks a monster, a predator looking for the perfect prey to play with. Now, since I’m the girl no one likes or believes, I guess I’m the perfect target for his dark games and twisted desires.

After surviving my first encounter with his casual depravity, all I really want is for Carter to leave me alone.

But all he seems to want is me.

[Warning: this is a very dark, though very emotional and well-written, ‘bully romance.’]

#15. Heart Thief (Black Market Billionaire #1) by Skylar Sweeney

Billionaire Rex Bennett broke my heart, and now I’m coming for his—for real this time. My greatest enemy stole a miracle heart from its maker, and I’m going undercover as his Sexy Secretary to take it back, at least if his offers to fondle his gun and spice up his coffee don’t drive me to the wild side first.

Rex shattered my heart years ago, and I was sure it would never beat the same… until a single kiss from the man I despise pieced it back together. Do I stay true to my vengeance and steal the heart he needs to survive or do I succumb to passion and allow the maker of the heart to die?

[This debut novel is a little rough around the edges, but there’s an original premise + hilarious banter between the protagonists!]

#16. More than Enough (Postgrad #1) by Bria Felicien

All Jamila wants to do is figure out this “adulthood” thing. Step 1: Find a new job.

With his second career about to begin, TJ is ready to settle down. Step 1: Start dating again.

When TJ and Jamila meet, they don’t know what to do with each other. Other than complicate everything.

#17. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

Vanessa Mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. She shouldn’t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she’s beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn’t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He’s asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

[Zapata’s books are famed for being emotionally-intense, slow-burn romances. While my personal favourite is Under Locke, this is worth a read too.]

#18. The Kingmaker (All the King’s Men #1) by Kennedy Ryan

Power. Passion. Betrayal.

Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition. In a world of haves and have nots, my family has it all, and I want nothing to do with it.

My path takes me far from home and paints me as the black sheep. At odds with my father, I’m determined to build my own empire. I have rules, but Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of them. From the moment we meet, something sparks between us. But my family stole from hers and my father is the man she hates most. I lied to have her, and will do anything to keep her. Though she tries to hate me, too, the inexorable pull between us will not be denied.

And neither will I.

[Some great diversity here – the heroine is a member of Yavapai-Apache Nation, and the culture constitutes a large element of the book.]

#19. Giving Chase (Havenwood #1) by Riley Hart

KELLAN I wasn’t supposed to fall for my older brother’s best friend. Unfortunately, that ship sailed when I was a teenager, even though Chase Hawthorne always treated me like nothing more than a younger sibling. Things were worse after my parents died. Chase was sweet and supportive, which only strengthened my feelings for him. But then he’d act like I couldn’t take care of myself, and that part didn’t go over well with me. Yeah, I had a habit of screwing up. I’d always been the weird boy in our small town, but just like my big brother, he took overprotective to a new level. Until one night when I was eighteen and Chase and I hooked up. It was a ding to the ego that he left town right afterward. Ridiculously, I’m still not over him.

CHASE I betrayed my best friend, Griffin, the night I messed around with Kellan. So I ran–first to the Marines, then into law enforcement. Ten years later, I’m back home, this time as a patrol officer rather than a troublemaker’s son. Oh, and unable to keep my hands off Kellan Caine. There’s always been something about him…the way he stands strong in who he is, even when he’s standing alone. I’m trapped between someone I want more than anything and Griff, the guy who’s like family to me. Yet the more time I spend with Kellan, the harder it becomes to deny there’s something real between us.

With my dad stirring up trouble, and me going behind my best friend’s back, everything’s a mess. The more tangled the web gets, the more I realize I need Kellan. And that there might be something in the Hawthorne family history that’ll make me lose both Kellan and Griffin for good.

#20. Permanent Ink (Art & Soul #1) by Piper Vaughn & Avon Gale

At twenty-three, graffiti artist Poe Montgomery is going nowhere fast. His second chance comes in the form of a job offer from his father’s best friend, Jericho McAslan, owner of a popular tattoo shop, Permanent Ink.

Between their age gap, tension with Poe’s father, Poe’s struggles to focus, and Jericho’s determination to keep their relationship strictly professional, their chance at love seems as fleeting as a tattoo stencil.

But when Poe makes his deepest desires abundantly clear, Jericho can no longer resist their burning attraction or the idea of his own fantasies becoming reality. If they can find a way to rewrite their rocky start, they might have a chance at transforming their temporary arrangement into something that lasts forever.

[A cute May-December romance featuring a bisexual hero and some daddy kink.]

#21. The Sergeant (Cuffs, Collars, and Love #1) by Christa Tomlinson

Sergeant Logan Pierce: He leads his squad with cool efficiency, taking down rough criminals while keeping his team safe. But behind closed doors he sets a darker part of himself free. As a Dom, he’s controlled many submissives, but never had one for his own. That’s because there’s only one man he wants: Officer Clay Foster.

Officer Clay Foster: Over the years he’s noticed his Sergeant’s secretly admiring glances and suspected his attraction. One night, with one kiss, he’s proven correct. Clay dives headlong into the rough passion of BDSM that Logan introduces him to. He submits to Logan’s control, accepting the sweet shackles that bind him to his Sergeant. But secrets, both his and Logan’s, force him to leave the newfound safety of his Dom’s arms.

Logan refuses to let go of what he’s wanted for so long, Clay as his own, proudly wearing his collar. Can he safely guide Clay through the obstacles that separate them until he can claim his submissive once more?

#22. Call the Coroner (Staniel #1) by Avril Ashton

A clash of wills between predators…

He’s been living underground for a long time, but the only thing guaranteed to bring Daniel Nieto back to the surface is the identity of his wife’s killer. With the whisper of one name, he puts it all on the line for vengeance. He’s got plans for Stavros Konstantinou.

The title of monster fits too well for Stavros to want to be anything other than what he is. Time spent in Daniel Nieto’s dungeon, chained and tortured, will never change that. Starved of food, sunlight, and freedom, he waits for an opening to turn the tables on the only man who’s ever come close enough to scare him.

Somewhere between the slide of knife against skin, and the drip of blood on cold concrete, things change. Grief and hatred collide with lust and obsession, and this time Daniel and Stavros are on the same side. This time, they’re fighting a losing battle against a connection forged by much more than a love of violence and bloodshed.

In a war this bloodied, what do you do when the bodies start hitting the floor?

[Warning: a very dark M/M romance.]

#23. Nothing Special by A.E. Via

Detective Cashel ‘Cash’ Godfrey is big, tattooed and angry so people typically keep their distance. He’s fresh out of the police academy, however, no one is looking to partner with the six foot four beast with a huge chip on his shoulder and an inability to trust. When Cash scans the orientation room he wasn’t expecting to find sexy hazel eyes locked onto him. Eyes of the handsome Detective Leonidis ‘Leo’ Day.

Leo is charming, witty, hilariously sarcastic and the only one that can make Cash smile. He’s proud, out and one bad-ass detective.

Together Cash and Leo become the most revered and successful narcotics detectives Atlanta’s ever seen. Able to communicate and understand each other, without even having to voice it, they quickly climb up the promotional ranks.

When Cash saves Leo’s life in a raid that turns deadly, Leo begins to see something in the big man that no one else does…something special. But Leo fears he’ll never break through the impenetrable wall that protects Cash’s heart.

#24. Vicious (Sinners of Saint #1) by L.J. Shen

Emilia They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true. The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. He is a brilliant lawyer. A skilled criminal. A beautiful liar. A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover. Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

Vicious She is a starving artist. Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom. Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down. She paid the price. Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate. That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t. So she hates me. Big fucking deal. She better get used to me.

#25. Six of Hearts (Hearts #1) by L.H. Cosway

When Jay Fields, world-renowned illusionist, walks into her dad’s law firm Matilda is struck speechless. Not only is he one of the most attractive and charismatic men she’s ever met, he’s also a mystery to be solved.

Jay wants to sue a newspaper for defamation, but all is not what it seems. Matilda is determined to discover the true story behind Jay, however, when he becomes an unexpected roommate, she is not ready for how he will wheedle his way into her affections and steal her heart.

The man is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and though she can’t yet see the bigger picture, Matilda can’t resist following along for the thrilling and heart-stopping ride.

[A bit of a fever dream of a book, full of tricks and illusions.]

#26. Titanium (Breathless #1) by Anna Katmore

My world shattered when I met my match.

I pride myself on keeping control of everything. Always. My only weakness?Reckless challenges. After losing my car to the new street racer in town, Sebastian gives me a chance to get it back. His condition: two hours in my playroom. No safewords allowed. While I only ever do girls in there, I accept. And when he kisses me, I reach my fucking limits.

Once in a lifetime, you meet a unicorn.

Raffael is pure Nordic ice. Controlled. Determined. And drop-dead gorgeous. Winning his car was a lucky strike. Winning his heart when he’s so afraid of the truth, turns out to be the hardest challenge I’ve ever raced to complete.

[While this an adult M/M romance, Katmore really excels at YA contemporary romcom. Her Grover Beach High series is also on KU and I highly recommend it!

#27. The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar

They say it takes twenty-one days to form a habit. They lie.

For twenty-one days she held on. But on Day Twenty-two, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.

Because on Day Twenty-two, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.

#28. Melt for You (Slow Burn #2) by J.T. Geissinger

Socially awkward Joellen Bixby has a date every Saturday—with her cat, a pint of ice cream, and fantasies of the way-too-handsome Michael Maddox. She’d give anything to win over the unattainable CEO of her firm, but how can she when she blends in so well with her cubicle? The answer may be closer than she thinks.

Cameron McGregor is a cocky, tattooed Scottish rugby captain who just moved in next door. He’s not Jo’s type—at all—but the notorious playboy is offering to teach the wallflower everything he knows about inspiring desire. Though a lot of women have rumpled Cam’s kilt, Jo is special. Far from the ugly duckling she thinks she is, in Cam’s eyes she’s sharp, funny, and effortlessly sexy. Now, thanks to him, Jo is blooming with confidence and has the man of her dreams within reach.

Unfortunately for Cam, he’s just helped to push the woman of his dreams into the arms of another man—and now he’s in the fight of his life to keep this beauty from getting away.

[SUCH a great book, with sizzling UST between the characters. Also one of my favourite tropes! Can be read as a standalone.]

#29. The V Girl by Mya Robarts

In post-apocalyptic North America two emerging nations are at war and sexual slavery is legal. Lila Velez desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend. Lila does not love him, but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute for love.

Lila hides a secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey Fürst, a foreign, broody man who she distrusts because of his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. He offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.

With threats looming at every turn and no way to escape, Lila fears that falling in love will only lead to more heartache. The consequences of laying down her arms for Aleksey and welcoming hope might destroy more than her heart. They might force her to face the worst of her nightmares becoming a reality. Is love possible in a world that has forgotten what the human touch is?

#30. Falling for a Knight (The Wild Knights #1) by Té Russ

While vacationing in Trinidad, world-renowned photographer Roman Knight unexpectedly acquires a new muse, Cynthia Tremaine. Their chemistry is off the charts and they can’t resist giving into a night of passion together.

Neither of them expected to see each other again after they parted ways…but fate seemed to have other plans.

See here for more recommended KU books!

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/30-best-kindle-unlimited-romance-books-available-right-now

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The Manga Revue, 6/18/18

Twice the reviews! Twice the links! This week’s Manga Revue is bigger and badder than the last one, as I weigh in on the latest installments of The Promised Neverland and Silver Spoon, and round up manga review links from around the web. Before I get down to talking about The Promised Neverland and Silver Spoon, however, I want to warn the spoiler-averse reader that it’s impossible to discuss either series without divulging a few plot details. Caveat lector!

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 4 Written by Kaiu Shirai, Illustrated by Posuka Demizu Translated by Satsuki Yamashita VIZ Media Rated T+, for older teens

Though volume three was saddled with too many contrived plot twists, volume four is a return to form, briskly setting the kids’ escape in motion. The pace occasionally flags when Emma, Ray, and Norman explain the finer details of their plan to one another, but those moments serve an essential dramatic purpose, helping the reading appreciate how perilous their journey will be. These conversations also remind us how much the principal trio rely on one another for emotional strength, a point driven home by the author’s decision to sacrifice one of the main characters. (And I mean a main character, not a nameless red shirt.)

Perhaps the most surprising thing about The Promised Neverland is its feminist subtext. In the final pages of volume three, Krone reveals that the brightest orphan girls are groomed for house mother positions. The full horror of this arrangement, however, only becomes apparent in volume four. In a few suggestive images, Posuka Demizu vividly evokes the grotesque sacrifice young girls make in order to survive their twelfth birthday, culminating in a scene of women surrendering their infants in a sterile, factory-like environment. These brief interludes evoke the grim spirit of The Handmaid’s Tale, imagining a world in which young women are cruelly exploited for their fertility, and coerced into perpetuating the very system that oppresses them.

I know — I’m making The Promised Neverland sound like Terribly Serious Reading, but rest assured it isn’t; the story is, at bottom, a juicy prison drama in which the jailers are actual monsters and the prisoners pint-sized MacGuyvers with powerful motivation to escape. Recommended.

Silver Spoon, Vol. 2 Written and Illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa Translated by Amanda Haley Yen Press Rated T, for teens

After an introductory volume in which Hachiken (a) fell face-first into poop (b) insulted his classmates repeatedly (c) joined the equestrian club just to impress a girl and (d) realized that the piglet he was raising would soon be bacon, volume two affords him a rare moment of grace. The students’ discovery of an abandoned brick oven prompts them to make pizza — something only Hachiken knows how to do. The act of cooking for so many people forces Hachiken to improvise, rather than plan, thus forcing him outside his academic and social comfort zone — and making his brief turn in the spotlight even more satisfying.

Lest Hachiken’s triumph seem a little too tidy, the rest of volume two sees him reverting to bumbling city slicker, as he gets lost in the woods looking for cell phone reception, gags at the sight of a newborn calf, and, yes, falls face-first into another pile of manure. Hiromu Arakawa sells these moments with her trademark over-the-top reaction shots; no one can distort or bend a human face with the same verve as Arakawa, who turns every setback, humiliation, and surprise into an opportunity to draw rivers of snot and tears. Though she excels at slapstick, Arakawa tempers the jokes with moments of real drama that make Hachiken realize just how much Komaba and Mikage’s families struggle to keep their modest dairy farms afloat. It’s these quieter moments that remind us just what a capable storyteller she really is, and make Silver Spoon more than just a gag manga with farm animals. Recommended.

Essential Reading, Viewing, and Listening

Zodiac River examines Kyoko Okazaki’s unflinching portrayal of the “beauty-industrial complex” in Helter Skelter, arguing that the manga is really a “hyper-realistic horror story, showing how beauty and body standards are themselves monstrous forces.” Closer to home, my Manga Bookshelf colleague Sean Gaffney explains why you should read Riyoko Ikeda’s poignant drama Claudine.

Over at YouTube, The Black Manga Critic offers his thoughts on chapter 89 of The Promised Neverland and chapters 180-184 of My Hero Academia, as well as his first impressions of Monster and A Bride’s Story. And while you’re browsing YouTube, check out Plutoburns‘ review of My Neighbor Seki, “a comedy with a simply excellent premise.” The latest Comics Alternative podcast is also a good bet, with reviews of Dead Dead Demon’s DeDeDeDestruction, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, and The Troublemakers.

New and Noteworthy

After Hours, Vol. 1 (Thea Srinivasan, Comic Bastards)

After Hours, Vol. 1 (Michelle Smith, Soliloquy in Blue)

Arakawa Under the Bridge, Vol. 1 (Faith Orcino, Anime Ushi)

Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest, Vol. 1 (Jason Bradley Thompson, Otaku USA)

Astra Lost in Space, Vols. 1-3 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

Captain Harlock: Classic Collection, Vol. 1 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Devilman: Classic Collection, Vol. 1 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)

Devilman: Classic Collection, Vol. 1 (Kathleen Townsend, Looking Glass Reads)

Dragon Half Omnibus, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)

Dragon Half Omnibus, Vol. 1 (Daryl Surat, Otaku USA)

Eclair: A Girl’s Love Anthology that Resonates in Your Heart (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Golosseum, Vol. 1 (Richard Gutierrez, The Fandom Post)

Grand Blue Dreaming, Vol. 1 (Jason Bradley Thompson, Otaku USA)

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)

Horimiya, Vol. 1 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

How to Treat Magical Beasts: Mine and Master’s Medical Journal, Vol. 1 (Evan Bourgault, Boston Bastard Brigade)

IM: Great Priest Imhotep, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)

Inuyashiki, Vol. 1 (LG, A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)

Kemono Friends: Welcome to Japari Park!, Vol. 1 (Kory Cerjak, The Fandom Post)

A Kiss, For Real, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)*

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1 (Shaenon Garrity, Otaku USA)

The Lion and the Bride, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)*

Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen (Marion Bea, Yatta-Tachi)*

Mermaid Boys, Vol. 1 (Melina Darghis, The Fandom Post)

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life, Vol. 1 (Faith Orcino, Anime Ushi)

My Solo Exchange Diary, Vol. 1 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

My Solo Exchange Diary, Vol. 1 (Kara Jorgensen, karajorgensen.com)

My Solo Exchange Diary, Vol. 1 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

My Solo Exchange Diary, Vol. 1 (Publisher’s Weekly)

Nameless Asterism, Vols. 1-2 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

Napping Princess, Vol. 1 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Our Story Begins With… (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 1 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

RWBY: Official Manga Anthology, Vol. 1 (Nick Smith, ICv2)

Silver Spoon, Vol. 1 (J. Caleb Mozzocco, Good Comics for Kids)

Silver Spoon, Vols. 1-2 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 1 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 1 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 1 (Ken H., Sequential Ink)

To Your Eternity, Vol. 1 (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 (Morgana Rhalina, The Manga Maven)

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 (Michelle Smith, Soliloquy in Blue)

Ongoing Series

Akame ga Kill! Zero, Vol. 7 (Krystallina, The OASG)

Astra Lost in Space, Vol. 3 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)

Baccano, Vol. 3 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Beasts of Abigaile, Vol. 3 (Helen, The OASG)

Cells as Work!, Vol. 5 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

CITY, Vol. 2 (David Brooke, AiPT!)

Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 5 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Vol. 7 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 11 (Krystallina, The OASG)

The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 11 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Food Wars!! Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 24 (Liz, The Outerhaven)

Flying Witch, Vol. 6 (Evan Bourgault, Boston Bastard Brigade)

Goblin Slayer, Vol. 2 (Justin, The OASG)

Kiss and White Lily for My Dearest Girl, Vol. 5 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 5 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)*

Magical Girl Raising Project, Vol. 2 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 9 (Helen, The OASG)

My Hero Academia, Vol. 9 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)

My Hero Academia, Vol. 13 (Kathleen Townsend, Looking Glass Reads)

One Piece, Vol. 5 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

One Piece, Vol. 6 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

One-Punch Man, Vol. 13 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 3 (Helen, The OASG)

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 4 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Rose Guns Days: Season Three, Vol. 3 (Kate O’Neil, The Fandom Post)

The Royal Tutor, Vol. 7 (Krystallina, The OASG)

Silver Spoon, Vol. 2 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

Silver Spoon, Vol. 3 (Justin and Krystallina, The OASG)

Skip Beat!, Vols. 7-9 (Alison, Bloom Reviews)

Takane & Hana, Vol. 3 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

To Your Eternity, Vol. 2 (Kate O’Neil, The Fandom Post)

To Your Eternity, Vol. 5 (David Brooke, AiPT!)

Vinland Saga, Vol. 10 (David Brooke, AiPT!)

Waiting for Spring, Vol. 6 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 2 (David Brooke, AiPT!)

Yona of the Dawn, Vols. 11-12 (Anna N., The Manga Report)

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 12 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

From the Vault

Bakuman, Vol. 10 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

Blade of the Immortal Omnibus, Vol. 1 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

A Certain Scientific Railgun, Vol. 1 (Megan R., The Manga Test Drive)

D-Gray Man, Vols. 9-10 (SKJAM, SKJAM! Reviews)

GTO: The Early Years, Vol. 1 (Megan R., The Manga Test Drive)

Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (SKJAM, SKJAM! Reviews)

Slam Dunk, Vol. 3 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

Switch, Vol. 1 (Patricia Beard, The Fandom Post)

By: Katherine Dacey

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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