Rose's Thorns

By LeTeisha Newton

If you lost your Happily Ever After because the man of your dreams died, who could ever chase the nightmares away?

Rose has taken care of her pack for decades, and is fine surviving just for them. That was until her Fairy Godmother shows up to fix her greatest mistake—killing Rose’s Big Bad Wolf. Now Rose’s Dimitri is back, but he isn’t completely the man she has always loved. He's fighting to figure out who he truly is—all while setting her body afire.

Is Rose strong enough to make their love survive even death, or will her thorns push away the only man who could ever tame her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Nov 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781772335859

LeTeisha Newton

So I think this is the part where I’m supposed to say something super cool, win you over, and make you my life-long superfan…OR wait, is that how I am about my anime collection? Probably. Basically, I’m an author, blogger, geek, and villain lover (Joker IS MINE!). There shouldn’t be any surprise then that I tend to love my heroes a bit broken, all messed up, and in need of someone who understands them just the way they are. My heroines are right there with them. You see, love is nice, it’s sweet. It can be all rainbows and glowing stars. And then it can be dark, twisted, hurtful, and feel so damn good you have to scream about it. So I write like that. From one side of the spectrum to the other, because that’s real. That’s life. And that’s what we crave–delving into a fantasy world or not.

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Published by Evernight Publishing ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2015 LeTeisha Newton

ISBN: 978-1-77233-585-9

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Melissa Hosack

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ROSE’S THORNS

Happily Never Happened, 2

LeTeisha Newton

Copyright © 2015

Chapter One

Prince Charming was cowering in Rose’s lair, tucked in his own piss and she had to have a good laugh at that one. She wasn’t into feeling sorry for the guy. He’d put Sin, her best friend and sister of the spirit, through Hell, and Rose was sure she didn’t even know it all. But Rose knew what fear was, and she saw it in that split second she’d looked at Sin when Rose had rushed into her club, Sin’s Pleasure. Fantasy Ave wasn’t that small of a town when she had preternatural speed, and when Sin had called for her help, Rose was coming. It sort of helped that Sin was one of Rose’s pack, mated to Zuriah and all.

Zay would be pleased, Rose said, thinking of her packmate, as she stood. Charming flinched as she cracked the whip at her side. She’d changed from her trademark crimson leather suit to black leggings and a camisole top—much easier to move around in.

Please, no. No more, Charming said, tears spilling down his face.

What? I barely touched you, Rose said, her voice rough. Besides, she didn’t give a flying fuck about his crying. He’d hurt Sin. Tortured her, beat her, emotionally ripped her up until she couldn’t even face who she really was. All because Tatiana, bitch Godmother extraordinaire, had given her to Charming for happily ever after.

Bullshit.

I’m sorry, he said, snot dripping. He disgusted Rose. This man, this insignificant wimp, had cow-towed Sin because he could, because she’d loved him. And now Sin was happy. She was mated, she had found love, something that Rose would never find again, and Rose wasn’t going to let Charming’s reappearance mess that up.

You have done worse to Sin, and we both know it. Why are you here? Rose asked.

Who is Sin? I don’t know why I’m here. I went to sleep and then woke up outside of that … place. I went in to demand someone bring me back to the palace.

Rose sniffed at that. Oh, boy. Charming was a hell of a long way from Elsia, home of fairy tales and magic.

This isn’t Kansas anymore, Toto, Rose said.

What? Charming asked, his face hardening. He never liked anyone making fun of him. Too bad.

No one is going to save you, Charming. No one cares to. I’m going to make a nice little package of you for Sin and leave it on her doorstep. Tobias and Zuriah will just have to be pissed they didn’t get a piece, Rose said and readied her whip arm.

I’ll take care of that, a voice said behind Rose and she spun around, teeth bare, already reaching for her wolf.

No, Tatiana said and flicked her wrist. Rose was slammed back into a seat, hands at her sides. She couldn’t move. Her wolf clawed at her insides, desperate to get out.

Oh, you made a mistake. When I get out of here I swear to—

Sin asked me to come, Tatiana said, interrupting Rose. Rose stared at her as the fairy collapsed her wings into her back and fixed the skirt of her purple dress. Ephemeral in her beauty, Tatiana looked like prey in the center of predators, but her eyes were ancient. They held so much power that Rose struggled to maintain eye contact as pain ripped through her. Those eyes had stolen everything from her. Had destroyed the young girl Rose had been. Rose swallow passed the lump in her throat and forced away the memories.

Why would Sin send you to me? Rose asked.

Because you need my help, Tatiana said calmly, stepping farther into the light. Rose’s ‘lair’ was an underground compound built with open ended tunnels and caves where the wolves could romp freely when they needed