Malcolm My bones cracked and popped at a rate that my mind couldn't keep up with. Then I leaped out onto the porch and ripped into the first witch that caught my eye. But they keep coming and chanting, and the chanting got louder. So I had to kill them faster to stop the ringing in my ears. The more blood I tasted on my tongue, the deeper it drove me into insanity. When there was a clearing, Roman and Catalina dashed to the car, and I lost sight of them. Ms. Cleo was surrounded by witches. I fought my way to her, slashing through the witches with my heavy paws, feeling the power of rage inside me.The witches were no match for me; their blood spilled out as I growled with fury, and the thunderous of my voice echoed in the sky. The witches scrambled away in terror, and I reached Ms. Cleo. She was trying to extinguish the fire engulfing her home. but it was already too late.I watched helplessly as the flames engulfed her house until there was nothing left of it.Ms. Cleo collapsed to
MalcolmToday was the day I would ask Catalina to marry me, and we'd been through hell together—so it seemed only fitting that she have everything within my power. She deserved nothing less. She deserved the world, and I would give it to her. I'd been planning this proposal for months, and even though I was nervous as hell, I couldn't wait to see her face when she realized what was happening. Our relationship had been rocky from the start, but I knew that deep down we were meant for each other—and this moment would prove it once and for all.Roman and Emily were in on the surprise. Catalina thought they were going out to dinner because the curse had been lifted over Emily and she wanted to celebrate and spend time with her like old times. She had no idea that she was about to be proposed to.Roman and Emily took Catalina to an Asian fusion restaurant downtown. The ambiance was perfect for a romantic evening out. Catalina loved it and couldn’t stop talking about how much she loved Asia
CatalinaI was the luckiest woman on earth when, just a short time after we met, Malcolm proposed marriage to me. It seemed like such a dream—but every time I glanced down at the gorgeous ring on my finger and remembered that special moment it became real again. To say I was surprised would be an understatement.But a part of me has always wondered if it's because we already have one child—but the little things he does for me every day prove otherwise. The way he looked at me, his touch…it all filled in the gaps and made our love real again. I just needed to stop second-guessing our relationship; especially after everything that we had been through; he deserved at least that. Plus, Malcolm had put his life and career on the line for me time and time again. It wasn't just his love that made me realize how special he was; it was also the way he treated me. He made sure to take care of me, even when I didn't feel like it. And every time I felt like giving up, he was there to remind me wh
Catalina "Are you sure this is what you want? To be so far away from home?" My older brother Roman cleared his throat, shifting his head back and forth; the campus surrounding us had an over-the-top neo-Gothic vibe that had entranced me from the moment I saw the brochure; the school was as dark as my soul. I transferred here from our so-called community college back in Southwind. It was walking distance from our ranch and had only reinforced what I already knew, like how to milk a cow. If I was going to make our family proud, I had to do it right, expand my horizons. There was more to Colorado than the cowboys, mountains, and backcountry. There were hidden gems to be explored and cultures to learn about. Thus, the reason I chose this university. It was known for its diversity and multiculturalism—the perfect place to study anthropology. The various clubs and social events happening on campus didn't hurt either."Why? Is a certain knucklehead brother going to miss me?" I arched a brow
Malcolm The university was a maze of corridors, rooms, and secrets. I wasn’t sure what I would discover here on campus. I was hoping he would tell me. "I'll ask you again. Where is she?" I growled through gritted teeth. Holding someone hostage wasn't on my list of things to do today, but here I was in a secret nook of the university because I had followed a man I had come to know as Professor Belford. A man I suspected had the key to these secrets Rockrimmon had under lock and key. On Halloween night, one of his students went missing. Strangely, everyone here had gone about their lives as if she never existed, which raised a lot of red flags in my book. I was going to get to the bottom of this, even if it was the last thing I did because even the police weren't in a hurry to find this girl. You didn't need to be Joe Kenda to know something was amiss here. So, my other problem, unfortunately, would have to wait. Maybe. I was still trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "I tol
Catalina The dining hall was like walking into a Michelin-star restaurant; the cooks working the line were flipping pancakes in the pan, wearing black uniforms adorned with gold-plated name tags. Different fragrances bombarded my nose, but a few triumphed over the others: hot maple syrup, sweet cream butter-rich buttermilk, and my favorite, freshly brewed coffee with notes of caramel. The tip of my tongue ran between my lips. I've officially died and gone to food heaven. I glanced around the dining hall, and my lips pulled downward. Breakfast was ready for the taking though the other students were still deep in conversation at their tables. Why was no one in a hurry to pile up their plates with delicious food? Their loss, my gain. I started toward the buffet counter laden with a gorgeous spread of pancake fixings. Eden tugged me back, shaking her head. "What the Hell, Eden? A girl is hungry." "Pi Alpha Nu and staff get their plates first." I snorted, pulling my wrist from her grasp.
Malcolm Well, that was the most bizarre student-teacher encounter I'd ever had. Was she new? Because there was no way I could forget a face as welcoming and warm as hers. And her scent. I smelled it long before we collided, and some of it still lingered in the air. Closing my eyes, I inhaled the remainder of it into my nose. It was delicate, sweet, and powdery with a hint of a herbal substance. Oh, it's lavender. A sense of calm traveled through my tense shoulders, and only then did I realize Miss Summers was still standing there, looking at me with amused eyes. "You alright there, Professor Wright?" "Yeah, I am okay, considering." I waved my arms, drawing attention to the spilled coffee. One of the janitors handed me a towel and a clean t-shirt. I loved how attentive the staff was here. Never had to worry about going shirtless. "Thank you." He nodded and went about mopping up the coffee on the floor. "How about your friend? Is she going to be okay?" Miss Summers waved a dismissive
Catalina Two Days Later… After my eventful first day here at Rockrimmon, I mustered the courage to show my face in public again. Most of the students seemed to have moved on to bigger and better things, though some pointed at me in the hallway as they whispered amongst themselves. Whatever. My main problem was...the man I ran into, spilling coffee all over, was now my anthropology professor. What were the odds? I was a magnet for drama; however, I had to admit I created half of it. Seeing him again reminded me of this fact, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I hoped he had forgotten about that day. I knew I wanted to, except for the part where I was fucking him on that very desk at the front of the classroom where he now stood. In his well-tailored gray suit. Christian Grey, if you nasty. The thought of sex was taking over my brain, and it didn't help that it was today's lesson either. Malinowski noted that although the capacity for sexual pleasure may be constitutiona