Mending A Shattered Heart

By Christy Cisson

About the Book
The once bright, happy, fun-loving Sky has shut herself off emotionally after suffering a profound heartbreak at the hands of a thoughtless werewolf.
Her best friends think attending the 500th birthday party of Vampire Prince Justin will free her from her shell, restoring her to the friend they know and love, but it does more than that.
The special weekend opens up a world and possibilities to Sky that she thought were no longer possible, and she soon sees her new future in the heavenly eyes of the Prince Justin. But there are sinister forces within and without the castle working against the couple. An old promise to a wicked vampire and an obsessed young woman who refused to see reason could destroy any chance Justin and Sky have of a happy life together. Mending a Shattered Heart is their story told against a lush backdrop of luxury, danger, and romance.
About the Author
Christy Cisson enjoys horseback riding, working on cars, spending time with her children, grandchildren, and traveling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Dec 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889257271

Book preview

Broken

It has been over a year since that bitch walked into this school, stealing my future. That was supposed to be me hanging off his arm, kissing him, and planning our future together. After we were together for six months, I gave him everything, my love and, eventually, my virginity. I was promised to be in his life for the rest of our lives, dying of very old age, when he changed me to his species.

All of that changed when that damn bitch walked into our class last winter, being a transfer student from another pack. He always told me he would reject his true mate, taking me as the potential mate to put all of our dreams and planning into action. His mother had started training me on handling pack activities being a Luna, how to help out pack members when the Alpha was busy, and all the responsibility that would come with the title. The day she walked in, he dropped me like yesterday’s news going straight to her and kissing those lips in front of the entire class. I watched in horror as he did this while everyone in the class turned to see me lose my heart that day. Since then, I have built a cage, walls, and everything I can around my heart to become a broken person without feelings anymore. I know I am human, but why does it have to be like this?

Hey, girl! Summer waves her hand at my face snapping me out of the trance I was just in. If you glare at the back of his head any longer, it will not burn a hole in it. Damn, I thought you had moved on from him.

Summer is a werewolf that is the daughter of the Beta. Noah’s dad is the Alpha of the Sunset Ridge Pack making Summer’s dad the rank of his Beta.

Giving her a small smile, I say, Sorry, I was thinking. I cannot believe all that has happened since last year. Are you going to the winter dance at the end of the week?

Dawn plops down on the other side of me with her cup of blood and a massive tray of food. No, we are going to my place for a real party.

Looking over at her, I raise my eyebrow. What are you talking about?

The Vampire King is throwing his son a birthday party Saturday. Both of you are invited since it’s an invite-only party too. I have the clearance to bring five people. She points at each of us with her long skinny finger.

Dawn is the daughter of a high advisor to the King himself. Her dad can see the future; he is also a very successful businessman, so the King looks to him for multiple things to help run his kingdom. Everyone here is wealthy or beyond rich; that is the only way you can live in Sunset Valley. The King and the current Alpha must approve you to move into this community. They work closely to ensure the packs do not wreak havoc on anyone here. We all live in peace, each race knowing what the other is.

Come on, girl, you used to always come to the packhouse for parties. We need to get you back to your old self. This hole you’ve dug and buried yourself in is very depressing. Our best friend is no longer here, just this shell of a person we call our friend, Summer pleads with me.

Taking a long breath, I know that I have wrapped myself up in a cocoon, not wanting to get close to another person ever again. I slowly nod at their sad faces knowing they miss the old me. Fine, I’ll go for a few hours.

Dawn laughs. This is a huge ordeal. He is turning five hundred, so it’s a full-blown party. You’ll also spend the night with me for the weekend because this party will go well into the morning hours. We’ll go to bed around dawn, so you must stay with me in the castle’s extra rooms.

Dropping my head into my hand, I know I don’t want to do this, I used to be big into the party scene, but I haven’t done it since I lost my heart that day. My whole life, attitude, and demeanor changed. These two have been trying to pull me out of the hole I dug under me, then basically jumped into not wanting to return to the real world. Looking up at them, they are smiling, knowing they have me in a corner I cannot escape. What do we need to have for this party of yours?

Her smile grows more extensive if that is even possible. It’s a full formal dress event. We need brand-new dresses and shoes, and to get our hair and nails done. You will need to spend the weekend with me. We’ll get our dresses after school today. Saturday morning, all of us will be getting the best done with ourselves. We will look so hot, plus it’ll be fun.

Groaning, I turn back to glare at his head one more time as she drapes herself over him like a blanket. Dawn pulls me out of the chair with her strength as we walk to put our trays up and then head to the lockers. I get the rest of the books I need for the following two classes while putting away the two I have in my hand. We don’t ever have homework here, making it so nice; our teachers ensure all our work is done before leaving the class. Their excuse is that they have other things to do when school lets out since most of them here also hold some rank in the packhouse or castle.

The omegas are at the bottom of the chain but are treated with the utmost respect; they cook or clean the kitchen. Each pack member is responsible for their rooms; they don’t have servants to wash their things. The castle is different; he has maids that clean the rooms, cooks who provide all the meals, and humans that give their blood freely to each of the vampires. No one is forced to do anything they don’t want to, but if you don’t donate blood as a human, you are put to work in the castle to help with daily chores. Each person has a job; then they are done for the day. Three shifts of cooks make each meal, and the maids are assigned one room to clean each day, so life is easy. They are paid a reasonable sum for their work, but most do it because they are bored and have nothing else to do. Being rich is nice, but after staying in the house daily, some people get bored and seek jobs to fill their empty lives.

Sky! Come on, girl. We’ll be late if you stand there looking into that locker any longer, Dawn says, punching my shoulder.

Coming. I shut my locker with a clang before taking off down the hall with them to our next class together.

Shopping

As soon as the last bell in our fourth-period rings, we go to our side-by-side lockers, putting our books and backpacks into them for the night. We all turn to leave, and I mentally roll my eyes as the worst person in this school comes bounding up to us.

Hey, girls. Jasmine smiles as she bounces her body up to us. Are you going to get dresses for the winter dance on Saturday?

Dawn shakes her head. No, these girls are coming over for the weekend. We have plans already, so we cannot attend the dance here at school.

Her smile drops. Oh, I was hoping we could all go shopping together to get dresses for this.

Noah walks up, wrapping his arms around her waist. What are you asking for, baby?

I wrinkle my nose up at them while he growls lowly at me. My mind decides it can’t be around them any longer, so I walk away, rounding the corner to wait for my friends to stop talking to them.

Summer, why doesn’t Sky like me? I haven’t done anything to her, but she acts like I am the most horrible person.

Her eyes glare at Noah. Maybe you need to ask your mate what happened; it’ll explain why she acts as she does.

He goes pale as she turns around to him. What is she talking about? Did you hurt her in some way you haven’t told me about?

Well, uh…. He can’t even tell his mate exactly how much he crushed me.

Jasmine looks back at Summer with tears in her eyes. What did he do?

Summer tells her about how we dated for over two years before he dumped me without a second thought when she showed up. He stands there backed up with his head down, looking at the floor, grinding his toe into the black tile as she tells everything. Jasmine’s eyes go wide then she turns around on him as they walk off. My friends join me with sad smiles while I have a blank expression. I can’t believe he never told her about what happened between us. Turning around to leave the school, we all walk out to Dawn’s Hummer in the parking lot. We take turns carpooling, one week at a time, and this was Dawn’s week to drive. We get in, taking off to the huge mall where everyone shops. Everything spent here goes back into the fund split between the Alpha and King to keep this valley running smoothly.

So, what colors will you two get for this? Dawn looks back at me and then over at Summer.

"I want a dark blue one with sequins all over the top of it if they still have the one I found a few weeks ago. It’s floor-length with a split up to my knee on the right side. I fell in love with it but didn’t have anywhere to wear it, so I just left it hanging on the rack.

She looks at me, but I look down at the floor, so her hand taps me on my shoulder. I don’t care what we purchase for me. Just have to see what they have left. Hopefully, they have restocked for this dance coming up.

Girl, why do you think we’re going now? They’re getting a new shipment in today just for the dance. My friend works there, so she texted me a pic of everything that came in off the truck in the middle of the third period. See! Dawn shows me a picture; then I hand it to Summer. It offers three racks full of all kinds of dresses in every color that anyone could want.

Shortly after that, we pull up to the mall, and both of them jump out of the front. I take a deep breath before slowly sliding out because this used to be what I loved to do, but now there is no reason to come out here to buy new clothes.

Summer smacks my shoulder. If you don’t stop slumping around like a melting snowman, we will just put you in a wheelchair to take you through this place, embarrassing the hell out of you.

Knowing she would do that, I shake off all the sorrow trying to break out of my heart. I can’t let these emotions get the better of me. I’ll try to get through this shopping trip and then that party. After that, I can return to my old sulking self until I grow old and die as a single brokenhearted person in the community.

My hand is grabbed when a force jerks me towards the doors next to Dawn. Don’t make me use all my strength. That was just a small portion of it.

I’m coming; please allow me to get out of the car.

I’ll find out how to break you out of this damn shell you’ve put yourself in, Summer declares, stepping behind me. We want our old Sky back. The one where she was always out the door before the car was put in park while pulling us through the aisles to find the best clothes first.

Giving her a small smile, I shake my head. I don’t think that girl will ever come back. She’s locked up in a closet with the key thrown away forever. You guys don’t understand how badly it hurt that day. After that, I swore to lock all my emotions up, never letting them out again.

Yeah, we know, and if it weren’t for us, you would’ve jumped off that cliff that night where we followed you so worried about what happened and what you might do, Dawn huffs.

Summer pushes my shoulder lightly. Thank goodness we had superspeed, or we would have missed catching you as you stepped off that rock. Sky, that was an eighty-foot drop onto jagged rocks and shallow water!

—-Flashback—-

Standing here with my heart so broken I don’t even know if it’s beating anymore, I look down into the darkness, hearing the waves lap over the rocks protruding out of them, reaching towards me. Tears have been shed so much that I am surprised they are still flowing down my face. Looking up into the sky, I see the stars twinkling in the blackness that they are against. Taking one look around the forest to ensure I was not followed; my eyes look back down at the drop. My right foot stretches out to take the step where there is nothing to catch me as my weight follows, then my fate will be met with the rocks below. As my body starts to follow the empty air so that my heart will stop for all eternity, I am hit with force so hard, being jerked back away from the air that wants to claim my body to free fall to the bottom, ending my life forever.

What the hell are you thinking, Sky? My eyes lock with Dawn’s angry but concerned face as my back hits the ground with a light thud. Her long black hair is pulled into a high ponytail that shows off her pale face.

Summer comes out of the woods in her red-haired wolf form before she shifts back to her naked self. She is very fair-skinned, with flaming red hair coming down to her waist with ocean-blue eyes to match her perfect body. Thank God you got here first, Dawn. I was trying so hard to follow you, Sky, but she’s faster than I am. She is breathing heavily before looking at me with sadness.

He is not worth this, Sky. Why in the world would you want to kill yourself over him? Dawn growls at me in a low voice.

I can’t do this anymore. It hurts so bad, guys; please leave and let me do what I need to. I don’t want to live anymore; it hurts too much to see him with her; she even wears his mark now. That was supposed to be me; my world is gone! More tears pour down my face as I roll over on the wet ground, curling up in a ball.

Dawn picks me up, taking me back to my house in her arms, running at her top speed. They stayed with me for the next two weeks putting me on their suicide watch.

—-End Of Flashback—-

Look, guys, I’m sorry for everything you had to go through with me over the last year. It’s just been so hard to overcome what happened to where I feel like you two have been pulled down with me as much as you have helped me, I say, dropping my head and twiddling my thumbs around each other.

They stop walking and each throws their arms over one shoulder, standing on either side of me. That is what best friends do with each other, girl, Dawn says, smiling and showing off one of her fangs.

We would never leave you when you needed us the most. You are very important to us, and there is no way that we would let you do anything that either of us would regret, Summer pulls me to her, hugging me sideways.

We all laugh, walking into the store to get our dresses for this party.

Prince Justin

I’m in my room, ready to run around the palace like I do every morning. My parents, King Charles and Queen Patricia, have decided to throw this massive party in a few days for my birthday in hopes that my mate will show up at it. I’m at the age now where our laws require me to either find my mate or take on a chosen one that my parents have on a list of acceptable rulers that can be at my side. I don’t want to be forced into a life with someone I’ll never be able to love, and if I do run across my true mate for some reason, I cannot get out of the marriage at all.

Once I’m married and mated to whoever will be my princess, then queen, by my side, it’s set in stone for all eternity for me to be with her. I may be closing in on five hundred, but I only look around twenty-five in human years. Our bodies are so slow in aging that it will take me a very long time to look old once we hit eighteen. My parents are over two thousand years old, but they look in their mid-thirties. We never die unless someone kills us with a stake through the heart or rips our heads off our bodies, but that doesn’t happen in our kingdom. My dad works very closely with the Alpha, who reigns over his pack to where this place has been at peace for more than five thousand years.

I look in the mirror to gather my shoulder-length hair back over my head to secure in a ponytail, pull my black shirt over my head, and tug it down over my black running shorts. A knock comes at my door and I answer, Come in.

My door slowly opens and in walks my latest fling who has been after me for more than one hundred years. Hello, baby! she purrs in a sexy voice.

Taylor, I don’t have time right now for this. I must go on my morning run before my parents want me in an hour for a meeting about my party, I explain, flicking my eyes in the mirror as I smooth out the shirt and then my hair.

Why don’t you skip the run and burn off that energy with me instead? Her long blonde hair flows down her back while she walks toward me.

She has the typical body of a vampire woman, all the right curves; her eyes are green, she is about five foot eight, but has a temper like no one I have seen before. Once, a girl talked to me, and she nearly ripped her head off; I had to stop her from doing something that would cause her death. If I find my true mate, there is no telling how she will react. I have been trying to slowly let her down before this party in case my mate does show up.

Taylor, I can’t. I’ve told you we can’t be together the way you want us to. My parents have that list that I must choose from, and unfortunately, you’re not on it thanks to me having it removed after telling my dad how possessive she is, and there is no way she could be queen. She is just after the power and the title that comes with the position. This woman has been after me for a long time, trying to gain control to be in the spotlight.

After our first date, I invited her to go with me to a small gathering where I was required to appear. She hung on my arm, telling everyone how she would marry me one day, that they would have to respect her, bowing at her feet. I have no use for a woman after something like that. She would love me, but I am not one to draw attention to myself that is not needed, but she made sure we were in the spotlight all night. I did not like that one bit, so that is when I decided that our relationship would have to come to an end.

You said that could be changed when you talked to the King on that matter, she says, crossing her arms and glaring at me with those eyes that tell me she is pissed.

Remember? I did. He said that your family was not in the noble category required to be on that list, I lie, knowing that my statement is not entirely wrong.

Let me talk to him; I think that with my father by my side, we could persuade him to add me to that list so we could get married just like both of us wanted for all these years, she implores, returning to her sexy voice.

Taylor, I’ve told you, it won’t do any good. His mind is made up. Also… if, for some reason, my true mate shows up at this party; there is no way we could even work that out. I walk over to my leather sofa, taking a quick seat, before putting my shoes on.

She huffs, and as she turns to leave the room, I hear her mumble, If you did, I could easily take care of that problem.

My head snaps up, and I growl in a low rumble, You know that would be your instant death, correct? You attack and kill someone, especially my mate, you would never make it out of the room, let alone see the light of another day.

She stops, looking at me over her shoulder, and says, At least I would die for the man I love.

I have her pinned against the wall within seconds, squeezing her neck hard. If you ever touch whomever I decided to marry, I can promise you this—my claw is pricking her chin enough to draw a tiny trickle of blood—I will ensure you are not the only one put to death. Your entire family will suffer from your decision!

Her eyes widen as she says, You would kill my dad, who is an advisor to the king? What about my sister and brother, who do not know my wrongdoing? They would suffer at your hand also?

Smirking now that I think that thick head of hers may have finally wrapped around the fact that I could with a snap of my finger. I guess you need to make the correct decisions in the future now, don’t you? Whomever I decide to make my wife, and your future queen will have your utmost respect. Do I make myself crystal clear? using a shallow but dangerous voice.

She drops her head when I let go of her setting her back down on the ground. Yes, sire. I fully understand; I must let you go to have your full day where I have been delaying you from what is needed.

She opens the door as tears run down her face. I know she was hoping for that, but I am not a trophy to be sported around and certainly not someone another vampire can push over. I am a prince, training to become King one day so no one will walk over me. I take off for my morning run to get back in time for the meeting with my parents.

The Next Day

As the girls and I walk into the school building the next day, Jasmine walks up to us as I try to walk down the hall, not looking at her.

Sky, may I please talk to you for a second? she asks, her voice cracking as I continue down the hall, ignoring her.

Dawn elbows me in the ribs. If you don’t stop, we will make you.

Stopping in my tracks, I slowly look up at her. She has a sorrowful look on her face and a look in her eyes that matches it. Sky, please believe I knew nothing about what happened between Noah and you. He never told me anything about his past, so I never asked him. I was delighted to find my mate as young as we did, to where it never occurred to me that there could be someone else. We would have had a serious talk about everything if I had known. He told me everything last night after I forced him into a corner, making him tell me all the details.

Trying not to break down and cry again, I give her a small smile. Jasmine, thank you for telling me that. I am glad you got what you wanted, but please don’t ask us to be friends. I can’t do that knowing you have everything I was supposed to have. I have had a long road to recovering to where I am now but still have another long one ahead of me, so being around you is just something I can’t do. Seeing you with him opens all kinds of wounds I have tried to bandage up but fail every day. I’m sorry about that and accept your apology.

With that, I take off, walking down the hall to my locker quickly before the floodgates open, where I cannot stop them. Opening my locker, I bury my face inside where no one can see how much this still affects me. I feel a presence behind me before whipping around to face the devil himself.

What do you want? I ask, angrily wiping the tears away.

Sky, please. I am so sorry about— My hand flies up, cutting him off quickly.

No, you are not. If you were, it would be me on your arm and not her, Noah. You made me a promise and then broke it within two seconds. I have been through hell this last year and cannot wait until I graduate in a couple of months so that I will not be here anymore, making that knife drive deeper into my heart when I see you and her. I gave you everything, do you hear me? Everything! Without a second thought, you threw it all out the window to where I would be dead now if it were not for Summer and Dawn.

His face shows shock; before he growls, WHAT?

Shaking my head slowly, I turn around, closing my locker. Don’t worry about it. You have the life you want, which does not include me. Please don’t talk to me, look at me, or think about me again. You have your Luna; I can see how happy you are together. After I graduate, there is a college that I will attend in another country. Hopefully, the distance and not having to witness all the happiness I once had turned into this deep blackness in my heart will help with this healing process so my life can move forward. Bye, Noah.

With that, I walk off as he tries to grab my wrist. Fine, you said your peace, but now it is my turn.

Whispering because I know he can hear me, Please don’t. I cannot go through any more heartache. You had my heart in your hands, making it shatter into a million pieces. Let the past be the past so I can get out of this hellhole without going insane.

He stops walking towards me, knowing my face shows him exactly how I feel now. Nodding, he turns around, walking down the hall away from me. I take off to the bathroom, letting my pent-up tears flow down my face again. God, why can’t these last two months hurry up and be over with? I am so ready to get away, hopefully letting my heart heal. I don’t think it ever will, but maybe being away for eight years, I can finally be the person I want to become again. Not this child who cries whenever she sees her ex-boyfriend. That makes all those happy memories flood my mind again, making me break even more until I think about returning to the cliff again. Walking out of the bathroom, I stop at the corner when I hear Dawn’s voice.

Noah, you don’t understand everything. She is broken because of you and what happened. Yes, Summer and I barely saved her from jumping off the Cliff of Death. We followed her scent, but it shifted, taking us off the trail. She was about to fall when I got my fingers on her shoulders, pulling her back. She had her leg out and would have stepped off that rock to her death. She will not get over what happened as you did; being human is different from what we are. We can heal faster in our hearts, but she is now crushed while not being the same person we used to know. Everything about her has changed, closing herself off to everything she used to love and what would make her happy.

Dawn, you know how it is with our kind. When we find that one person, it is like a magical pull we can’t get rid of at all; maybe I should have handled it differently— He gets cut off by a snort.

You think? You jumped up, crashing your lips on Jasmine’s in front of the entire class, not even thinking about her or what it would do. That day the Sky everyone knew disappeared; we have tried everything we know to bring that person back, but she has buried her so deep that I don’t know if she even exists anymore, she says in a snarky voice.

He sighs. I guess all those promises also didn’t help with the situation?

Summer has walked up now because her voice comes next. You know it didn’t. How would you feel if she was a Luna where you were in her shoes? Promising to make you an Alpha, turning you while having a long life together?

I just wanted to explain that I loved her with all my heart, but everything vanished when that happened. My wolf took over, claiming Jasmine before I could stop him. I know it has been hard on her, so I have kept my distance. I don’t want to hurt her more than I already have.

"You don’t realize that you still do? Every time she sees the two of you together, that shell gets tighter and tighter around her. It will be a miracle if she ever opens up again to love another person at all in her life. Why do you