Moonstruck

Blue Moon 1

Moonstruck Ava Bell takes a cottage in the secluded town of Blue Moon, Maine, hoping for peace and quiet so she can finish her dissertation. What she gets are three brothers—Robert, Declan, and Sean Molineaux—who tempt her body, heart, and soul, but who also keep a dangerous secret. When an old darkness born of an old hatred threatens Ava, she must turn to the brothers she cannot resist but cannot trust. As uncanny coincidences become deadly attacks, Robert, Declan, and Sean fight to protect the woman that they love, the woman meant for them. Every hour brings her closer to the heart of the fatal secrets of Blue Moon, and every minute with Robert, Declan, and Sean awakens in her a fiery need that burns through all her defenses. Can Ava discover the answer to a centuries-old mystery before its dark consequences destroy her one chance for happiness? Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves Length: 58,213 words

MOONSTRUCK Blue Moon 1

Fiona Blackthorne

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

MOONSTRUCK Copyright © 2012 by Fiona Blackthorne E-book ISBN: 1-61926-332-7 First E-book Publication: February 2012 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Moonstruck by Fiona Blackthorne from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Fiona Blackthorne’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Blackthorne’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION For my father, K.C. Khemka, who always believed in me. Thanks for the bluebird feather, Dad.

MOONSTRUCK Blue Moon 1 FIONA BLACKTHORNE Copyright © 2012

Prologue It was midnight, and everything waited. A grandfather clock ticked loudly in a cold and empty stone mansion as the damp, chilly air blew in from over the ocean. Weak, silvery moonlight filtered down through the barren branches of the forest as shadows slipped between tree trunks and pools of light in a macabre game of hide-and-seek. In a cottage by a white farmhouse, a young woman slept, huddled under faded handmade patchwork quilts. The door to her bedroom slowly closed, though no hand or breeze touched it. A wolf howled, joined by other howls, as if their eerie keening could drown out the sibilant whispers of the wind through the trees.

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Chapter 1 When she walked out of the woods, Robert Molineaux wondered for a moment if he was losing it, if she was one of Them. Then, he realized that the young woman was living flesh and blood, and that he couldn’t stop staring at her. The cold, wet November wind, full of salt, blasted across the lawn, stinging his cheeks and stirring the heavy, damp locks of the woman’s hair. She stood so still that for a moment, his suspicion flared again, only to be put to rest by the sight of her jeans, dingy beige parka, and muddy hiking boots…and by the adorable way she bit her bottom lip before saying, “Um, excuse me?” It took him a minute to figure out where his brain had gone, because all he could think of was her intriguing little face, pale and delicately boned, with a pointy chin, piquant mouth, and the most amazingly deep brown eyes. Her hair was long and wavy, and he couldn’t decide if the color was brown with a natural dark-gray cast, or a dark gray with a brown tint. She was small and slender. He could see that even underneath the baggy parka. No, this girl was not one of Them, even if her beauty did have a haunting, otherworldly cast to it. “I’m sorry,” she said, taking a tentative step from the woods onto the dead winter grass of the lawn. “I don’t mean to trespass. I’m just lost.” “Well, now you’re found,” his brother Declan said gently, stepping forward. “Don’t worry,” added his youngest brother Sean, grinning. “We don’t bite.”

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“That’s a damn lie,” Declan whispered under his breath, but so low that only the supersensitive hearing of his brothers would catch it. The woman’s lips twitched, as if she had thought about smiling but was not sure enough of the situation—or of them—to do so. She stayed where she was at the edge of the lawn, the tall green and gray pines and ghostly barren birch trees looming darkly behind her. Another blast of wind punished them, and Robert glanced up at the heavy clouds, pregnant with rain. Right on the ocean’s edge where they were, it was not cold enough yet to snow, but it was cold enough to be raw, chilling one right to the bone. The woman huddled up slightly inside her coat and squinted against the wind. He realized she must be freezing, and strangely, he felt the urge to wrap her in his arms, to warm her and care for her. Almost involuntarily, he began to cross the lawn toward her. “Why don’t you come inside?” he said as kindly as he could, trying to keep the possessive growl out of his voice. “You can warm up, and we can give you directions.” Her eyes flicked nervously from him to his brothers, and her scent turned from a natural floral sweetness to a sharp cinnamon bite of mistrust. “N–no,” she said, taking a step back as he neared her. “That’s okay. Really. I’m fine. If you could just show me the way back to the main road, I can find my way from there. I know I can’t be that far. I just lost the path. Or, maybe I took a wrong turn.” “How long have you been walking, honey?” Sean asked, his voice full of concern as he came to stand by Robert. “Um.” She hesitated, biting her soft lower lip in a way that made Robert want to nibble it, too. “What time is it now?” “Almost four o’clock,” Declan replied, joining them and moving to be a little closer to her. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Four o’clock? Are you sure?” “Yes, I’m sure.” Declan chuckled, surreptitiously taking another step toward her.

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She frowned. “I…I’m confused. I guess I don’t understand. How…oh…oh, never mind. It doesn’t matter. I should get going back, though. So, if you could just…” “You’re not walking back anywhere,” Sean said firmly. “It will be pitch black soon. Night comes early in Maine in the fall.” “I know that,” she replied somewhat tersely, lifting her chin. “I grew up in Portland.” “This isn’t Portland,” Sean said. “Blue Moon is no place for a woman to be walking around after dark.” Robert could smell the desperation rolling off Sean and Declan, the arousal mixed with the fear of this woman walking alone in the woods or on the road after dark. Hell, he could smell himself and the desire that was simmering in his veins, stirring his cock and flooding his mind with images of her, pale and naked, on his bed. But mostly, he felt fear at the thought of her, fragile and vulnerable, left to the night and to Them. “Come inside,” Robert said, putting all the force of his personality into his voice. The words rang and echoed in a range that was just outside normal human hearing, but the woman started and sucked in a quick breath, her unconscious mind reverberating with the command. Declan gently put his hand on the back of her arm and gestured for her to walk toward the house. The smell of her fear intensified, and it stirred the deepest primal instincts within Robert. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, to inhale the scent of her hair and comfort her. His conscious mind told him this was ridiculous, that he had only seen her for the first time three minutes ago. His heart, however, had settled into a new, complex, and thrilling rhythm, leaving the old simple pattern of heartbeats behind forever. Could she be the one? he thought wildly for a moment. Could the old legend be true? Catching each of his brother’s eyes as they followed the woman across the yard to the sprawling stone mansion, he knew that they

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were thinking the same thing, and for the first time in his 36 years, he felt hope. **** Ava Bell, “ABD,” or ‘all but dissertation,’ was no fool. Yes, it was about to storm. Yes, it was getting late and dark. Yes, she was hopelessly lost. But no, it was not smart to go into a house with three strangers, even if they were mouthwateringly gorgeous. She compromised with herself since the men didn’t seem like they were going to take no for an answer. She would go inside the house with them, but she’d stay in the entry, near the door. That way, she could bolt if she needed to. It wasn’t that she was exactly afraid of them that made her paranoid. It was precisely because she wasn’t afraid at all. And that scared the pants off her. She tried to remember when she had become afraid of men. For the umpteenth time, she wondered if it was because of her stepfather’s alcoholic mean streak, or the angry, cruel high school boyfriend, or the controlling, domineering college lover who had needed a restraining order to get the point across to him that it was over. At least in grad school, she had been smart enough to stay single. There were enough chauvinistic, misogynistic assholes in the “progressive” world of professional academia that she had all she could handle both emotionally and professionally. The last thing she needed or wanted to do was spend any more time than necessary talking with three men who seemed ready to beat their chests then pose for the cover of a romance novel. Looking up at the huge stone mansion as she drew near, Ava realized it was extremely old. She guessed it was eighteenth century or even earlier, with its gray and grim façade, tall windows, and clusters of chimneys. The windows on the ground floor glowed faintly golden from light that seemed to come from deeper inside the house.

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Something about the shadows just at the edges of the windows made her shiver with an unnamable dread. “Are you okay?” asked the first man who had spoken to her when she came out of the woods. Bachelor Number One, she thought to herself with a silent cynical laugh. This bachelor was over six feet tall, with thick black hair, naturally dark olive skin, and broad shoulders. It was hard to tell anything else about his body because of the leather barn coat that he wore. Still, that was plenty to go on. “I’m fine, thanks,” she replied. “You sure?” asked the second one who had spoken to her. Bachelor Number Two. This fine-looking man also stood over six feet tall, with close-cropped lighter brown hair and a face that showed the rugged lines of being exposed to sun, wind, and water on a consistent basis. He wore a jacket that looked like it was meant for an extreme sportsman, probably some unaffordable, technologically amazing outdoor gear from L.L.Bean. “Positive,” she said, suppressing the urge to laugh despite her underlying unease. “We’ll get you warmed up real quick with a hot toddy when we get inside,” said Bachelor Number Three. This one seemed a little younger than the other two, but not by much, and he certainly wasn’t any shorter than them. His mouth seemed permanently set in a grin, and his hair was black like his one brother, though his features seemed more similar to the second brother’s. Brother? Brothers? She bit her lip as she figured out that these three men were clearly brothers. There was enough resemblance between them to suggest it, but she gasped a little when she realized what had made her recognize their relationship. Their eyes. Golden-amber eyes. What froze her to the marrow, though, was that she absolutely knew she had seen these eyes before.

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Chapter 2 The heavy oak front door locked shut with a satisfying bang and clack of the thick iron bolt. Not that inside the house was more cheerful than outside, Declan thought. But at least it wasn’t near the woods, near Them. “Here,” he said, reaching out to the woman, wanting to peel the wet coat off her slender shoulders. “Let me take that for you.” “No, um, thank you,” she replied nervously. “I’m not staying. I really do have to get back.” The agony he felt at the mere thought of her leaving him, of being unprotected, was as unexpected as it was deep. It was like hitting a surprise swell in the boat and landing with a jarring crash on the surface of the water. “Well,” Robert said, smiling gently at her, “at least we should introduce ourselves. I’m Robert Molineaux. These are my brothers, Declan and Sean.” Declan nodded silently, but Sean piped up, “The pleasure’s all mine.” “Oh,” the woman said flatly. “Hello. I’m Ava Bell. I’m over on West Road, if you can tell me where that is from here.” “West Road?” Sean exclaimed. “That whole dirt road can’t have more than five old vacation houses along it, and they’re all empty after Labor Day.” “They are all empty,” Ava replied with a ghost of a smile. “I’m just staying in one of the cottages for a little bit.” Ava…Ava…Ava…all Declan could think of was what a beautiful name that was. Beautiful, ethereal, just like her. He wanted to take her

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in his arms, gently, carefully, and cradle her against him, feel her wrap her body around his as he sank kisses into her lips and learned her shape and softness. Desire stunned him, rendering him silent, and one glance at Robert showed that he knew his older brother felt the same way. Even Sean’s cockiness was flavored with an eagerness to please that he was pretty sure he had never seen before. She drew them to her, like the moon that could pull oceans across the world, like the moon that fired their blood. He could hardly dare to ask himself if she could be the one. It was too much to hope for, and yet, he had never felt this way before about any woman. Besides, there was the legend. He had never believed in it, but now, he couldn’t help but wonder. “Which cottage are you staying in?” Robert asked, a worried note in his voice. “It’s just a little guest cottage,” Ava replied evasively. She seemed so skittish about revealing anything about herself, and Declan suddenly found himself wanting to know why. In fact, he found he wanted to know everything about her, from the shape of her toes to the books that she liked, to the way she tasted. “You mean the White Farm cottage?” Sean demanded anxiously, and the name finally stung Declan’s brain back into working order. “You’re staying at White Farm?” he echoed, trying to keep the overpowering worry for her out of his voice. “Uh, yes,” Ava replied, eyeing them as though they had all lost it. Well maybe they had. Maybe they had all lost it to her. “Look, I just need directions back to the main road. I can walk from there.” “You’re not going back there,” Robert growled, and Declan shot him a warning look to tell him to keep the animal out of his voice. “Robert’s right,” Declan added quietly, but no less authoritatively. “There’s no way you are going to stay at White Farm.” Sean couldn’t seem to say anything, and Declan saw him shaking with the effort to keep from shifting right then and there.

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Ava pressed her lips together and gave them all a look of highly intelligent, independent anger. “I’m leaving now,” she said simply and coldly, then undid the bolt on the door and strode out into the fast-deepening twilight. “No!” All three men shouted together as they leaped after her. Declan caught her around the waist while Robert held her wrists and Sean caught her feet to keep her from kicking. Once they were all safely back inside and the door was bolted again, Declan released her. Instantly, she fled through the house, only to find herself cornered in the library where there was a brilliant blaze going in the fireplace but no other light. She grabbed an iron poker and held it like a baseball bat. Declan wondered where she learned that trick, as it was a far more practical way to be ready to swing than holding it out in front. Declan wondered where she had learned that trick. “You sick fucks stay away from me!” she snapped. Sean started toward her, anguish in his eyes, as if he wanted to embrace her and reassure her. Robert gripped his shoulder and held him back. “We are not here to hurt you,” Robert said, using the little voice trick he had that never failed to drive home his meaning. Ava shivered, but tightened her grip on the poker. She began to edge toward the window, and Declan saw at once that she was thinking of her chances of smashing the window and jumping through it before they caught her. “Ava, you’re safe here,” Sean pleaded, all his humorous arrogance gone. “Safer than you would be at White Farm. Please, trust us.” Declan watched as Ava didn’t move any further, but also didn’t put the poker down or relax in the slightest. In a way, he couldn’t blame her. After all, it was an honest question whether she was safer on a farm with Them or in a mansion full of werewolves.

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Chapter 3 Ava sat in Robert’s big leather wingback chair by the fire in the library, but she still kept the poker by her side. Robert sat across from her in the other wingback chair, and Sean could tell by the tweak of a smile at the corner of his lips that Robert was loving the fact that her scent would be all over his chair. Hell, Sean wanted her scent all over him! From the minute he saw her, standing so alone and lost at the edge of the dark forest, he wanted her. He wanted her, he wanted her, he wanted her—and not just for sex. He wanted her smile, her laugh, her soft breaths, every damn thing about her. His need for her was so intense that it almost physically hurt his heart. It certainly made sitting pretty damn uncomfortable, with his cock swollen and at full attention. He could tell that Robert and Declan were having the same issue, and he had to bite back a grin. They all wanted Ava, and that was a damn good sign. He hadn’t been crazy to believe in the legend, to have faith that it would come true, even if the other two had been so down and blue about it. “I clearly understand what you are telling me,” Ava was saying, sounding like a grown-up trying to explain to a toddler why cookies before dinner weren’t good. “But all you have really done is state over and over the fact that being at White Farm is dangerous for me. You haven’t told me why, despite my repeatedly asking you. So, either tell me, or let me go. Frankly, you should be glad I haven’t called 911 on you. Yet.” Sean was genuinely starting to like Ava, in addition to wanting her in every way a man could want a woman. She was smart. She was

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tough. She sounded very educated, just the way she spoke, the words she used, the confidence behind them. He found himself wanting to spend less time arguing with her about White Farm and more time finding out all about her. “You can’t call the police,” Robert said calmly. “The cell phone in your pocket is dead.” Ava jumped in her chair, a pungent spike of cinnamon fear filling the room. “What…” she sputtered. “How did you know? You’re just guessing. You can’t know for sure.” “I know that because you were in the woods,” Robert replied. “Nothing electronic ever works in the woods.” “My battery was low before I went out,” Ava said firmly. “It died because it ran out of power. Being in the woods had nothing to do with it.” “Don’t go in the woods again, Ava,” Declan said quietly. “Please.” “All right,” she snapped, standing up. “This has gone far enough. I have been patient. I have let you have your fun with your paranoia, but now, I’m tired. I’m hungry. I have things to do. I want to go home. So, who is going to drive me, as I don’t suppose there’s any cab companies around Blue Moon that wouldn’t take less than an hour to get here?” Sean froze as the shadows deep in the corners of the room seemed to coalesce, gathering into a strange, long column that looked almost like a human figure. The shadow figure moved toward Ava, its dark density withstanding even the firelight as it floated closer and closer until a tendril of shadow seemed to reach out to touch her hair. “I’ll drive you!” Sean shouted, jumping to his feet. To his relief, the shadow dispersed to simmer in the corners again. Robert and Declan looked startled. Ava jumped then stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

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“Uhhh, okay then,” she said, carefully edging toward the door, then turning and almost running out of the library to the front door. “We’ll cut through the woods and be there before you arrive,” Declan said. “We’ll take turns watching the cottage day and night until we can get her here,” Robert added. “We can’t let anything happen to her.” Just the idea of something hurting Ava made Sean’s throat constrict. “Lighten up,” Declan advised him, shaking his shoulder a little bit. “We all feel that way, but we can talk about it later. Right now, we have to get her to trust us. You’re the funny one. At least try to get her to like you, to relax a little around you.” A sense of relief at having something he could do to help and protect Ava washed through Sean, and he found himself grinning. “You mean use my natural charm and animal good looks to sweep her off her feet?” He chuckled. “Yeah, just don’t get carried away or she might give you a dog biscuit,” Robert said drily. “Bow wow,” Sean replied with a grin then ran to the front door to meet Ava and walk her to his car. **** Ava had meant to be silent. Silent, aloof, reserved, withdrawn, in high dudgeon. That was generally the best plan with chauvinistic nutcases. The only thing was that Sean Molineaux was so nice, she couldn’t help but smile. She also couldn’t help but sink into the heated leather seats of Sean’s SUV as they drove down the long gravel driveway to the road. The driveway passed through thick forest, giving her the sense that the mansion was like Sleeping Beauty’s castle, locked away from the world by an impenetrable wall of vines.

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“So, what brings you to Blue Moon?” Sean asked with a grin. “Tourist season is clearly over, unless you came for the rain.” “Actually,” Ava said, smiling a little, “I did come for the rain, in a way. I’m here to finish my dissertation. I’m afraid I dawdled over the summer, and now, it’s crunch time.” “Wow,” Sean exclaimed. “Dissertation? For a PhD? What’s the topic?” “Perceptions of and reactions to gender differences in demonic possession in seventeenth century New England.” Was it just her, or did Sean’s hands tighten on the steering wheel? It was too dark to tell for sure, but for a moment in the dim glow of the dashboard, his face seemed to grow tight and grim. She blinked, and it was gone. “Do you believe in that stuff?” he asked lightly, but this time, she was positive she heard the tension in his voice. “No.” She laughed. “Of course not. Demonic possession was a convenient way to explain social deviance and mental illness. Most of the unfortunate women who were executed during the Salem witch trials were either living outside the social norm or had property that someone else wanted. That set of criteria had a deep set of roots in European society, and it appears to have come over on the Mayflower along with the pilgrims and rats.” Ava stopped, biting her lip. She had a terrible habit of starting to sound professorial anytime anyone asked her a question. It was embarrassing for her and undoubtedly tiresome for the other person. It was definitely not the way to make a hit at a cocktail party, unless it was a party with academics. In which case, it was probably a shitty party to start with. Hell, it was definitely not the way to make friends. Not that she wanted to make friends with Sean. Far from it. No, she’d be happy if she never saw any of the Molineaux brothers again. Except that was a lie. Something she couldn’t explain had bloomed inside her. It was a feeling of ease and contentment that she had never experienced, even

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on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon with a glass of wine and a book. Being with these three strange men was like finally being home. She couldn’t explain it rationally, and that terrified her more than anything. Even if she did stay away from them, she knew she would be thinking of them, seeing their faces…their golden-amber eyes every minute of her day and night. “Have you ever considered the possibility that there might be something to all the hocus-pocus?” Sean asked, interrupting her thoughts and breaking the brief silence that had fallen on them. She looked out the window at the black wall of forest that lined the narrow, twisting road. She noted that they had turned left out of the driveway. “I get that question all the time because of my topic,” she replied. “It’s a natural and hopeful question because people seem to want desperately some kind of proof of magic or the afterlife. But, I’m a historian. You need a quantum physicist if you want to start talking about energy, time, and space, which are probably the root cause of what we think of as ‘paranormal activity.’ Personally, I am reserving judgment. I think science still has a lot to discover and demystify for us. Just like seven hundred years ago, we believed comets were omens from God, rather than billion-year-old chunks of ice hurtling through space. Both concepts are miraculous in their own way, but only one is grounded in fact.” Ava stopped abruptly, realizing she was doing it again. “Sorry,” she said. “I tend to get carried away. Common failing for academics. We’re smart, but terrible conversationalists.” “No,” Sean replied quietly. “I like to hear you talk. I could listen to you all day long and all ni…I’ve never met a woman like you before.” “You can’t throw a rock in Harvard Square without hitting one,” she said with a laugh. “I’m a dime a dozen in Cambridge.” “I think you’re pretty damn unique.”

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Was she hearing things? Was there really an animal-like growl in Sean’s voice? She shivered involuntarily, both fear and desire jolting through her body at the sound of power and possessiveness in his growl. No, it wasn’t a growl. It was probably just a frog in his throat. Still. No. No, she had to be sensible. Everything could be explained. “What road are we on?” she asked, hurriedly changing the subject. “Long Road,” Sean replied. “Unfortunately, Blue Moon was never very creative about street names. Long Road runs six miles from the turnoff of Route 73 to the water’s edge.” “Long Road?” Ava repeated, stunned. “But then, West Road is just at the end of it, right by the water!” “Yup, in about a half mile, we’ll be turning left onto West Road.” “Then your property backs up onto the forest behind White Farm?” There it was again, the quick tightening of his expression, the white knuckles on the steering wheel. “Yeah,” he replied with forced easiness. “We’re less than a mile from White Farm if you follow the path through the woods.” “But I did,” Ava exclaimed. Her voice trailing off as she tried to reconcile the fact she had left the cottage at 12:15 p.m. for a quick walk before lunch, and somehow, almost four hours had elapsed before she had emerged onto the lawn of the Molineaux estate. Losing track of time was one thing, but it hadn’t felt like she had been walking for hours and hours. She would have sworn that she had only been walking for maybe a half hour. She had only gotten lost when the path seemed to have disappeared into piles of dead leaves and mud, and she had tried to guess her way. Even so, the forest between the two properties was sandwiched between the sea and the houses. It simply couldn’t be big enough to get lost in for four hours! The lurch of the SUV as it turned left onto West Road and began bumping along the rutted dirt and gravel path brought her back to the present. The headlights threw beams of light straight ahead, but that

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only made the darkness on either side deeper, pressing in harder against the car. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to how absolutely dark it is out here at night,” she observed, trying to change the subject again. “In Boston, nighttime is just a little dimmer version of daylight. Here, the dark feels so…so thick. Impenetrable.” “I don’t like the dark, either,” Sean said, a strange, almost sad smile on his beautiful, sculpted mouth. “Afraid of the things that go bump in the night?” “Yes, and you should be, too.” Ava laughed. “I’m not joking. Don’t go out at night here.” “Oh, and what hobgoblin is going to come get me?” “Well, since you don’t believe in ghosts, how about bears, foxes, and wolves?” “Oh.” “Well, okay, some of the wolves around here are pretty tame, actually,” Sean amended with a laugh. “You don’t have to worry about them.” “I don’t have to worry about the wolves?” “Hey, wolves are just big dogs. Give them a cookie, and they’ll be yours for life.” “Right.” Sean laughed out loud as he pulled into the driveway of the cottage. He stopped the car, and Ava unhooked her seat belt. Before she could open the door and hop out for herself, Sean was pulling the door open and reaching in to help her get down. Wait, how had he gotten to her side of the car so fast? She hadn’t even noticed him get out. She certainly noticed him, though, when he reached in and picked her up in his arms to lift her out of the SUV. He was incredibly strong, lifting her as if she weighed nothing. His arms were unforgiving steel bands around her as he pressed her close to him. He

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was granite, every inch of him, and she could feel every inch against her body. Her heart fluttered frantically as her body slipped helplessly into heat and need. He was all man, and she could feel him hard against her hips. Her body was alive with tingling sensations and a throbbing between her legs as his erection pressed against her. His hand slipped up to cradle her cheek. She was caught by the light in his golden eyes, the way they seemed to burn like flames with an intensity that lay just below the surface of Sean Molineaux’s happy-go-lucky mask. “Ava,” he whispered, his voice caressing her name. Then he lowered his lips to hers.

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Chapter 4 At first, Ava tried to remember what the word for no was, to keep a firm grip on her logic, pragmatism, and defenses. This was a kiss, though, that left her speechless and thoughtless, longing for more and more of the feelings that were stirring in her body. Her blood pounded through her veins as Sean’s tongue darted past her lips and began to sweep and search her mouth. Every inch of her skin came alive, and she could feel the roughness of her jeans against her legs, the softer knit of her shirt against her back and arms, and the plain cotton of her bra against her breasts as her nipples tingled and hardened. Sean’s hand wandered from her waist, down around her hip, and came to rest, cupping her bottom as he pulled her tighter against him. Her pussy throbbed, jolted to life by his insistent erection that rubbed against her. Moisture seeped from her, soaking her panties and turning them damp and cold against her. “Ava…” Another voice breathed her name, and she felt another pair of arms wrap around her and pull her into an embrace. She opened her eyes, confused and drugged by the sudden onslaught of her long-repressed sensuality. Was she seeing things, or was it Declan who was kissing her now? The slight stubble on his face raked against her cheeks, burning slightly but deliciously, causing just enough pain to enhance the pleasure. Wait, what was she doing? No, this was wrong, she shouldn’t be doing this. She had to get back in control here. This was ridiculous. No. She had to remember she wasn’t good at this sort of thing, and certainly not the kind of woman who went around kissing two…oh God, now three men…

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Her lips were swollen and hungry for more kisses, and this time, she saw as Robert slipped into Declan’s place and kissed her deeply, his tongue dueling with hers and short-circuiting all her protests. Somewhere, she heard a door open, and she felt herself lifted around the waist and carried inside where it was cold, but the wind at least couldn’t get at her anymore. Robert hadn’t stopped kissing her, and now Declan came to stand behind her. Dear God, she felt two men’s cocks pressing into her, one in front and one behind. Declan’s hands were warm as he ran them up and down her sides then brought them up to cup her breasts. She gasped into Robert’s kiss, shocked by both the men’s boldness and her own wanton desire that was taking over any rational thought she had. All she knew was that this felt so good, so strangely right, she wondered if she would lose her mind or pass out from the pleasure. “Oh, so beautiful,” Robert murmured against her lips. “She’s perfect,” Declan agreed, gently beginning to knead her breasts, thumbing her nipples through her shirt and bra. “Let’s warm it up in here,” Sean said, kneeling by the fireplace as he started a blaze in the hearth. He came back over to where she stood between his brothers and took her hand and brought it to his mouth. He began to kiss each fingertip and lightly suckle them. He dropped a kiss in her palm then ran his tongue over her lines, like an erotic fortuneteller. Each touch of his tongue to her hand drove shivers through all of her nerves. Her toes curled in her boots, and her sex began to clench reflexively, weakly trying to work itself to a climax. “We…we shouldn’t do this.” She gasped as Declan and Sean pulled off her coat, and Robert brought his fingers down to the buttons on her jeans. “Do you want us to stop, sweetheart?” Declan chuckled, slipping his hands under her shirt and running his fingers over her hypersensitized skin, stopping just short of her bra.

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Yes. “No,” she moaned, and it took her a moment to realize that she had said the wrong word. How could she be doing this? Three men when she hadn’t been on a date in three years? Or was it five years? Oh hell, how was she supposed to remember anything when three incredibly sexy men were toying with her clothes? “We want you,” Robert growled, yanking her against him by her waistband as his fingers deftly undid the buttons on the front of her jeans. “We need you.” He kissed the corner of her mouth then nipped at her bottom lip. She swallowed a moan at the sensation of his teeth scraping against her lips. Finished with the buttons, Robert slipped his hands down her jeans, sliding between her panties and her skin to grab her bottom, working the warm flesh in his hands and pulling her tightly against his cock. Declan and Sean pulled off her shirt and switched places as Sean now pressed himself against her back, his cock throbbing against her ass. Declan knelt down and quickly untied her boots and got them off her feet, peeling off her thick, woolen socks. The fire was blazing in the hearth now, filling the room with a heat that matched Ava’s own burning need. She felt like she was floating, tortured and tempted by a hundred hands and mouths. What was happening to her? She was being stripped naked by three men who made it clear they wanted her…and she wanted them just as much! Her mind reeled, ricocheting between shock at herself and a fierce lust that wouldn’t let her say no to anything. It was a primal pull that was inexorable and inevitable, a pull that was twining its way around every part of her body and making her heart race. God, she was getting so wet, and she was aching to be touched, to be filled. Declan stood up and pulled down the straps of her bra. He brushed her shoulder with his lips while Sean teased her ear, making her jerk and shudder with the spikes and spasms of need that were building in her breasts and her pussy. She needed them! Damn it!

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“I have to taste these,” Declan said, gently and with torturous slowness pulling down her bra. He unhooked the front clasp and tossed it aside, leaving her bare from the waist up. “Perfect little tits,” he breathed, bringing his mouth to one breast. He swirled his tongue around her nipple then bit it gently, sending shock waves of pleasure straight down to her pussy. She bucked against Robert who groaned and leaned in to flick at her other nipple with his tongue. Sean reached around with his hands and held her breasts out, offering them to Declan and Robert who sucked, nipped, nibbled, and flicked at her nipples. “I know what else I want to taste,” Sean panted, pulling her away from the others and bringing her to the thick bearskin rug before the fireplace. Ava moaned as her wet nipples hardened even more when exposed to the cold air. She wanted their mouths on her again. She was getting so close to a climax. She didn’t think she could bear it any longer. Sean laid her down gently on the rug while Robert took off his coat and made a pillow for her head out of it. Declan stretched out alongside her and began to tease and taste her nipples. She reached up to touch Declan, only to find Robert grabbing her wrists and holding them above her head as he laid down on the other side of her and attacked her other nipple. Somehow, being so helpless and exposed was exciting instead of terrifying. Ava felt so good, so right with these three men. She wasn’t anybody or anything in that moment except the object of their desire, and it was an amazing sensation that she never wanted to end. Sean tugged off her jeans, leaving just her panties on. “Oh man,” he said. “I don’t know if I can do this slow.” “Tease her,” Declan said around her nipple. “You know you want her to be crazy for your mouth.” “I wanna use more than my mouth.” “We all do,” Robert said, and Ava could feel his grin against her breast. “We’re all going to fill that sweet pussy. Now show it to us!”

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Sean looked at her, and she saw both lust and something more in his eyes. Something she would have called reverence if she could have believed it herself. All she could really think of, though, was the tiny triangle of fabric that kept her last secret hidden from them. Slowly, Sean began to pull her panties down, and she felt his fingers and the scrape of elastic against her skin. Then, he yanked them all the way down, and it was done. She was completely naked in front of three fully dressed men, and she loved it. “Jesus, she’s wet,” Sean panted as he knelt down and lowered his lips to her pussy. His tongue immediately went for her sensitive nub, flicking at it, and then he sucked on it, slowly, rhythmically, driving her to the point where she felt everything would explode. “Ah, don’t stop!” she cried out when he raised his head. He grinned at her and instead slipped two fingers into her slit. She was so unused to anything trying to get in down there that it was almost painful to be stretched like that. “Fucking hell, she’s tight, too!” Sean exclaimed. “She’s milking my fingers.” “Please, please,” Ava moaned, unable to think of the rest of the words to beg for release. Her whole body was tingling and sensitive, and every flick of tongue on her nipples made her clit throb but didn’t bring her to the edge where she could just jump off into bliss. “God, I gotta get in her,” Sean said, freeing his cock. It was huge and rigid, bigger than anything Ava had ever seen. She licked her lips, unable to resist it. “Hang on, baby,” he said to her. “You’re so tight, this might hurt a little, but it’s gonna feel good. Okay, baby? I’m gonna make it so good for you.” Ava nodded, no longer able to speak. She felt Sean spreading her pussy lips, and then the head of his cock against her slit. Slowly, he pushed in. He was right. It did hurt, but it also felt so good. It made her feel full and satisfied in a way that touching herself never had. She squeezed her eyes shut to feel more of the sensation and opened

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her mouth to cry out in want as he pulled almost all the way out before plunging into her again. Another cock touched her lips as she opened her mouth, and she saw Robert holding his cock out for her, as big and swollen as Sean’s. Without another thought, Ava put her lips around his cock and began to suck, swirling her tongue around the crown and pulling as much of it as she could into her mouth. She needed this, to feel filled from all ends. Declan still played with her nipples, only now, he freed one of her hands so that it could wrap around his cock. It was almost too big for her to get her hand around, but she stroked it and rubbed it teasingly, reverently. She was now without thought, simply reveling in her wantonness and the pleasure that was consuming her, nerve by nerve. “Fuck!” Robert exclaimed, his voice tight and strained. “You had better hurry up, Sean. Her mouth is so damn good, I’m going come in it if she keeps it up.” The thought of swallowing his seed or having it squirted over her face should have been gross, but instead, in this moment, it was intensely exciting and arousing. Instantly, she wanted Robert and Declan to come on her, all over her, her breasts, her face, her pussy, and she throbbed helplessly and without relief at the thought. Sean pounded into her with his cock, each stroke pushing her higher and tighter against the edge. He came, almost growling and snapping like a wild animal. He pulled out and sat back gasping, and Declan took his place, easily sliding into her now and digging into her pussy with his long, thick cock. His movements were smoother and longer than Sean’s, setting a different pace for Ava’s pleasure throbs. She was almost in pain from not being able to come yet, being kept on the brink of ecstasy, unable to release. “Please.” She gasped as she teased Robert’s shaft with kisses. “I need to…please…”

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“Oh, sweetheart,” Declan groaned. “You will. Trust me, you will. Oh damn, you are still so tight and hot. I’ve never felt anything like this before.” Declan gripped her hips, raising them off the floor and grinding himself into her in a way that almost brushed her clit. Sean came over and began to suckle her breasts again, teasing them with calloused fingers that were rough and caught on her soft skin, driving her crazy with the sensations. Robert fisted his hand in her hair, and he held her head still as he moved his cock in and out of her mouth, going a little deeper than she had taken him and making her feel amazingly erotic and desirable. Her body jerked as Declan climaxed and shook her as he emptied himself into her. Like a dream, she felt him slip out of her and move to her other side to take up licking and biting her nipple as Robert slammed his cock into her. “Now, you’re gonna come, love,” Robert said with a growl, bestowing sharp little bites on her nipples. He ground himself into her, and with his hand he began to stroke her clit with long, steady caresses. She felt the rhythm of her pleasure building, spurred to higher and more jagged peaks as Sean kissed her deeply, his tongue invading her mouth and demanding her surrender, and Declan unrelentingly biting and pinching her nipples. Everywhere were fingers and mouths, touching her, teasing her, taking her where they wanted her to go…where she desperately wanted to go now. “Come, love,” Robert panted as he pinched her clit hard, holding on to her hips with his other hand and slamming into her. Ecstasy broke through her, shattering her nerves like a million bits of glass, sharp and clear. She cried out helplessly over and over again as the waves of pleasure kept coming because none of them would stop touching or stroking her, even as Robert came with a roar and a shudder.

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Her heart raced and jerked, as if being pulled at by invisible strings…three strings that pulled her to the three men around her. Finally, the tide of pleasure turned and gently ebbed out, leaving her stunned, sated, and sleepy. She felt pillows and blankets being wrapped around her as she floated in a pink, fuzzy bliss. Two warm bodies cradled her on either side, as the blaze in the hearth settled to a warm, steady burn. Dimly, she heard a voice say, “I’ll take first watch,” and the others murmur assent. One of the strings of her heart seemed to stretch, to grow taut with a sudden distance, but, by that point, everything was fading softly and slowly into an easy, simple darkness where everything was finally right in her world.

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Chapter 5 The sky was still heavy and gray, but the first hint of sunrise had faded the inky black night into a sharp blue light. Robert could see his breath as he ran up the path from the woods to the cottage where his lovely Ava slept. He could hardly wait to see her, and it had been with extreme reluctance that he had left her side during the night at all, but when Declan had come back, cold and grim faced from his patrol, he knew that he had to go out there to keep Them from getting to Ava. He had sensed the change in the air the moment the earth spun day over the night. The oppression of the darkness and the presence of Them had ebbed, leaving behind only an uneasy mist over the frostcrisp ground. He stopped behind the woodshed to shift back to his human form and quickly throw on his clothes before continuing on to the little white guest cottage. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw the huge, rambling white farmhouse that stood next to the woods. All the shutters were closed on all three stories and all along the wings of the house. He breathed a sigh of relief that Ava was at least in the cottage and not in the main house. That would have been unbearable. It was bad enough that she was here and not safely with them, but the idea of her left unprotected in that damn farmhouse scared the shit out of him. He approached the cottage and quietly let himself in, the pressure his heart felt from being apart from her easing as he drew nearer to his Ava. He felt cramped in the small space. It was one large room, with an old kitchenette, a small table and chairs in a dining nook, and then a tiny living room with a battered old sofa, a rocking chair, and a

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faded easy chair by a fireplace. Even the huge bearskin rug in front of the hearth seemed too big for this little room. There were two small bookshelves filled with moldy paperbacks, probably left behind from various summer vacations, some old crockery on the mantel, and a tiny television on a stand. He noticed there was a satellite box. Probably there had been a satellite dish installed somewhere by the farmhouse. Yet, while he and his brothers were almost too big for this cottage and filled the space with their large bodies, it was perfect for small, delicate Ava. His heart beat faster as he thought of her desire-drunk eyes and the sensation of being buried inside her, the tremendous connection he felt to her now. Was what he felt love? He couldn’t answer that yet. He’d never truly loved any woman. All he knew was that since the moment she walked out of the woods, his entire existence had shifted, tilting on a new axis that bent his whole being toward her. She had to be the one. Sean turned from the counter where he was brewing up a pot of coffee. The bitter smell was warm and inviting after being out in the predawn cold. “Everything settled?” Sean asked quietly. “Yes,” Robert replied. “Is she still sleeping?” A tender smile touched Sean’s lips as he nodded. “Declan is in there with her, keeping her warm. I thought she’d want some breakfast when she wakes up.” “She’s going to want more than breakfast,” Robert said ruefully. “She’s going to want answers.” “She won’t believe the answers we give her. She’s not ready.” “We have to tell her some of it.” Sean nodded glumly then poked his head into the fridge. He brightened up as he emerged with eggs and bacon. “I like a girl who likes bacon,” he announced with a grin. Robert grinned back. Thank goodness for Sean’s unfailing good humor. He had kept Robert and Declan afloat for years after the

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reality of their curse had settled in on them, dragging them down into a bottomless despair. There was a crash in the bedroom, followed by a muffled cry from Declan and a sharp, “What the fuck?” from Ava, and both he and Sean ran to the bedroom, only to see Ava scrambling to stand up, frantically wrapping the quilt around her. She looked up at them, and terror and anger and humiliation were written all over her sweet face. Robert’s breath caught in his throat. His cock sprang to life at the sight of her, half draped in a faded homemade quilt, her slate gray-brown hair hanging loosely over her bare shoulders. He was almost crazy with the need to kiss her luscious mouth and inhale her frantic breaths. Declan sat up, holding his head in one hand and the alarm clock that had evidently been thrown at him in the other. During the night, he and his brothers had carried her into the bedroom so she wouldn’t be stiff and sore from sleeping on the floor, tucking her in carefully against the chill in the room, despite the fire blazing in the living room. “Get out,” she said fiercely, and Robert’s heart ached to see tears welling up in her eyes. “All of you, get out!” “Ava, please,” Sean said gently, holding out his hand to her. “Please, let us explain.” “I don’t think there’s anything to explain,” she snapped, then bit her bottom lip before the sob in her voice could spill out. “We know it was a lot for you last night,” Declan pleaded, putting down the alarm clock and getting out of bed. “But, it wasn’t what you think.” “It wasn’t just sex,” Robert said, mentally adding that it was the best, most amazing, most meaningful, important sex of his life. “We don’t just want you for a one-night stand or a fling,” Sean chimed in. “This is more than that.”

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“You all are crazy,” Ava whispered, shrinking back from them as Sean took a step toward her. “Please, you got what you wanted, now leave.” “We will leave,” Robert said, “but, first, you have to hear us out. If after that, you still want us to leave, we’ll go.” “There is no bargaining here!” Ava cried, her shoulders starting to shake. “I’m sorry if I led you all on last night, but what happened is…is done and over. I don’t want to talk about it, and I don’t want to see you, any of you, ever again.” Robert couldn’t stand it any longer as the tears spilled out of her eyes and rolled in great raindrops down her pale cheeks. He crossed the room in three strides and wrapped her in his arms. She struggled against him, but couldn’t do much as she was trying to hold up the quilt around her body. In a second, Sean and Declan were there beside them, picking up the rest of the quilt and wrapping it around her, stroking her hair, kissing her shoulders and rubbing her back, and Robert held her tightly to him. Ava broke down in gut-wrenching sobs, each cry like a knife to his gut. This was all going so wrong, suddenly! They were supposed to make her happy, make her fall in love with them, and so far, she feared and mistrusted them to the point of trying to recoil from their touch. “Hush, sweetheart, shhhh,” Declan murmured, rubbing her back and smoothing out her hair. “It’s all going to be okay. You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be afraid of.” Robert listened to Declan’s words, grateful for his brother’s insight. He would never have guessed that part of Ava’s anguish was from believing she had done something bad, something deviant. He watched as Sean grabbed a pair of Ava’s jeans, a top for her, and some underwear and sped to the bathroom where he heard the shower start running. He marveled at how she brought them all into perfect

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balance finally, with Sean’s humor and energy, Declan’s patience and insight, and his strength and ferocity. “Come on, sweetheart,” Declan said, nodding at Robert to release her to Declan’s arms. “Sean’s got a nice hot shower for you.” “I’m showering alone!” She hiccupped between sobs. “Yes, Ava, absolutely,” Declan reassured her. “Come on.” Fifteen minutes later, showered and dressed, Ava sat rigidly at the table as Robert put a cup of coffee in front of her, and Sean slid eggs and bacon onto her plate. “Eat while it’s hot, baby,” Sean said with a grin. “Cold eggs are worse than remorse in the morning.” “This isn’t funny,” Ava snapped. “You have five minutes to tell me what you insist on believing I need to hear from you, and then you are all leaving.” Robert and Declan sat on either side of her while Sean leaned against the counter. Robert reached out to touch her face, something in his heart breaking as she flinched and pulled away. Declan tried to cover her hand with his, and his eyes were tortured when she yanked her hand back. “Don’t touch me,” she snapped. “Just talk.” “Eat, and we’ll talk,” Robert ordered. She shot him a cringe-inducing glare that made him feel like a barbarian for ordering her around, but damn it, she needed to eat! Instead of eating, she took a sip of coffee, as if to spite him. “What happened last night was…” Declan’s voice trailed off as he searched for the right words. “Amazing!” supplied Sean with an enthusiasm that seemed to make Ava cringe. “Was good and right for so many reasons.” Declan finished his sentence and shot a warning look at Sean to shut the hell up. “Believe me, Ava. We are not perverts or into swinging or orgies or anything like that. That was new for us, as well. I am sorry it happened so

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quickly, before we had a chance to tell you things you should have known first.” Ava paled, and her hand holding the coffee mug shook so badly that Robert had to grab it before coffee went everywhere. He held it to her lips for her, but she turned her face away. Every wolf instinct in him howled to bring her into line with him, to love her until she surrendered and submitted to him, to being his mate, his soul mate, his to care for and protect. He had to take a deep breath to calm the wolf and reassert his humanity. “It’s not what you think,” Declan said quickly. “We didn’t use protection, but we don’t have anything you need to worry about. All of that is fine, okay? Don’t worry about that.” Even Robert could read the look on her face as she glared worriedly at Declan, now, clearly concerned about the other consequences of not using protection. He prayed to God that one of their seed had taken root in her, though he didn’t have much faith that it would have happened so quickly after just one night. “Look,” Declan said, “what we really needed to tell you is why we are so worried about you staying here at White Farm.” “Finally,” Ava muttered, and Sean grinned tenderly at her. “It’s because of Them,” Declan said softly. “Because of whom?” Ava asked, looking confused. “Them,” Declan repeated. “Them?” “Yes.” “What are…they, er, Them?” she asked suspiciously. “Well…” Declan hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “No one is quite sure. The general consensus is that we’re talking about demons.” Ava stared at him for a minute, then broke into hysterical laughter. Robert grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her to him, and his gesture startled her out of her laughing fit.

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“This is real, Ava,” he snapped, overwhelming, gut-churning fear for her making him gruff. “Whatever they are, they have hurt people. They have killed people. This isn’t just some delusion we’re talking about. Everyone in this town knows about Them. Everyone has experienced something, and you can’t tell me a whole town can be full of paranoid schizophrenics!” “Salem, 1692,” Ava shot back, lifting her chin. “Check your bread for mold, boys, or check your heads for xenophobia, isolationism, or mass hysteria. This shit isn’t real!” “Yesterday, you said you reserved judgment on whether it was real or not,” Sean said, coming to kneel down by her chair and tenderly take her hand in his, tightening his grip on it when she tried to pull it away. “Why are you so open to being a skeptic and so closeminded about the possibility that this is real?” “Touché, Mr. Molineaux,” she said icily. “But let’s talk probabilities here. It’s far more probable that the root cause of all this is something based in science rather than some hocus-pocus, especially given that historically, the majority of hocus-pocus has proven to have a clear, factual, empirical explanation.” “I’m not saying it doesn’t,” Sean replied. “But, just because we can’t explain it now doesn’t mean it’s not real right here, right now.” Ava fell silent, looking suspiciously at the three of them. “So, what if this is all real?” she asked finally. “What does any of that have to do with me?” Declan leaned in and brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek, causing all kinds of ripples and shivers to run deep in her belly. “Because, honey,” he said, “the center of all of it is right here on White Farm.”

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Chapter 6 Except for the fact she knew she was absolutely awake, Ava could have sworn that this was a nightmare. The events of the last eighteen hours seemed impossible, that she would get lost in the woods, meet three men, have sex with them, and then sit at her kitchen table listening to them tell her that ghosts and demons existed. She felt so much, thought so much—too much. She didn’t know where one feeling ended and another thought began. She rubbed her face with her hands and took a deep breath. “So,” she said as evenly as she could, “White Farm is haunted?” “Yes,” Declan replied. He stood up and lifted her up from her chair, sliding onto it and settling her on his lap. She knew she should want to get off him, to sit by herself, but she also couldn’t deny that some part of the tug on her heart eased when he wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her to his chest. Robert took her hands, and Sean dragged a chair over, plopping down next to her and keeping a reassuring hand on her knee. Their closeness was comforting in a way that she couldn’t explain, filling an emptiness inside her she had refused to acknowledge existed. It was probably just the aftershock of what she had done that made her feel this way, and hopefully, it would go away as soon as they left. “Haunted by demons,” she confirmed, unable to keep the sarcasm wholly out of her voice. “And a ghost,” Sean added seriously. “Just one ghost?” She half laughed. “This one is quite enough to deal with,” Robert replied.

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If only she could wake up, or rewind time. All of this would go away. She’d go back to editing chapter six of her dissertation and working her way through a particularly sticky discussion of gender construction based on social deviation. “So,” she said, fighting back the edge of mild hysteria, “this ghost, are we talking the clear, luminous figure that shows up in photographs, or a good, old-fashioned white sheet with clanking chains?” “Goody Barrows,” Robert said. “Born 1672, disappeared 1696.” “You mean died?” “No,” Robert said. “I mean disappeared.” “Now, that’s silly,” Ava replied, slipping into the refuge of practical analysis discussion. “There’s no such thing as disappeared. She could have run off, gone to sea, died in the woods, been eaten by a bear or a wolf or something.” “The wolves here would never have touched her,” Sean shot back, curling his lips in distaste. Ava ignored his blatantly silly remark, though she was surprised by the ferocity of his conviction. “Goody Barrows walked into the woods on November 21, 1696,” Robert conceded. “She never returned.” “Then her death should be marked as circa November 22, 1696,” Ava replied coolly. “That’s just faulty genealogical record keeping, not uncommon in early New England.” “No,” Declan said. “The records are very precise that she disappeared.” “Really?” Ava said, curious despite herself. “Why is that?” “Because Eve Barrows was a witch,” Sean said. “Ohhh.” She exhaled, feeling on much steadier ground now. This was easy. Hell, this was her dissertation. “Then it’s quite simple. She ran off with another man. To save the family, which was probably quite prominent or wealthy, from public embarrassment, they labeled her a witch and said she ‘disappeared.’”

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“No,” Robert said firmly, and there was something odd about the way he said it that made her stiffen and involuntarily accept his word as truth. Ava had noticed that he had that effect on her yesterday, but she had written it off as her own nerves. Now, she was a bundle of nerves, but she was pretty sure that she was in control enough to be able to observe that something about Robert’s voice made her react in a way that was almost…submissive. “No,” he repeated, normally now. “Eve Barrows was a witch, and she disappeared. Those are facts.” “Bullshit,” Ava snapped, beginning to lose her patience with the three of them, though for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to want to move from their arms and their touch. “There has not been one truly empirical, scientific study that absolutely proves the existence of so-called magical abilities. Even parapsychology can’t agree on the definitive existence of extrasensory perception in the brain. Besides, people simply do not disappear. That’s a fact for you.” “You are being obtuse.” Robert growled, and there was no mistaking it. There was an actual growl behind his voice. What the hell? Even the other brothers seemed to notice it, and Sean even put his hand on Robert’s shoulder as if to restrain him. “You are being willfully deceived into believing something is probable when it isn’t even possible!” Ava barked back. Robert jumped up from his chair, his tall frame filling the space to the brim. He ran his fingers through his thick, black hair and grunted in frustration. “Listen to the rest of the story, Ava,” Sean said as Declan stroked her back as if to calm her down. “Think about it as a story if you need to, but just hear it out. After all, you’d be a shitty historian if you didn’t want to get all the pieces of the story before judging it, right?” Ava decided right then and there that she hated Sean Molineaux’s ability to turn her words on her, but she was big enough to admit that he was right. She didn’t have to be happy about it, though. She pressed her lips together tightly and nodded.

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“Okay,” Sean said, relief in his voice. “So, Eve Barrows was a witch. The townsfolk didn’t know it at first. She came up from Salem as a child with her parents and younger sister Eliza, and she had grown up here in Blue Moon. Everything about her seemed normal. She married Ezra Barrows when she was twenty-two. He built White Farm for her. The house you see now has been expanded on quite a bit, but the main living room and the attic bedroom above it form the original building. When she was twenty-four, Ezra died.” Ava nodded silently. So far, so normal. “Ezra Barrows was buried, but not in the church graveyard,” Sean continued. “He was buried somewhere here on the property.” “Why?” Ava asked, startled. “Because he was murdered.” “Wait!” she exclaimed. “How do you know that?” “It’s a fact,” Sean replied grimly. “Eve Barrows held no funeral for him, no church service, no viewing of the body, vigil or anything. She didn’t even have a coffin made. She claimed to have buried him herself. A week later, she walked into the woods, never to return.” “That’s bizarre,” Ava murmured, her mind spinning with the analysis of the story. “But, not impossible. She could have dug the grave and dragged his body to it, dumping it in there without a coffin.” “That’s probably what she did, though, no one knows for sure. However, Ezra’s shade appeared to Aristide Molineaux, a French immigrant from Quebec who had recently settled in the area, in fact, who owned the neighboring property to White Farm. They had been good friends in life, despite the barriers of Aristide’s broken English and Ezra’s nonexistent French, and despite the fact that the Molineaux were wealthy French nobility and the Barrows were plain Blue Moon farm folk.” Okay, so far, as a story, this didn’t seem too off base. It followed the lines of other New England ghost stories with elements of the immigrant French Canadian culture and Puritan fear of witchcraft.

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Ava was more intrigued and less freaked out than she thought she’d be. “Ezra’s shade appeared to Aristide, telling him that Eve had summoned dark things to serve her, that they had taken possession of her, that darkness now threatened to destroy every soul in Blue Moon.” Sean’s voice grew rough, almost a…a growl? “Ezra told Aristide that he placed a death bequest upon him, charging him and his three sons to live as protectors of the town from now until the moment a Barrows should return to undo the evil done, to return ashes to ashes and dust to dust.” Pinpricks of resonance ricocheted through Ava’s brain, points that she knew she needed to be aware of, but that were too fleeting to hold on to, slipping through her fingers to dance around in darting, distracting patterns. Sean stopped speaking, and the silence fell heavily on all of them. Ava looked blankly out the big picture window of the front room, down the grassy slope to the rocks by the water’s edge. The sky hung gray and pregnant with rain. Awareness exploded inside her. “Molineaux brothers?” she exclaimed. “You’re descended from Aristide Molineaux?” “Yes, sweetheart,” Declan said, smiling almost sadly. “Well, that’s quite a family story,” she said, trying to pull her scattered mind together and force logical patterns. “The legend must feel especially real to you, especially since you all live in Blue Moon and are three brothers, just like the original Molineaux sons.” “We are the first generation since then that has three Molineaux sons,” Robert said gruffly, standing stiffly at the window, looking out at the ocean. “Huh,” Ava said, smiling a little. It was a fascinating old legend, and she wouldn’t mind learning more about it, maybe a little side project from her dissertation. She could probably get a paper out of it

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and publish in time for next fall’s “Colonial American Historians Association Conference” in San Diego. Now, the brothers’ seemingly odd sense of conviction about all of this made sense. Even their house…their house! “How old is the house you live in?” she asked. “It was built in 1697,” Declan said with a chuckle. “The original manor house burnt to the ground three nights after Ezra appeared to Aristide.” Ava bit her lip to keep from laughing. Aristide was obviously a little off kilter, probably a trait that had passed down through the generations to these guys. He probably torched his own manor, maybe not even knowing he did it. Suddenly, the desire to laugh died. What if he had done just that and hadn’t known he was doing it? If something dark had made him do it? No, ridiculous. That was a stupid thought. No more of it. No, the story was a story. A good one with publishing potential, and it had helped take her mind off the more immediate problem of what to do about the three men she had slept with. Now that she was calm, she needed to deal with that. “Well,” she said, struggling for a way to open what promised to be an awkward conversation, “thanks for the story, and the coffee, and the breakfast, and…uh…last night, but, unfortunately, I have things to do today.” She wanted to stand up, well, no. She didn’t want to stand up, but she knew she needed to. “Spend the day with us,” Sean said, his golden-amber eyes darkening. “Let us show you around, spend time with you.” “That’s very sweet,” she replied, blushing and feeling her heart beat a little faster with unnamed feelings. “But, I really can’t. I need to go do things.” Robert suddenly turned and came back to his chair, grasping her hands almost painfully tight.

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“Promise you won’t go in the woods, Ava,” he demanded harshly, but with an unmistakable note of fear. “Well, not today at least,” she replied as lightly as she could. “My cell phone battery needs to charge up again.” “Never without us,” Robert insisted. Ava felt her jaw tighten, even though her heart tugged toward Robert, toward his roughness and command. She wasn’t going to be ordered around by any man. Ever again. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep,” she said flatly. “And, I’m sorry, but you guys are not seeming to get the point that I’ve been trying to make as nicely as I can. Where I go and what I do is just not any of your concern. What happened last night was…well, it was. It happened. I can’t take it back. I never meant to lead anyone on. I never do this sort of thing, and well, I can’t see it happening again, no matter—” Ava’s words got swallowed by Declan’s full kiss on her lips. His mouth demanded hers, hungry, plundering with his tongue as she fought herself to keep from responding. That was a losing battle, though, as she felt a hundred thousand nerve points ignite in her body. Then, there were the hands again, hands that slid up her knees to her waist to undo the buttons of her jeans. Sean’s fingers slipped beneath her panties to touch her slit that was already growing wet. His thumb teasingly brushed her clit, causing her to squirm on Declan’s lap, his cock rock hard against her bottom in a way that felt deliciously bad and naughty. Robert leaned in, running his hands up under her shirt, pulling it with them until her bra was exposed. Deftly, he pushed it aside and lowered his lips to one breast while his hand played with the other nipple. It was so much sensation everywhere, all at once. Every part of her was rocked by violent need. The need raced through her veins and mixed with her blood until she could no more do without the three brothers than she could do without air to breathe.

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Declan’s tongue punished her mouth as he devoured her, sucking the very breath of her life into his lungs, leaving her gasping and panting and wanting more. Sean drove his fingers inside her, first one, then two, then stretching her with three as his thumb began to press and stroke against her nub. Between Sean’s thumb and Robert’s mouth and hand, Ava felt like she was going to climax in every part of her body. Robert teethed her nipples, biting them then licking them in a painful, sweet torture that made her buck her hips against Sean’s hand to seek relief from the growing need for release. Declan’s kisses kept her drowning in senselessness, and he wrapped his fingers around her throat, not squeezing but holding her firmly in place, making her feel frighteningly fragile and incredibly, erotically vulnerable. Ava thought she would pass out from too much pleasure building without release. She needed to come, and the wordless silence that enveloped them made the experience all the more intense. Declan bit her lip at the same moment as Robert bit one nipple and pinched the other, and as Sean pinched her clit. She shattered, crying out into Declan’s mouth, bucking and shuddering as they kept touching, biting and stroking her, stretching the waves of pleasure to an almost painful extreme. Gasping, she floated back from the mindless high into Declan’s arms and Sean’s kisses and Robert’s caresses. Her clothes were rearranged as she sleepily leaned in comfortably against Declan’s chest. She felt herself lifted and carried then set down on what she thought was the sofa. She could hear the crackle of crumpling paper and the snap of kindling as fire caught on the paper and wood in the hearth. She drifted blissfully, even though some part of her was aware she needed to get up and do things. Blankets covered her, and pillows were slipped under her head. Three kisses touched her cheek, and she sensed the loss of Robert, Declan, and Sean’s presence as they slipped away.

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“Don’t go into the woods, Ava,” Robert said, his soft growl the last thing she heard before she slipped away into warmth and darkness.

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Chapter 7 “What was up with you in there?” Sean snapped, smacking Robert on the arm as they got in the SUV in front of the cottage. Declan had already stripped down and shifted, and he was busy sniffing out the perimeter of the cottage. Sean knew he’d stay there until tonight, when Robert would take over. His insides warmed at the thought that it hadn’t even been twentyfour hours since Ava had walked into his life, but now, he couldn’t imagine life without her. It wasn’t just the sex. She was smart, damn smart, and that was so damn sexy. None of the other girls he’d ever been with had been as smart as Ava. Or as beautiful. Or as desirable. Or had such a hold over his heart as she did. She had to be the one. None of it was going to work, though, if Robert kept behaving like an asshole. Robert didn’t answer him, and Sean threw him a grin. “Come on, bro,” he said. “I can’t help it,” Robert said between clenched teeth. “Just the thought of her in danger makes me see red. Literally. Red.” “I gotcha,” Sean replied, the engine roaring to life as he backed down the dirt path and onto the gritty road. “But, you gotta rein it in. You’re going to scare her off.” “She won’t listen to us. She’s going to put herself in danger, and I won’t let her.” “None of us are going to let her,” Sean said patiently. “Dude, you also have to stop growling around her. You’re going to give us away before we have a chance to explain us to her.” Robert ran his hand through his hair and sighed, then laughed ruefully.

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“Okay, little brother.” He chuckled. “I will be on my best behavior until we can explain everything to Ava.” He sobered. “What if she’s not the one?” “She has to be,” Sean said firmly. “Grace will know. We’ll ask her.” “You really believe, don’t you?” “I always have.” Robert smiled, and Sean grinned as he turned onto Long Road. **** At first, Ava woke up, feeling amazing. Every muscle in her body was relaxed. She was warm and content, blissful, in fact. Pink fuzziness filled her brain, and she stretched luxuriously until she hit the end of the couch. Then, it all came back, along with her own personal black cloud of anger and humiliation…and the ache in her heart that was almost physically palpable. What had she done? Not even twelve hours after having sex with three men, she had done it again? Let three men touch her and explore her body to bring her to, well, an amazing climax. Still. This was not her. She couldn’t believe it. Sloughing off the blanket that covered her—they must have put it on her—she got to her feet and went to the bathroom. Looking in the small mirror over the sink, she studied her face. No, she was the same Ava Bell, Harvard PhD candidate in American History. The same dark-brown eyes. The same brown hair with the slate gray cast to it. The same quirk of the eyebrows and skeptical twist of her lips, or maybe her mouth always looked skeptical because she only saw it when she looked in the mirror and never liked what she saw. Too pale, too pinched, not pretty. Not ugly, but not pretty. Memories of what Robert, Declan, and Sean had told her of the ghost story of White Farm bubbled to the surface, and for a moment, she was distracted. She couldn’t help but be interested in that story,

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and she decided that it would be a good little side project while she was here. While she was here… She was due back on December 20 to turn in her final draft of her dissertation. Her advisor had promised to read it over the holidays, his “Christmas present” from her, he had called it. It was November 18, and she had made good progress in editing so far, but she had a ways to go before she packed up on December 18 and drove back down. Just one month away, and half the manuscript to edit. Well, she could do this. She would do it, and she wouldn’t let herself be distracted by men. And yet…she missed them. She missed them? What the hell? She barely knew them. Looking herself straight in the eye in the mirror, she admitted that she viscerally missed their presence. The thought of their kisses, their touches, their cocks made her body burn and throb in all its most sensitive places. “Okay, Ava,” she said to her reflection. “You haven’t had sex in years. You’re probably just feeling the need for physical contact, and you’re getting it in spades. Yes, it’s good, but no, you are not going to let yourself get into any kind of mess up here.” She set her jaw and nodded at herself. Suddenly, she shivered, goose bumps springing up on her arms as the temperature suddenly dropped. She took in a deep breath to calm herself, but gasped when she exhaled and could actually see her breath in a frosty cloud. What the hell was that? The cottage was nice and toasty because of the big fire the guys had made before they left. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the sensation of being cold. “Old, drafty place,” she muttered to her reflection. “The wind.” She took another breath and exhaled it slowly, feeling the temperature rise again around her. See? Just a gust of cold wind coming through the cracked old caulking of the bathroom window.

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Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow flit across the doorway to the bathroom, dark and quick. Heart pounding, she spun around, leaning back against the sink for support. “Who’s there?” she called out. Then, she realized what she was doing and shook her head. It had just been a bird or something flying across the window that made the shadow. “Stupid power of suggestion,” she said out loud, forcing a smile. “No more ghost stories on an empty stomach.” The sound of her voice reassured her, and she stepped into the main room of the cabin. Everything was fine, perfectly normal. She just wasn’t used to country living. She thought about getting out her laptop and files and working through a few pages before lunch, but the rumbling in her stomach told her that lunch was going to take precedence over editing. Maybe going out for lunch would help her. A breath of cold, fresh ocean air and some other people would help her regain her equilibrium, no doubt. Grabbing her keys, cell phone, and wallet, she shrugged on her parka and went out to her beat-up silver hatchback parked alongside the house. It wasn’t raining outside, but it was misting, and she could taste the salt in the air. She’d have lunch then settle in for a long afternoon of editing by the fire with a bottle of wine. That sounded like a plan. She drove down Long Road, carefully navigating its twists and turns. She had seen local pickup trucks tearing down this road, taking the curves at crazy speeds, but she didn’t know the road well enough to do that. Yet. Being a Boston driver, there was little she was afraid of…except trees, deer, and moose. At the corner of County Road 73 and Long Road was the edge of Blue Moon. There was the red general store, called the General Store, the Blue Moon Library, the town hall, a white clapboard church— Episcopal, she noticed—and the Double Rainbow Café. Around the corner from Long Road and 73 was the heart of Blue Moon. She had only been into town once, but what she had seen of it was charming,

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with shops, restaurants, and a beautiful harbor with fishing boats bobbing in the sheltered waters. She hadn’t met anyone, as she had only come in to get a few groceries at the time. Well, no time like the present to get to know the locals. Maybe they could tell her more about Goody Barrows. A fleeting idea occurred to her to write a romance novel about puritan times in Blue Moon with Goody Barrows as the misunderstood heroine, but she shook off that fantasy, smiling to herself as she parked in front of the Double Rainbow Café. She was an academic, not a novelist. The Double Rainbow Café was an old, wooden, one-story building with a soft-serve ice cream window for tourists in the summer and a single room dining room for the rest of the year. Ava peeked inside hesitantly. It was a quaint place, which she instantly liked. The walls were painted soft blue, and antique photos of the town’s history were everywhere. The tables were simple, square and wood. There was a counter at the back that blocked off the entrance to the kitchen, and tall windows let in lots of light. There were a few diners in there, mostly men in heavy flannel jackets and jeans, sipping coffee and finishing off hamburgers. The men looked tall and strong, no doubt from years of hauling lobster pots. “Hello!” a deep, masculine voice boomed across the room. Ava looked up to see an incredibly tall, handsome man with blonde hair and hazel eyes striding toward her. Jesus, were all men in this town gorgeous? “Welcome,” the man said, holding out his hand to shake hers. “I’m Steven, co-owner of the Double Rainbow. You must be Ava.” “Wh–What?” she stammered, distractedly shaking hands with him. “Small town,” said another man, coming to stand by Steven, a beautiful African-American with the smoothest skin she had ever seen and glittering black eyes. “News travels fast.” “Oh, um, yes. Of course. Yes, I’m Ava.”

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“I’m Julius,” said the other man. “My partner Steven and I have heard so much about you!” Partner? Ohhh, “partner.” A gay couple owning a café in a coastal fishing village was the last thing she expected, but then…ohhh…the Double Rainbow made total sense now. She smiled at them. This was normal. This was cool. She could work with this. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “So, can a girl get some lunch here?” “Can she get lunch, Julius?” Steven asked, winking at his partner. “Only if it’s on the house and she sits with us,” Julius replied with a straight face. “Oh, wow, guys, you don’t have to do that.” “Ava Bell,” Steven said, “you need taking care of.” “Why is that?” she asked with a laugh. There was a fraction of a second of hesitation before he answered her. “Because, you’re a graduate student,” he replied. Somehow, deep in her bones, Ava felt he had been going to say something else. For the life of her, though, she couldn’t imagine what. Five minutes later, Ava found herself draining a Diet Coke and waiting for the Double Rainbow’s Demon Burger, the house special, while sitting with Steven and Julius. “So, how did you guys find yourselves up here?” she asked. “Born here,” Julius replied, and Steven nodded. “And you stayed?” “Blue Moon is a special place,” Steven said, a strange, almost cynical smile tweaking at his lips. “It’s hard to leave.” “I see,” she said, but she didn’t really see at all. She nodded at the photos on the wall. “You guys are local history buffs?” “History is a living thing here,” Julius replied. “Many of the houses date back to the seventeenth century. Most of the families here have been here just as long.”

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“But, that’s incredible!” What she didn’t say was the inappropriate question that popped into her head of inbreeding and the problems of a teeny-weeny genetic pool like that. “Some families come and go,” Steven added, laughing and looking into her eyes as if he could guess her thoughts. “Keeps us fresh. But, for the most part, we’ve all got Blue Moon in our blood.” “How about you?” Julius asked, leaning in slightly. “What’s your story?” “Me?” Ava said. “I’m actually from Maine, too, but down south. Portland. Grew up there, got out of there, went to Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts, then on to grad school.” She didn’t mention Harvard because most people either made fun of it or found it intimidating. “Your family’s still in Portland?” Julius asked. “No,” Ava replied. “Mom died when I was in high school, and I’m not close to my step-dad. I’m an only child, so there’s nothing to bring me back there ever.” “What about your father?” Julius probed, but somehow, she couldn’t feel resentful of his questions. She couldn’t help but like him and Steven. “Never knew him,” she said. “Mom never talked about him. I figured I was the product of a one-night stand. She married my stepdad when I was a baby.” Steven and Julius exchanged a glance, and she felt a little confused. “So, I heard an interesting story about the place I’m staying,” she said to change the subject. “About a woman named Goody Barrows?” A fork dropped, clattering against a plate, and the room fell silent. Ava could feel every pair of eyes in the room turning to her. “You’re staying at White Farm?” Steven asked quietly. Ava nodded, too creeped out suddenly to say anything. Somewhere from across the room, she heard someone whisper, “She has to be the one!”

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“You guys take your legends pretty seriously around here,” she joked feebly, trying to lift the oppressive sense of fear that was crowding in on her. “I told you,” Julius said, dead serious. “History is a living thing here in Blue Moon.” Another whisper from a different part of the room reached her. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

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Chapter 8 It was only Declan’s calm, easy entrance to the Double Rainbow that relaxed the tension in the air after Ava had mentioned Goody Barrows. The subject had been dropped, dropped like a lead weight tied to lead weights buried in concrete. The Demon Burger had arrived, and she had nearly choked to death on the hot sauce. Julius had offered to make her a regular burger, and Steven had laughed, but she had insisted on finishing every last bit of it, even if it made her ears ring and eyes water. Julius and Steven made her eyes water, too, but from laughing too hard. It was difficult not to snort her food at their banter, and somehow, she felt like she was back at home in Harvard Square, verbally jousting with her friends at Bartley’s Burgers. Declan hadn’t joined them. He had simply nodded to Ava, sending her a smile that melted her down to her toes and made her want to run over to him and throw herself into his arms. He had sat down at a table with a couple of men who talked about the forecast for the next few days and the impact it would have on dragging for scallops. A storm was coming, which meant they’d all be land-bound and lose a few precious days of dragging. Declan’s presence had relaxed Ava, reassuring her in some wordless way that she was absolutely safe. She resented feeling safe because of someone else, though, and tried very hard to ignore him. Julius and Steven had sent her home with half a pan of homemade lasagna, declaring that grad students’ cooking skills were on par with their social skills, and if they didn’t feed her, she’d probably live on scrambled eggs and microwave pizza.

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The sky was noticeably darker when she finally left the Double Rainbow, the gray clouds now sporting black bellies and hanging low above the dark pine trees. Rain was coming, and that meant no walk down to the water’s edge. As soon as she got home and shoved the lasagna in the fridge, she ran to the woodpile by the edge of the woods and carried several large, heavy loads back to the cottage. She had discovered that nothing was worse than not having dry wood for her fire. There was an electric heater for backup, but she much preferred the dry heat and warm light of the fire in her fireplace. Now, at least, she had enough wood to last her about two days through the storm. She had even moved a few armfuls into the barn to keep them dry for the day after the storm while the rest of the pile dried off. Dumping her last load, she finally kicked off her boots and brushed the moss and bark off her parka, noticing that it was dirty now. Well, she’d wash it in a day or two, after the storm abated and she could go back and forth to the barn where the washer and dryer were without soaking her clean, dry laundry. Fat raindrops began to slap the windows and tap dance on the roof as she settled onto the couch in front of her nice, cozy fire. She had her laptop and her wine. She had her blanket and big, warm sweater. The only thing missing was a dog snoozing on the bearskin rug. She shivered a little. It would have been nice to have one other living, breathing creature in the cottage with her. She lived alone in Boston, but this was a different kind of alone on the bleak, rockbound coast of Maine. This was a real kind of alone. No radio or television. It was just firelight and her thoughts against the woods and the falling darkness outside. The rain grew steadily heavier, and she thought she could tell when it turned to sleet, sliding down the windowpanes in transient crystals. It wasn’t that there was no noise. There was lots of noise like the rain, the crack and snap of the fire, the rustle of the blanket against her jeans, and the tap of her fingers against the keyboard. There was no other human noise, just her breath.

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Ava tried to shake off the sense of isolation, doing her best to focus on her next chapter. This is what she had wanted, quiet and time without distraction to finish her dissertation. Her thoughts chopped themselves in half, finishing sentences on the screen and wondering about the Molineaux brothers. Could gender construction have been something more than a passive labeling of women? What did Robert, Declan and Sean do for a living? Did women actively manipulate gender construction to provide themselves with a kind of escape route out of society’s constrictions? Why did everybody in the Double Rainbow freak out at the name of Goody Barrows? Did men unconsciously realize that gender role assignment as deviant allowed women more freedom, and was that why they persecuted that group? How on earth could she feel attracted to three men at the same time? A hard knock behind her made Ava jump, her heart lurching painfully at the unexpected sound. She looked behind her at the kitchenette and dining area, swathed in shadows from the firelight. Everything looked like it was in place, chairs pushed into the table, dishes in the drying rack. It was probably a branch outside or the old cottage creaking in the wind. Shaking her head and forcing a smile, she turned back to her laptop and studied the next paragraph. She needed a new word choice here, and that sentence wasn’t clear enough. Passive voice. Change it around to highlight the active acquiescence of women to the roles assigned to them as a point supporting their own passive-aggressive manipulation of social constructions and— A loud, clear knock to her right set her heart pounding fiercely. Adrenaline spiked painfully through her veins, and she forced herself to breathe deeply before turning to her right and looking over at the door to the bedroom. The door was open to let the heat from the fire warm up the room, but beyond the doorframe, everything was in complete darkness. When had night fallen? It had been light, even though it was storming, just a few moments ago. Hadn’t it?

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Ava looked at the time on her computer. Four hours? That wasn’t right. How had it gone from two in the afternoon to six? She knew how long it took her to edit, and she had certainly not finished as much as she usually did in four hours. That was so weird. Unwillingly, she thought of how she had lost time in the woods, and how Robert had warned her not to go into the woods again. Well, she hadn’t. She was right here, in her cottage. The adrenaline began to ebb, and she realized she must have been staring into the fire more than she was editing, thinking about the Molineaux men and the crazy situation she was in with them. That was it. Well, now, she would focus. Two more hours, and she’d eat some of that lasagna. She drained her wine and stood up to stretch and put another log on the fire. She shook her body to loosen it up and settled back down again. This time, as she worked, she glanced regularly at the time, and time behaved itself. The knock on her left was sudden and very close, as if someone had slammed a chair down right next to the foot of the sofa. Ava jumped, her laptop clattering to the floor. Instinctively, she backed up against her corner of the sofa, hardly breathing. That was no sound of a settling old house or a branch. That was a real knock against wood. Inside. Here. Three feet away. Knock! Her heart stopped as a knock sounded right by her side, as if someone was next to her. Her body was so tense that every muscle was stiff and painful. Frozen in place, she couldn’t bring herself to turn and look anywhere but at the fire, which burned brighter with the new log. It should have thrown more light into the room, but the room felt suddenly darker, the shadows a little thicker, more opaque. She bit off a cry as there was another knock from her bedroom quickly followed by one from the kitchenette. Two more sounded right next to her. Terrified past tears, she forced herself with every bit of courage she could scrounge up to jump up from the couch and grab the poker from the hearth. She shook as she held it up. Three knocks sounded to her left, her right, and in front of her.

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Ava uttered a strangled cry and swung at the air. Two angry knocks came from by the kitchen table. She cried out when five insistent knocks shook her front door. “Oh God,” she gasped. “Oh God, oh God, oh God!” Fragments of the Lord’s Prayer flitted through her mind, and she tried to form the words with her panic-stiffened lips. “Our Father, who art in heaven,” she whispered. What came next? Oh God! The knock was right next to her, and it was loud enough to sound more like a crash. “Hallowed be Thy…” She stumbled over the word as two more knocks pounded the floor in front of her. Something pounded at her door five more times. “Deliver me from evil.” She gasped and made a run for the door, poker in hand. She didn’t care if it was raining or snowing or a freaking hurricane outside. She was not staying there, even if it meant swinging a poker through the Devil himself to get out of the cottage. She yanked the door open, prepared to swing at whatever was standing there, only to sob in relief to find Robert Molineaux on her doorstep, dripping rain and looking longingly at her with his golden eyes. With a cry, she threw herself into his arms, only to be thrust behind him as he stepped into the cottage. Anger and tension rolled off him in almost tangible waves as he swept the inside of the cottage at a glance. Then, and Ava would have sworn to this in a court of law, he growled. It was a real animal growl, with a loud rumble that reverberated deep in his chest and snaps and snarls. She couldn’t make sense of it. She couldn’t make sense of anything. All she knew was that tears were streaming down her face, she couldn’t breathe, and pressing herself into Robert’s back wasn’t being nearly close enough to him. Suddenly, she found herself pulled into Robert’s arms and back into the cottage.

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“No!” she gasped. “No! Not in here, no, I can’t. It’s too, there’s something…” “You know,” Robert said, holding her close and tipping up her chin so he could look into her eyes, “you really have a thing for iron pokers, don’t you?” She realized she was still holding the iron poker in a death grip in one hand. With a sobbing laugh, she let it fall. Its clatter against the floor was a blessedly normal sound. “Shhh, Ava,” Robert whispered, kissing her forehead and stroking her hair while holding her tightly against his chest. “Everything is all right. You’re safe here, now.” She couldn’t think and didn’t want to think. The only thing she wanted to do was to stay in Robert’s arms, or better yet, bring Robert’s arms back with her to her nice, noisy apartment in Boston. She realized that she was cold and shaking. Was this shock? What the hell had happened? She couldn’t bring herself to look away from Robert’s wet leather barn coat back into the room. She felt him reach over and flick on the light switch, and suddenly, nice, modern electric light filled the cottage. “Come, love,” Robert said, swinging her up into his arms and carrying her over to the sofa. He set her down gently and stripped off his coat before settling down next to her and pulling her into his lap. Ava instinctively curled up, huddling against him as his strong arms formed a warm, iron cage of protection. Just having another human being in the room was a profound relief. The fact that it was strong, kind Robert Molineaux just made it better. For a few moments, she forgot that she hardly knew him, that she was supposed to be furious with him and his brothers for…for…for making her want them. All she knew was that he was safety. He was shelter. He was everything she needed in that moment. Too shattered to talk about what had just happened, Ava tried to distract herself.

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“Why are you here?” she asked quietly, lying against his chest, limp from the exhaustion brought on by her terror. “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but I’m surprised.” “I…came here to apologize,” Robert replied sheepishly. She sat up and looked at him quizzically. “Apologize for what?” “I was an ass this morning,” he said, pushing wayward locks of wet black hair off his forehead. “I was harsh, and I didn’t mean to be.” “I didn’t notice,” Ava said quietly, sitting up to look at him. “I just thought you were worried.” “I was. I am. God! When I think of what might have happened if I hadn’t showed up when I did tonight—” “Don’t! Please. No. Don’t talk about it. I…I can’t. Just…let’s talk about something else.” Robert smiled sadly at her and touched her face. Instantly, she felt the sizzle and tingle of his touch burn in every nerve. She felt a weight of something intense upon her heart, and again, that invisible connection that seemed to pull her to him. His handsome face, golden eyes, and black hair made him look like some kind of romance novel hero, one who had just happened to walk into her life and her bed and seemed to like it there…and who didn’t mind sharing her with his two brothers. “So, tell me what you’re doing up here,” Robert said. “In fact, tell me all about yourself.” “Oh, I’m not that interesting, really.” “I want to know.” “Trust me, you’ll be asleep before I even get to my dissertation topic.” “I have other ideas than sleeping,” Robert said, his golden eyes darkening as he traced her bottom lip with his thumb. Jesus Christ, how was she supposed to talk when all she wanted to do was kiss him now?

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“Um,” she said, trying to focus herself away from the desire that was slowly filling her body with warmth. “Born and raised in Portland. Went to college outside of Boston. Got into grad school—” “Where?” “Harvard?” she said, cringing slightly, waiting for the inevitable drawing back. To her surprise, Robert smiled broadly, as if he was proud of her, and nodded. “I was struggling at the beginning of the semester between teaching two half-semester classes and trying to finish my dissertation,” she continued unsteadily as his fingers brushed her jawline and down her neck. Why on earth was she letting him do this? Oh right, it felt so good and so right that she didn’t want him to stop. Right. “So, my advisor suggested I get away after the end of my first half-semester class. You see, I’ve got a deadline.” “A deadline, eh?” Robert said with a chuckle. “What kind of deadline?” “December 20.” She sighed, thinking of how quickly it was coming up. “And I have a five-hundred-page dissertation to edit.” “And where are you now?” “Page one hundred twenty-six.” “You’ve got a lot of work to do.” Was there a growl in his throat? “You’re telling me!” “So, how did you decide to come up here?” Damn! Why did he have to start playing with her hair and touching her neck? “My advisor’s husband’s family owns White Farm, and she said I was welcome to use the cottage for free.” Robert’s hands stilled, and his expression darkened to something primal and fierce. “They knowingly sent you up here?” he snapped, making her jump back from his touch. “No, no, I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to snap at you, but this is—”

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“Don’t talk about it,” Ava ordered hurriedly. “Please, not tonight, not right now.” “No,” Robert conceded, pulling her to him. “Not tonight.” She looked up at his face, and the tenderness and concern she saw in his eyes wrapped her heart in something warm and lovely. He touched her cheek lightly again, and it was her undoing. She wanted him. She needed him. She needed the ultimate human connection in that moment. She reached up and kissed him.

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Chapter 9 The touch of her lips to his was like a spark of magic. Robert held back a groan as pleasure raced through him. He held back more than that, forcing himself to keep his arms secure but gentle around her and to keep his kiss soft and willing. He struggled against his nature, which wanted to rip her clothes off and make rough, fierce love to her until she cried out in the ultimate submission to him. His Ava had been badly frightened just now, and the kiss might just be a kiss, a small demand for the reassurance of humanity around her. The strangest part, which was strange because it felt completely right, was that Robert knew he would do whatever she wanted, give her whatever she needed because his heart felt like it was entwined around hers. Tenacious, invisible vines bound them together in a way that he pulled to her at all times now, worse when he was apart from her. The few hours he had spent away from her today had been agonizing, the urge to go to her and be near her almost overwhelming his ability to think of anything else. No, he would give Ava whatever she needed and wanted, no matter the cost to himself. Gently, he kissed her back, longing to plunder her mouth, that sweet darkness that tasted like sugar to him. He was taken completely by surprise when Ava moved to straddle him and took his face between her hands and plunged her tongue into his mouth. Instantly, his entire body responded, muscles tensing as if he was going to shift, his cock swelling and throbbing with want. “Ava,” he whispered between kisses, rubbing his hands up and down her back, “are you sure?” He would give her the night of her life if she wanted, but not if it would cause her grief in the morning.

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“Yes,” she breathed, nipping at his bottom lip, rousing the animal that slept inside him, the animal that wanted to bite and taste and lick her all over. “And no. Just…just let me…” “Whatever you need, love,” he said, trying to keep the growl of desire out of his voice. She ended their conversation with a fierce kiss, and for a few moments, the kisses fell between them like rain. Robert fought to keep control of himself, to let her go at her pace. He concentrated on the wet sounds of their kisses and the way she felt so fragile in his hands. It was hard to focus on not breaking her while his throbbing cock was making demands. He lost the battle when she ground her hips against him, her delicate hands moving down to unbutton his shirt. He needed to feel her against him, completely against him, her skin on his. Last night had been a taste, but not nearly enough. He wanted all of her, to fill her, to feel her to wrap himself around her and share her warmth and sweetness. He pulled her bulky sweater off, leaving her in her T-shirt. He ran his hands down her sides, feeling the small bones of her rib cage, the delicate line of her spine, and the softness of her belly. She filled his hands perfectly, and it was so natural and easy to touch her. His heart expanded as the invisible vines tightened, the pressure of his feelings sharpening the desire he felt for her in every inch of his body. It was torture to hold himself back, to tamp down on the beast inside that wanted it rough and wild, that wanted to hear her beg for him and to see her soft and vulnerable in his hands. She kissed him desperately now, hungry and hard, and he still held back somewhat, instinctively knowing that she had to be the one to give the signals. It was the sweetest torment, though, to feel her little fingers undoing each button until she finally pulled his shirt off him. He wore a T-shirt underneath, and he broke their kiss to strip it off. He needed the sensation of her hands upon his skin, and oh, the

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amazing connection he felt when she finally touched him, running her hands over his smooth chest. His need to be inside her was burning him like a fever, making him delirious and loosening his control over himself. He wanted that ultimate sensation, to be as close to her as a man and woman could ever be. With a growl, he ran his hands up under her T-shirt, pulling it up and off her. The last bit of rational thought he had determined that as soon as he could, he would get rid of all of her ugly, utilitarian bras and replace them with lacy, little things that showed off her soft mounds and let her nipples peek through the sheerness. He had to touch her, to tease her with his mouth and hands. Without waiting, he deftly unhooked her bra and stripped it off her, leaving her bare from the waist up. He heard her gasp, but it held equal measures of desire and surprise. Careful of his strength so as not to hurt her, he pulled her up on him so that he could suckle and tease her breasts. Oh, they were soft and perfect! Round with just a little weight to them, enough to fit in his hands, and with delicate little pink nipples and aureoles. He flicked his tongue against one nipple, his cock flexing painfully at her groan of pleasure. With his hand, he began to flick, pinch, and tease the other nipple as he suckled her. Her little gasps and cries instinctively told him as she was approaching her climax, and he stopped. She wasn’t going to get off so easily. Literally. He vowed that every time he touched her, he would bring her to the most amazing orgasm he could. Nothing quick or halfhearted for her. Ava deserved the best he could give her, every time. Someday, she’d be able to take everything he could give her, the awakening of a darker, deeper side of her sexuality. She was so light in his hands as he picked her up and laid her back against the sofa. He looked into her eyes to see them heavy with desire, her kiss-swollen lips parted slightly. God, she was beautiful! She was his. Whether she knew it yet or not, she belonged to him, and to his brothers, forever now.

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The thought filled him with a fierce happiness and desire he had never known before. Desire he had known plenty, seeking pleasure for all his needs with girls who liked it rough, who liked it kinky and getting submissive. This was different because this was Ava. He pulled off her jeans and socks, and instantly in his eyes, she went from half-naked graduate student to a bare, beautiful wood nymph with dark hair and eyes that promised mystery and pleasure. “Oh, love,” he breathed, “you are so beautiful.” She didn’t say anything, but a small, sweet smile played on her lips. He picked her up and laid her upon the bearskin rug where there would be room for them both. He got rid of the rest of his clothes and gently covered her body with his. Every inch of his skin seemed electrified by contact with her. His cock was hard and swollen now, demanding her, needing her. He kissed her lips and pressed his body to hers, careful not to crush her. He growled, unable to control himself when she writhed against him, her breasts rubbing against his chest, and her hips bucking up against him. He held himself up, propped on one elbow as he used his other hand to part her folds and find her nub. She gasped and arched her back as he began to gently stroke it. He marveled at how such a tiny, soft little point that he could roll between his fingers could produce so much pleasure. Ava’s wild movements and cries called forth the animal inside him, and he finally let himself thrust into her. He thought he would explode in that moment. She was so tight, so hot, so wet. Her pussy was clenching around him, pulling him in, making demands. His mind blanked, and all he knew was that she was wrapping her soft, slender legs around his hips as he began to thrust in and out of her. Her arms came around his torso, and the feeling of her hands running down his back was a sweet madness he could hardly bear. Her fingertips were soft against his skin. She was soft against his skin. She was everything.

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All he could do now was continue to stroke her as he feasted on her lips and her nipples, thrusting into her over and over, feeling the waves of pressure building toward his own release. Her gasps and cries grew tighter and more insistent, and he knew she was near. He pressed his fingers down in a firm, long, slow stroke over her clit, and she exploded under him, bucking and arching as her pleasure consumed her. He kept stroking her to keep the climax going until her cries became almost painful. Finally, her desire-addled eyes focused on him, and he drowned inside her. “Robert,” she whispered breathlessly, reaching up to touch his face. His heart exploded in joy as he came, heartbeats and thrusts in time as he filled her, his climax rocking him and shaking him for longer than he had ever experienced before. “My Ava,” he gasped, reaching down to kiss her fiercely, feeling her soft lips yield to his insistence. “My love.” She pulled him down onto her, inviting him to drop his weight onto her entirely, and for a blessed moment of relief, he did. Her arms grew soft and tender as she loosened her legs from around his waist and let them side down his own legs so that they were still tangled. Everything. She was everything now. He knew it. She was the key to the legend, but more than that. She was the woman he loved. **** Ava was awakened by coffee and kisses. She stretched out under the covers, savoring the smell of the coffee before opening her eyes to see a fully dressed Robert bending over her and smiling down into her eyes. “Good morning,” she mumbled contentedly. She glanced around the room, glad to see that everything seemed to be behaving itself and looking completely normal in the gray daylight. Last night…no, she

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pushed the thought to the side. She needed coffee and a shower before she would tackle thinking about last night, about all of last night. “Good morning, love,” Robert replied. “I made you coffee. Cream and sugar. I hope that's okay.” “Perfect. Wow, it's early. It's only seven.” Robert chuckled. “Some of us have to work, despite the fact that it's a Tuesday morning.” “Editing a dissertation is work,” she replied mock indignantly, sitting up and holding the sheet around her as she reached for the coffee. “So, tell me what your job is.” “I'm a civil engineer,” Robert replied. “I focus mainly on coastal engineering and water management. And, before you ask, Declan is the harbor master for Blue Moon Harbor, and Sean owns an auto repair shop. However, we work because we choose to, not because we need to.” “You don't need to work?” Ava repeated, confused. “No,” Robert replied with a rueful smile. “There is a hefty family fortune that has been several centuries in the making and could sustain the family for several more centuries.” She laughed bemusedly. “You all are like you just stepped out of a gothic romance. Three mysterious brothers in a mansion by the sea, an old family fortune, a town haunted by ghosts and demons.” “Truth is stranger than fiction,” he replied, his smile vanishing, and something much harder taking its place. “I want you to move into the mansion with us. You’re not safe here.” Damn! Why did he have to bring all that stuff up before she was ready? She stifled the irritation she felt, like when a student asked her a question she wasn’t quite prepped for. Deliberately, she sipped her coffee, forcing herself to savor the heat, the sweet and bitter mixed flavors, the sensation of it going down her throat. “I am not going to move anywhere except back to Boston in a month,” she said calmly. The words sounded weird to her, but she pushed that aside and continued. “I agree that something happened

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here last night, something that was not good. However, I am going to handle this my way—and before you object,” she said, raising her hand to cut off the words that she knew were on his lips. “Even if my dissertation topic didn’t involve extensive research into demonology, I’ve seen enough horror movies to know what to do and what not to do.” She managed a wry smile up at Robert, trying to hide the fact that deep inside her, she felt an insistent need to be near him and with him. Moving to the mansion with him and Declan and Sean appealed to her in a way she couldn’t articulate because it was so primal and fundamentally right. “I’m not going to use any Ouija boards,” she said. “I’m going to wear my crucifix around my neck and say the Lord’s Prayer several times a day. I’m going to take several other precautionary measures. I don’t necessarily believe in demons, but I’m not going to deny that something happened here last night. That’s mistake number one in every bad horror movie. In the end, if it gets too bad, I will simply leave Blue Moon.” “You can’t leave!” Robert exclaimed, balling his hands into fists. That was certainly not the response she had expected. She had thought he’d continue to press her to move in with him, to object to her staying here in the cottage. Leaving was never an item that was up for discussion. “I have to leave,” she said quietly. “December 18 at the latest.” The look of sudden anguish on Robert’s face was almost her undoing. Her heart tugged painfully toward him, and she couldn’t help but set down her coffee, and holding the sheet around her, get up on her knees to press herself against him and hug him. “Look,” she whispered, trying to smile. “I decided last night that what we were doing was actually okay. Even with your brothers. It is all okay. It’s good for me, a connection I haven’t had in a very, very long time. It’s not like this was ever going to be more than just a…a

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fling or an affair for a few weeks. So, let’s just enjoy the time we have together.” Robert wrapped his arms around her, pinning her to him so tightly she felt the air slowly being squeezed out of her lungs. Her realization last night as she was drifting off to sleep had been so easy, so natural, and so right, that she knew that she was in one of those moments where the universe had arranged everything to happen for a reason. A month of pleasure while she was editing her dissertation seemed right to her, a combination that celebrated the ending of one phase of her life and the start of a new one. Robert’s needing more from her unnerved her and upset her perfect line of reasoning, but she knew her limits, and December 18 was her limit. “I won’t lose you,” Robert growled. Growled? Huh…now that it was daylight, and she was awake and only mildly riddled with desire for this man instead of drowning in it, she realized that Robert growled a lot. His growls were real things in the back of his throat. She pulled away as much as the iron cage of his arms would let her. “I can’t breathe.” She gasped, and finally, he relented slightly. “I can’t breathe without you,” Robert said fiercely, forcing her to look into his eyes but loosening his arms around her. What she saw there echoed uncomfortably in her heart. She set her jaw and tried to stay calm, but her body was coming alive with desire for him, and her heart yearned toward his, just as her lips yearned to speak those words back to him. Suddenly, he released her, and she fell back onto the bed, startled and confused. “Be careful today, Ava,” Robert said gruffly, turning and striding purposefully out of the bedroom. She heard the front door open and close and sat there, staring at the wall and wondering what the hell had just happened.

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Chapter 10 Ava sat at her kitchen table, staring out at the water and letting her coffee go cold. Around her neck, she now wore her mother’s small gold crucifix, a family heirloom from a family she knew nothing about. The rain continued to pound the ground outside, and the tall pines swayed with the fierce winds. When she had finally gotten out of bed, she found that Robert had made a fire for her so that the cottage was warm and cozy. She sighed and let her mind wander. Being with Robert had been so good, mind-blowingly good. What was really weird was that she not only wanted to see him again, but she felt this deep urge to see Declan and Sean, too. She smiled a little as she thought that maybe some of the nineteenth century avant-garde doctors had been right in diagnosing female “hysteria” as the result of a lack of sex, or rather “connexion.” She didn’t feel the slightest bit hysterical this morning. She felt good, better than she had in years…or maybe ever. She’d give this wild crazy ride with three men a month to play out, and then she’d go back Boston. Maybe this was the universe’s way of telling her that it was okay to get back out on the dating scene again. The guys would probably be glad to see her go. They’d probably be tired of her by then. No, that was a lie. The memory of Robert’s stricken face rang truer than any excuse she could give herself. Well, she had to go back. That was all. Stretching her arms upward, she breathed in deeply and turned to considering what had happened last night that hadn’t been so mindblowingly good. Looking at the facts as coolly and impartially as she

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could, she was still forced to accept that something had made loud knocking sounds around her cottage. It was mainly her interpretation that the knocks had seemed to have some kind of intelligence, but she couldn’t shake the idea that this was closer to being a fact than she liked. She refused to label whatever it was that had caused the noise, though. Calling it a “poltergeist” or a “demon” made her feel silly and less intelligent than she was. It was an unexplained scientific phenomenon. Hmmm. That was a mouthful. Well, she would use the word demon as a shortcut. She pulled over a piece of paper and a pen and made a short list, then decided to get ready and go into town and do a few errands. Maybe she’d grab lunch at the Double Rainbow again. **** “God, I fucking hate the rain!” she snarled out loud as she slapped through big, muddy puddles to her beat-up old hatchback. The rain pelted her bare hands, soaking her hair and everything else from her knit wool cap to her parka and jeans. Once inside the car, she started the ignition and sat for a minute, waiting for the engine to warm up as the windshield wipers cleared away the dead leaves. She cranked the heater, hoping the old car would make it through another winter in Boston, hell, that it would make it through a month in Maine. She was in no position to buy a new car. Maybe when she finally landed a tenure-track professorship, she’d be able to do something about getting a newer used car, but for now, Mimi the hatchback was all she had. She stared into the woods as she thought about her financial situation. The forest was a dense weave of grays and browns, with old, tired yellowish greens. What the fuck was that? She gasped and held her breath as she tried to accept what she had just seen. A dark, opaque figure, as tall as a person, had flitted from behind one tree to another. She knew it wasn’t a human being. Nothing in its

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movements had been remotely human, not the way it seemed to glide or the quickness with which it darted. If that hadn’t been enough, the figure had been completely dark, like a shadow. A black shadow. “No, no, no,” Ava muttered, throwing the car into gear and spinning her tires against the mud and wet grass in an effort to get away from the edge of the forest as fast as possible. Her heart pounding and rigid with panic, she drove helter-skelter down the pitted gravel road to Long Road then careened the entire six miles to Blue Moon’s tiny town center. It was only when she pulled into a parking spot next to the old red General Store that she realized she was shaking. Badly. She stumbled out of the car and ran through the rain into the store, gasping as she finally found herself safe inside a building with other human beings. Breathing hard, she looked up and realized that everyone in the store was looking at her. “Uh, hi,” she panted, trying to smile, but pretty sure it came out as a grimace. “Oh, honey, what happened to you?” asked an older woman with badly bleached hair and leathery skin. She wore a heavy parka and jeans, and she came right over and put her arm around Ava and led her to a stool by the counter, forcing her to sit down. “I, uh, just had a scare,” Ava replied, dizzy as the adrenaline started to ebb. “You know, driving these roads in the rain and all.” “Now there’s a damn lie if ever I heard one,” said a tall, heavyset man from behind the counter. He had a shock of pure white hair and a weathered face, and he wore a heavy plaid flannel shirt. Ava studied him blankly, thinking he must have been quite handsome in his youth. He was still pretty darn good looking now. Obviously Blue Moon had one hell of a gene pool. “Al, get her some coffee,” the woman said. “Honestly! Men. Stand there yapping all day when there’s someone that needs help.” “I’m getting it, Cookie,” the man replied. “I’m getting to it.”

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“I’m Cookie Boyer,” the woman said, smiling at Ava and patting her hand. “That man over there is Big Al, my husband. We own the General Store.” “Nice to meet you,” Ava said, slowly starting to feel normal again. “I’m Ava—” “Ava Bell, staying down at the cottage at White Farm.” Cookie laughed. “We all know, honey.” “Oh.” “Small town, you know. Besides, anything that happens down at White Farm is pretty damn important to us all.” “Do you really believe all—” “Yes, I do, and if you were half as smart as you’re supposed to be on paper, Miss P-H-D, you’d believe it, too.” Cookie’s warmth and smile took the sting out of her words. Ava was reminded of what she had always wanted her mother to be like, confident and solid like this woman. “Stop scolding her, Cookie,” Big Al said, coming back over with a mug filled with black coffee. “Cream and sugar’s on the counter, Ava. I’ll be right back, now, okay?” “Thank you,” Ava replied, looking around her. The General Store was smaller than she thought. It was just a little bigger than her cottage. There were three aisles full of food, a small produce case, and a couple of freezer doors along the wall with butter, milk, eggs, and ice cream inside. Along the walls were all kinds of miscellaneous things for sale, from fishing line to duct tape, light bulbs to mousetraps. There was a counter for making sandwiches, cigarettes for sale behind the register, and a few soggy, generic Maine postcards. She sipped at the coffee as Cookie rang up a customer, a customer who just happened to be an incredibly buff six feet tall with piercing blue eyes and chiseled features.

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“Later, Coleman,” Cookie said to the man. “Take care of your brother. We don’t need one of you down for the count with the flu right now.” The man grinned and held up the bag through which Ava could see a bottle of cold medicine. “Not likely,” he said. “But if this doesn’t work, I’ll get Doreen to come down and look at him. “See as you do,” Cookie replied with an affectionate smile. She pinched his cheek and shooed him out. A wolf howl pierced the patter of the rain, and Ava jumped, nearly spilling her coffee. The howl had sounded like it was right out back of the store! There was another howl, followed by a few yips, and then a minute later, a more distant howl seemed to reply. “Oh my God,” Ava whispered to Cookie. “There’s a wolf outside! Aren’t you scared with them so close?” “Nah.” Cookie laughed. “The wolves here don’t do no harm. They’s good folk as take care of us.” Ava looked at her, not believing what she was hearing. “This has to be the strangest town I’ve ever seen,” she said. “The whole place believes in an old ghost story, and everyone here thinks the wolves are nice, friendly puppy dogs!” Cookie gave her a strange look and put her hands on her hips. “You mean those boys haven’t told you about the wolves yet?” she asked. “The nerve of them! What were they thinking, getting you all twined up with them without telling you first. When I see them, I’m gonna give them a piece of my mind!” “I get a piece of your mind on a regular basis, Cookie.” Declan Molineaux laughed somewhat breathlessly as he burst through the front door. “If it’s as good as a piece of your blueberry pie, I’ll take it.” At that moment, Big Al walked back into the store, looking a little flushed and buttoning up his shirt. Ava noticed that he and Declan

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exchanged a slight nod, as if acknowledging some wordless message between them. “Declan, something spooked Ava down at the farm just now,” Cookie said, her singsong Downeast Maine accent sounding oddly comforting to Ava’s ears. “Why you ever let her out of your sight when she’s down there is flat beyond me.” Ava finally allowed herself to look up at Declan, who had come to stand right by her side. Her heart double-flipped as the tension in it eased. He was so heartbreakingly handsome, with his golden eyes that had wind wrinkles in the creases. His smile was wide and warm and bright as he looked down at her. “You okay, sweetheart?” he said tenderly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips, sending tendrils of heat searching through her veins. “I’m fine,” she replied, shaking her head slightly as if to bring herself back to normal. “I am just fine. I just thought I saw a figure in the woods. It was probably just a trick of the rain or an animal.” “Don’t lie, Ava,” Big Al said seriously. “Ugly things, lies. Ugly things attract uglier things. Trust me on that one.” “I can’t say for sure what it was,” Ava said, realizing that telling the truth was probably better at this point anyway for getting more information. “It was tall like a person, but completely dark.” “In the daylight!” Cookie gasped and looked to Big Al, distress clearly written on her face. “Oh, Al, in the daylight!” Big Al, on the other hand, was almost smiling. He looked at Declan, who nodded in reply to an unspoken question. “When you gonna take her to see Grace?” Big Al asked Declan. “Soon,” he replied. “Very, very soon.” “Don’t wait too long, boy. Storm’s brewing. We need to be ready.” “I know,” Declan said.

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Ava shivered against him, confusion and worry rising up in her gut at this conversation she felt she half understood. Were they talking about some kind of supernatural showdown? Who was Grace? What was going on? “Come on, sweetheart,” Declan said. “Let’s go.” “Where are we going?” Ava asked suspiciously. “To find some answers.” “In the rain?” Declan laughed at the misgiving in her voice. He tugged her hat down lower on her head and touched the tip of her nose. “You won’t melt.” He chuckled. “Says you,” she grumbled, getting up and putting down her coffee cup. “Thank you for…for everything,” she added, turning to Cookie and Big Al. He had his burly arm around his wife, who was leaning into him. They smiled at her and nodded. “Come back anytime,” Cookie said. “And buy something next time.” Big Al laughed. “I run a store, not a charity.” Ava giggled as Declan put his arm around her shoulder and led her out into the rain. “Come on,” he said. “Just across the street to the church.” “Where’s your car?” she asked, ducking through the rain. “Oh, I, uh, left it at work.” “You work nearby?” “Here we are. Come on, Father Edlow, let the door be open!” Ava forgot Declan’s dodging of her question as she stepped inside the quaint white church. Long-dormant childhood habits surfaced as she dipped her fingers in the holy water and crossed herself then genuflected. To her surprise, Declan did the same. Then, he led her to a pew close to the front of the empty church and sat down with her. She looked up at the simple altar. There was a vase of fresh-cut flowers by it, and a beautifully carved wooden crucifix hanging on the wall. Everything was well made and elegant, but nothing was

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extravagant or ostentatious. It gave her a sense of peace and tranquility. Declan by her side gave her a sense of protection. She looked up at him. He leaned in and kissed her. His kiss was so soft, almost reverent. Happiness overflowed in her heart to feel such tenderness from a man, a man whose calloused fingers and tough skin proved he knew enough of what was strong and wild to be able to appreciate that which was soft and gentle. “Declan,” she murmured against his lips, “we’re in a church, I’m not sure we should—” “A church is a house built for love,” he replied, pulling just far enough apart to look into her eyes. “It’s for the love of God, and love is God’s highest commandment to us all.” “I didn’t take you for the religious sort.” She chuckled quietly. “I’m a sailor,” he said, grinning. “We’re a pretty superstitious lot.” “Superstition and religion aren’t the same thing.” “Professor Bell?” “I’m not a prof—” “Be quiet.” He laughed as he kissed her again, pulling her into his arms, cradling her as he stroked her cheek and pushed her wet hair back from her face. Ava smiled as he kissed her, allowing herself to be enveloped by pure bliss. His kisses warmed her and filled her, making her want more of him. Not in a church, naturally, but somewhere they could truly be alone together. “Ahem.” Ava started and broke off from Declan, flushing at the thought that someone had been watching them. Even worse, it had been the priest. Declan didn’t seem the faintest bit ruffled and grinned at the man…who again looked like he could have stepped out of a fashion magazine wearing Armani instead of his black clerical garb.

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“You must be Dr. Bell,” the man said, coming down the steps of the altar to sit in the pew in front of them. He held out his hand to her. “Father Eamon Edlow.” “I’m not Dr. Bell yet,” Ava replied, smiling and shaking his hand. She immediately liked his frank, open expression. “I’m just a starving grad student working on her dissertation.” “I’ll say a prayer that you finish it well and quickly.” Father Edlow laughed. “I’m glad you’re here, though. I’ve been very worried about you.” “No, wait,” Ava said. “Let me guess. It’s because I’m out at White Farm.” Father Edlow’s expression grew serious. “Demonic attacks are no laughing matter, Miss Bell.” “It’s Ava, and I’m not laughing.” “I’m glad to hear it.” “In fact, I’m so not laughing. I’m absolutely confused is what I am. Every single person I’ve met in this town believes that all of this is real.” “Don’t you believe it’s real?” “I believe something is happening,” Ava admitted. “But, I’m not ready to give it a label that can’t be scientifically proven.” She waited warily for the usual admonition that clergy always made that this was a matter of faith. “I’m glad to hear that,” Father Edlow said, surprising her. “I like your practical, empirical outlook. It’ll stand you in good stead. Declan, how much have you told her?” Declan’s arms tightened around her waist as he spoke. “Just the story. Nothing more.” Father Edlow raised his eyebrows. Ava felt Declan sigh against her. “We’re going to tell her,” Declan said. “Tell me what when?” Ava broke in. “How about everything now?”

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Father Edlow looked from Declan to her, then nodded. “I can tell you a good deal more,” he said to Ava. “Not everything because I don’t know everything. But, I know enough to help you some.” “Amen,” Ava said, breathing a sigh of relief.

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Chapter 11 “How much do you know about demons?” Father Edlow asked. Ava felt her heart sink a little. She didn’t want to know more about demons. She wanted to know specifically more about why the town was so crazy about White Farm, and all the things that everyone kept alluding to that she had no clue about. “My dissertation deals with demons, demonic possession, and witchcraft in seventeenth century New England,” she said tiredly. She felt Declan rub her back, and just the connection with him made things a little better. “All right,” the priest replied with a smile. “So, you’re somewhat of an expert already.” “Yes, and I was planning on getting some salt and holy water to sprinkle around the perimeter of the cottage, as well as praying,” Ava said. Father Edlow shook his head. “That’s not going to be of any help. Maybe with other manifestations of other…unexplained scientific phenomenon, all of that might make a difference, at least in terms of bolstering a person’s psychological defense. This situation is different, Ava. These entities are focused entirely on you, and nothing will stop them.” His words surprised her. She had interviewed enough priests, preachers, imams and even rabbis for her topic, and she had come to expect the same rote answers. Father Edlow was clearly different. She was also taken aback by the idea that the demons were focused specifically on her. She nodded for him to proceed.

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“These demons were summoned specifically to serve the purposes of one woman,” Father Edlow continued. “Eve Barrows. She wanted power, and the Devil must have given her the ability to summon the demons to her. Whether they overcame her and possessed her, no one will ever be certain. However, they are rooted to the place where they were summoned, which is Blue Moon, and more specifically White Farm.” “How can you be so sure of all this?” Ava asked. “I can’t be sure of anything, but this is what the evidence of three centuries has shown us.” “Oh.” Well, she couldn’t argue with evidence, even if she could argue with the interpretation of it. “There have been no reports of demonic attacks or possessions outside of Blue Moon,” Father Edlow said. “This supports the idea that they are contained within the borders of the town. History suggests that part of Aristide Molineaux and Ezra Barrows’s bargain was that the demons could only move within the lines of Blue Moon. Again, there’s no explanation of how or why this was achieved, only that we have three hundred years of evidence to support it.” “I suppose exorcisms have been tried?” “Many times.” Father Edlow shook his head sadly. “My predecessors have brought in Catholic priests, Pentecostal ministers, Muslim imams and even pagan practitioners. We’ve all tried, but in the end, we all stopped trying.” “Why?” “Because it only made things worse. Every time we tried to exorcise the demons from White Farm, they seemed to become enraged, and they wreaked havoc upon the town. People died as a result. In the end, no risk to the living could ever be worth the chance of getting rid of these demons.” “So…people just live with them?” Ava asked, astounded. “Yes, and the main threat is to our children here, because children are so much more open to things outside the normal adult range of

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comprehension and perception. We take great care to nurture and protect them spiritually. We are blessed in that we have not had an incident for about ten years now.” “Knock wood,” Declan added, rapping his knuckles against the pew. Father Edlow smiled sadly. “You said the demons are focused on me,” Ava said. “How can you know that? What does that mean?” “I can feel it,” Father Edlow replied simply. “I sense it through my prayers for you.” “You’re praying for me?” “I am, since the moment I heard you were staying at White Farm.” “So, what does it mean?” “For some reason, Ava, you are special to them. They will want to either possess you or destroy you. There is no compromise, no middle ground.” Ava thought for a moment, chewing her bottom lip pensively. “So, if I go by what you’re telling me, all I would have to do to be safe is to leave Blue Moon.” “Yes,” Father Edlow agreed. “They could not follow you outside of our borders.” Silence fell on the three of them as Ava leaned back against Declan. He buried his face in her hair and tightened his arms around her waist. It was a simple, logical solution. So, why did she have this terrible feeling that she was going to be stupid and not take the one chance she had to escape. “What happens if I stay?” she asked finally. “That’s not for me to say,” Father Edlow replied. “I’ve told you the risks. What you choose is up to you. And now,” he added, getting to his feet. “You’ll excuse me, but I have a few things that need doing before I head over to the hospital.” “The hospital?” Ava asked. “I serve as their chaplain on Tuesdays and Fridays,” he said, smiling. “But, you should know this church is always open. I never

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lock the doors. If you need shelter or protection, St. Mary’s is always here for you.” “Thank you, Father,” Ava said, standing up and shaking his hand. She watched him disappear through a door to the side of the altar then turned to Declan. “So what else do I need to know? I know there’s something about the wolves you need to tell me, and I need to see Grace, whoever that is.” Declan nuzzled her ear, dropping little kisses along the shell of it and nearly making her forget that she had any questions at all. She was melting against him, her heart racing as his rough fingers traced her jaw. “Grace is our librarian,” he whispered. “She’s sick with some bad migraines right now and isn’t at work. We’ll go see her when she gets well.” He brushed his lips against hers, the lightest of kisses that left her practically ready to pounce him for more. He chuckled against her mouth. “As for the wolves,” he said softly. “Well, you’ll find out all about that soon enough.” “Not now?” Ava asked in a voice strangled by the surges of heat and desire she felt. “Now, there’s something I’d like to show you.” She felt a thrill of anticipation run through her body at the dark pleasure his words promised. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. “Give me your keys,” he said. “What? Why?” “Because we’re taking your car, unless you want to leave it at the General Store all day, and maybe all night.” She shivered at the implication, her need for him rising and rearing. Together, they ran through the rain to her car, and they laughed as Declan had to scoot the driver’s seat all the way back to fit

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in. He pulled out and drove back down Long Road, then turned off onto an unmarked driveway just before West Road. “Wait, is this the road to your house?” she asked, feeling like she recognized the drive a little bit. “Yes,” he replied, smiling. “But, we’re not going to the house.” “We’re not?” “What I want to show you isn’t there.” Ava sat back, mystified and intrigued, wondering exactly where they were going to go and what he was going to show her. “Your car needs a wheel alignment,” he said, pulling up to a huge, long, wooden barn. “Poor Mimi,” Ava said. “All the Boston potholes have taken their toll.” “Sean will take care of this for you in his shop. Stay here a minute.” She watched as he parked the car then got out in the rain and ran over to the huge barn doors. The building had to be at least four hundred feet long, and it looked like it was divided into two. He pulled open one of the barn doors just wide enough for them to squeeze through then came back over to the car and helped her out. She was so touched as she realized that he had done this to protect her from getting more wet from the rain, and her heart warmed and expanded. Unfortunately, her warm heart wasn’t enough to keep the rest of her warm, and she shivered as she stepped into the dark barn. The floor was packed dirt, and the barn itself smelled of pine and sawdust. Chinks of daylight came through cracks between the wooden planks. In the dim light, she saw a tractor, a riding mower, and a huge boat. Declan flipped on a light in the corner, and she gasped. The boat was huge and beautiful, with a white hull and rich teak woodwork on the deck. The masts were down, but she could tell how long they were, and she wished she could see this on the water with its white sails unfurled, filled by summer sea winds.

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“It’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed, turning to Declan and smiling. “What’s her name?” “The Beloved,” he replied, looking at her with a heat in his golden eyes that was impossible to miss. “I’ve always had a dream that someday, I’d take the woman I loved aboard and never let her go. Until that day, no woman comes on board on this boat.” “You’re such a romantic.” She laughed. “Yeah,” he admitted, grinning. “It’s probably from being so close to the sea every day. She does something to a man’s heart and soul.” He stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly against him. “Just like you do,” he said and kissed her. Ava discovered that though Declan might have been the romantic one, it didn’t mean he wasn’t fierce and possessive. He kissed her hard, demanding entrance to her mouth with his tongue, cradling her face and pressing her hard against him. She felt the rock and steel of his body underneath his clothes, and she wanted to wrap herself around him, to cling to him and have him claim her. It didn’t matter that she was leaving in a month. The only thing that mattered was this moment. Suddenly, he broke off their kiss and scooped her up in his arms. “Come aboard, sweetheart,” he said and carried her onto the boat.

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Chapter 12 The first thing Ava saw inside The Beloved was the bed. It was the kind of bed that could give a girl ideas. At the far end of the cabin, there was an alcove completely spanned by a platform with a thick mattress custom fitted to it. She blushed at the direction her thoughts were taking and tried to focus on the blue leather bench seats and tiny kitchenette instead. Declan flipped on a tiny switch by the alcove, and a small motor whined to life and began to fill the cabin with warm, dry air. “Emergency heater,” he said with a grin. “Is there an emergency?” Ava replied airily, her whole body thrumming with desire for him. “Yes,” he said. “In my pants.” She laughed and let herself be caught up in his arms. He silenced her laughter with fierce kisses, nipping at her bottom lip and tasting her with his tongue. His kisses were insistent and unrelenting, and she struggled to get enough breath into her lungs, yet enjoyed the sensation of becoming kiss-drunk and dizzy. One of his hands moved from her waist to grip her bottom and press her against the hardness in his pants. His erection seemed to jump toward her as she moved herself to grind into him, seeking her own arousal. He picked her up by the ass, hitching her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist, and he carried her over to the bed. The air in the cabin was warming up now, just like her blood as desire fired her nerve endings to hypersensitivity. She could feel the denim against her legs, the socks encasing her toes, her bra against her nipples. His

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rough fingertips traced her jaw and down her throat, leaving a mixed shiver of hard and smooth. “Are you warm enough, sweetheart?” he asked against her lips as he began to help her shrug out of her parka. “Yes,” she breathed, pulling off her hat and tossing it aside. “I need to see you,” he said, his hot breath on her skin. “All of you.” His words sent a thrill of excitement through her body, and her sex clenched in anticipation. She responded to him with fierce kisses of her own, wanting to devour him, swallow him into her, be filled with him, feel him wrapped around her body, trapping her in pleasure. To her surprise, he pushed her back against the mattress, pinning her down. He grinned at her and nipped at her bottom lip. “No, sweetheart,” he said. “We do this my way.” “What way? I don’t understand?” “Shhh, Ava. Don’t fight me.” Fear slashed through her veins as her mind went wild with ideas of what he was going to do, and yet, she couldn’t deny the deep, palpable excitement that made her nipples and pussy throb and ache. Slowly, holding her gaze with his, Declan stripped off her sweater and began to unbutton her cotton shirt. He straddled her, basically pinning her in place. His deliberate movements frustrated her. She wanted him now. She needed more arousal and a climax now. Her hand snaked down to between her legs, trying to squeeze between Declan’s erection and her sex to stroke herself through her jeans. Lightning fast, he grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head. He took her other and did the same. “You’re being a bad girl, Ava,” he said, darkness and desire thick in his voice, making her tremble with forbidden fantasies. “Keep your hands above your head.” He ripped open the rest of her shirt, sending buttons flying, and frowned at her plain white bra.

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“I don’t ever want you wearing this again,” he said coolly. “It’s ugly, and you, sweetheart, are beautiful.” He reached around underneath her to unhook her bra then pulled it off her. He yanked her shirt off as well so that now she was bare from the waist up, exposed to him. “Beautiful,” he whispered, lowering his mouth to a nipple and flicking it with his tongue. “Sweet.” Another flick that sent a jolt of joy straight down to her pussy. “Tweakable.” He lightly brushed the very tip of her nipple. She lost control and tried to buck up against him, only to have him lift up slightly on his knees so she couldn’t reach him to grind against his cock. “No,” he said, his golden eyes narrowing. “Not yet. That would be too damn easy.” Ava’s heart raced, and her breathing began to come in quick gasps. This was a totally unexpected side of Declan, something unknown, a little dangerous and completely exciting. What was he going to do to her? The suspense seemed to heighten the awareness of the growing arousal in every part of her body. He leaned over and flicked her other nipple with his tongue, and she moaned for more. Chuckling, he grabbed a coil of sail rope that was stored to the side of the mattress along with a few sail bags. “What are you doing?” Ava demanded, suddenly snapping out of her delirium of desire and becoming very aware of his movements. “Taking you out to sea, sweetheart,” he said as he grabbed her wrists and tied them securely with the rope, knotting it against a bar at the head of the bed. “I want to dive deep to discover your ocean floor, the darkest and most forbidden places inside you. I want to chart the waters of your desire. I want to ride the waves of your pleasure.” Ava’s eyes went wide as she felt herself restrained before she could think to protest. No one had ever done this to her before, and she felt a delicious nervousness at what was to come. She realized that she wasn’t truly afraid because somehow, for some reason, she absolutely trusted Declan. Restlessly, she shifted, testing out the

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bonds around her hands. They were tighter than she expected, and that excited her. She was actually tied up, not just loosely restrained. There was nothing she could do to keep Declan from doing whatever he wanted to her. Her pussy pounded with unrelieved excitement at the thought. Declan’s eyes were alight with desire as he surveyed her. Deliberately, he lowered one finger to her nipple and brushed the tip of it over and over. “Oh God!” Ava cried out, bucking and moving in frustrated need. He moved to kneel on one side of her, unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans, but leaving them on her. Damn, it wasn’t enough! She wanted to be naked, completely exposed to him. The excitement and need she felt were almost overwhelming. He chuckled as he licked her other nipple and slid his hand down into her panties, his fingers running over her folds but studiously avoiding the one place that needed his touch the most. “You are so wet!” he exclaimed as he dipped his fingers into her opening and felt the slick moisture that drenched her and her panties. “I want to know how you taste, sweetheart.” She moaned as he drew his fingers way too lightly over her sensitive nub, giving her a frustratingly feathery flick. Something wet touched her nipples, and she realized it was his finger, covered in her juices. She needed to come so badly, and it only got worse as he lowered his mouth onto her nipple, sucking hard and swirling his tongue around it. With his other hand, he began to play with her other breast. “You taste like saltwater taffy,” he murmured against her breast. “Sweet and salty and musky. Just the candy I like best.” Now, she was in a frenzy and cried out in frustration as he suddenly stopped. He got up off the mattress and quickly pulled off her boots and stripped off her jeans and panties, leaving her completely naked while he was completely clothed. She wondered at her own incredible arousal at feeling so exposed and vulnerable.

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Nothing like this had ever happened to her before, and she was loving it and even craving more. “Oh please!” she cried out. “I need you!” “Not another word,” Declan ordered, and the harshness of his voice thrilled her. He kissed her lips as if to seal them with his touch, and he gently caressed her waist, running his hands down to her hips and thighs. He trailed his kisses down between her breasts and over her belly until he reached her mound. With an excruciating deliberateness, he parted her folds and began to taste and tease her. Ava fought against the words on her lips that burned to be said. Her entire being was focused on one place in her body. No matter how hard she struggled, twisted, and bucked, between the rope on her wrists and Declan’s hands, she was held securely in place. He set the pace for her pleasure, bringing her mind-numbingly close to ecstasy then pulling back. Her words melted away, and all that was left were incoherent whimpers of need. Declan lifted her hips with his hands, easily holding her off the mattress and taking away what little leverage she had had to move against his mouth. Now, the only way for her to reach her bliss was through Declan’s mouth, through his choice and his time. The feelings of being so completely abandoned, wanton, and helpless thrilled her. Wordless whispers in her mind hinted at dark pleasures, and every nerve in her body was tight from overstretched desire. “Now, Ava,” Declan growled. “Now!” He sucked hard on her clit, swiping it roughly with his tongue, and she was flung ashore by wave after wave of pounding pleasure. Her mind completely blanked, and the only thing that existed in that moment was the ecstatic sensation of climaxing. He continued to stroke her even as the pleasure tide began to ebb, stretching out the feelings of bliss until it was almost painful.

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Empty, gasping, and limp, she lay still with her eyes closed, shivering with the last twinges of pleasure. “Look up at me, Ava,” Declan ordered, and she opened her eyes to find he had stripped out of his clothes and was poised above her. A fresh wave of excitement flowed through her, and she tugged at her bonds, wanting to run her hands over his magnificent, lean, muscled chest. His whole body was amazing, lanky but defined with long muscles. She gazed into his eyes and became trapped in amber. Keeping his eyes on hers, he eased himself into her. God! He was big! All the brothers were huge. She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax her muscles and accept him. With agonizing slowness, he entered her all the way until she could feel him touch her womb. “Oh my God!” She gasped as he shifted inside her and brushed her G-spot. Instantly, he nipped her bottom lip and ran a finger over her tired clit, jolting it back to life for a moment. “What did I say about no more words?” he asked, steel edging his voice in a way that turned her on and on and on. She nodded, and he smiled knowingly at her. He petted her nub as he began to stroke in and out of her, slowly, deliberately. He thrust his hips in a way that touched her G-spot with every stroke, sending her into a frenzy between his cock and his finger. Crazy to move against him or touch him or do something, she writhed and twisted, only to have his hand come around her throat and hold her in place. His grip on her throat was careful but firm, and the dangerous edge of it tossed her into the abyss of her dark fantasies. “You like that, sweetheart, don’t you?” he murmured, his eyes glinting with the knowledge of her pleasure at being so helpless. “You want to sail to the edge of the world and fall off, don’t you?” His thrusts came harder and quicker now, and the double pleasure between her G-spot and her clit had her crying out for release. He leaned over and suckled her nipples, his hand tightening on her throat just slightly as she came, drowning in the intensity of all the

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sensations ripping through her body. With a growl and a hard thrust, he came as well, riding the swells until they were both in calmer waters. Quickly, he untied her wrists and massaged her arms down so they wouldn’t be stiff. He gathered her into his arms and pulled a thick white quilt over them. “You’re one hell of a sailor,” Ava murmured, letting herself sink into clouds of pink, warm, fuzzy bliss. Declan chuckled and kissed her gently, stroking her hair and her shoulder as he snuggled her against him. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Ava,” he said quietly. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.” No, no, no! She didn’t want commitment crap intruding on this nice, cozy drifting. Boston in a month. She sighed and kissed his chest, nestling up to him. “Let’s drop anchor here for a half hour,” she said lightly. “I’m beat.” Declan smiled and nodded. Relieved, Ava closed her eyes and let herself drift. She heard the sound of his breathing, the faint patter of rain against the barn, the low hum of the heater. Everything was warm and comforting in her little cocoon of pleasure and happiness. Layer by layer, she sunk deeper into the stillness before sleep, her body and mind heavy and quiet. It all happened too fast—the shaking, the roar, the violent throwing of the boat onto its side. Ava slammed into Declan as they fell against the wall of the cabin. Jerked awake and confused, she lay there, her heart pounding as if it was trying to shake her entire body. Terror paralyzed her as her brain slowly processed and played back what had just happened. The boat had gone from complete stillness to shaking wildly for a few seconds. She had been yanked from her deep rest by a soundless roar that filled her ears and blocked out everything else. Then, a

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second later, someone…or something had thrown the boat onto its side with a stunning suddenness and power. “Ava!” Declan yelled, scrambling out from under her and cradling her in his arms. “Are you all right?” “Yes,” she gasped. “Fine. What…what was that?” Declan wrapped her tightly in the quilt and said, “Stay here. Do not move.” Before she could object, he had hoisted himself out of the cabin, and she heard him moving around in the barn. Something about his footsteps sounded odd, though. It was almost as if something was padding or trotting around instead of walking. Then again, nothing seemed to be registering right. The boat was too full of shadows, and she was icy cold despite the heater and the quilt. Dizziness and nausea threatened to overwhelm her, and she began to shake violently. Something was pressing against her, trying to squeeze her or crush her or…or…get inside her somehow… “Our Father,” she croaked out hoarsely with the last of her rational thought. “Who art in heaven…hallowed be Thy…” An invisible hand closed around her throat, and there was no more air to pray with. Then, there was no more air for anything. There was only darkness.

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Chapter 13 The first thing Ava noticed when she woke up was that she was alone in her head. She had been having crazy dreams about fighting to keep a beautiful, pale woman from taking over her mind. At first, the woman had looked so sad and forlorn standing in the vast, empty plain of her unconsciousness that Ava had wanted to reach out and comfort her, but something had stopped her from doing it. A man’s voice from deep inside her thoughts and memories had forbidden her to do so. At that moment, the pale woman had looked at Ava, and suddenly, her beautiful face was a horrifying, contorted mask of leering evil. Dark eyes bulged, lips pulled back from sharp teeth in a feral snarl, and a viscous black slime began to ooze from her eyes, nose, and ears. Terrified, Ava had mentally retreated as far away as she could from the woman, and everything faded again into a cold, lonesome black. The pounding in her head had eventually broken through the layers of dreamless sleep to call her back to the land of the living, and when she awakened, she felt a curious emptiness inside her head. There were no other voices, and thankfully, the pale woman had disappeared. Now, there was just the mother of all headaches to deal with. Testing out a groan, she gingerly rolled onto her side, becoming aware that she was wearing a giant T-shirt that clearly didn’t belong to her. “Ava! Are you all right?” Declan’s voice came through the haze of pain, full of tenderness and warmth.

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“Love, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” There was Robert’s voice, too, an authoritative ring behind his concern. “Hey baby, just lie still and tell us where you don’t feel good, okay?” Sean was there, too? Oh Lord help her, the three of them hovering while all she wanted to do was to groan and be vilely sick. “Don’t crowd her,” said a new voice with a slight Indian singsong accent. “And, I would suggest getting a basin of some sort that she can use. Quickly.” Ava was too nauseous to speak, but if she could have, she would have expressed undying gratitude to the new voice’s foresight. As soon as she sensed the basin’s arrival, she cracked open her eyes to verify her trajectory and proceeded to be violently ill. Ironically, she felt somewhat better afterward. Even the pounding in her head seemed to ease up. She tested out opening her eyes and found it wasn’t going to kill her. The first thing she saw was the men’s stricken faces as they stared at her. “What?” she asked. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but I feel so much better now.” “Ava,” Robert said, coming to sit on the edge of the bed with her and take her hands in his. “Are you sure you’re okay? That you’re…yourself?” “Ye-e-e-s, why?” “Sweetheart, you threw up some kind of black slime,” Declan said, coming to sit on the other side of the bed next to her. She couldn’t have been more stunned or horrified if someone had just plunged an icicle into her heart. The image of the pale woman, oozing black slime from every opening in her face, broadcast itself in HD in front of her eyes. Ava opened her mouth to say something, but there were just no words to define what she was feeling. Was this all even real or a nightmare-within-a-nightmare? “Gentlemen, please,” said an older Indian man as he came over to Ava’s bedside. She looked up at him and saw his broad, kindly face, with piercing black eyes and salt-and-pepper hair and instantly liked

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him. He was tall and rangy, and he wore a stethoscope around his neck. “Hello, Ava,” he said, smiling as he shooed off Robert and Declan. “I’m Doctor Jibreel Nasir. I’m going to take a look at you and see how you’re doing.” “How do you?” Ava murmured, shaking hands with him. Deftly, Dr. Nasir listened to her breathing then took her temperature and blood pressure. “Well, young lady,” he said, standing up. “Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, but I believe that is due to all the excitement. I could give you a mild sedative, but I would rather see you drink some tea, eat a good dinner, and get a good night’s sleep.” “I couldn’t agree more,” Ava replied, smiling. “Take some aspirin if you have any headaches or ache anywhere,” Dr. Nasir continued, going back over to his medical bag. “I don’t want you being brave about pain. It takes a lot of energy for your body to deal with pain, energy that could be used for healing instead. A mild analgesic like aspirin or acetaminophen alleviates the pain and helps your body focus on getting better.” “Understood,” she said, surreptitiously testing out her muscles and feeling the creeping soreness through her body. Wow, Dr. Nasir was good. She hadn’t even been aware of how banged up she had gotten. “Now,” he said, coming back over to her bedside. “I want you to drink this.” He held up a small, reddish-brown plastic bottle that had Arabic writing on it. “What is it?” she asked, taking the bottle from him. “It’s ZamZam water,” Dr. Nasir replied. “Islamic holy water. You’ve been attacked by a jinn, a demon of some sort. I’m worried that you might have been temporarily possessed. I prayed over you, and I think you were able to fight it off. However, I think you also need to be cleansed and blessed, to have your defenses strengthened again.”

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Ava shivered as she remembered the dream of the pale woman. It had just been a dream, hadn’t it? Or had she actually been possessed? It was too much to think about, too much to try and figure out at that moment. She didn’t feel full or sick anymore, but the idea of flushing herself with holy water sounded surprisingly good. “Here’s to crime,” she joked weakly as she twisted off the cap and drank down the water. It had a mineral taste to it, but it wasn’t bad. It felt cool and good going down her burning throat. She handed the empty bottle back to Dr. Nasir, who smiled and patted her shoulder. “Now,” he said. “I suggest you continue to hydrate yourself with regular water. I can trust you gentlemen to take care of that?” he added, turning to Robert, Declan, and Sean. “Absolutely, doc!” Sean replied energetically. Ava groaned inwardly. Great. Sean seemed to be one of those guys who took everything two steps above and beyond. She’d be sloshing around like a water balloon if it was up to him. “Then, I’ll be on my way,” Dr. Nasir said, nodding to Ava and the men. “Call me if you need anything else.” After he was gone, the three men rushed to her bedside. Robert sat himself on one side of her, slipping his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. Declan came to sit on the other side, holding her hands in his and kissing her palms. Sean sat down by her feet and pulled her legs onto his lap. It felt so warm and so nice to be so totally surrounded by three caring—crazy, but caring—men. For a few moments, Ava let herself drift in the silence, finally taking stock of her surroundings. She wasn’t in her cottage, that was for sure. In fact, the bedroom she was in was larger than the entire cottage. She lay in a huge, dark wood four-poster bed with crisp white sheets tucked in around her. Across from the bed, a big, beautiful fire burned in a large stone fireplace. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the walls, with thick pine-green velvet drapes pulled halfway across them. There was an elaborately carved armoire in one corner, an antique dark wood writing desk in another,

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and a tall, ancient-looking chest of drawers in another. A worn Persian rug covered the wooden floors, and Chinese porcelain vases held fresh flowers. “Is this your house?” she asked, finally breaking the restful quiet. “Yes,” Robert replied. “Yours, too, if you want. We’ve had this room ready for you from the minute we met you.” “Way to scare her, bro,” Sean muttered. “That’s sweet,” Ava said hastily to dispel the thundercloud on Robert’s face. “A little freaky, but still sweet.” The men laughed, and she was showered with kisses and caresses. For a long moment, she forgot everything that had happened that day and was only aware of the sensation of being surrounded by affection. Still, memories and questions would surface and intrude. “What happened to the boat?” she asked Declan. His face tightened, and his eyes shut down as he replied. “There was no one else there except for us, sweetheart.” “No one or no thing?” Sean interjected fiercely. “Now who’s doing the scaring?” Robert murmured, holding her tighter. Declan sighed and shook his head. “I found no footsteps other than our own. Besides, nothing human could have shook or tossed the boat with such force.” Ava shivered involuntarily and immediately found herself comforted and soothed. It was so amazing to feel so completely engulfed by caring. She couldn’t bring herself to call it love because it couldn’t possibly be love. It was just the affection that develops with physical intimacy. They didn’t love her, and she didn’t love them. Boston in a month. These thoughts were depressing, but preferable to thinking about what had happened to her today. Suddenly, the day seemed so long. What time was it anyway? It was dark outside the windows, but night fell early this time of year.

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“I feel like I’m in a museum or a in a Brontë novel,” she said, looking around her at the lavish room. “Is the rest of your house like this?” “Wanna take a tour, baby?” Sean asked, ever ready for action. Ava smiled at him, melting at the warmth in his golden eyes and stretching luxuriously as he rubbed her legs, smoothing out her sore muscles. She definitely wanted a tour, and maybe in the process, she’d get some more insight into the Molineaux brothers and their history. She opened her mouth to say yes, but a sudden, strange compulsion literally choked off her words. Return. The word was like a command in her head that stitched its syllables to her limbs. She had no choice but to obey. “What’s wrong, baby?” Sean demanded, shaking her legs slightly to get her attention. “Guys, look at her. She’s gone all glassy-eyed.” Immediately, Robert and Declan looked into her eyes, squeezed her hands, and touched her forehead to check for a fever. “I’m…I’m fine,” she finally stammered. Her head was clear, and she was 99 percent sure she wasn’t possessed. She shook herself, as if to shed the compulsion that still clung to her. “Are you sure?” Sean asked, reaching over and effortlessly lifting her into his lap. Ava became very aware that she wasn’t wearing any panties. The only thing between her and the Molineaux brothers was one of their T-shirts. Apparently, Sean became intensely aware of this fact as well, as she felt him harden underneath her bottom. Her mouth went dry with desire, and the hunger burning in the brothers’ golden eyes told her she wasn’t alone in wanting to make slow love in this room that echoed centuries long past. What she was feeling now was one hundred percent pure Ava Bell. This desire was all hers, every human flutter of it. Return.

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This time, the command took her breath away. Every nerve in her body pulled taut, straining to obey. “Ava, sweetheart,” Declan said, taking her hands. “Talk to us! What’s going on?” “I have to go back to White Farm,” she heard herself say mechanically. “No,” Robert said fiercely. “You are not going back there. Ever.” “I have to,” she replied. “I can’t explain it. I have no choice. I just have to go back.” “Are you sure you’re feeling yourself, baby?” Sean asked. Ava wanted so badly to snuggle up in his arms and to surrender to the three of them and spend the night making love, but she couldn’t. The summons to return to White Farm was inexorable and irresistible. Against her own will, she began to push against Sean, struggling to her feet. She turned and looked at her three lovers. “I’m very definitely me,” she said firmly. “But I can’t help this. I have to go back. Something is drawing me back there.” “Those are the demons,” Robert said. “You can’t do what they say.” “No, it’s not,” she replied as she involuntarily began to move over to where her clothes were lying over the back of a chair. “This is different.” “You don’t know that,” Robert challenged. “Yes, I do,” she retorted, retreating behind a screen with her clothing and quickly changing. “I feel it in my bones. It’s totally different. This is something else. I just have to go back. So, either one of you is going to drive me, or I’m going to have to walk through the woods to get there.” As expected, her words produced the desired effect. “No!” all three men cried at once, bounding over to her and pulling her out from behind the screen to hold her in their arms and touch her hair and face.

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“I’ll drive you back there,” Robert said finally. He gave Sean a grim look that Ava didn’t understand, and Sean nodded in a wordless reply. “I hope the boat wasn’t damaged too badly,” she said, turning to Declan. “Nah,” he replied, grinning. “There’s some stuff to fix, but it’ll be a good project for long winter weekends.” Ava smiled, but her heart was heavy. She didn’t want to leave them. She wanted to stay with them. She didn’t want this dream to end…well, the good parts with them, at least. All the spooky stuff could quit any time. “All right,” she said with a sigh, squaring her shoulders. “Let’s go.” **** Robert kissed her fiercely on the doorstep of the cottage. The rain continued to beat down around them, but his arms engulfed her, and his warmth kept her from feeling the sting of the icy raindrops. Ava devoured his possessive kiss, relishing the way he cradled her head, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, his body pressed tightly against hers. It was a near thing as to whether she would drag him inside and make love with him on the kitchen table. The hunger that he and Declan and Sean had awakened in her seemed insatiable, and yet, the compulsion that had driven her from their arms in the mansion even now pulled her toward the interior of the cottage. “Good night, love,” Robert murmured against her lips, stealing small kisses and nips between his words. “Call us if anything happens.” “I will,” she replied, smiling reassuringly up at him. “I’ll be okay, and if I’m not, I’ll call.” Reluctantly, she pulled away from him and let herself inside. The cottage was dark and cold, and a heavy, damp chill hung in the air.

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She’d have to build a fire, but in the meantime, she turned on the electric heater and flipped on the lights. Everything was in its place. Everything seemed normal. Even the shadows stayed put. She knew better than to think it would all stay that way, but this time, she’d be ready for it. She jumped as a wolf howled outside, so loud that it seemed like the wolf was right on her doorstep. The hungry keening sent chills up her spine, raising goose bumps on her arms. Carefully, she crossed to the window and looked out, cupping her hands around her eyes to block the interior light. A giant gray wolf sat in front of her cottage, its yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.

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Chapter 14 Ava sat at the kitchen table, toying with her reheated lasagna and absently skimming the pages of a moldy copy of Jane Eyre she had found on the bookshelf. It was almost nine o’clock, and all evening, the cottage had behaved itself. There was a big, warm fire going in the fireplace, her cell phone was charging in the bedroom, and there were breakfast dishes and coffee cups to be washed later. An ancient radio was chugging out big band classics. The storm had worsened, and the winds interfered with the satellite connection, cutting her off from television and Internet, but in some ways, she didn’t mind it. It reminded her of all the dark, quiet hours the people of her dissertation had back in the 1600s. Endless evenings with nothing but firelight— candles were precious resources and to be used sparingly and for important things like evening Bible readings. How far could one’s thoughts wander on a long winter’s night? She found her own thoughts making their way across the dark forest to the Molineaux mansion. Yearning tugged at her heart, and the need to be near them was almost unbearably strong. She closed her eyes and could almost feel the heat of their bodies around her, their strong hands running over her skin, their burning kisses on her lips, their hard need pressing up against her pussy. A rush of arousal flowed through her veins, and her breath caught in her throat. She wanted them so badly—all three of them, separately and together. Wasn’t that crazy? It felt more than good. It felt right. She needed them to complete her, to fill her body and her heart. No.

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No, she stopped that thought right there. She couldn’t fall in love with them. That would only be trouble, and in the end, lead to heartbreak for her. Hell, it was already incredibly painful to think of leaving them in a month. Anguish squeezed her heart into lurching beats as she tried to think of returning to Boston alone, leaving her three lovers in their cold, stone mansion on the haunted, rockbound coast of Maine. Gritting her teeth, she tried to force herself back to focusing on the page of her book. Her body was still uncomfortably aroused and hungry for her lovers. One phone call could bring them over for a night of wild passion. Just one phone call… No. No, she wouldn’t do it. She would leave them be, keep this casual. She couldn’t do this to them or to herself. She huffed out a sigh, speared a forkful of lasagna, and froze. A coffee cup dragged itself across the counter, the grating sound of ceramic against Formica too normal for what was happening. The cup stopped on the edge of the counter, teetering half on and half off. Adrenaline pumped through Ava’s body, and her heart pounded in her chest. She waited. Nothing happened. The soft crackle of the fire and low music from the radio were the only sounds in the room besides her breath. Suddenly, every cabinet door and drawer were violently thrown open, rattling plates and pans, and sending the coffee cup on the edge of the counter crashing to the floor. Ava’s heart stopped, and there was no air in her lungs to scream as she stumbled from her chair, falling to her hands and knees. A sob finally broke free as something slammed against her front door again and again. She knew with an icy certainty that she was going to die. ****

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Sean didn’t think of himself as Sean when he shifted into his wolf form. He simply was. He was wolf, blood, bone, sinew, and instinct. In some ways, it was a relief to let go of the human Sean, the one who kept the faith in the old legends and kept his brothers from despair. He could just be for himself and no one else. Except now, there was Ava. He existed now for her in all ways. He wanted her in all ways. Ava filled his heart and his soul, and she was the key to the legend. She was his to love and to protect, whether she knew it or not. She belonged to him and his brothers now. The way he and his brothers had all fallen instantly in love with her, and the way they felt in harmony with sharing her when they would never have dreamed of sharing another woman all proved to him that the legend was right. She was the one who could free them. His heart warmed at the thought of her, but that was about the only thing that was warm as he sat in front of Ava’s cottage, the rain soaking through his fur to his skin and chilling him. He felt his tail thump twice at the thought of lying curled up and warm on the bearskin rug in front of the fireplace. No, wait, those were dog thoughts. He was a wolf. Even better were man thoughts, which had him lying curled up and naked next to Ava in her bed. A toothy grin spread over his face, and he licked his chops. He was the big, bad wolf, and Ava had great big eyes. His tail thumped, and he reached up with his hind leg to scratch his ear. Damn, he’d have to check for ticks after this. He sniffed his foot after scratching his ear and was about to lick it clean when he heard it. It was a sound that no human ears could catch. Hell, he wasn’t even sure it was a real sound. It was more like a roar of thick silence that drowned out all the other natural noises of raindrops on leaves, branches in the wind, and the thrash of the ocean. Whatever it was, his wolf instincts had him on his paws and ready to spring. Then, he saw it. The shadows that were darker than the darkness of the night oiled up to the foundation of the house and seemed to soak into it. Every muscle in his body tensed, and a snarl snapped in

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his throat. He listened carefully, waiting for the first sound of trouble. He didn’t have to wait long. There was the sound of doors being flung open and china crashing. He barely registered Ava’s sob as he launched himself at the front door of her cottage, desperate to get inside and protect her. A red haze blurred his vision as he threw his massive wolf body against the door over and over until the old latch finally gave way. His rage fired his muscles and spilled out in growls and snarls at the black shadows that oozed over all the cabinets and across the floor to where Ava lay in a shivering, terrified, huddled heap. With a single bound, he landed in front of her, his posture tense and ready for the attack that he knew was coming. The shadows gathered and swelled, forming a giant, grave-cold wave that rushed at him and Ava. He threw back his head and howled, the sound waves of the high-pitched keening forming an invisible shield against the darkness. He felt his deep connection with the earth and all the things the wolf symbolized. All that was pure and wild and strong in nature was focused in his howl. He was a predator and a protector, fighting for human life, for the human soul, for his beloved mate. He was the guardian of all that was good, natural, and mortal. He was the guardian of Ava. He reared his head and howled again, louder and stronger this time, love for his mate and righteous rage filling the sound with a force that propelled it forward into the shadows, pushing them back. Within moments, other howls responded to him, echoing his rage and his strength. More howls joined from further off. Hundreds of wolves screamed at the sky to drive Them back into the forest. The heavy roar of silence lifted as the shadows slipped away, slithering back into the woods. He sensed Ava behind him, trying to get to her feet. The smell of her terror was a heady cinnamon. Damn, she was beautiful even when frightened for her life, pale with wide eyes and trembling lips. She

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stumbled back from him, and he realized that she was more scared of him than of the shadows that she couldn’t see. Slowly turning, he looked up at her, willing all his love into his eyes for her to see. He wanted so badly to shift back into his human form, take her in his arms, and bury himself inside her warmth, telling her how much he loved her and feeling her wrap her light limbs around his body. That would frighten her even more, though. She was not ready to find out about werewolves. She would have to, soon, but not tonight. Not so soon after an attack by Them. Ava stood absolutely still, and he could smell the fear still rolling off her in thick waves. He considered her for a moment, trying to decide what to do. As a wolf facing down Them, he knew exactly what he was and what to do, letting his wild nature and feral instincts take over. As a wolf trying to tell the woman he loved not to be afraid of him, he was at a loss. Hmm. Maybe she was a dog person. She was definitely sweet and gentle enough to be a dog lover. It was utterly degrading to his wolfish dignity to act like a dog, but he needed her to trust him because there was no way he was leaving her side tonight, not after what had just happened, but he didn’t want her panicking all night because there was a wolf in the house. With a shrug of his shaggy shoulders, he deliberately stretched out in a play bow then sat back down with his back legs splayed awkwardly like a puppy. He let his tongue loll out of his mouth and tried to grin. He was rewarded with a slight twitch of a smile at the corners of her mouth, but still, she kept her distance. Dang it! Now, he was really going to have to play dog. He got up and walked over to her, sitting down right at her feet. He lifted his paw in the gesture of the “shake hands” trick. He felt that somewhere, some old, noble werewolf was turning in his grave. He tried again, gratified, if a little embarrassed that she finally got it and “shook” his paw. “You…are a wolf,” she whispered, clearly confused but sounding less afraid.

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He had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes at her grasp of the obvious. He had to be patient with her. She didn’t know, didn’t understand. He just prayed that Big Al and his brothers never found out what he had done to get Ava’s trust. Gently, he licked her hand then bumped her fingers until his head was under the palm of her hand. Her soft little laugh thrilled his heart, and he nuzzled up against her hand as she cautiously began to stroke his head. Yes, she was definitely a dog person. Hot damn! She was giving him an ear rub now! All his muscles relaxed as warm, buttered honey seemed to flow through his veins at her touch to his sensitive ears. Crap, now his hind leg was thumping like a fucking rabbit. So much for dignity. If she kept this up, he’d be showing her his belly, and then he’d really never live it down. Carefully grabbing the hem of her sweater in his teeth, he tugged her over to the couch in front of the fire. He nudged her until she sat down on the couch, then he jumped up beside her. He was too large to sit in her lap, the whole werewolf thing making him larger, stronger, and heavier than nonmagical wolves. Still, he would milk this for all it was worth, and besides, the fire felt damn good. He pawed at her arm until she began to pet him again, crooning low in his throat with pleasure. He nearly melted when she suddenly threw her arms around him and buried her face in his fur, sobbing. He nuzzled her hair with his snout and pawed at her arms in a clumsy, doglike attempt at a hug. His Ava needed him. The poor baby was overwrought from everything she had gone through over the past few days. The need to stay close to her and protect her nearly overwhelmed him and made him shift back, but he focused on keeping his wolf form. One massive revelation at a time, he thought, snuggling himself into her arms. Still, she liked him this way, even if she didn’t really know it was him. She wasn’t afraid. That was good. Just one step at a time. Everything was going to be okay.

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Chapter 15 Everything was not okay. The last thing Ava remembered was climbing into bed and snuggling under the covers, with the wolf jumping up and circling three times before plopping himself down as close as possible to her. She had fallen asleep, too exhausted to think or even dream, only barely aware of the smell of damp dog next to her. Now, she had opened her eyes to bright sunlight streaming in through the windows only to find a very naked and very sound asleep Sean Molineaux in her bed. He had wrapped himself around her, effectively pinning her under the covers. Between his body heat and the quilt and the residual warmth from the fire, Ava was getting uncomfortably hot. It was what had awakened her in the first place. How the hell had Sean gotten into her bed? Where was her wolf? What had happened last night? She closed her eyes and tried to take a deep breath to calm herself down, but her lungs were too tight. Opening her eyes, she looked at Sean. Damn, he was handsome and had the sexiest body she had ever seen—except for Robert and Declan. Crap, all three of the brothers were to die for, even if they were all different. Robert was a mass of muscle, solid and broad like a brick wall. Declan was whipcord lean and lanky, with long limbs and straight lines. Sean had a working man’s muscles. Every inch of him was tight, and his arms, even at rest, bulged with muscles. There was a shadow of dark stubble across his chin, and he seemed to be smiling ever so slightly in his sleep. Ava tried for another deep breath, this time to get her sudden, crazy lust under control. Sean must have felt her movement, because

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he tightened his arm around her. The movement drew her eyes to his arm, and she noticed the large tattoo on his shoulder. It was striking and beautiful, done in grays and whites. Three gray wolves with burning golden eyes walked on either side and in front of a willowy woman dressed in a simple white gown. The woman had long brownish gray hair that looked as if it was blowing in a gentle breeze. Ava couldn’t help but gasp as she saw the tender pink skin and fresh black ink that arched above the older tattoo. It was her name, done in archaic English script. Sean had gotten her name tattooed on him, over this older picture that clearly meant something to him. Her heart lurched in trepidation of what this could possibly mean, but she also felt an irrational thrill at the thought that he felt the same connection to her that she did to him and his brothers. The sands of her self slipped away as a wave of longing to be with all three of them washed over her. She wanted to be with them in bed, to make love with them, but also, to just spend time with them. She wanted to learn about them, walk with them, talk with them, go sailing, have picnics, and go out to dinner with them. She wanted to cuddle up with them and watch movies, or sit in companionable silence as she read her books. The brutal yearning was too much to bear, too much to face down. Her heart constricted, and she felt as if it would break when her mind reminded her that these days of bliss were numbered. With a halfswallowed sob, she nuzzled against Sean’s naked chest, no longer caring how he got there, just grateful that he was there. “Hey, baby,” he murmured, waking up. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?” “I get my kitchen exploded by a poltergeist, my door knocked in by a wolf that thinks he’s a dog, and I wake up to a naked man in my bed, and you want to know what’s the matter?” “Baby, that’s not what’s bothering you,” Sean said, caressing her hair. “Look at me.”

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Ava blinked hard to make sure there weren’t any tears in her eyes, then looked up into Sean’s beautiful golden eyes. Golden eyes like a wolf. What the fuck? No, it couldn’t be. Shit like that didn’t happen. She was imagining things. She was going crazy with everything that had happened. This town and this cottage were just so seriously fucked up, and it was finally getting to her. Sean Molineaux was not a wolf. Was he? No. Abso-fucking-lutely impossible. She tried to look away, unable to bear those beautiful golden eyes and the crazy thoughts they inspired in her. Only, Sean wouldn’t let her. Gently, he touched her chin and nudged her face back to look at him. “Baby.” He sighed. “I really want to make love to you right now. I mean badly. But, I guess I gotta wait because from the look on your face, you need some answers.” “I’ve been needing answers for a while now,” she muttered, unable to tear her eyes away from him as he stood up, every inch of his magnificent body revealed. Her mouth went dry and tingles of pleasure and arousal danced in her nipples and sex. She sat up and was about to try and pull him back into bed because suddenly, making love to him was more important than answers. “Try not to scream or faint, okay?” he asked. “Just remember, I won’t hurt you. Yes, this is real, and no, you’re not going crazy.” He closed his eyes, and his body shuddered as ripples of muscles twitched under his skin. The transformation was too fluid, too fast for Ava to catch entirely. All she could be certain of was that Sean Molineaux had just turned into a wolf. She was vaguely aware that her jaw was hanging open, but her mind had pretty much shut down because trying to accept the truth of what she had just seen had short-circuited her brain.

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Against a mantra of what-the-fuck-what-the-fuck-what-the-fuck, memories played out of hearing hundreds of wolves howling, seeing the golden eyes and ice-blue eyes of all the men in town. Could it be? How was it possible? Her mind jumped to Aristide Molineaux and Ezra Barrows, then to the demons, then to Father Edlow, shying away from making the connections as if the links were white hot and burned her. “I…I don’t understand,” she finally managed to stammer. Sean-the-wolf jumped up on the bed and sat down. He leaned forward and softly nuzzled her cheek, tickling her with his coarse fur. She closed her eyes against the enormous impossibility of what she had to accept, and suddenly, she felt a shifting of weight on the bed, and it was stubble that rasped against her cheek now. “Ava,” he murmured, “don’t be afraid.” “I’m not afraid,” she replied, keeping her eyes closed. “I’m too floored to be afraid.” She heard him chuckle and felt his lips brush against hers. Her heart thrilled like a small bird fluttering against the bars of its cage. This was real. This was here and now. She wanted—no, she needed— Sean’s hard, human body against hers. Blindly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his warm skin under her fingers. He pulled her into his lap, and she felt his rock-hard arousal through her sweatpants against her thigh. It occurred to her that the wolf had watched her extremely attentively the night before as she had stripped out of her clothes and changed into her sweatpants and tank top for sleep. Damn it if Sean hadn’t gotten a free show last night! Wait, had she just accepted the fact he was a werewolf and made a joke about it? Of course not. She had just hallucinated because she probably wasn’t fully awake yet. Sean wasn’t a werewolf. Everything was okay. Right? Thankfully, Sean kissed her, his tongue slipping into her mouth and touching the tip of her tongue, driving away all thoughts. Zings of electricity flew between their bodies, charging her desire with every

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touch of skin against skin. He greedily drank up her kisses, and she surrendered them willingly, needing the simplicity of just making love to anchor her to reality again. “Damn, baby,” Sean groaned reverently against her mouth. Her lips felt swollen and numb from his loving assault. His hands were moving everywhere over her body, his rough touches setting fire to her nerve endings. Ava turned in his lap, trying to writhe against his chest, to feel his smooth hard torso against hers. She felt the wetness begin to seep from her sex, and her muscles clenched against the emptiness that should have been filled by his cock. Her nub flickered to life with hungry little throbs of anticipation of what was to come. “I need to see you, baby,” he said, moving his kisses down her throat, making her incredibly aroused and vulnerable. “Let’s get naked!” “You’re naked already.” She gasped, running her hands down his arms, careful to avoid the new tattoo, though. “Okay, so let’s get you naked.” He chuckled. “Sean?” “Yes, baby?” “Shut up and make love to me.” He laughed joyfully, a sound that added a layer of tenderness and happiness to Ava’s desire, filling her heart with…with love…just as her body was filled with desire. No, she couldn’t love them. This was just sex. She felt affection…oh, damn, she felt a whole lot more than just affection at the way he was teething her nipples through her tank top. He suckled her until he soaked her tank top, plastering the fabric to her nipple and moved to do the same to the other one. With his fingers, he flicked and stroked the cold, wet fabric, forcing the rough texture to brush against her aching nipple. She started to buck her hips in a fruitless attempt to find relief. Deftly, he stripped the tank top from her, leaving her naked from the

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waist up. He grasped her rib cage gently but firmly as he sucked and bit and teased her nipples. “Oh my God,” she gasped, shaking from the pounding waves of arousal that went straight from her breasts to her pussy. “I’m going to come!” “No, you’re not,” he replied, continuing to lick and flick her nipples. “Not from this, but I’m gonna make you wild, and you can’t stop me, baby.” “Seriously, Sean, please, I need you to touch me down there, do something!” His chuckle vibrated against the tender globe of her breast, and he teethed her nipple then moved to suckle the other one. He kept teasing her nipples for what seemed an eternity, slowing down his teasing just as she thought she would die and finally climax. Still, he kept pushing her arousal until she was shaking in his arms and almost crazy from frustration. Then, with a wicked grin and laugh, he flipped her over on her back and stripped off her sweatpants. She sighed with relief at the thought he was finally going to take her, to bring her to the climax she so badly needed now. Boy, was she wrong! He lowered his mouth to her breasts again, teasing her with biting kisses before kissing his way down her stomach. “Baby, I love your soft little belly,” he crooned, kissing and nuzzling it. “It’s so damn sexy. Every bit of you is so damn sexy. You get me so hot every time I see you, I just want to take you right there on the spot.” A strangled “Sean!” was all Ava could manage to squeak out as she tried to move to satisfy herself. Everything about him was torturing her with desire. His hands, his lips, his tongue, his body were all conspiring to drive her insane.

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“You want me inside you, baby?” He laughed, slipping his finger into her pussy and crooking it to hit her inner spot, making her jump with a sensation of almost-ecstasy. “Yes!” He took her breath away with the speed with which he flipped her over onto her hands and knees and thrust into her from behind. His long, hard cock filled her completely to the tip of her womb, and she heard his satisfied groan. “Oh damn, baby,” he hissed. “You’re so tight. So damn hot.” He pumped into her twice, the force of his thrusts making her breasts shake as they hung free in the air. If only he would touch her clit, give her the release she was craving! “Sean, I need you to touch me,” she moaned, pounding the mattress with her fist as he reached forward with his free hand and skimmed over her breasts and belly, just barely brushing her clit. “Damn it!” she yelped when he slapped her smartly on the ass. It didn’t hurt. It was more like a sting, and the thought of being spanked suddenly went from a painful idea to a darkly inviting fantasy. “You have the sweetest little ass,” he said, rubbing the place where he had spanked her, spreading the heat. “You ever had anything there?” “In my…my bottom?” she said, freezing up at the thought. “I think you’d like it,” he said softly, bending over and kissing her back as he slowly swung back and forth in and out of her. She couldn’t reply because a rush of pleasure choked off her words as he used his fingers to explore her folds and spread the honey over her throbbing clit. The sensation of being so close to coming and so full with his cock was like drowning in chocolate. Suddenly, she felt his finger at her the tight ring of muscle of the most private, most forbidden entrance. “Just relax, baby.” He was cooing. “This will feel really good, I promise. I’m not going to hurt you. Just let your muscles loosen up, baby.”

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Ava was entranced by the unexpected sensations that filled her as Sean slowly worked his finger inside her. It wasn’t painful like she had expected. Instead, she felt a fullness that was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. “How does it feel?” he asked quietly, the strain of holding back clear in his voice as he patiently stroked both his finger and his cock in and out of her. “Full,” she rasped out. “Forbidden. Naughty.” “Just imagine my cock in there, baby, with my brothers in your pussy and your mouth, loving you with everything we got.” The image of being filled by all three of them burned in her brain in a way that made her feel more sensual and desirable than she ever had before. “Oh God,” she cried out as his thrusts became harder and more demanding. Finally, he reached around her and began to tease her clit with long, sure strokes that lingered for just a moment on the nub itself before starting another stroke. She spiraled up to the sky with pleasure, exploding in light and color as she finally came. She felt Sean shake and heard his guttural growl as he climaxed with her. They collapsed onto the bed, lying there together as her entire body continued to vibrate with aftershocks. She was barely aware of Sean getting up off the bed, and she started when she felt a warm washcloth against her bottom. “You don’t have to do that,” she mumbled. “Get back in bed.” “I want to do it,” he replied. “It makes me happy to take care of you.” “I can take care of myself,” she replied. “This is embarrassing.” “Baby, I just had my finger up your ass, and this is what you find embarrassing?” Ava couldn’t help laughing. It was so easy to laugh around Sean. He was so warm and lighthearted. He snuggled into bed beside her, and she glanced at the alarm clock, happy to find it was only 7:30

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a.m., plenty of time for another hour of sleep before having to deal with a reality that had just become entirely too unreal.

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Chapter 16 Ava awoke with the sense that she had missed something. The seconds ticked together and added up to the moment when she remembered everything. As she grabbed a sheet to cover herself, Robert, Declan, and Sean all rushed into the room and crowded onto her bed. Robert’s hot hands ran up and down her bare back, making her feel both comforted and seduced. There was something so utterly feminine and vulnerable about being naked around three dressed men. She had never thought of herself as particularly feminine. She always had to fight too hard to be respected as a professional and as an academic to indulge in any display of softness or vulnerability. She had been on her own for even longer, forced by her mother’s illness and early death to fend for herself. Being comforted and touched so caringly awakened her to a deep emptiness that she hadn’t even been aware of. Declan caressed her cheek as Sean ran his hands up and down her legs. She looked from one to the other, straining to reconcile what she knew couldn’t be true with what she was fairly certain she had seen earlier. “Are you all right, love?” Robert asked gently, leaning in to kiss her shoulder, sending shivers of desire trickling down her back. “I’m thinking,” Ava replied slowly. “Of what?” Robert asked. “Well, (a) I’m naked, so I didn’t dream up having sex with Sean, who may or may not have turned into a werewolf in front of me; (b) Sean wasn’t in bed when I woke up, which throws (a) back into

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doubt; and finally (c) Sean is up and fully clothed, and you guys are here, which puts (a) back in the running.” Instantly, Robert and Declan whipped around to glare at Sean, who looked embarrassed but resolute. “She was under attack,” Sean said fiercely. “I had no choice but to break through the door.” “And?” Robert said. His voice had that curious ring that made Ava straighten her spine and feel the need to confess something…anything. Sean huffed and rolled his eyes. “And…I kept her company until she fell asleep.” “And?” “And…like a dumbass, I fell asleep, too, and shifted back.” Robert growled, and Declan rubbed his face with his hands. Ava forced herself to stay focused on continuing to breathe. “So…” she said finally. “This wasn’t a nightmare or hallucination on my part? This stuff actually exists?” “Yes, sweetheart,” Declan said, gently taking her hands in his large ones. “Unfortunately, we do exist.” “Why? How?” “It’s time to go see Grace,” Robert said, cutting his brother off. “We’ve botched up enough explanations for Ava.” The warm cage of Robert’s arms and the close, eager presence of Declan and Sean kept Ava from bursting into the overwrought tears that welled up in her. She couldn’t hold back a few desperate sniffs, and immediately, the three brothers were touching her, reassuring her, kissing her to make her better. “I’m okay,” she croaked, weakly trying to wave them away. “It’s just this has been so much. So crazy. This month was supposed to be the epitome of boring. Now, I’m in a mess with demons, werewolves, and three lovers, and I still have half my dissertation to edit.” Declan leaned in and gently kissed the corner of her mouth, his restraint jolting her with memories of how erotically controlled he had

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been just the day before when he had turned her body into a helpless instrument of desire. “Tell you what, sweetheart,” he said. “After we go see Grace, we’ll take you around Blue Moon. The sun’s out, and it’s a beautiful day. We’ll take your mind off things for a little bit.” “You mean I get to see the mysterious Grace today?” Ava exclaimed. “Finally?” “Yes, finally.” Declan laughed as Sean jumped up and started digging through her closet and dresser, pulling out jeans, a T-shirt, and a sweater. “Hey!” Ava said. “Stop that! I can get my own clothes.” “Don’t you have any lingerie that isn’t ugly?” Sean complained, rooting through her plain, faded bras and panties. “You could always go without,” Robert purred in her ear. His hand slipped beneath the sheet she held to stroke her belly and snake down to her pussy. Ava sucked in a breath as his hot fingers skittered along her sensitive skin, practically leaving burns from the desire that flowed wherever he touched her. He dipped his fingers in her honey and slid them deep inside her, making her arch her back and gasp from the double sensation of pleasure and possession. Declan came over and took her mouth with his, his hands firmly holding her face so that she couldn’t turn away. He kissed her fiercely, crushing her lips and punishing her tongue with his. He alternated between deep, sweeping kisses and slow, sensual scrapes of his teeth along her bottom lip, never allowing her to decide or guess which she was going to get. Ava felt herself sinking into the fantasy created by her three lovers, that they could all be together, that this was a different world—one where she wasn’t alone, wasn’t forced to fight for her own survival. It was a world where pleasure was her right, and love was a natural state of being.

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Sean tugged the sheet away from her, leaving her naked. In a flash, he was naked as well, and by the looks of it, ready to go again. He began to drop playful kisses and nips up her legs. She squealed and thrashed a little as he hit a ticklish spot by her knee. He grinned, tickling her for good measure, which made her buck against Robert’s searching fingers and Declan’s demanding mouth. “Guess what I found out this morning?” Sean chuckled, taking a moment to stroke himself as he sat back on his heels. “What?” Robert asked, drawing his fingers out of her and tracing a long, wet line up her belly, encircling each nipple with her own cream. “Our Ava likes it wild and hot,” Sean said wickedly. “And I think she’s going to love it in her ass.” “I, oh God, never said, unnnhhhh, that!” She gasped against Declan’s kiss as Robert began rolling and stroking her nipples between his fingertips. “You liked my finger up there, baby,” Sean reminded her, crawling toward her hips like a…like a damn wolf stalking its prey. “Yes, but…ooooh….that was your finger!” She panted, squirming in Robert’s grip as Declan held her still by the neck and began to kiss down her jawline and throat to her shoulder. “There are so many ways we can please you, love,” Robert said. He paused for a moment to pull off his sweater and shirt then pull her back against his hot, hard chest. “Whatever you’ve dreamed about, fantasized about, love, we can do. Nothing is too dark or forbidden.” His words set off a rocket-powered montage in her overtaxed imagination of shadowy games and brazen plays. She licked her dry lips to keep from blurting out all the crazy, kinky, voyeuristic things she wanted to try. They’d never look at her the same way if she told them. Besides, what if she didn’t like it once her fantasy became a reality? How embarrassed would she be to admit she had been stupid and naïve about an erotic game?

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“I think,” Declan said, releasing her and shedding his clothing, “that we ought to start by investing in some new lingerie for our Ava.” He stepped closer to her and traced his fingers across her collarbone, slowly and deliberately, bringing every sensation in her body into focus. “Lace,” Declan said quietly. “Black lace. Black silk. Delicate pieces that are sheer and held together by tiny satin ribbons. Fragile teddies that I can rip off her body with one hand. Satin gowns so that even as she sleeps, her skin is being seduced.” Ava’s eyelids fluttered as she fought to keep herself from coming just from listening to his words. Her nub seemed to be throbbing in time with his voice. He made her want to be that ivory body in black silk and lace, ever open to her lovers, ever adored by a thousand hands and lips. “Then,” Declan continued, letting his hand drift down between her breasts that were held up as offerings by Robert, “I would tie our Ava up with the hard bite of leather and blindfold her with satin.” He tweaked her nipple with the softest of touches, sending her into a frenzy of impatient passion. “I would play with her for hours, never letting her come. Just a tiny flick of fingers against lace.” He brushed his fingers against her nipples. “Or pinch on her clit.” Suddenly, his hand was between her legs and searching her mound to pinch and roll her clit. “Oh God,” Ava cried out. “Please, please!” “Please what, Ava?” Declan whispered against her lips. He pushed three of his fingers roughly up into her, driving her to the edge with the sense of being used and filled. Suddenly, he withdrew his fingers as he reached for her waist and pulled her up to kneel against him. She could almost hear the sizzles as their skin touched, her breasts smashed against his chest, and the burning steel of his cock pressed hard against her belly.

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“Oh baby, your back is so beautiful,” Sean said reverently, coming to kneel behind her and running his hands down her back. “So soft and white, like a painting. That fine ass is a real work of art.” “You have a fixation with my ass, Sean Molineaux.” Ava half gasped, half laughed as Declan leaned down to suckle her nipples. “We all do, love,” Robert said, getting up and throwing off his clothes. “Especially when it’s so damn beautiful.” “I never realized how much guys like, um, ass,” she said, melting into Sean’s arms as Declan’s mouth worked dizzying magic on her. “Women like it, too, baby,” Sean replied, nibbling her ear. “You just have to be eased into it. Like this.” As he spoke, he swiped two fingers through her cream and gently worked them up her tight ring. She cried out as her muscles burned to stretch and accommodate him, but there was also a growing awareness of just how full it felt, how forbidden it all was. She wasn’t prepared either for the way Declan spread her legs and thrust his long, thick cock into her pussy. The double fullness drove shivers from her belly out to every nerve ending she had. She threw her arms around Declan’s neck to help hold on during this wild ride that she never wanted to have end. Her body slid up and down against his, the erotic friction overstimulating nerves that were already stretched to their limit before the endless tumble into pleasure. “Ava, Ava! AVA!” Declan gasped as he filled her. Her own wild, mewling cries of approaching ecstasy spiraled out to fill the room as Robert took Declan’s place. Sean withdrew from her as Robert turned her on her hands and knees to enter her from behind, filling her pussy with everything that he had in one fierce push. Robert’s fingers found a sure rhythm over her clit as he rode her. Half-drugged from want, Ava looked up to see Sean offering her his cock. She took him into her mouth and sucked him hard. Using her tongue, she swirled patterns around the crown of his head, then alternated with sucking his entire shaft.

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“Oh love, you’re so fucking tight,” Robert groaned as he swung into her harder and faster. “Her mouth is amazing,” Sean added, his face tight and strained. Hearing them say how much her body tempted them made Ava feel feminine and desirable like nothing ever had before. It was a feeling she wanted to bottle up and lock away forever. “Ava, stop,” Sean said suddenly. “Stop, baby. I’m going to come!” He tried to grab her hair and gently pull her away, but Ava’s need had made her delirious. Every inch of her skin was sensitized, and her mouth seemed just one more place in her body that begged to be filled. She attacked with her lips and her tongue, drawing from him a climax that had him shaking as he tried to hold on to her hair as he spilled into her mouth. Robert’s wolfish growl and snap as he came, combined with his long fingers stroking and pinching her clit, finally launched her into an orbit of bliss. The gravity of pleasure grabbed her and spun her around and around her own heavenly body until she was lost in space. As Robert laid her gently back against the pillows, she panted contentedly, letting her body shiver occasionally from an ebbing ripple of pleasure. “Ava, baby,” Sean said, lying down next to her and looking contrite, “you didn’t have to do that for me.” She smiled indulgently at him, feeling a warmth filling her heart that she couldn’t explain. “I think mouthwash is the key.” She chuckled. She hadn’t particularly relished the taste or sensation of him coming in her mouth, but she loved the pleasure it gave him. She stretched out, then sat up and looked sternly at all three of her golden-eyed lovers, fighting against the warmth that spread through her body at the sight of them.

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“Now then,” she said with mock severity. “If you are quite finished distracting me from the impending doom hanging over my head, can we please go get some coffee and see this Grace person?”

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Chapter 17 Big Al Boyer gave Ava an approving look as Sean paid for the four large coffees. The sun was shining brilliantly, and sunlight flooded into the windows of the General Store. Big Al looked bigger and burlier than ever to Ava. “How do you take your coffee?” Declan asked, pausing by the cream and sugar at the end of the counter. “Cream and sugar,” Robert replied for her. “Not too much sugar, though.” Ava smiled faintly, studying Big Al’s icy-blue eyes. She had seen eyes like that before in pictures of wild black and white wolves. She was barely coping with the idea that werewolves existed, and by coping, she meant mostly ignoring it. “So, now you know, eh?” Big Al said quietly to her as he handed Sean his change. Ava stiffened and could barely bring herself to look at him. She managed a slight nod, and the memory of Big Al stepping outside and then the sudden wolf howls she had heard the day before slammed into her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “It’s, um, a little hard to swallow,” she murmured between clenched teeth. “Yes, it is,” Big Al replied. “But, you’re going to have to get over it.” His matter-of-fact words startled her back from the verge of panic. She looked at him questioningly. “You have a job to do,” Big Al said. “And, you’re just going to have to tough it out and deal with a lot of strange shit until it’s over.”

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“How do you know that?” she demanded, her heart falling like a lead weight into the pit of her stomach. “What do you mean?” “We all know it,” Big Al said, nodding at Robert, Sean, and Declan. “It’s not for me to say more. That’s Grace’s job.” He turned to Sean and half smiled. “Now, get outta here. You’re crowding the register. I’m running a business here.” The two women who had come to stand behind Sean laughed, and Sean slipped an arm around Ava’s waist. “You spend more time talking shit than selling shit,” Sean retorted with a grin. “We all know Cookie’s the brains behind this business.” “I’m not sayin’ as you’re wrong, pup.” Big Al chuckled. “But, you’re still crowding my register.” Robert came over and hustled them all out of the store. He smiled at Ava, but his smile was grim. Outside in the cold, crisp air that smelled clean and salty, Ava could hardly believe that all of this was real. The bright sun chased away the shadows in her heart, and she felt that all of this could just be a bad dream. Maybe if she wished for it hard enough, she could make the true reality be that she was standing in the autumn sunshine with three men she adored, feeling cared for and content. She tilted her face up to soak in the weak sunlight, only to feel kisses dropped on her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids and her forehead. Was there ever such bliss as this? “Come on, sweetheart,” Declan said. “Let’s go see Grace.” **** The Blue Moon Library stood across the street from the General Store. Ava traced in its lines a mid-nineteenth-century two-story building with white clapboard siding, black shutters, and bay windows. Tall oaks towered over it, dropping dapples of sunshine on the slate shingles.

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Robert held the door open for Ava, and she stepped inside to find a surprisingly light, airy, and open library with tall ceilings. Tall windows lined opposite walls, letting in plenty of light. Shelves ran around the walls and stood in low rows. At the back of the enormous room was a fireplace that had a merry blaze going. In front of the hearth was a collection of faded sofas and easy chairs. A small shelf with a row of reading devices stood next to the seating area, and in the corner was a bank of sleek computers and printers. “Nice,” Ava said, nodding and smiling in appreciation. “Very nice.” “Thank you,” replied a light, musical voice to her right. “We do our best to keep up with the times.” Sucking in a surprised gasp, Ava spun to see the most singularly soft, beautiful woman she had ever beheld in her life. The woman looked to be in her midthirties and had sunshine-gold hair that hung in full, silky waves around a delicate oval face. She had enormous gray eyes, naturally rosy full lips, and a creamy complexion that was both glowing and translucent. She was average height, but slender with perfect proportions, and as she came out from behind the circulation desk, she seemed to move with a flowing grace that was like a dancer. She wore a pale, dove-gray sweater and jeans with sensible flat brown leather boots. “Grace Murray,” she said, her silvery voice transfixing Ava. “Librarian and Lorekeeper for Blue Moon.” “Lorekeeper?” Ava replied, startled out of her reverie. Grace smiled wanly, and now, Ava could see the strain of pain at the corners of her eyes. “Yes,” Grace said. “Lorekeeper. Old title here in Blue Moon. One woman has always kept the records of the town, its families, bloodlines, and other, less tangible histories.” “How are you today, Gracie?” Sean asked, concern and respect filling his voice.

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Her smile faltered for a split second before she waved her slender, elegant hand in a dismissive gesture. “The same,” she replied. “The important thing is that you all are here now.” She turned to Ava. “I’m very glad you’ve come finally, and it is nice to meet you. I hope you’ll understand, though, when I say that I hope I don’t see you again until this is all over.” “What?” Ava exclaimed, floored. “Now that I’ve met you, I can confirm that everyone is right about you,” Grace said. “You definitely are the one. That makes you very…potent…and, it’s very difficult for me to be around you.” “I don’t understand,” Ava said. “What does everyone think about me? Why is it hard to be around me? Potent? I don’t get it.” “No, you wouldn’t. Come, sit down by the fire. Sean, will you make me a cup of tea? It’s all there by the microwave. The amaranth tea, please?” Ava watched in amazement as Sean hurried to make the tea for Grace, and she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of unwarranted jealousy. Obviously Grace knew Robert, Declan, and Sean. She had probably known them all their lives, but, for some reason, Ava felt a surge of jealousy at the thought that they cared anything for Grace, even as friends. Ava knew she had no right to feel that way, but she had to admit that was the unshakable emotion that filled her chest with rushing heartbeats. “Amaranth tea helps keep the dead at bay,” Grace explained, seating herself in the easy chair closest to the fire and closing her eyes for a moment. “It can be used for calling the spirits of the dead, but it can also be used to shield oneself from the dead, especially the spirits of the evil dead. “And you believe that?” Ava asked coldly, unable to keep from raising her academic hackles in a bitchy, catty challenge. “No,” Grace replied, looking at her steadily with those eyes the color of rain clouds. “I know it.”

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Ava let the cynicism radiate off her, and she noticed that Robert and Declan inhaled sharply and shifted uncomfortably in their seats on either side of her on the couch. Wait, could they sense that? Could they…did they smell that on her? “Grace is trying to help you,” Robert said, the tension in his voice reverberating in every nerve in Ava’s body. “I’m still waiting for this famous explanation,” Ava snapped, unable to contain the anger that suddenly welled up in her. Her eyes burned with heat, and she ground her teeth together. She felt nasty and mad and hot. Grace stared at her, her eyes widening slightly. She sat perfectly still in her chair, even after Sean set the mug with the steaming, fragrant tea beside her. Slowly, she lifted the mug to her perfect lips and sipped a little bit. As she swallowed, she seemed to relax slightly, frowning and touching her tapered fingers to her temples. Ava felt her lip curling disdainfully at this charade, her anger surging at the thought that Robert, Declan, and Sean were gullible enough to fall for this sweet act. “Stop it!” Ava was slammed back against the sofa as if she had been slapped by the sound of Grace’s voice. Her ears burned as if they were on fire, and a deep sigh was forced out of her chest, her breath coming out in a scorching puff of air. She inhaled shakily, the scent of amaranth filling her nostrils with its gentle aroma. Her body felt cool and limp, and she lay against the back of the couch as her heartbeat slowed back to a normal rhythm. “Ava!” Robert exclaimed, gathering her in his arms, crushing her to him. “Are you all right?” “What happened?” Declan asked harshly. He turned to Grace. “What the hell just happened?” “That’s exactly it,” Grace replied wearily, covering her face with her hands as Sean rubbed her shoulders. “Hell just happened. The evil dead tried to get through Ava.”

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“Possession?” Robert snapped, and Ava looked up to see the fury snapping like a live wire in his golden eyes. She suddenly understood what had just occurred, and she began to shake uncontrollably. Robert’s arms tightened like steel bands around her, and Declan held her hands in his, gently rubbing them and soothing them. Sean went back to the microwave and returned quickly with another cup of amaranth tea that he held to Ava’s lips. The taste and the fragrance soothed her, muting the panic in her mind. “Ava Bell,” Grace said quietly, “it’s time you learn about yourself.” Ava could only stare helplessly at the other woman. “Your mother did not die of epileptic psychosis when you were fifteen,” Grace continued, holding Ava’s gaze with unforgiving firmness. “She was killed by demonic possession. She was never supposed to leave the boundaries of Blue Moon, and as a result, she became the only case of Blue Moon demonic possession carrying beyond our town borders.” “My…mother?” Ava whispered between dry lips, unable to comprehend fully what Grace was saying. “Your mother, Evelyn Bell, died trying to save you from your destiny,” Grace continued sadly. “It couldn’t be done, though. You can’t be saved.” Ava lost the feeling of Robert’s arms and Declan’s hands. She lost all sense of connection with her physical body as her mind reeled with terror at Grace’s words. “Your bloodline goes back to the earliest days of Blue Moon, Ava Bell,” Grace said slowly. “Did you know that Eve Barrows’s maiden name was Bell?” “You mean…” Ava’s voice died out in her dried up throat. “Are you trying to say I’m descended from Eve Barrows?” Grace smiled wanly and pressed her fingers to her temples again, hissing out a breath.

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“No,” she said weakly. “Not from Eve. From her sister Eliza and her sister’s lover, Ezra Barrows.”

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Chapter 18 “What? No! What do you mean?” Declan, Sean, and Robert all exclaimed, even though Ava could do nothing but stare numbly at Grace. “No one has ever heard of that,” Sean said, looking down at the blonde woman leaning tiredly back in her chair. “That’s because it was a secret to be kept by the Lorekeeper and to be told only to a Barrows woman,” Grace replied. “Evelyn Bell knew it. She knew the whole story, but she had dismissed it as something she’d never have to deal with. That all changed after the three of you were born.” “How’s that?” Sean demanded. “Blue Moon had been slowly dying out as a town for decades,” Grace said. “Nobody new in town ever stayed for long. Something always scared them away. Only the old families remained, and once in a while a new family ended up staying when they had the misfortune of bearing a son within Blue Moon’s borders.” “Why does that matter?” Ava asked. “Because of the death bequest of Ezra Barrows upon Aristide Molineaux and Blue Moon,” Grace explained. “Ezra’s shade placed the gift and curse upon Blue Moon that all sons born on this soil would have the ability to protect the town from the demons his wife had summoned through her black magic. It’s unclear exactly how Ezra’s shade managed to do this and why it turned out that all the sons of Blue Moon would become werewolves, but I think I’ve come up with a plausible hypothesis. For thousands of years prior to the arrival of the white man, the Native Americans of the region had

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viewed the wolf as one of the strongest totems and symbols of all that was powerful in nature. If Ezra’s ghost was somehow able to summon and manipulate the energy and spiritual forces around him, I believe that he may have drawn the wolf totem from the spiritual world to the physical world.” Grace drew in a long breath and sighed it out before continuing. “The Molineaux have always been the alphas of the wolves of Blue Moon, but none of them has ever been strong enough to drive the demons away, though all of them have tried. Aristide Molineaux predicted that it would take the combined strength of three Molineaux brothers, fighting together like the Holy Trinity—a nod to Aristide’s Catholic roots—to banish the demons back to hell. He also said that it would take a Barrows woman to avenge a Bell’s crime.” Ava felt an uncomfortable twinge in the back of her mind, like an echo of something she already knew but couldn’t have known. She shifted nervously in Robert’s arms, trying to force herself to listen as an academic rather than as a…a…Barrows woman. “So, where does that bring me to?” Grace asked after a moment’s pause, in which she had rubbed her face. “Me,” Sean said, trying to grin, but there were too many shadows in his eyes. “Right,” Grace replied with a ghost of a smile. “So, when you were born, the town knew that they had the trinity now, the three wolves strong enough to face down the demons. All that was needed to set the town free from the curse, the demons, and the cage of its borders was the Barrows woman.” “Wait,” Ava interrupted. “The cage of its borders?” “Part of the curse of the werewolves is that no man born of Blue Moon can be away from its soil from sundown to sunup,” Grace said. “What?” Ava exclaimed. “You mean no man born here can ever leave here?”

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“During the day, yes. But, they must all be within Blue Moon’s borders by nightfall, and they can’t leave again until sunrise. They’re bound to the earth here.” “Wait, what happens if they’re not back by sunset?” Ava asked, her heart pounding as she dreaded the answer. “They die,” Grace replied simply, her face a mask of steely grief. Ava looked at Robert, Declan, and Sean in turn, meeting their saddened, withdrawn expressions, and a great wave of pity and love rushed through her, washing her clean of all doubts and fears. She loved these men, these sad, noble men who served a cruel curse without complaint. Trapped by fate, isolated from the world, haunted by evil, these men struggled valiantly to protect those they cared about. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know them for more than a few days. It didn’t matter that somehow, she had fallen in love with all three of them. It didn’t matter that everything she had ever believed and thought she understood had been turned on its head. In that moment, she knew that love was the only thing that mattered. Love was the only thing worth fighting for, and whatever she’d have to do or fight to help the men she loved, she’d do without question or hesitation. “Evelyn Bell came to my mother after Sean was born,” Grace said softly. “She was terrified. She was only fifteen at the time, just about seven years older than Robert. It wasn’t out of the question that she would be the Barrows woman who would have to stand with the Molineaux wolf brothers and fight the demons. Even worse, if she wasn’t the one, then her daughter would be. Six months later, Evelyn ran away, down to Portland. Two years later, when Evelyn had just turned eighteen, her daughter Ava Bell was born.” Ava could only stare at Grace, listening as the horror of her family’s history was slowly unfurled before her in a panoply of tragedies.

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“It’s no coincidence that you’re here,” Grace said. “It’s no coincidence that you feel drawn to Robert, Declan, and Sean. This was meant to be. This must be.” Silence fell thick and heavy upon them, and the weight of centuries seemed to crowd her thoughts, leaving only room enough for a straight and narrow path leading into shadow. “Tell us more about Ezra and Eliza,” Robert said finally. “I still can’t believe it.” Grace sipped her tea and gestured for Ava to do the same. Hurriedly, Ava gulped the tea down, feeling the clean, sweet perfume of the herbal tea sweep through her soul. “Ezra Barrows was very handsome,” Grace said, looking off into the distance, as if she was recalling something she could actually see. “He was full of energy and purpose. Though he didn’t come from a wealthy family, the Barrows were respected and respectable, and Ezra was determined to make good on the promise of a promised land. He was a talented carpenter, and he had earned and saved enough to buy himself a farm. Nothing big, but it was enough to support him and a family he could see himself soon having. He built White Farm with tremendous love, thinking of Eliza Bell as the woman who would grace his home and bless his life.” “Eliza loved Ezra just as much. Her parents had no objection to her marrying, despite the fact her older sister, Eve, remained unwed. Eve and Eliza were beautiful, and records from the time describe them as having deep brown eyes and brown hair, only Eliza’s had an unusual grayish cast to hers, making her by far the more striking of the two sisters.” Ava flinched as Declan reached out to touch her hair. She froze in place, unable to look anywhere but at Grace. She couldn’t bring herself to look down and see the waves of slate gray–streaked brown hair curled around her shoulders. She felt Declan lift a lock of her hair and press it to his lips. Dizziness swept her, and she dug her nails into Robert’s arms to keep from fainting.

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“Eve couldn’t stand the thought of being an old maid,” Grace said slowly. “She was consumed by jealousy for everything that Eliza had—her beauty, her goodness, the way people loved her and gravitated to her. Eve also envied the natural spiritual talents that Eliza seemed to have. At a young age, Eliza had shown evidence of being a healer, curing people just with her touch. She had a way with all animals, taming even the wolves that came out of the forests and having the bears and foxes do her bidding. Eve began to experiment, trying to discover and tap any psychic abilities within herself. She soon found that she did indeed have talents. However, she was the mirror image of Eliza, reversed in so many ways. Where Eliza’s talents were for good, Eve’s were for darkness.” Grace’s expression became pained. “Where Eliza healed, Eve could hurt. Where Eliza tamed, Eve drove wild. Where Eliza commanded kindness, Eve promised forth evil. It didn’t take long for Eve to use her newfound abilities to bring about the ruin of Eliza and Ezra’s happiness. Eve cast a spell upon Ezra so that he turned to her, forgetting that Eliza even existed. In his eyes now, Eve outshone Eliza like the sun hid the moon. Eve and Ezra were married.” Was it her imagination, or had the sun disappeared behind the clouds? Ava glanced out the window at the gloom that had suddenly swooped down from the sky. “Fickle Eve soon grew tired of her triumph, and she grew tired of Ezra,” Grace said, her voice growing strained. “But, there was nowhere to go and nothing more to strive for now that she had vanquished her sister and punished her sister’s lover for not loving her first. Into the vacuum of boredom crept voices that promised new worlds of conquest, wealth, power, adulation…anything her heart desired if only she would find a way to open this world to Them.” The word chilled Ava, and she shivered as if a cold blast of air had just blown through her. For a long, horrified moment, she watched as her breath came out in a frosty puff. She warmed up again half a second later, and she wondered if she had just been imagining

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things. None of the others seemed to have noticed anything. She must have been hallucinating from all the stress. “As Eve grew more obsessed with the voices and their promises, she grew careless in maintaining her hold over Ezra,” Grace said. “The spell on him eventually wore off, and he realized what had happened. Devastated and infuriated, he went to Eliza and explained everything. Eliza, who at first had been heartbroken at what had seemed like the ultimate willing betrayal by her lover, quickly saw the truth of his words about Eve. Joyfully reunited in their hearts and minds, Ezra and Eliza were still trapped by Eve’s machinations. If they proclaimed the truth in order to free Ezra by divorce, they would have to accuse Eliza’s sister of witchcraft, practically guaranteeing that she would be put to death. Not only that, but an accusation of witchcraft would ruin Eliza’s family and possibly redound to Eliza as well.” “There was nothing they could do. Legally. Months stretched to years. Eve became secretive and withdrawn, spending more and more time wandering the woods that covered the stretch of land between White Farm and the Molineaux estate. Eliza grew sad and distant in her own way, the knowledge that Ezra loved her no longer enough to fill her empty life. Ezra told Eliza that he would lie awake at night, frustrated and hating Eve. In the darkest hours, voices would whisper his name and suggest things with knives and ropes, things that could set him free of Eve. He prayed fervently for God’s protection, but the voices only grew stronger. Alarmed, Eliza made him a conjure packet, a small leather pouch with protective herbs, that would protect him from evil spirits. She had learned this spell from the famed Tituba in Salem, where she and her family had come from originally. The protective sachet seemed to ease the voices that troubled Ezra, but they could not protect him the very real, human threat of Eve.” The wind had picked up outside, and Ava watched dead leaves fly by the windows as she listened, spellbound by Grace’s tale.

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“Ezra and Eliza had found they could no longer deny their need to be together, and in the last few weeks of his life, they consummated their love. Soon enough, Eliza discovered that she was pregnant with Ezra’s child. She was frantic with fear. She said nothing to Ezra, and she quietly began to make plans to leave Blue Moon. There was no way she could stay there, unwed, and bear a child that everyone would know was Ezra Barrows’s bairn. It wasn’t the thought of scandal or shame that drove her, though. It was the knowledge that Eve’s jealousy would be reawakened by the discovery of Ezra’s true feelings and his infidelity, and Eliza worried that Eve would seek revenge against him. So, for the sake of the man she loved, she ran away, forsaking everyone and everything to live in hiding and secret somewhere far from her home.” When had the fire gotten so low? Ava couldn’t help noticing that somehow, the healthy, hungry blaze of a few minutes ago had dwindled to dying coals far too quickly. A puff of wind gusted down the chimney and swirled the hot ashes in the hearth, making Ava’s heart jump. “Eliza’s sacrifice was all for nothing in the end,” Grace said, pausing to wipe away the tears that were teetering on her lids, threatening to spill over. “Eve found out that Eliza was with child, and she knew that it was Ezra’s. Her jealousy, dormant since the triumph of her marriage, flared up into a brutal, all-consuming, whitehot inferno. No one will ever know exactly what happened on that cold November night that Ezra Barrows died. We do know that he died without a final good-bye to his beloved Eliza, and that he died never knowing that she carried his unborn babe. Eve claimed he had died of an apoplectic attack, and that she had buried him herself in the woods. His grave has never been found.” Grace sighed. “One week to the day, Eve Barrows walked into the woods, never to be seen again. No trace of her body was ever discovered. Eliza heard the news and came back to Blue Moon, eventually giving birth to a daughter. The girl carried the family name

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of Bell, and ever since, every girl descended from Eliza has kept the name Bell. So, Ava, now you know who you truly are, where you truly belong, and what you must do.” Ava sat in stunned silence, barely able to breathe as a single word reverberated through her entire being. Return.

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Chapter 19 Ava jumped in her seat as the compulsion force of the impulse rocked her body, twanging every muscle into compliance. “What’s the matter? What’s going on? Are you all right?” All three of the men crowded around her, reaching out to touch her, steady her, and hold her. “I’m fine,” Ava gasped. “Look, I’m sorry, I need to get back to White Farm. I…I just have to go.” Robert and Declan looked over at Grace, their confused, distressed expressions clearly showing they hoped she could explain Ava’s sudden compulsion. Sean wrapped his arms around Ava’s waist and stroked her hair, smoothing it down against her back. “Ava,” Grace asked quietly, getting to her feet and coming over to her. “Are you feeling quite yourself?” Knowing what Grace was really asking, Ava nodded her head vigorously. “I am absolutely fine in every way. It’s just that I keep hearing this voice in my head. Well, it’s not quite a voice, and I don’t actually hear it. I get a feeling that I’ve heard it, and it reverberates like I should have heard the sound. But, I know exactly what the voice said and what it wants me to do.” “And it wants you to go back to White Farm?” Grace asked. “Yes. I really don’t have any choice about it. I need to back there.” “I don’t like it.” Robert growled, clenching his hands into fists. “No one has to like it,” Ava replied testily, squirming uncontrollably. “It’s not like I’m throwing a party about having to go

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back there. Sean, let go. Let go of me before I hurt myself trying to get out of your arms. Please? Can we go back? It’s getting worse.” “I’m sorry about this, Grace,” Declan said to the willowy blonde, placing his hand on her shoulder. She shook her head, wincing and squeezing shut her clear gray eyes. “What needed to be said has been said. Don’t come back, though. Not until it’s over. I…I don’t think I could manage to do this again.” Declan helped her back over to the easy chair by the fire then joined the others in hustling Ava outside and back into Sean’s SUV. Ava sat silently in the back seat, leaning tensely against Declan. Too many things were swirling around in her head. Every second that passed brought her closer to White Farm and eased the almost painful strain of her muscles that had her wanting to jump out of the car and run the rest of the way. She took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. At least she now understood a lot more about the predicament she was in. She also understood why she felt so connected to Robert, Sean, and Declan, and why it had been so effortlessly easy to fall in love with them. Did they feel the same way? Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought that they might. Still, that didn’t mean she would be able to stay with them, or that they would have any kind of permanent relationship. Who could have a permanent relationship with three men? Aside from the legal implications, what about children born in the relationship? What about her career? What if everything they felt were not really their desires at all, but the compunctions of a curse. If the curse were lifted, would they all lose the intense need they felt to be together? “One problem at a time,” Ava muttered, rubbing her face in frustration. “What was that, baby?” Sean asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

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“Keep your eyes on the road, Sean Molineaux!” she exclaimed as they careened around a hairpin curve. “Sean’s a show-off.” Declan chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. “He’s been driving this road since he was eleven, and he could drive it in his sleep.” “And has sometimes,” Robert added, turning to look back at her. He gave her a rare smile that lit up and softened the harsh lines of his face, melting them into a heartbreaking beauty that took Ava’s breath away. “You guys,” she tried to say. Somehow, she needed to express something of what she felt for them now, in this moment, before anything else could happen…before any other danger could come and take them away from her. “What is it, sweetheart?” Declan murmured, his lips against her ear, sending delicate needles of pleasure through her veins. “I just want you guys to know that—” she started to say, but her words were cut short when Sean tried to make the turn onto West Road. He had slowed enough to make a normal turn, but something hit the SUV, tossing it up and sending it spinning through the air. Everything seemed to happen in split-second flashes. The sensation of being airborne. The sound of the men yelling. Declan caging her in his arms. The snarls and snaps of enormous wolves as Sean and Robert shifted in the front seat. Spinning. A bone-clattering crash that slammed her either up or down—she couldn’t tell which way was which. Motion, rolling motion, spinning, her body snapping against the seat belt, despite Declan’s efforts to keep her in his arms. The punishing puffy punch of an airbag. A splash. Ice cold water touching her scalp. She stared, her eyes frozen wide as her mouth hung open. The first touch of icy water shocked her into realizing she wasn’t breathing, and she drew in a desperate gasp of air. In an instant, she dizzily saw that the SUV had somehow landed upside down in the ocean and was quickly filling with water.

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The windows had all been blown out by the impact, and only she and Declan were still in the vehicle. Her hair hung heavily in the rising water, the tang of salt telling her that death was only a few moments away. She turned as best she could to Declan, hoping they could help each other escape. His eyes were closed, and blood covered his face. “Oh God,” she cried out. “Declan! No! No! Oh God, we have to get out of here. Shit! SHITSHITSHITSHIT!” Stiffly, every movement causing her searing agony, she fumbled upward for her seat belt. The impact had somehow slammed the seat next to her down, burying the seat belt latch beneath an immovable seat back panel. “Oh God, please,” she whimpered, forcing herself to turn through the pain and think through the panic. Get Declan free. If he was freed, she could slip his body out of the way and squirm out herself, then try and pull them both through the broken window and swim to the surface. “Shit!” she chattered, cold seeping into her with sharp aches through her wet scalp and now covering her eyes so she couldn’t see. The water had almost reached the tip of her nose. Feeling for Declan’s face, she realized the water covered his nose completely. If he was still alive and breathing, he’d drown. Now, she was forced to use one hand to lift his head above the gurgling, gushing seawater while she fumbled futilely for his seat belt buckle with the other. Her fingers found the buckle and pressed to release the straps, which flew back. Water now filled her nose, and Declan slipped from her grasp, sliding down into the water that was now almost up to her mouth. “Shit!” she exclaimed desperately. A completely calm, detached part of her brain realizing that her last words would be something completely inappropriate. Hysteria was close on the heels of the panic

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that was setting in as she struggled to wiggle herself out of the seat belt and keep her mouth above water. The water closed completely over her head, and she could feel it now pushing the last of the air bubble out of the car. No! She couldn’t die like this! She didn’t want to die! Her lungs were going to burst from the burn of her last gulp of air, and she knew it was only a matter of seconds before she lost the battle. Declan’s body now drifted just beyond her reach. She wouldn’t even be able to hold his hand in the end. Her eyes stung as her tears added treacherous drops to the saltwater that was quickly killing her. Suddenly, two giant wolves swam through the broken windshield, straight for her. One wolf grabbed Declan’s shirt, and she felt the whirl of water as his body floated past her. The other wolf snapped the seat belt off her with one powerful shake of his jaws. Ava involuntarily breathed in a lungful of water, thrashing to exhale it when there was no air and no hope of air. The wolf grabbed her collar in his jaws and carefully pulled her through the broken window. She tried not to struggle, but she wanted to scream at her need for oxygen. There was no air, nothing she could breathe in, nothing she could exhale, only water. Another inadvertent inhalation brought another lungful of water, stunning her and rendering her suddenly limp. She sensed that her brain was starting to fade, random images flitting through her mind, all emotions seeming to float away to a great distance. She drifted. The hard thumping on her back beat some awareness into her numb body. It annoyed her. She felt sharp grit beneath her cheek and wondered what the hell was going on. Then a painful pressure on her lungs forced her into burning coughs that wracked her whole body. Nothing else mattered as she retched up saltwater, not the slab of ice that her jeans had turned into, not the hundred pounds her sweater weighed as it hung heavy and

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dripping off her shoulders. She just had to get the water out and the air in. Gulping air deep into her burning lungs, she surfaced, opening her eyes to find that she was lying on the tiny point that lay at the end of West Road. The wind bit into her, stabbing her raw skin with the icy fibers of her clothing. Voices slowly penetrated into her hearing as her ears popped and water trickled out. “Ava! Oh my God!” Sean cried out, pounding and rubbing her back. “Talk to me, say something, baby, anything. Tell me I’m full of shit or to fuck off. Just tell me you’re alive.” “Ohhhh…fuck,” she moaned, her throat raw from retching. “That’s my girl!” The relief in Sean’s voice was almost comical, except she was too close to tears to feel like laughing. “Declan,” she gasped. “Declan, he’s…” “Robert took him back to the house, he’s gonna be okay.” “Hospital.” “Do you need to go, baby? Hell, I should take you anyway.” “No! No, Declan needs a hospital. I’m fine. Ohhhh shit, damn. Okay, I’m fine in a few minutes. God, I’m cold!” “Robert’ll get Doc Nasir to look at Declan. You, too. Come on, baby.” Ava felt herself swept up into strong arms, and she leaned limply and gratefully against Sean’s bare, strong chest. “You’re naked!” she exclaimed. “Yeah, and it’s damn cold out here. My nuts are in my throat. But, when you shift to wolf, your clothes kind of…” “Rip apart like the Incredible Hulk?” “Yeah.” “Oh God, my head.” “Hang on, baby. Here’s Robert with the car now. You’re going to be okay in just a few minutes.” Robert squealed the gorgeous pickup truck to a halt at the end of the road, and Sean dashed to the cab, carrying Ava in his arms. She

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closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to shut out the pounding in her head and the cold that was making her body throb even as it burned in her fingers and toes. She felt blankets wrapped around her and Sean, and she let herself go limp against her man. She was so sleepy. If she just let herself drift toward sleep, the pounding seemed to ease, and the cold didn’t seem so bad. “No you don’t, love,” Robert said, reaching over to shake her, even as he single-handedly maneuvered the car with absolute precision. “You, too, Sean. Both of you stay the fuck awake.” “What happened?” she mumbled, doing her best to tread water, but feeling that she could slip any moment into the deep, welcoming darkness of a quiet, peaceful abyss. “I was driving,” Sean said, stifling a yawn and settling his arms heavily around her. “And then the next thing I knew, I had no control over the car. It was as if something picked us up. No steering, no brakes, no gas, no nothing.” “The car was thrown almost one hundred fifty yards to the edge of the point where it hit then continued to roll into the water,” Robert said grimly. “We must really have a chance at destroying Them if that much power is being used against us.” Robert’s words filled Ava’s limbs with leaden weights. She was too tired, too cold to care anymore. She wanted to see Declan, to know that he was okay. She wanted to go to bed. She wanted them all to snuggle in with her, and to hell with demons and ghosts. Let Blue Moon solve its own problems. She hadn’t asked for this. She hadn’t grown up knowing about werewolves or that she was supposed to be a demon hunter. She was just a grad student who still had a dissertation due in a month. Bitterly, she wondered if it was worse facing down evil spirits with homicidal tendencies or telling her advisor that she was going to be another few weeks late.

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“Wait,” she mumbled, looking up and noticing they were pulling into the circular drive in front of the Molineaux mansion. “This isn’t my cottage.” “You’re staying with us, Ava,” Robert said in a voice that tweaked at her consciousness, demanding and getting instant submission from her. “I’m not going to leave you unprotected on that farm again. Ever.” “My stuff is there,” she said, struggling against Sean as he got out of the truck and began carrying her toward the door. “We’ll go get everything you need,” Robert replied, coming to Sean’s side and gently touching her frozen hair. “You had better get my laptop and papers and books,” she slurred as another wave of sleepiness washed over her, the last of her energy finally spent. “I have a dissertation due in a month.” “You heard her, bro.” Sean chuckled between his chattering teeth. “The girl has priorities. Hop to it.” “Bow wow,” Robert replied with a grim smile.

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Chapter 20 Ava leaned back in the hot bathwater, wiggling her fingers and toes as her circulation finally returned to normal. She rested her head against the soft, rolled-up towel that Robert had placed on the rim of the tub for the back of her neck. “Are you okay, love?” he asked for the hundredth time. She looked at him sleepily and smiled. “I’m fine, Robert. Just finally unwinding before I have to rewind to face…well, to face whatever I’ve got to face.” She frowned and felt Robert’s fingers, wet from the bathwater, smooth out the wrinkle between her brows. She sighed contentedly and snuggled her cheek into his cupped hand. “A girl could get used to this,” she murmured, then paused and looked coquettishly up at him through her eyelashes. “I was talking about this bathroom, you know. Get your mind out of the gutter, Mr. Molineaux.” Robert chuckled, the reverberation of the sound low and deep in his chest. She really had meant it, though. This bathroom, which was attached to her bedroom, was absolutely out of a dream. She felt like she had stepped back in time to when people lounged about English country houses in the 1920s. The bathroom was huge, with fourteen-foot ceilings, crown molding, and electric sconces along the wall. Discreet, gauzy curtains hung over a tall window. There was a large porcelain sink with beautiful antique fittings and shelves full of fluffy towels and other bath accoutrements. A large modern shower was tucked away in one corner, and next to it was a small cubby of a room with the toilet.

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The ultimate fixture was the bathtub. It was enormous, wide enough to fit two people side by side, and long enough to accommodate any nine-foot giants who wanted to stretch out. Ava could tell it was antique, porcelain over cast iron. What was also amazing was the way it was boxed in by a teak platform. The entire tub was encased in shiny, varnished teak paneling, with a marble top cut around the bathtub to provide a place to put a book, bottles of bath oil and a whiskey on the rocks—which was apparently one of Robert’s favorite remedies for feeling cold. She had to climb two shallow steps in order to get into the tub. It was on those steps that Robert now sat, looking at her adoringly. “Are you warm enough?” he asked, testing the water with his fingers and pouring in some more bath oil. “It’s perfect,” she replied, stretching out under the water. “I’m glad that Zara Nasir didn’t bring over bubble bath,” he said, studying her body appreciatively through the clear, scented water. Ava felt her cheeks burn, but fought the need to cover herself up. Hell, all three of them had seen everything she had to offer already. If something surprised them now, they could throw a rock at it. Still, it was both liberating and naughty to be so on display when Robert was still fully clothed. The combination of feelings made her more attuned than she ever had been to what it felt like to be feminine. “I like the sandalwood oil she brought over,” she said, thinking of how Dr. Nasir’s petite dynamo of a wife had fussed over both Sean and Declan, basically beating them into submission with the threat of withholding her cooking. An RN, Zara had worked with Dr. Nasir to make sure none of them were suffering from hypothermia. “It’s funny how she and Dr. Nasir seem to accept all of this.” “They’ve had no choice,” Robert said sadly. “Their son was born in Blue Moon.” Ava stared at Robert. She was shocked and saddened that a simple twist of fate had brought the Nasirs to this remote coastal town, and then a curse had trapped them here forever.

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“They make the best of it, like we all do,” Robert said, mustering a smile. “And in a way, it has benefitted Blue Moon tremendously. We would never have been able to keep someone of Doc Nasir’s caliber here in normal circumstances. A bigger hospital in Bangor or Portland would have eventually snapped him up.” “You are lucky,” she agreed. “It must be hard to get medical professionals to come here. Is there anywhere near here with a medical school?” Robert laughed and swirled the water around, sending ripples under the surface to tickle her skin. “Nowhere in Maine. We’ve always been progressive in many ways,” he said. “We sent our women to become educated as physicians. Since no woman could be born a werewolf, they were free to come and go as they pleased. So, from about 1850 on, Blue Moon had mostly female doctors. In the 1980s, we expanded the hospital, and so we imported more doctors. But, still, to this day, most of the physicians on staff at Blue Moon Hospital are women from here.” Ava found herself fascinated by the glimpses of the town and its history. There was so much to learn here. Endless subjects awaited her research. Maybe she’d pick a specialty after her dissertation was done that would allow her to come here to research from time to time. That way, she could still see Robert, Declan, and Sean. The thought of having to leave them turned her cold despite the steamy water. A yearly fling would never be enough to fill the craving that gnawed at her very soul when she thought of them. “What else is unusual about Blue Moon?” she asked, clearing her throat and replastering the smile on her face. “I mean, aside from the obvious.” “Would you be surprised to know we have a healthy population of South American literary dissidents living on Seal Rock Island in the harbor?” Ava surprised herself with an inelegant snort of laughter.

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“They live together in an old mansion they call La Casa de Pais. They’re mostly Chilean, Argentinean, and Peruvian. For twenty years, they’ve been on the island, drinking, writing some pretty abstract literature, and arguing politics. They will never leave and go home to make a revolution. They’ve tried several times to announce they were leaving, but somehow, they never quite got around to packing or buying plane tickets.” “Priceless.” She laughed. “I absolutely have to get out there to meet them.” “They’d love to meet you,” Robert said. “I’d also love for you to meet more of the people in town. We’re a progressive place in more ways than one.” He reached out to trace the skin of her arm, the slight slickness of the bath oil creating a silky friction that awakened throbs of need in her body. “How so?” “Well, many people here choose to live in a relationship with multiple partners or to live in Dominant/submissive relationships.” She looked up at him, startled, and saw the flash of understanding in his golden eyes about the kinds of questions that she now harbored. “We’ve always had a shortage of women here,” Robert said, beginning to unbutton his shirt. “For some reason, and I can’t imagine why,” he added with a faintly sad smile, “most women in Blue Moon tended to have sons. So, men here learned to share. Add in a lot of werewolves who base their entire social structure on dominance and submission, and well, you get our town.” Ava felt her mouth go dry as Robert stood up and unbuckled his pants. She studied him, the way his body was thickly muscled, almost morphing the muscles with her eyes into the powerful haunches and shoulders of a wolf. Suddenly, the pleasant bubble of her distraction burst, and she was once again acutely aware of the danger and terror that awaited her on the other side of these walls. Here she was, making plans for visiting people and places, setting up an agenda for a future that might not

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exist. Where would she be by this time tomorrow? Still alive? Possessed? She shivered, forcing herself to swallow back the regurgitated panic from remembering almost drowning that morning. Wordlessly, she reached out for Robert, who stepped into the tub with her. He took her into his arms, pressing her against his broad, hard chest. He was real. He was here, in this moment with her. They were alive and together. The need that she burned with turned from blue desire to white hot with the drive to affirm survival. She wriggled around so that she faced him and straddled his hips, crushing his lips with hers as she lowered herself onto his hot, hard cock. The sense of completion filled her with the triumph of life over death, of love over fear, of everything that she was set against everything that wanted to destroy her. “God, love,” Robert groaned, grasping her around the waist with his large, strong hands. “You feel so good on me.” He began to raise and lower her, setting the primal rhythm for their lovemaking. Ava heard the door to the bathroom open and quiet footsteps approach the tub. She felt the water rise around her as she realized Declan had joined them, kneeling behind her and reaching around to cup her breasts. Sean sat on the steps by the tub and took her mouth with his. “Oh my God,” she gasped. “I…I feel so much!” She had come within a word of saying that she loved them all. Only raw instinct had kept her from blurting it out. How could it be true? Wasn’t it all just a by-product of a curse and, well, some amazing sex? She couldn’t say it and not be absolutely sure that she meant it. Robert, Declan, and Sean deserved better from her. “You saved my life, sweetheart,” Declan said softly. He nipped at her earlobe with his teeth, the slight ticklish scraping sprinkling shivers of pleasure from her nipples to her toes. “If you hadn’t gotten me out of that seat belt, Robert would have lost precious seconds in trying to get me to the surface. I probably would have died, or at least

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suffered massive brain damage from a lack of oxygen. I owe you my live, Ava Bell.” He fell to kissing her tenderly from the secret spot between her earlobe and her jaw all the way down her neck to her shoulder. His teeth sunk gently into the skin of her shoulder, a slight bite of pain heightening the awareness of all the pleasure that now surged and crashed through her body. His hands rolled, lightly pinched, and brushed her nipples, making her squirm on Robert’s cock. Robert began thrusting his hips up, driving his cock deep into her, slipping against her G-spot as he pulled out. Ava shuddered and bowed with the growing urgency of her arousal, reaching forward to grasp Robert’s shoulders for support. “When I saw you under the water,” Sean said quietly, leaning in to kiss her lips tenderly, “I felt my own heart stop. You looked so faraway, so lost to me already. I knew in that moment that if anything ever happened to you, my life would be over. Without you, there would be nothing to live for, nothing to keep me from walking into the dark. Baby, you’re my life now.” A sob escaped Ava’s chest as the deep, impossible love she felt for these men welled up, spilling over the walls around her heart and filling her completely. She wanted to tell them she loved them, and yet still, she could not form the words. Too much unfinished business hung over her head, too many deadly questions standing between her and the freedom to love as she wanted. “We’re never letting you go, Ava.” Robert growled—how she loved the way he growled all the time when he was aroused! “We are meant to be, and we will fight to keep you with everything we have.” “I…I don’t know,” was all she could manage to gasp as his fingers found her clit and lovingly caressed it slowly and firmly, bringing forth pounding throbs of near-ecstasy. “I think it’s time we show Ava whom she belongs to,” Declan said, running his hands down her sides to her ass. “Here,” Sean said, handing Declan the bottle of sandalwood oil.

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Ava felt the resonance against her back of Declan’s wickedly seductive chuckle. She smelled the heavy, woody perfume of the sandalwood and then felt his slickened fingers at the tight ring of muscle in her ass. She thought she would die of bliss as first one finger, then two were worked up into her. “I’m so close.” She gasped as the double fullness between Robert’s cock and Declan’s fingers began to roll her toward the edge. She closed her eyes to experience the fullness of the sensations running riot in her body, and she felt the head of Sean’s cock on her lips. Greedily, she opened for him, loving the way he hissed and fisted a handful of her hair as he slid into her mouth. She used her tongue to tease and torture him, sucking him hard, all the while bucking back and forth between the fingers in her ass and the cock in her pussy. She groaned around Sean’s cock as she felt Declan slip his fingers out of her, then froze as the tip of his cock tapped against her hole. Her chest tightened with panic, the fear of both wanting to feel him inside her ass and not wanting the pain depriving her of air. “Easy, sweetheart,” Declan cooed, kissing the line of her spine as Robert held her up and tilted her forward toward him, thrusting her ass out above the water. “Breathe through it. This will feel so good, I promise. You just have to breathe and imagine all your muscles relaxing around me.” Even Sean pulled out of her mouth and began to kiss her to help her through this new and terrifyingly arousing experience. “I don’t know.” She whimpered into his kiss, biting off a groan as the initial stretching burned her muscles. “I don’t know if I can do this.” “Breathe, Ava,” Sean ordered, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to look into his eyes. “You can do this. You were meant to be loved like this, fully and without anything held back from us.” His words stirred her heart at the same time as strange new sensations of arousal swept through every part of her body.

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“Oh damn, she’s tight.” Declan growled, his hands digging into her hips as he seemed to fight for control. “She’s so hot and tight. It’s never felt like this before.” Ava closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe and imagine her muscles relaxing to allow Declan in, and inch by inch, she felt herself loosen enough to allow him to enter her fully. There was something amazingly, beautifully fragile about being taken like this. She had always thought it would be gross and degrading, but now, she was inundated by new and startlingly powerful feelings of vulnerability, trust, and love. Her body seemed to pulse around Declan, feeding the electrical current of her desire until her body seemed to spark with the flashing arcs of need. “Easy now,” Robert said as he began to lower her back onto his cock. “Just keep breathing and relaxing. Oh damn, this feels good, love!” Ava lost all power of speech at the double penetration, and all she could think of was wanting to share herself with all of them, taking Sean into her mouth again. Her nipples burned, her pussy throbbed, and she moved frantically to drive each arc of arousal higher until the moment when the ultimate ecstasy turned her inside out. The power of her climax robbed her of sight and sound, leaving her only dimly aware of Robert, Declan and Sean finding their own completion in quick succession to her. She swallowed around Sean, shaking and thrashing as Robert’s fingers on her clit kept drawing out each delicious throb. As she slowly sank back to earth from the orbit of her orgasm, she began to feel Robert, Declan, and Sean gently kissing and touching her as they pulled out. She sighed in mindless contentment as Declan took her in his arms and leaned back with her against the other end of the tub. “My beautiful sweetheart,” he murmured into her hair. “You are so brave and so generous.”

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“I feel hollow,” she mumbled, closing her eyes and snuggling into his chest. “And my legs are like strings of spaghetti with lead weights on the ends. I don’t think I can move.” “You don’t have to, baby,” Sean said, sitting down on the steps by her and reaching over to take her hand in his. “We’ll do everything and take care of you now.” She wanted to object to such an archaic construction of gender roles, but nothing snappy seemed to come to mind, especially when her mind was full of happy pink fluff. “Let’s wash you off and get you into bed,” Robert said, leaning forward and soaping up a washcloth. “You need to rest, and later, Zara said she would be by with dinner.” “Hot damn!” Sean exclaimed, grinning. “We oughta drown Declan more often if it gets us Zara’s cooking!” Declan growled deep in his chest, but he grinned right back at Sean. “That really shouldn’t be funny.” Ava laughed. “Don’t you guys cook?” The three of them gave her a stunned look then looked at each other, seemingly puzzled by the concept. She sighed. “We’re in big trouble then,” she said, shaking her head. “Why?” Robert asked. She looked at each of them to say what she couldn’t yet express in words. “Because I don’t cook, either,” she replied.

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Chapter 21 “Stop squirming, baby,” Sean grumbled sleepily as Ava wriggled against him. “I’m hot,” she complained in a hiss. She was, too. Sean could feel the heat radiating from her body. She was almost scorching to the touch. “You got a fever?” he asked, rousing himself in case he needed to take care of her. “No, it’s too much body heat from the giant wolfmen in my bed,” she whispered grumpily. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Declan said, rolling over and half raising himself to peek down at Ava. “I’m too hot,” she announced, abandoning whispering as both men were now awake. “You guys are cooking me out of bed!” Sean glanced guiltily at the heavy quilt that he had insisted on putting on top of the covers. He had been so afraid that Ava had gotten a chill, despite her hot bath. He chuckled ruefully as he pushed the quilt off the bed and glanced at the fire in the fireplace. Yeah, he hadn’t really needed to build such a raging inferno to warm up the room…but he had. “Can we open a window for a minute?” Ava asked crawling over him to get out of bed. Sean took full advantage of the moment to run his hands over her sweet, soft body, feeling every line of her under his fingertips. His heart swelled with the deep, unshakable love he had for her. She was it, not just a woman from a legend that would set them free, but she was Ava. His Ava. Their Ava.

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“Here, sweetheart,” Declan said. “At least wear this.” He got out of bed from his own side and came around to give her his T-shirt that he had thrown over a chair. Ava sighed and put the Tshirt on. She went over to the window and struggled with the latch. “Here, let me do that,” Declan said, making short work of the stiff old window. Soon, blasts of cold, clean night air were filling the room, and Ava stood at the window, taking in deep breaths. “Is Robert still out there?” she asked. “Yes,” Declan replied, pulling on his jeans. Realizing it might be some time before she went back to bed, Sean sighed and got up, pulling on his own clothing. He came to stand by Ava at the window and tried to follow the line of her gaze. She seemed to be looking out at the trees of the forest that stood between their house and White Farm. It was almost impossible to distinguish any one tree from the other in the moonless night. Only his supernatural animal vision allowed him to see the variations of gray that delimited trunks and branches. He could hear the faint shushing sound of the water on the rocks with his sensitive ears. He wondered what Ava could see. “I feel so bad for him,” she mused, biting her bottom lip in a way that made him want to kiss her and taste those sweet lips for himself. “I feel bad for all of you, taking turns and going out into the cold to run around the house and the woods.” “What’s really bothering you, baby?” Sean asked, slipping his arm around her waist. “Don’t hold back. The only way we’re going to get through this is if we do it together. No secrets. No brooding. We talk it out.” She sighed and pressed her fingers to her temples. “Does the night seem heavy to you?” she murmured. “It’s so…so pitch black and oppressive. There’s no light anywhere. Just darkness all around. Thick darkness, like a curtain you should be able to push aside, but there’s just no end to it.”

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She laughed bitterly. “No wonder people quietly went mad in the old days. A lifetime of pushing against the darkness with only candles would drive anyone to the edge.” “Are you on the edge?” Declan asked quietly. “Yes,” she said on a huge exhaled breath. “I go from being so numb that I can laugh about everything from werewolves to demons, to being so scared that I think my heart will stop from the sheer terror. My brain freezes and shuts off.” “So…you were having a panic attack in bed just now?” He pushed a little harder, and Sean grinned and had to admit that Declan was an insightful bastard when he wanted to be. “Yes. No. I really was too hot, but I thought I would scream if I couldn’t move. I feel trapped. Not by any of you, but by everything. Suddenly, everything in my life seems like a trap, and I don’t feel smart enough to figure out how to escape.” “You are smart enough,” Declan whipped out. Sean recognized him trying to use the voice trick of Robert’s that made people instantly obey, but with only partial success. He felt Ava tremble in his arms, and he sent a warning glance to Declan, who pressed his lips firmly together and nodded once. “You are smart,” he repeated normally this time. “Without knowing anything, you’ve prepared yourself in the best way possible for facing all of this. You can do this. You just have to think it through. We will help you, and we’ll keep you safe. Nothing will hurt you, Ava. I promise.” “But what am I supposed to figure out?” she snapped, shrugging out of Sean’s arms, leaving a momentary hollowness where she had been. He refrained from going after her as she began to pace. She needed the room to think, to work out all the junk and the fear so that her incredible intelligence and instinct could have a clear path. “You tell me, Professor Bell,” Declan retorted coolly, and Sean knew that his brother was deliberately poking at her. “You’re the one with the analytical brain. Or is it that academics nowadays can only

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be analytical with stuff that’s been preanalyzed and published by some pompous windbag of a tenured professor?” “You don’t know jack shit about academics if that’s what you think,” Ava spat, pacing quickly and restlessly in front of the fire. Sean found the sight of her long, slender legs incredibly distracting from the matter at hand. He took a deep breath and shook himself mentally. Survival now, sex later. Okay. “So, if you’ve got any ideas, tell me,” Declan shrugged. “Otherwise, we’ll go back to Grace and see what she has to say.” “I know just as well as she does what the solution is,” Ava said testily. “It all hinges around the phrase ashes to ashes, dust to dust. I have some vague ideas about what it might possibly mean, but I don’t have any evidence to support them. I don’t want to act on just a hunch because I have a feeling we’re not going to get too many shots at this. When I face down Eve Barrows’s ghost, I’m going to do it with my guns fully loaded.” She paused and looked Declan squarely in the eye, making the most adorable irritated face Sean had ever seen. “And don’t try that psychological provoking shit on me again, Declan Molineaux,” she said, her lips twitching to hide a smile. “I knew exactly what you were doing and only played along.” Sean looked at Declan, eager for what would undoubtedly be a damn funny reply, but instead, he beheld Declan, white as a sheet, staring at Ava, aghast. “You have to face Eve Barrows?” Declan said, anguish and fear choking off his voice. “Oh no she doesn’t,” Sean said before he could even think. “Ava’s not going anywhere near that ghost. Or White Farm. Ever. If I have to tie her to the bed, I will.” The terror at the thought of Ava facing an undead spirit that was full of evil intentions was like a punch in the stomach. He wanted to hit something at even the thought of it. There had to be another way, a better way, a safer way.

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“It’s not like I want to,” Ava said finally, resuming her pacing, but in a calmer manner. “I just have a feeling, and no, it’s not a baseless hunch like I was talking about earlier. I have a feeling that I have to be the one to summon the shade of Eve Barrows and face her down. I’m not exactly sure of why, yet, but I can sense in the back of my mind that there are threads and connections. I just haven’t been able to suss them out and pin them down.” She looked up as if she was about to say something more, but suddenly, she stiffened, her eyes glazing over and her mouth open as if midscream. Then, she crumpled in a stiff-limbed heap on the hearth rug. **** Them. She had to warn…she had to run… Why wasn’t she moving? Why did her legs feel so heavy? Why was everything dark? She realized her eyes were closed, and with a struggle that it shouldn’t have required, she opened her eyes and looked up into the faces of Sean and Declan, both contorted with fear. It all slammed into her then. Her body jerked as her arms and legs seemed to be fighting for coordination. “We have to warn him.” She gasped, hearing her words slur as her lips moved sluggishly, as if she had overdosed on Novocain. “Who, baby?” Sean asked, cradling her in his arms. “Robert,” she mumbled out, forcing her mind to send deliberate directions to her body. “Help me up. It’s Robert. He’s in danger.” “Robert can take care of himself,” Declan said. “Not this time,” she said, her heart pounding with terror at what seemed an unstoppable horror that was rushing toward them. She felt herself lifted effortlessly to her feet by Sean, then staggered toward the chair where some of her clothes were draped.

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She grabbed her jeans and turned to look at Sean and Declan. “He won’t see it coming,” she whispered, panicked tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks. “It’s going to happen. Oh God, it’s happening!” Something seemed to take hold of her limbs and jerk her around like a puppet. The invisible grip on her had no hands or fingers, just a force that filled every thread of muscle and jolted her to its will. Then, through the open window there came a terrible cry, that of a wolf in pain. Ava thought her heart had stopped as everything froze for a long second as she tried to believe what she had just experienced and heard was real. Before she could say anything, she caught a growled, “Stay here,” and the next instant, she saw two giant gray wolves, flying out the window, landing easily on the ground below. With a speed that was too fast for human eyes to follow, they ran into the forest just as another cry of agony sliced the silence of the night. She didn’t even have a chance to be torn with indecision. The decision was already made for her. Find it. Her body went limp, and she barely was able to slump into a chair as she felt the energy of whatever had possessed her drain away. Too worried to try and figure out what had just happened, she weakly but determinedly pulled on her clothes. She was grabbing mittens and a flashlight when her whole consciousness was jolted again by compunction. Find it. The words were soundless and yet as heavily reverberating as any call across the mountains. She barely held on to any thoughts of her own. There was no running commentary in her head, no microanalysis of the environment around her, no questions or questioning. There was only sensation and urge.

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She fumbled the front door lock in her hurry, finally flinging it open and running out into the night. The icy bite of the air shocked her lungs and robbed her breath, making her airways burn. Behind her was the dim light that spilled from the house, but before her, she could see nothing but darkness. She had to find the edge of the woods, but they had to be the right woods, not the trees that stood between Long Road and the estate. Not the trees that extended between the estate and the empty vacation home on the other abutting lot. No, she needed to find her way into the forest that separated the estate from White Farm. Flashlight. She had a flashlight. Flicking it on with her mitten-covered thumb, she shone it around until she saw the driveway. Once she was oriented to the gravel path, she knew that she had to go to her left. Wolf howls began to fill the night sky, and she guessed that the men of Blue Moon were responding to Robert’s cry. In that moment, she knew in her gut that they needed to be here. But how could she summon them? How could she even find them? How could she do anything except follow the visceral urge that gripped her very soul? If she called out, her voice wouldn’t be strong enough to carry her words. She was just a few yards from the forest now. She had to do something. Robert, Declan, and Sean couldn’t do this alone, and if they tried, she was terrified that one of them might not come back. An idea born of pure desperation flashed across her mind, and putting all of her intention into her voice, she lifted her face to the sky and howled. Her high soprano howl seemed crystal clear and iceblade sharp, the sound rising and expanding over the land. She howled again, putting everything she had into it, fighting her own body as it tried to keep moving forward. Finally, out of breath and out of the will to resist, she stopped, barely aware of the intense silence that now reigned in the night sky. All she could think of was the forest, its ancient darkness calling to her with a voice she had no choice but to obey.

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Running against the cold that burned in her lungs, Ava Bell disappeared into the woods.

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Chapter 22 There was no sense of left or right, forward or back. For all Ava knew, she could have been running in circles. Her flashlight cast a weak circle of illumination just a few feet ahead, making the ghostly gray tree trunks loom out of the shadows with scary suddenness. Frozen leaves crunched under her boots, and her breath came out in white puffs. The sound of violent snarls and snapping came from somewhere ahead, but that was not the direction she was drawn in. “Damn it!” she huffed in anguish as she strained against the compulsion that kept her body from heading to where the men she loved were fighting something dark and terrible. “Come on! Let me go!” Still, she couldn’t deviate an inch from the direction she seemed to be heading in. She plunged through clumps of trees, clambered over enormous fallen tree trunks covered with lichen, and squelched through frozen mud. The cold was starting to seep into her bones and make them ache, and in the back of her mind ricocheted a mantra of “Find it Find it Find it.” “Where are you?” she panted into the icy night air. “Who are you? What am I looking for? Help me.” Nothing but thick, viscous silence oiled around her, and the impenetrable darkness yielded no clues. She ran frantically on, stumbling over roots, catching her jacket and hair on thin, switch-like branches that seemed to appear out of nowhere and grab at her. She heard Robert, Declan, and Sean howl, their piercing keening registering instinctively within her as a distress call. The fear in her

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heart of what was happening to them was overwhelming, blanking out her mind and short-circuiting her ability to think of what to do. Even as her mind and heart screamed with the need to go to them, her body was being pulled toward some unknown end. Her lungs burned, and her mouth grew dry from inhaling the cold air, but a thin sheen of sweat broke out under her clothing as she grew hot from running. “Find it Find it Find it…” “Ooh!” she cried out as she tripped over a stone and slammed into the bristly trunk of a pine tree, ricocheting off to the side. Jarred and sore, she sat still in the frostbitten pile of rotting leaves for a moment, realizing that the chanting had stopped in her head. The compulsion was gone. She looked around, feeling a little disoriented, as if she had suddenly been abandoned. Cautiously, she crawled over to where she had flung the flashlight when she fell. Picking it up, she shone the light around her but saw nothing but trees and darkness. She flashed the light across the ground, but the only thing that stuck out, literally, was the rock she had tripped over. It was right in front of her, underneath the pine tree she had fallen against. It was a queer place for a rock, she realized, when there weren’t any that she had seen anywhere in the forest. It was low and flat, and partially hidden by lichen and leaves. A wild idea popped into her head, and she crawled toward it then wiped the dirt and debris off as best she could. She held her breath as she shone the light on the relatively clear surface. “Fuck!” she exclaimed, gritting her teeth. “God damn fuck shit!” Anger exploded inside her at the failure of her idea. This wasn’t a headstone. This was just a rock. She sat back on her heels, keeping the light on the offending rock as she took deep breaths to calm herself. “Right,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’m going to find the guys.” Something slammed her back down to the ground, knocking the breath out of her and dragging her right back to the rock, pushing her

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face into it. In a blind panic, she screamed and fought against the invisible, invincible force that held her face into the rock. The rough surface scraped her cheek as she struggled against the stone, and she pushed against it, thrashing to try and free herself. Suddenly, she stilled as she felt through her thin mittens a groove in the surface of the rock. A straight line. Deeply gouged out. “Oh dear God,” she whispered. “This is your grave.” She felt the pressure on her body lift slowly, and she cautiously came to her knees. Shucking off her mittens, she used her fingers to scrape away the rest of the dirt and moss then picked up the flashlight, angling it until the lines became apparent. She shivered uncontrollably as she studied the lines. They looked fierce and angry, as if they had been gouged out by…by claws. “Exsequor exequor,” she sounded out. Shit. Latin. Her Latin was rusty at best, and her brain was already short-circuiting in terms of being able to think clearly. What the hell did this mean? “Think, Ava,” she said out loud, the sound of her voice small against the darkness but reassuringly present and real. “Exsequor exequor. Follow. End. Follow to the end or grave. Follow to the grave.” Follow to the grave. The rush of clarity was like being hit by a semi. This was Ezra’s grave. Whoever or whatever had written the inscription had meant it as an instruction, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was the instruction for how to avenge Ezra and destroy Eve. Follow to the grave. Instinctively, she dug beneath the leaves that covered the ground, reaching the frozen soil. The dirt was hard packed and frozen, and it hurt her fingers to dig at it, but finally, she broke through the surface and was able to grab several handfuls of it and stuff the dirt in her pockets. Her pockets bursting with soil, she stood up, cringing and waiting to see if anything came at her, but she felt loose and free to move about.

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Now, she had to find the guys. All the worry and fear for them came rushing back as the obsessive urge to find this grave ebbed away. She realized she hadn’t heard any sounds of wolves howling or growling for a while, and her heart froze with the terror that the worst had happened. No, no, no. It couldn’t have happened. Robert, Declan, and Sean were okay. They were fine. They were just taking care of Robert. Oh God! Was he hurt? How badly was he hurt? No, she couldn’t go there. She couldn’t think of how empty life would be without them. It didn’t matter how they had come together or why they had been drawn to each other. They were meant to be. Together. All of them. It was good, and it was right. They loved her, and she loved them. Fear and love pumped energy into her aching legs as she ran helter-skelter through the woods. “Robert!” she called out. “Declan! Sean! Any of you! Make a sound, tell me where you are!” Suddenly, a wall of howls came barreling at her from her right. She turned and aimed for it, wincing and covering her ears as it grew unbearably loud as she got near. Finally, she broke through a clump of trees, the round beam of her flashlight bouncing over a huge group of werewolves. She stopped short, her heart in her throat as a moment of panic completely swallowed her up. She knew she could trust her lovers, but what of the others? Would they see her as the enemy? Would they resent her as the cause for the danger they were all in? She scanned the wolves, astounded to see hundreds of them there, standing guard proudly on fallen tree trunks, flanking a small circle of space, trotting in scouting circles around the perimeter of the group. “I’m here to help, okay?” she said hesitantly. Great, now they heard her fear and had probably smelled it from a mile off. Dogs could smell fear. So could wolves. Shit. One of the werewolves came forward, and in the harsh halo of the flashlight, she thought she recognized Sean’s wolf form.

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“Sean?” she said cautiously. He yipped then came up to her and bumped his head under her hand so she would pet him. Yes, this was definitely Sean. She released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Without warning, Sean stood at attention in front of her and howled. Somehow, she understood the sound without words or any conscious thought. The message from the sound seemed to arrive in her brain without any translation from human words. She knew he was asserting her dominance in the pack. Shocked, she watched as all the wolves lowered their heads to her. She felt the unfamiliar prickling of tears and realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks at the enormity of the honor that was being given her. It was all because Robert, Declan, and Sean loved her. Love for them welled up and spilled over in her heart, washing over her and filling her with a sense of power and purpose she had never known before. Her entire body tingled, and her fear disappeared. She was on fire, burning with power and rage. No more! No more would any dark demon or ghost trouble this town. This place was hers! These wolves were hers! She would face down whatever there was and drive it back to hell. She would set the wolves of Blue Moon free for all times, no matter what the price. Sean and the other wolves seemed to sense the change in her, and they flung off an energy that seemed to feed into and loop with her own until she felt she was buzzing with power. A group of wolves directly in front of her parted to reveal a wolf lying on the ground, panting shallowly, the flashlight revealing three huge, deep gashes in his side, slowly oozing blood. In the blink of an eye, Ava was kneeling next to Robert, gently stroking his head and kissing his snout. “You do not give up,” she admonished him, putting all the authority she could muster into her voice. For a second, she thought she saw him twitch in response to her tone.

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“If you even think about dying,” she said, lifting one of his paws to her lips. “I will bring you back to life so I can kill you myself. Understood?” Weakly, Robert touched his nose to her hand, and she smiled through her tears. Looking up, she saw that Sean and what she guessed was Declan in wolf form standing on either side of her. She stood up and swept the wolves with a look. “One of you runs to get Dr. Nasir,” she said crisply, the hot anger in her veins burning away the last of the fog in her brain. “Some of you stay with Robert. You make sure he stays alive, you understand? The rest of you, come with me.” Ava looked at Robert and smiled, then turned, her expression growing grim and determined, and began walking in what she infallibly knew to be the direction of the farmhouse. On either side of her were Sean and Declan, and behind her, she heard the sounds of a thousand paws and the susurrations of a thousand breaths. She squared her shoulders and felt for the dirt in her pockets with one hand while the other held the flashlight. This was it. There was no turning back. She still didn’t know exactly what she had to do, but now, she believed that either her instinct would come through for her or it would be the end. Either way, it was all going to happen on this moonless night at White Farm.

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Chapter 23 Ava emerged from the woods down by her cottage. Steadily, she walked up the slope and across the dead grass to the farmhouse, a river of wolves flowing around her. As she approached, she shone the light up at the dark house, and her heart froze midbeat as she saw the curtains in one of the secondfloor windows stir. Dread crept into her resolve, making her draw on the last reserves of her courage to keep going. Okay, she could do this. She would do this. She had to do this. Her heart was pounding like it was trying to beat its way out of her chest as she walked up to the front door. Suddenly, Declan was by her side. He sunk his teeth into her parka as he tried to drag her away from the door. “No!” she exclaimed, glaring down at him. “I’m going in. This has to be done.” Declan still tried to tug her back, a high-pitched whine whirring in his throat. “Let go!” she said, struggling to dislodge her jacket from his jaws. Reluctantly, he released her, but he sniffed around the front door and whined again. “Look, I’m not exactly looking forward to this, either,” she said, her voice shaking as she bent down to retrieve the spare key from where she remembered her advisor had said it would be. The wooden door stuck, having warped somewhat with the cold, and it took a solid slamming of her body into the door to dislodge it. She stumbled inside and choked.

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No wonder Declan was trying to keep her from going in. The place reeked of gas. One wrong move on her part, and the whole place would probably explode. She left the front door wide open then went around to each window in the whole house and forced them open. Tomorrow—if there was a tomorrow—she’d call the gas company. She bit back a semi-hysterical giggle at the thought of how inane that thought was, how practical and real compared to complete craziness and impossibility of everything else she was dealing with. Gas leak? Ha! Small potatoes. Her eyes began to adjust to the different darkness inside the house, and she could dimly distinguish steps, walls, and doorways. She worked her way back from the newer addition of the farmhouse, with its spacious bedrooms, modern kitchen, and large bathroom. The oldest part of the house was small, just a single living room with a fireplace and an attic bedroom above. One flight of extremely steep, narrow steps led up to the bedroom. Large wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling. “Okay,” she whispered to herself in the dark. “Now what?” Seconds of silence turned into a minute, turned into two minutes. She stood completely still in the middle of the living room, waiting for something to happen. The quiet grew heavy and oppressive, and she could feel her pulse speeding up to an almost painful velocity. Something was going to happen. She knew it. But, it was like being in her own private horror movie, and the suspense was literally killing her. She couldn’t help yelping in terror as suddenly, hundreds of wolves began to howl. Their cries were fierce and piercing, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as shivers ran through her body. “Oh my fucking God,” she sobbed as abruptly, the front door slammed shut, the deadbolt turning without any hand touching it. She saw all the windows in the living room slam shut and heard the

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latches click into place, and then in the background, she heard the windows in the rest of the house shut and lock. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” she whispered frantically, the now familiar surge of panic throwing her mind into overdrive for a change instead of just freezing it in place. “Shit, okay, come on,” she whispered to herself as she ran to the kitchen. “Come on, where the fuck is it?” She threw open all the cabinets, ruthlessly tossing out all the boxes and bottles she found in them until she laid hands on a can of salt. Then, she dashed back to the living room, frantically searching around the hearth until she found matches. She crept back into the middle of the room and set the flashlight and the matches on the floor. With shaking hands, she poured a thick line of salt in a circle around her. Who knew if it would really work against ghosts and demons, but it was a protection of long-standing in folklore, so it couldn’t be completely wrong. Could it? The howling outside grew so loud that she put her hands over her ears, as if that would keep the sound from shattering her eardrums. She glanced out the windows to see all the wolves standing with their backs to the house, forming an outward-facing protective ring. Maybe the sound was part of how they protected her? Her mind felt like it was moving at warp speed, every synapse firing connections like a machine gun. Sound was made up of sound waves, a kind of energy. Right? So, if sound was energy, then the wolves were constructing a wall of energy around the house. Maybe there was something about the sound waves that other types of energy could pass through? So were they keeping something out or trapping it in? Ava looked around the room again, slowly revolving inside the circle. “Goody Barrows!” she called out, her voice coming out weaker and shakier than she had expected. She took in a shuddering breath

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and braced herself, forcing herself to let go of everything and yell. “GOODY BARROWS! SHOW THYSELF!” She hoped that using archaic language would trigger a stronger response. All kinds of things she had learned about witchcraft and demonology sloshed around in her brain, a prickly arsenal of language and folklore. From African Voudun to simple knot magic, it was all there on the tip of her tongue. Her mind bubbled with phrases from seventeenth century witch trials, suddenly understanding for the first time the true majesty and power of the stilted sentences and formality of the language. “Goody Barrows,” she yelled, feeling a surge of power make her entire body tingle. “I summon thee to judgment for thy crimes against God, the Lord Almighty! By the common blood in our veins, I bind thee to my words, as sure as I were to fix thee with a knot. Show thyself, witch!” Breathless, she watched as out of nowhere, a white mist seemed to coalesce into the loose form of a person. There was nothing defined about it, no facial features, clothing or anything recognizable, which made even more terrible and frightening. The only thing that made Ava sure she had summoned Eve Barrows was the tremendous malice that the misty, faceless figure exuded. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” Ava whispered, tears of panic springing up in her eyes as she fought to stay anchored in reality—an awful reality that contained so much more beyond life and death that could never be fully explained. She could almost taste the malice in the air around her. It prickled against her skin like tiny needles as she stood staring at the mist. She caught her breath as a lamp flew off the table and straight at her head, leaving her no time to duck. A dull thud resounded in her ears as it took a moment for her to realize that the lamp had struck her in the head. She had fallen to her hands and knees, her hands on the ground outside the circle of salt.

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Quickly, she drew her hands back inside, just as the mist moved to cover them. Waves of pain and nausea throbbed and ebbed, and she got to her feet again, only to catch sight of a wooden chair lift off the ground then go hurling through the air at her. This time, she managed to duck, and she realized that the spirit was trying to knock her out of the protective circle she was in. “Eve Barrows,” she gasped, instinctively clutching at the crucifix around her throat. “I command thee to cease thy conjure! I am protected by the Lord Almighty, and thou shalt not touch His servant!” The ghostly shape grew more opaque and seemed to give off a sickening, green luminescence. As its ghastly glow grew, the flashlight flickered and went dead. Ava stared down in horror as the apparition seemed to draw energy straight out of the battery. If it could do it to a battery, what could it do to a human body that was just like a giant battery? As if in an instantaneous response to her question, Ava felt her legs turn to jelly and her arms tremble from weakness. Her heart began to lurch irregularly as it struggled to keep beating. “No!” Ava said, bracing herself. “You can’t do this! No, old language, old English…think, think…Thou shalt not prevail! Thy malefica and charms have no dominion over me. I am thy blood and thy bone, and I stand equal to thee in all things.” In the moment the words left her lips, she felt her mind expand and the full realization of what she had to do exploded across her thoughts. “Bone and dust!” she cried as the figure reached out with transparent arms and fingers that seemed to grow into evil tendrils that shot out toward her throat. The tendrils stopped, jerking back as if burned when they reached the boundary of the salt circle. The apparition grew in size to tower over her, raining sickening hatred down onto her as she felt drained even further. She slumped to her knees. She wouldn’t last another minute at this rate. Her heart was

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already starting to slow down, making her dizzy, and it was hard to take a full breath. “Dust to dust!” Ava screamed, lurching to her feet one more time. She grabbed two fistfuls of dirt from her pockets and threw them at the shade of Eve. The grave dirt didn’t fall to the ground. It seemed to be caught in the mist, floating as small clumps and flecks, bringing the apparition’s outline into clearer focus. Ava threw all the dirt she had at the form, gasping and sobbing as it began thrashing to try and break free of the grave dirt. Finally, she stood face-to-face with the trapped entity. Its hatred and evil were like the blast of an Arctic storm, but Ava knew it couldn’t go anywhere. The grave dust of Ezra Barrows had trapped his wife, the ultimate revenge. “Dust to dust,” Ava panted as she picked up the matches. “And, ashes to ashes.” She took a deep breath and stared at the ghost of Eve Barrows. “Go to hell,” she spat, then struck a match and threw it at the imprisoned shade. The world exploded around her.

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Chapter 24 Everything was dark and peaceful. There was a great stillness and silence all around her. Ava felt herself to be deep in the darkness, and yet, something seemed to pull her upward, like the invisible tug of a coming sunrise on the night. The darkness lightened to shades of beige and gray, and finally, she recognized the orange of daylight playing on her eyelids. “Ava?” Robert! That was Robert’s voice! She’d know it anywhere. She’d know it from her grave. The last bit of darkness fell away, and she opened her eyes to see her handsome, brave Robert sitting on the edge of her bed, smiling down at her, relief lighting up his golden eyes. “Luphplth,” Ava said, trying to speak, but finding her lips were heavy and numb. She frowned and tried again. “Blohbluth.” “That’s the narcotic wearing off.” She recognized Dr. Nasir’s voice and saw him come over to her bedside. A stethoscope hung around his neck, and he wore one of the most hideous argyle sweaters she had ever seen. She wanted to smile, but she was too tired. It was easier to stay still. “Robulth,” she tried again, and Robert leaned over and kissed her lips tenderly. “I’m here, love,” he said. He patted his side, wincing slightly. “I’ll be fine in a day or so. Werewolves heal quickly.” “Wha huppnth?” “I was attacked by Them,” Robert said briefly, his expression closing and becoming stern and forbidding. “That’s all you need to know.”

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No, she wanted to know more, but it was too hard to speak. Besides, something itched under her nose, but her arms and hands felt too heavy to lift, even to scratch the itch. “That’s the cannula with your oxygen,” Dr. Nasir said, touching the tip of her nose as she twitched and wrinkled it, instinctively trying to dislodge the plastic tubing she now felt. “You inhaled a lot of gas and smoke, and you need oxygen. I took some blood and sent it for testing. We’ll do a CBC, BMP, and an arterial blood gas just to make sure there’s not more damage. Inshallah, all you will need is oxygen and maybe an inhaler for a week or two.” “You’re gonna be okay, baby!” Sean bounded over to her and jumped on the bed, bending over to kiss her drug-numbed lips. “Get up, Mr. Obvious.” Declan chuckled, hoisting Sean off the bed and more gently taking his place. “The last thing our Ava needs is a puppy dog bouncing all over her.” “Go fetch something,” Sean retorted, grinning. “I heard that was your specialty, tummy rub boy.” “Who told you about that?” “Nobody. I guessed. And, I was right. Did she give you a cookie, too?” “At least I got an ear rub out of it. You’re just a grumpy old dog who can’t learn new tricks.” “I got plenty of tricks in my bag.” Ava managed to get her lips to twitch toward a smile, and she looked up to see Robert laughing. Her body felt pleasantly heavy and warm, and she let her eyes drift closed again, deliciously surrendering herself to sleep. **** “Oh, sorry, Ava,” said a soft, musical voice as Ava was lifted out of sleep by a cool touch on her arm.

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She looked up to see Zara Nasir smiling down at her, a blood pressure cuff in her hands. “I just want to take your vitals, okay?” Zara said, patting Ava’s cheek lightly. “Yup,” Ava replied, pleasantly surprised to find her lips working again. Awareness began to burn slowly through the fog of sleep, and questions began to roll in, jumbling together and clamoring for answers. “What happened?” Ava asked as Zara wrapped the blood pressure cuff around her arm. Zara held up her finger for Ava to be quiet as she took the reading, and Ava looked around, recognizing her room in the Molineaux mansion. A moment later, Zara unwrapped the cuff from her arm and began to take her pulse. “Well, which part of ‘what happened’ do you want to know first?” she asked, looking down at her watch, pausing between words as she counted. When she was done, she stuck a thermometer under Ava’s tongue and wrote something on a scrap of paper. “Everything,” Ava mumbled around the thermometer. “I heard her voice! She’s awake? Ava, are you all right?” Sean’s voice carried through the thick panels of the door, and a moment later, Sean, Declan, and Robert all rushed in, surrounding her. Ava smiled at the amazing feeling of being so cared for. The brothers touched her hands and her face, kissing her fingertips and forehead and smoothing back her hair. “I’m fine,” she said. “At least, I think I am.” “It seems that you are, surprisingly enough.” She looked up to see Dr. Nasir walk in and look at the note Zara handed him. He smiled fondly at his wife and nodded. “Your vitals are nice and steady. The blood work came back clean. I’ve prescribed you an albuterol inhaler to be used in conjunction with a mild cortico-steroid inhaler for about two weeks. I want to make sure we get ahead of any lasting inflammation of your bronchial tubes.”

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He paused and looked at her wonderingly, then added, “The true miracle is that you were not burned. Not even a mild skin irritation from the heat.” “I wonder if that has anything to do with the circle we found her in?” Declan said, stroking her hair with his rough fingers, the touch soothing her and almost putting her back to sleep. “Salt,” Ava managed to articulate tiredly. “What do you mean, ‘salt,’ sweetheart?” “Salt circle. Protection.” “Salt—sodium chloride—is combustible, though,” Robert said, rubbing her leg gently. “If anything, it should have caused a flare-up.” “When I went back there to look this morning, the entire house had burned except for the circle where we found Ava,” Sean said, beginning to pace in front of the foot of the bed. He turned to face her. “What happened? What caused the explosion? The last thing we heard you say is, ‘Go to hell,’ and then all hell broke loose.” “Very funny,” Declan muttered. “I lit a match,” Ava replied. She wanted to say more, to explain what had happened, but speaking required a lot of energy, and it was easier to just lie there and bask in the slight pink fuzziness of the ebbing pain meds and the warm affection of her lovers. “You fucking lit a match?” Robert exclaimed. “With a gas leak in the house?” “Ashes to ashes,” Ava said, trying to draw in a deep breath and feeling the tight pull on her lungs as the bronchial inflammation squeezed her airways. “First farmhouse burned down. Then Aristide’s house. Everything had to burn. Ashes, see?” Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as she spoke, and she gratefully allowed Zara and Dr. Nasir to prop her upright and hold an inhaler to her lips. The rush of albuterol eased her lungs, and she took in the air gratefully. “What about the dust?” Declan asked, his face grim as he watched her struggle to breathe.

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“Grave dust,” Ava replied. “Those compulsions I was having? I think they were from Ezra. I think he was trying to get me to find his grave, and last night, he led me to it. It was under a pine tree, marked with a rock. On the rock, someone or something had scratched, ‘Exsequor Exequor,’ which means to follow to the grave.” “Are you sure it was Ezra’s grave?” Ava looked up to see Grace Murray enter the room, Father Edlow by her side. She felt a twinge of jealousy at how effortlessly beautiful Grace looked, her soft golden hair gleaming in the light, and at the way all the men in the room shifted to show her respect. In comparison, Ava felt drab and sticky and about as unattractive as she had ever been, lying in a sick bed with sweaty, matted hair and the smell of smoke still clinging faintly to her. “What makes you think it wasn’t Ezra’s grave?” she challenged, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice, hoping it would pass off as the hoarseness in the throat from the smoke. “I don’t know,” Grace said, smiling uncertainly. “I just have this feeling that maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was Eve’s grave, and Ezra led you to it.” “What about the inscription?” “It could easily mean that you had to either take Eve to her grave or bring her grave to her. Also, if you look at dust to dust, it could mean that only Eve’s grave dust could trap her.” Ava fell silent, a shiver of uncertainty fluttering across her nerves. “What about the inscription?” Sean asked. “How do you explain that?” Grace’s face fell, and she shook her head. “I can’t. If Ezra was dead already, how could he have made that inscription? And, how would he know Latin? He was a farmer and a carpenter, and the people in Blue Moon read the King James Bible in English.” She shuddered. “If it was him, he had to have come back from the dead…in one form or another…to do it. Can you imagine the rage he

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must have felt? The amount of energy and purpose it must have taken to carve into stone?” “If that’s true,” Ava said slowly, “it means that Ezra’s grave still hasn’t been found.” “And, may never be,” Grace added, nodding. “Or, it could be it was his grave. Somehow, I don’t think we’ll ever truly know.” Ava shivered, and everyone in the room fell silent. “Well,” Zara said finally, “this has all been quite a party, but Ava needs her sleep. Cookie should be showing up any minute now with some casseroles. Now, shoo, get out.” “I’m not leaving,” Declan said, kissing the top of Ava’s head and sending a thrill straight to her heart at the firm tone of his voice. “I stay with my Ava.” “I’m not leaving, either,” Sean added, kissing her hands. “Don’t look at me, Zara,” Robert said with a grim chuckle. “I’m not leaving, either.” “Oh, really?” Zara said, the singsong of her accent sounding deceptively sweet to Ava’s ears. “Really,” Declan affirmed. A minute later, Zara closed the door on their retreating forms, and Ava’s ears were still ringing with one of the most magnificent harangues she’d ever heard. She knew, though, that nothing would have made them leave if she hadn’t started yawning uncontrollably in the middle of Zara’s diatribe. She wanted her lovers there with her, but on the other hand, she just wanted to sleep without worrying about them sitting by her and being bored. “When can I get a shower?” she mumbled sleepily as Zara tucked in the covers around her. “When you wake up,” Zara said. “Now, go to sleep, and dream good dreams.” It sounded like the best advice she’d heard in a long time.

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Chapter 25 “Wow, guys,” Ava said. She sat down at the table and saw the fountain of red roses in the center of it, along with the bottle of chilled champagne. “You didn’t have to do this.” “Of course we had to,” Sean said. “We wanted to. Making you happy is the most important thing in our lives. It’s what makes us happy.” Ava looked around the quietly decorated restaurant, with its antique wood, Federal-style furniture, and neutral colors. Called “Moonshine,” it was part of the Blue Moon Inn, and apparently the nicest place in town. Her gaze turned to Robert, Declan, and Sean, who looked to-diefor in suits. Robert wore his dark-gray suit with a deep-burgundy tie, the cut of the jacket emphasizing his broad shoulders. His black hair was brushed back, and he moved easily, completely healed from the demonic attack, though Ava knew there were three cold, white clawmark scars under that crisp white shirt. Declan had gone for a more casual look with a navy blue blazer and beautifully pressed tan wool slacks. He didn’t wear a tie, but there was a cream silk pocket handkerchief in the breast pocket of his coat, and he wore stylish brown Italian leather shoes and an expensive wristwatch. Sean looked good enough to eat in a black suit, complete with a black vest. He also didn’t wear a tie, and his open collar tempted Ava’s eyes down to the covered muscles of his chest. His short black hair was spiked, and he looked full of devilish thoughts as he studied her boldly.

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Ava blushed under his gaze, looking down at the silky, slinky gray satin gown she wore. Declan had picked it out for her, along with a ton of other couture clothes that now hung in her closet. This dress had the lines and styling of a 1930s movie star’s glamour, with draped fabric off her shoulders, and a heaviness to the material that made it swirl around her ankles as she walked. Of course, Declan had also picked out what she was wearing underneath, as well, and she blushed even harder thinking of the flimsy bits of lace and silk. Unconsciously, she reached up to touch her neck where a doubled-up opera-length strand of lustrous Mikimoto pearls lay warmly against her skin. Robert had presented her with the necklace and matching pearl and diamond stud earrings when she had come down the stairs earlier. Her protests at the expensiveness of the gift had been completely ignored, and all three of the men had gazed at her adoringly as Robert had fastened the pearls around her neck. “She’s thinking of something,” Declan said to his brothers, leaning back in his chair and smiling wickedly at her. “You can always tell when Ava’s thinking of serious thoughts because of the way she narrows her eyes like a cat’s.” “She tilts her chin down, too, so that it’s like she has to look up at you,” Sean added. Robert said nothing but reached over and gently touched her hand. “She is right here, boys.” Ava laughed, breaking out of her reverie. “Actually, I was wondering about my dissertation advisor.” “What about her?” Robert asked as a waiter came over and handed them all heavy, leather-bound menus. “Well, her husband’s family owns White Farm. I was just wondering how that happened. I mean, I know it’s up for sale now, but I was curious as to how long they had owned it.” Robert smiled and nodded. “You would think there would be some kind of ultimate tie-in with the Barrows or the Bells, but there really isn’t any. White Farm passed from family to family, and for the past hundred years, mostly outsiders have owned it. None of them

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owned it for very long or ever spent much time there, for obvious reasons. But, that’s about all there is to that.” “The last loose end,” Ava said. “Tied up in a pretty little bow.” Declan raised an eyebrow at her, and she blushed again, her cheeks tingling with the sensation as she thought of the various pretty little bows to be untied on the lingerie she wore. “What do you want to eat?” Sean asked, ever the one for action. “Um, you know this place best. You pick for me. The only thing I don’t like is salmon. Oh, and exactly when are you going to finish fixing Mimi? It’s been almost a week since you took her into the shop.” “Oh, about that.” Sean grinned until she thought his smile would reach around his head. “I guess it’s time for my gift for you, tonight.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of shiny keys with a black alarm fob. “I’m afraid I have bad news,” Sean continued. “Mimi the hatchback never made it off the table. She died of a massive carburetor attack while under anesthesia. She didn’t suffer. Much.” “My car is dead?” Ava exclaimed, a rush of panicked financial thoughts filling her head. “I’m a grad student. I can’t afford a new car! You have to fix her!” “Well, um, she’s already gone to the scrap heap in the sky, baby. But, I got you a new hatchback. You’ll love it, I promise.” She watched, stunned, as Sean took her hand and pressed the keys into it. She looked down at the logo on the key and saw it was a Volkswagen. There were also two other regular house keys on a sterling silver keychain that had a small pewter wolf dangling off it. “It’s a VW Golf, baby,” Sean said. “You can name her anything you want. She’s great. Red. Really zippy.” “Great,” Robert groaned. “Just what we need. Ava zipping around on six cylinders on these roads.” “No,” she exclaimed, overwhelmed at their generosity. “You can’t do this! You cannot just buy me a car, and pearls, and an entirely new

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wardrobe. I don’t need all of this. I don’t deserve all of this. Just being with you guys is enough. Seriously. I…I don’t know what to say. I don’t feel like I can accept all of this.” “It’s the least we can do for our wife,” Declan said calmly, taking her left hand and slipping a beautiful diamond ring onto her finger. Ava stared in complete shock down at the three huge diamonds, each surrounded by a halo of diamonds, with diamond pave and milgrain work down the shoulders and shank of the ring. “I can’t marry three men,” she said dumbly, looking up at each of them. “I mean, it’s illegal to marry three men. And, then, there’s my dissertation. And, I need to get a job, and who knows where I’ll end up teaching? And, I have student loans, about two lifetimes’ worth that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pay off. And, I mean, we’ve only known each other two weeks. And, it’s illegal to marry three men.” Sean and Declan burst out laughing, but Ava’s heart was pounding too hard to find anything funny in her concerns. Everything she had ignored or pushed aside in terms of dealing with this crazy, sexy affair came back at her with a vengeance. Sure, facing down demons and fighting for survival was something that definitely brought people closer, but what about the everyday stuff? What about paying bills, taking out the trash, farting in front of each other, and picking up milk at the store? How long could this sensuous fairy tale last in the harsh light of day? Robert nodded, his expression serious, which pleased Ava to think that at least someone had thought about all the ridiculous obstacles and reasons something like this wouldn’t work. “I appreciate your concerns, love,” he said. “Perhaps if we talk this through, you’ll understand that this could really work.” Oh. Well, that wasn’t what she was expecting. She had thought that practical, serious Robert would be the one to join her as the voice of reason. Not to be the one to try and persuade her. “First of all,” he said, “you would marry me, as I am the one with the job that would provide you health insurance. Legally, you would

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only be married to one of us, but if anyone ever suggested that Declan and Sean weren’t your husbands, too, they’d end up on the wrong side of our fists. Remember what we told you about a lot of people in this town living together with two husbands and a wife? Only one of the men is legally married to the woman, but they’re all married in the sight of God. You wouldn’t be ostracized or isolated because you chose to live with us as our wife. “Secondly,” he continued, “you’ll finish your dissertation, and after that, it will be your choice to work or not. You can be an independent researcher and write books if you want, or, you can get a job at the University of Maine at Orono. We know some people there, and I think they’d be excited to talk to you. Stop. I know you’re going to say that you don’t need anyone to pull strings or cheat to get you into a job. I agree. All we will do is open the door and get you in to meet with them. After that, it’s all you. But, I can’t imagine them turning you down. “Finally, you can forget about your student loans because we’re paying them off, whether you marry or us not. It’s the least we can do to show our appreciation for all that you risked for our town and for us. End of argument on that point.” Ava bit her lip as she held back her objections. It was tempting to let them pay off her loans, lifting an enormous burden from her shoulders, one that she’d end up dragging through life on her meager academic salary. No. No, she couldn’t let them do that. She’d return the pearls and the car and leave the clothes. She couldn’t stay. She couldn’t marry them. Could she? “Wear the ring, baby,” Sean said, leaning over and kissing her. “Wear the ring and just think about it for a few days, okay? Now, if you all are done proposing and arguing, can we order? I’m fucking starving.” Ava burst out laughing in relief as Sean broke the tension. She realized she loved the way he could always make her laugh, the way he lightened her heart with his good humor. She loved Robert for

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strength and seriousness, even if she butted heads with him from time to time over what he called his common sense and she called his pigheadedness. She loved Declan’s gentle soul and wicked lovemaking. All three of them fitted perfectly into the facets of her personality, completing her in a way she had never experienced before. Still, there was the question of could she do this? Could she buck society’s conventions and actually live with three men? She couldn’t really come up with an argument against it that would hold water. In Blue Moon, it was common and accepted, and as long as everyone was loved and respected, it wasn’t anyone else’s business what she did in her bedroom or how she lived her life. Right? All through dinner and on the way home, she meditated furiously on the idea that she didn’t know them well enough. Was there ever a time when you really did know someone enough? Could there be such a thing as walking into a room—or out of the woods—and knowing that your heart had finally found its home? Did concerns about everyday chores really deserve to outweigh kindness, love, and respect? “You’re very quiet, love,” Robert said as he lifted her from the backseat of the SUV and carried her into the house. “I’m thinking again,” Ava replied. “Penny for your thoughts,” Declan whispered in her ear. He nipped at her earlobe in a way that combined a bite of pain with a shiver of pleasure. “You’d better come up with at least a dollar fifty, sailor.” She laughed, shuddering with growing arousal as his hands slipped up and down the heavy satin on her skin. “Maybe we’d better just tease it out of you.” He growled, a sound that sent tingles of anticipation straight to her nipples and her pussy. His hands followed his words, slinking up to cup her breasts through the fabric and stroke her nipples, letting the lace and silk

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lightly scrape against the sensitive skin. Her knees practically buckled from the sudden onslaught of throbbing pleasure between her legs. “Give her here,” Sean said, sweeping her up into his arms and beginning to carry her up the steps. “I’m ready for dessert.” “You already had dessert at the restaurant, Sean Molineaux,” she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What can I say? I’ve got a sweet tooth.” Once inside her bedroom, Ava surrendered to the delirious dream of having three lovers. With aching slowness, her dress was stripped off her and her high heels lovingly slipped off her feet. Wearing only bits of gray silk and lace lingerie, she felt their hands explore her body, caressing, touching, tickling, and teasing her skin in a thousand different ways. Touch became heat, and breath became a drug. Burning kisses stung her belly, her thighs, and her nipples as she was lifted onto the bed. The pearls pulled tight around her neck, and she could feel them roll against her breasts. She reached for Robert, Declan, and Sean, needing to touch them, to feel their muscles shift under their skin, to feel their heartbeats quicken with desire. To feel them there and present with her in that moment, breathing in the same desire she did. Using Robert’s discarded tie, Declan bound her wrists to the headboard, pulling down the cups of her bra to suckle on her nipples, nipping and licking one while rolling the other between his fingers. She was full of wordless cries as she jerked and pulled against her restraints and tried to move to satisfy herself. She saw Robert position himself between her legs and rip the panties off her, tearing the delicate lace to shreds and tossing it aside. Growling, he ran his finger though her honey and plunged into her, hard, taking her breath and making it his as he set a punishing rhythm for his desire. His fingers found her clit and stroked it firmly, bringing her to the cliff’s edge of ecstasy and sending her flying as his release and hers came at the same time.

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Sean swallowed her cries with his deep kisses, sucking in her breath and sound as Declan moved down to her legs. Sean untied her and turned her over on her hands and knees. He swung in and out of her pussy, groaning with pleasure, and Ava felt him hit the sensitive spot inside her, bringing her almost to a toe-curling orgasm again and again without pushing her over. He pulled out, and she felt the hot, wet tip of his cock at her tight hole. Silently, she exhaled and willed her body to relax, focusing on keeping all her muscles loose as she felt him slowly ease into her. She startled herself with the low moan that escaped her throat at the forbidden sensations of fullness that sent reverberations of pleasure and pain through her whole body. Her bottom burned, but she felt her arousal flare to life as Sean began to move slowly in and out. Declan moved under her, and Sean positioned them so that she could sink her pussy onto Declan’s cock. She whimpered against the strain of the stretch, but when Declan began to play with her nipples with one hand and her clit with the other, she wailed with the ecstasy of feeling her body respond to every sensation more powerfully than it ever had before. Gasps and pants filled the air, and all Ava could think about was reaching for that absolute moment, that pang of ecstasy that could make her mind go totally blank and force her to be completely in her body and in the moment. Her movements grew more feverish, and she felt Declan and Sean tense with effort. Declan gave her clit a long, excruciatingly slow stroke that exploded the pleasure within her, sending concentric circles of joy rippling out to her fingertips and toes. She heard his cry, followed quickly by Sean’s as they came as well. She could feel their cocks pulsing inside her. Robert gently held her as Declan and Sean pulled out, then he laid her softly back against the decadent piles of white pillows and stretched out alongside her. The other two got up and went into the bathroom, coming back a few moments later with a warm washcloth

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for her and lovingly cleaning her off. By this point, Ava was too limp from all the spent desire to feel embarrassed. In fact, it felt good. It made her feel loved. Quietly, Robert lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the ring on her finger then placing a kiss in her palm and curling her fingers over it. Tears sprang into her eyes, and as Declan stretched out on the other side of her and Sean lay down by her feet and kissed her toes, she was overwhelmed all over again by the revelation of how much she loved them. She remembered the story of Ezra and Eliza, and her heart ached for the love they never got to live for. Perhaps, that was the real lesson of everything she had been through. Maybe in the end, love was all that really mattered. She took a deep breath and held out her hand to admire her ring. “I’ll have to change my name, you know,” she said matter-offactly. There was a stunned moment of silence then the three of them were kissing her and cooing to her and laughing. “Ava Molineaux,” Sean said. “I love the sound of it.” “Goodness, no!” Ava exclaimed, grinning wickedly. “I have to stay Bell, because there’s always been a Bell in Blue Moon. I’m thinking of hyphenating.” “Ava Bell-Molineaux?” Sean tried again. “No,” she replied, feeling the rightness of all her decisions spread through her like warm honey. “I’m going to be Ava Bell-Barrows.” “Our wife has a mind of her own.” Declan chuckled as Robert shook his head. “You better believe it,” Ava said happily.

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THE END HTTP://ARTIFEXAMOR.BLOGSPOT.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fiona Blackthorne gets very little sleep because of all the crazy dreams she has that turn into book plots. She requires her laptop, white wine and a sleepy puppy on her feet in order to write. Despite having taken long detours of careers in marketing and higher education, she has finally come back to writing, which is what she always meant to do if life hadn’t gotten in the way of things. It takes an entire village to produce a Fiona Blackthorne book, and she owes it all to her parents, her husband, her friend in Alaska, and her dog.

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