Beneath the Alpha’s Nose, Chapter 8 “All hands on deck! Arm yourselves!” It’s almost instant—the crew jolts awake, grabbing anything sharp and bracing themselves at the rails. One grim-faced sailor pushes a wicked looking knife into my palm. He doesn’t bother asking questions, and why would he? I’d sounded the alarm. “Watch the water,” the […]
Beneath the Alpha’s Nose, Chapter 7 The Mermaid’s Folly wheezes like a wounded thing, every groan reminding me that I’m trapped inside another cage, only this one floats. If I breathe too loud, it could all collapse; this disguise, this fragile boy’s shell holding in the wolf. I’ve barely been aboard six hours, and already […]
Beneath the Alpha’s Nose, Chapter 6 The streets of Pinehaven are all but abandoned by the time true night settles in. I keep to the deepest pockets of shadow, and even with my hair lopped short, the bristling at my nape won’t let me forget how exposed I am. Every new noise stabs sharp, and […]
Beneath the Alpha’s Nose, Chapter 5 The estate’s asleep, or it’s doing a really good impression. I edge down the corridor toward my father’s study, the air thick with shadows that could hide almost anything, the smallest noise a threat. I remind myself of who I am now—I’m Ari—and it’s got to be second nature […]
Mostly Harmless Magic, Chapter 5 Rue’s arms ached as she scrubbed at the root cellar floor, each sweep of the mop collecting more of the glittering residue left behind by the silver wind. Even Granny Thorn’s magic hadn’t done the trick. Not entirely. But the chaos had settled into mere mess, something manageable, something she […]
Beneath the Alpha’s Nose, Chapter 3 I make my way down the hall, sliding quiet as dusk through the hush of the house. Under my feet, the floorboards ache to creak out warnings, but with each practiced step I keep them hushed; every bruised muscle in my legs and back reminding me what’s at stake. […]
Beneath the Alpha’s Nose, Chapter 2 I don’t slow down as I run through town. My heart’s beating so hard I can feel it in my throat, and every footstep is louder than the last. They want to pick my whole future for me, right down to whose bed I’ll be thrown into. Not happening. […]
Apocalypse Online, Chapter 4 Albion jerked awake, his heart hammering against his ribs. The haptic suit was gone, replaced by thin cotton sheets that stuck to his sweat-damp skin. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling—flat, white, institutional—trying to gather the fragments of his memory. The tree, the leaves with their tiny worlds, the rushing sensation […]
The Ocean Just Gets Me, Chapter 6 The house settles into nighttime stillness around me. Each creak of the floorboards, each tick of the ancient heating system marks time passing as I position my microphone for the third time this week. The signal loops softly from my speakers, a gentle underscore to my movements, like […]
Aetherloft, Chapter 4 Rashtari Windtail’s whiskers twitched as he ducked through the low entrance of the Taraq tent, the scent of spiced incense and nervous sweat mingling with the sharp tang of burning oil. The gambling den pulsed with the energy of desperate souls and hungry predators, all gathered beneath the glacier’s shadow where the […]
Aetherloft 