MENDING SCARS
Author: Brandy L. Rivers
Series: Others of Edenton (Dacia and Preston’s story), Book 5 ~ STANDALONE
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
~ SYNOPSIS ~
Some scars run soul deep.
Preston finally knows what he wants, but it’s an uphill battle to win her confidence. Dacia has been hurt countless times, including by his own hand. Despite her accusations, he wants what’s best for her.
Dacia struggles with her inability to trust. Her mother has always been too wrapped up in her own life to pay attention. Her father only comes around when it benefits him. Dacia no longer believes she’ll ever come first.
Remus is a fugitive on Earth and in Faerie. His ungrateful daughter refuses to help, even when a mage nearly tracks him down. His best hope is pitting Dacia and Preston against each other.
Ultimately, Dacia must choose. Can Preston help mend her scarred heart? Or will her father’s corrupt plan spoil Dacia’s chance at happiness?
~ PURCHASE ~
~ TEASERS ~
~ EXCERPT ~
His head throbbed in sync with the sound of his phone buzzing
out of reach. Preston cracked one eye open to find her elegant face relaxed in
peaceful slumber.
out of reach. Preston cracked one eye open to find her elegant face relaxed in
peaceful slumber.
Slivers of memory floated through his mind. Toryn’s party. Dacia
throwing herself at him. Then it went fuzzy, other than flashes of explosive
sex.
throwing herself at him. Then it went fuzzy, other than flashes of explosive
sex.
He regretted his temporary lack of memory, which he hoped would
be restored once the hangover abated. The unrelenting metallic vibration
started again, and he sat up to take a look at his surroundings.
be restored once the hangover abated. The unrelenting metallic vibration
started again, and he sat up to take a look at his surroundings.
Dacia’s house.
Shit.
Last time he was here, everything had ended in disaster. He
nearly died at her hands, though she wasn't in charge of them, thanks to a
shadow fae taking possession of her body. Then Amethyst, the woman he'd been
trying not to love healed him, shattering the dam of pent-up
emotion he had walled off so long he nearly drowned in the ensuing rush. Jamie,
who knew their relationship was over before he did, ended things that night. At
least Amethyst and Jamie had found their soulmates, even if he was left behind.
nearly died at her hands, though she wasn't in charge of them, thanks to a
shadow fae taking possession of her body. Then Amethyst, the woman he'd been
trying not to love healed him, shattering the dam of pent-up
emotion he had walled off so long he nearly drowned in the ensuing rush. Jamie,
who knew their relationship was over before he did, ended things that night. At
least Amethyst and Jamie had found their soulmates, even if he was left behind.
He wasn’t sure Dacia was his forever, but he wanted to find out. If she’d
let him. There was definitely a spark between them.
let him. There was definitely a spark between them.
Insistent buzzing from his phone jerked Preston back to the here
and now. He spotted his pants hanging from a chair. His shirt was on a bed
post. Dacia's dress lay on the floor in at least two separate pieces.
and now. He spotted his pants hanging from a chair. His shirt was on a bed
post. Dacia's dress lay on the floor in at least two separate pieces.
Must have been in a hurry. A stupid grin spread on his face as he remembered Dacia
screaming out his name.
screaming out his name.
Shaking off a wave of desire, he got up to grab his phone and
found a list of texts and missed calls from Robert.
found a list of texts and missed calls from Robert.
The texts were nagging him about what he’d learned, and trouble
with the fae. He scrubbed a hand over his face and tried to remember what
Robert was referring to.
with the fae. He scrubbed a hand over his face and tried to remember what
Robert was referring to.
What the hell? I never forget anything—not even when I want to.
He sat on the bed and Dacia curled around him in her sleep. A
slow smile reappeared on his lips as her satin skin caressed his.
slow smile reappeared on his lips as her satin skin caressed his.
Looking down, he saw her, the real her, without makeup or
glamour. She didn't need any artificial shit. Dacia looked a lot like her aunt,
the queen of the Air Kingdom in Faerie. Unfortunately, her piece of shit,
twisted-as-a-Twizzler-stick father was still at large after being caught
conspiring against the queen, plotting unthinkable acts against his niece, and
torturing women. Yup, inter-dimensional scumbag.
glamour. She didn't need any artificial shit. Dacia looked a lot like her aunt,
the queen of the Air Kingdom in Faerie. Unfortunately, her piece of shit,
twisted-as-a-Twizzler-stick father was still at large after being caught
conspiring against the queen, plotting unthinkable acts against his niece, and
torturing women. Yup, inter-dimensional scumbag.
Dacia had a few issues, but deep down she was a tough woman
dealing with a fucked-up family, much like him. She was so used to
disappointment she’d built a fortress around herself, and had recently
developed an annoying habit of bolting rather than risk being disappointed.
Sooner or later he would scale the walls and sneak inside.
dealing with a fucked-up family, much like him. She was so used to
disappointment she’d built a fortress around herself, and had recently
developed an annoying habit of bolting rather than risk being disappointed.
Sooner or later he would scale the walls and sneak inside.
Maybe last night he had. Maybe. But he couldn't
remember much—certainly not enough.
remember much—certainly not enough.
“You're still here,” she murmured sleepily, hope shining in her
eyes.
eyes.
“I told you, and I'll keep telling you, it's you I want to get
to know, you I want to please, only you.” He brushed his knuckle down the faint
scar on her cheek. The line ran from just below the inner corner of her eye,
down to the corner of her jaw.
to know, you I want to please, only you.” He brushed his knuckle down the faint
scar on her cheek. The line ran from just below the inner corner of her eye,
down to the corner of her jaw.
She flinched away, covering that side of her face. The hope died
as her gaze went stony. “Because you feel sorry for me. I don’t need your
pity.”
as her gaze went stony. “Because you feel sorry for me. I don’t need your
pity.”
“No, fuck, not because of that! Yes, I'm sorry I put the mark
there. But listen closely, that scar isn't what I see when I close my eyes.
What I see is a feisty woman who holds my interest for a laundry list of
reasons. I want to learn everything about you.”
there. But listen closely, that scar isn't what I see when I close my eyes.
What I see is a feisty woman who holds my interest for a laundry list of
reasons. I want to learn everything about you.”
“You keep touching it, kissing it. You
pay too much attention to it. Even when I have my glamour in
place.”
pay too much attention to it. Even when I have my glamour in
place.”
Well, shit.
He did, but only because it was seriously hot. That might make
him a freak but he was okay with that. He gave a sheepish shrug, and tried for
an innocent tone. “You don't want to hear my reason.” She was too vain to
appreciate his point of view.
him a freak but he was okay with that. He gave a sheepish shrug, and tried for
an innocent tone. “You don't want to hear my reason.” She was too vain to
appreciate his point of view.
Her eyes flashed with anger as she ghosted out of bed. She
materialized a few feet in front of him with her hands on her hips. “Because
you feel guilty for making me ugly!”
materialized a few feet in front of him with her hands on her hips. “Because
you feel guilty for making me ugly!”
And damn him, but Dacia pissed off made him hard as adamantium.
He rose to his feet, pointing to his cock that stood at attention, wanting
nothing more than to be buried to the hilt in her heat. “Does it look like I
feel sorry for you? Or maybe that I don't like what I see? Trust me, Minx, I
want you any way I can get you. This,” he gripped his length and her gaze
followed his hand as she hungrily watched the slow stroke, “should be a
significant indicator that you—scar included—are more than sexy. I can't stop
imagining your taste, the feel of your nails in my skin, the way you wrap
around me. This is what you do to me.”
He rose to his feet, pointing to his cock that stood at attention, wanting
nothing more than to be buried to the hilt in her heat. “Does it look like I
feel sorry for you? Or maybe that I don't like what I see? Trust me, Minx, I
want you any way I can get you. This,” he gripped his length and her gaze
followed his hand as she hungrily watched the slow stroke, “should be a
significant indicator that you—scar included—are more than sexy. I can't stop
imagining your taste, the feel of your nails in my skin, the way you wrap
around me. This is what you do to me.”
He blinked and she was gone. Then he was shoved onto the
mattress and she was over him, sliding onto his thick length as her mouth
closed over his, taking what she wanted. Borderline punishing, her nails cut
past skin as she rode him hard. Tears fell on his chest.
mattress and she was over him, sliding onto his thick length as her mouth
closed over his, taking what she wanted. Borderline punishing, her nails cut
past skin as she rode him hard. Tears fell on his chest.
Grabbing her face, he rolled them over, gentling the pace while
he dried her tears. “Don’t cry, Dacia. I’m not giving you a reason to cry. I
want your pleasure, your desire, I want us, but I don’t want to be
the reason you cry,” he promised as he thrust into her slowly.
he dried her tears. “Don’t cry, Dacia. I’m not giving you a reason to cry. I
want your pleasure, your desire, I want us, but I don’t want to be
the reason you cry,” he promised as he thrust into her slowly.
Her big onyx eyes bored into his. “Why?” she whispered. “No, don’t
answer.” Dacia flipped them over, pushing her pace harder, faster. Her mouth
meshed with his, their tongues dancing.
answer.” Dacia flipped them over, pushing her pace harder, faster. Her mouth
meshed with his, their tongues dancing.
He was right there on the edge, trying to hold back, when her
core started to ripple around him. They both cried out as flames danced over
them and everything in the room was picked up in the whirlwind that surrounded
her bed.
core started to ripple around him. They both cried out as flames danced over
them and everything in the room was picked up in the whirlwind that surrounded
her bed.
A rush of excitement, desire, and panic shot through them as he
tried to pull her closer but she phased out as the fires faded and her
belongings fell around him.
tried to pull her closer but she phased out as the fires faded and her
belongings fell around him.
Stunned, Preston lay there, wracking his brain for an
explanation, but the pounding in his head renewed with force.
explanation, but the pounding in his head renewed with force.
He felt her, floating in the room. Her eyes burned a brand into
him. “Dacia, please talk to me.”
him. “Dacia, please talk to me.”
~ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ~
Brandy L Rivers
I've always loved books, especially about monsters and magic, so I started writing. I'm working on a prequel and the next few books in the Others of Edenton series, and I have a head full of stories to share.
I'm a stay at home mother with a wonderful husband who lets me write and write to my hearts content.
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