by Robbie Cox
“Me?” Sedwick’s voice twisted into a knot of panic. “Why me?”
“Because your father had help,” Wyatt said. “And that help was you. How else did he know about the new buyer, a new buyer who doesn’t exist by the way. I’m keeping the circus.”
“You are?” April asked.
“You are?” Ingram and Hodges asked at the same time.
Seraphine and Patrick just smiled, the thicker man sliding his arms over his chest as he stood behind Ingram, keeping the man from getting away.
Wyatt nodded. “I am. This is my family. I can’t leave them.” He turned to April, taking her hands in his as he gazed into her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I can’t just let it go.”
April leaned forward, kissing him softly. When she pulled back, he could see the pride in her eyes as she looked at him. “I didn’t want you to give up the circus. You belong here.” She took a deep breath, and he noticed the slight rise and fall of her chest. It took everything he had not to glance down at her breasts, a natural motion of his lately. “To be honest, I want to go with you.” She smiled, giving him an embarrassed shrug. “I’ve always wanted to join the circus.”
He took her in his arms, sliding his hands up her back as he pressed her tightly against him. “If we’re being honest, I was ready to stay here with you,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to lose you, but I couldn’t just walk away from the Phantom Circus.” Wyatt smiled, just before he kissed her forehead again. “I’d love for you to go with me when we strike camp tomorrow,” he said against her forehead, his lips rubbing against her skin as he spoke. He leaned back, feeling everything his father must have felt when he met Wyatt’s mother.
Sebastian grabbed Ingram, spinning him around, and pinning his arms behind his back, so the police chief could handcuff him. Patrick reached out, grabbing Sedwick by the shoulder and holding on to him until Sebastian could handcuff him as well.
Wyatt stood there, still holding on to April as he kept her nestled against his side. It was over. The killer caught, the circus saved. His circus. We did it, Grandpa. We kept the family together. The phantoms roared in a circle around the edges of the tent, the canvas flapping in their frenzy.
“What now, Boss?” Patrick asked, turning to Wyatt for direction.
“Yes, Ringmaster,” Hodges said, smiling as he stood there, hands clasped calmly in front of him. “What would you have us do?”
April squeezed Wyatt’s hand, smiling at him, her green eyes sparkling.
Wyatt felt his chest swell with the pride he felt right then as he glanced around at the people waiting on him to lead them. He glanced over at the gargoyles in the corners, the trolls and ogres standing in the center ring, and the people waiting in the bleachers, eager to see what would happen next. This was his circus now; these were his people. Professor Compton’s Phantom Circus lived and would continue. He nodded. Today was the first day of his role, and he wasn’t about to let it remain as dreary as it started.
He turned to Randall, a grin pushing up his cheeks. “Let’s get that pole fixed and relieve the gargoyles.” He turned to Patrick. “Get the performers in place. I want us ready to go as soon as we get the tent secured again.” He then faced Hodges. “Let’s get these people some free snacks: popcorn, pretzels, cotton candy. And drinks. Gather up the clowns and have them help you.”
Each person nodded as they moved to carry out Wyatt’s instructions.
With a deep breath, he stared down at the top hat still clutched in his hand, and he could have sworn he heard his grandfather laughing in his ear. With one hand, Wyatt removed his jester’s hat while putting his grandfather’s hat in its place with his other. Wyatt sucked in another breath as he turned to glance at April.
She smiled over at him. “It looks wonderful,” she told him.
He grinned, reaching out and squeezing her hand. “Thank you. For everything.”
April nodded, squeezing his hand in return.
He then stepped into the center ring, his arms extended wide as he shouted, “Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and girls! Welcome to Professor Compton’s Phantom Circus!”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Don’t forget to read ALL the Black Hollow books!
If you’ve read them all, allow me to introduce you to another paranormal series -
The Bull Creek Chronicles
Until then, check out Alpha Rising, first in The Bull Creek Chronicles!
Three alphas, each with their own agenda, but all wanting to rule Bull Creek.
Disenfranchised with his family, Dimitri Everest is tired of his father making his life decisions for him, especially after watching his brother, Fitz, get railroaded into an arranged mating. Now, Dimitri's ready to leave the paranormal town of Draven Falls, but where will he go? He's never left home before. And what about his sister, Lainie? Could he really leave her behind?
Neal Porter has found his destined mate, but the intoxicating pull of the call has blinded him to his true calling - alpha of Bull Creek. However, humans and witches are being driven from their homes, and the Paranormal Council back in Draven Falls wants Neal replaced, and now, they think they've found the perfect candidate. If only he will agree to leaving home.
However, there's a third alpha who has ruled the small town from the shadows, and he has no intention of releasing his hold on Bull Creek. He'll stop at nothing until the humans are run off and Neal Porter is firmly under his thumb.
Three alphas want to rule Bull Creek, but only one can come out on top. Will Dimitri be able to bring order back to a town ruled by chaos?
Order your copy of Alpha Rising now to find out!
For a sample, turn the page!
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Alpha Rising
One
“Well, aren’t you going to congratulate your brother?” Fitzgerald Everest asked as he poured himself a hefty glass of whiskey. Dimitri watched as his older brother downed half of it, refilling the glass again before turning back to face his siblings, one hand stuffed in his pocket. “The first of the three Everest children to be married off demands some congratulations, don’t you think?” Fitz and his new bride were set to leave on their honeymoon in the morning, which gave Dimitri’s older brother time to drink more of their father’s whiskey as his payment for marrying Mandy Taylor.
Dimitri ran a hand through his light brown hair as he stared down into his own whiskey glass. “You don’t sound like a man who wants to be congratulated as much as mourned,” he said, before taking a small sip, the whiskey warming his belly, but doing nothing to warm his mood.
“I’m still not sure why you went through with it,” Lainie said from the sofa, a glass of wine in her hand. “Do you even love Mandy? I mean, you two barely know each other. Hell, you’ve only been on, what, six dates? How could you possibly be ready to settle down with her for the rest of your life? I realize you wanted to please our father, but Fitz, this is your life we’re talking about, your future. What happens if your panther scents his destined mate? You’re already married. How would that even work?”
Dimitri watched as his brother struggled to answer, his jaw twitching, and saw the bitterness on Fitz’s face as he stared down into his glass. Dimitri knew Mandy wasn’t his brother’s destined mate because Fitz had already told him about Kinsey, the one his panther had scented as his mate years ago. From everything Dimitri had heard about destined mates, Fitzgerald walked a dangerous path by ignoring that calling.
Although the notion sounded weird, the calling of the destined mate was part of the curse put on all shifters by the witches who cast the spell over three centuries ago. Salem was not the only town that had hunted witches and then hung them. Or burned them. In the township of Brighton Cove, terrified ci
tizens persecuted witches, the trials unfair, the results unproven, and the death toll high. However, toward the end of the witch hunt, just before the last five witches were hung, they pronounced a curse on the citizens of Brighton Cove that would see the next generation and every generation after born with two sides—a human side and, within that, an animal side. The animal would always struggle for domination and, only by sheer will and practice, would the human be able to remain in control. However, as part of that curse, the witches added a small caveat—that each animal would be destined for one true love, one soul mate, who would then, and only then, complete them. The two would, somehow, be as one. Once they detected that bond, the two must mate or the pull of the calling would drive them insane. Their father had always claimed the mating call was rubbish and held to old school traditions centered on arranged marriages and family mergers, but Dimitri didn’t believe that one part of the curse could be true while the other part remained a myth. He worried his brother had made a fatal error in judgment when he obeyed their father and ignored his panther’s pull toward Kinsey Pickford.
“What makes you think Mandy isn’t my mate?” Fitz asked before taking another long swallow of his drink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he finished, almost bringing the glass to his lips again as soon as he was done. “Perhaps the calling just hasn’t been triggered, yet.”
Dimitri grabbed Fitz’s arm and stopped him from taking another drink. “Perhaps because of the way you’re drinking right now.” He didn’t out his brother in front of Lainie, but he hoped his look reminded Fitz he knew better.
Fitzgerald looked at his brother, resignation and determination masking his features as he pulled his arm from his brother’s grasp. “We do what we have to do for the family. Father needed this for our business. Marrying Mandy strengthens our family by aligning it with hers. Besides, it’s the way it’s always been done.”
“That’s not a reason to get married, and you know it,” Dimitri said. “Those days are long gone.” However, he knew the argument fell on deaf ears. Even before his brother proposed to Mandy Taylor, Dimitri had tried talking Fitz out of abiding by their father’s designs, reminding him of what could happen if he ignored his animal’s mating call. Dimitri knew what his father hoped, that by combining their paper mill with Josiah Taylor’s lumber factory, they would enlarge their businesses and improve profit margins. How their father intended to get out of his contract with Sutherlin Lumber, Dimitri had no clue. However, marriage should never be a business proposal, but rather, a proposal of the heart.
Fitz shook his head, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “We need this to save the family business, and you know it. We’re struggling, and the Taylors’ connections will put us back in the black.” He turned a pained expression to his siblings. “What choice did I have?”
“None at all,” Daniel Everest said as he entered the study of the Everest home. “And I would appreciate you two not making your brother miserable on his wedding day or causing him to second guess his family obligations.”
Dimitri watched as their father walked across the floor to the wet bar and fixed himself a drink. “Family obligation does not include marriage,” Dimitri said. “This isn’t the day and age where arranged marriages are the norm. People have the right to choose their own spouses.”
“Or in our case, their animals choose them,” Lainie added, tucking her dark hair behind her ear.
Their father waved off her words. “Not everyone has a destined mate. Stop believing fairy tales.” He then turned to Dimitri, pointing at the middle child with the hand that held his whiskey. “And family obligations run strong in this family no matter what century it is. We need this union to stay afloat, and besides, Mandy is a fine woman. Fitz here is doing well for himself.” He smiled at his eldest and then took a swig of his drink.
“I like Mandy,” Lainie said as she faced Fitz. “Don’t get me wrong. I just couldn’t do it, that’s all. The whole thing seems so cold, so impersonal. You two barely know anything about each other.”
“Ah, but you will,” their father said with a short nod. “You both will when it’s your time.” He gestured to Dimitri as well as Lainie. “Combining families keeps us stronger than others. A merging of resources and power is what these type of unions are all about.” He smiled over at his daughter, and Dimitri felt a twisting in his gut at the smug look on his father’s face. “As a matter of fact, I’ve already been talking to Lars Hemingway about introducing you to his son, Miles.”
“What?” Lainie asked as she shot up from the sofa, her arms straight at her sides, hands clenched into tight fists. “No.” She waved her hands in front of her as if wiping the suggestion out of existence. “Nada. Not going to happen. I knew Miles in school. He was a weaselly boy then, and he’s not much better now. I’m not interested. I won’t.”
Daniel Everest narrowed his eyes at his daughter. “You will do what you’re told,” he said with a snarl. “I’ve taken care of you your entire life, and this is what you’ll do to help your family. As long as you are living under my roof and a part of this family you will abide by my decisions. We need his trucking business.”
“And so you’d whore out your daughter to get it?” Dimitri asked, stunned that their father could be so callus.
“I am not whoring out my daughter,” their father snapped, turning and pouring more whiskey into his glass. “I’m looking out for her future, just like I did for Fitz and like I’ll do for you.”
“No, you won’t,” Dimitri said with a shake of his head. “I can look out for my own future. I’ll pick my own bride, thank you.” He should have suspected their father wouldn’t be satisfied controlling just one of his children’s lives. The man would insinuate himself into all of their lives for his own good.
“As will I,” Lainie said, anger lacing her words. Dimitri cocked an eyebrow at her, and Lainie rolled her eyes as she blew out an exasperated breath. “You know what I mean. Don’t be stupid.”
“You’ll both do what you’re told, and that’s the end of it,” their father warned. He then straightened and forced a plastic smile on his face. “Now, enough of this rebellious chatter. Let’s celebrate your brother’s union.” He raised his glass in a toast. “To Fitz.”
Dimitri watched as his father took a swig of his whiskey, but couldn’t bring himself to join. None of it felt right.
Fitz lifted his glass and took a small sip, his lips twisted in a grimace as he pulled the glass away from his mouth, his expression lost. Lainie just stood there, anger twisting her features.
Dimitri set his glass on a table and walked out of the study, his stomach a knot of anger ready to snap. It wasn’t bad enough that their father ruined Fitz’s life; now, he expected to ruin the rest of his children's futures, as well. The man was insensitive and selfish. There was no way Dimitri would tolerate their father’s intrusion into his life. He would choose his own course, his own mate. Fitz may have felt he was stuck. Dimitri felt no such obligation. The time had come for him to leave the Everest homestead and strike out on his own.
The World of Black Hollow
The town of Black Hollow has many stories to tell. Please visit the website and join the Facebook group to know when the next story is releasing.
https://www.blackhollowtown.com/
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Books in the Black Hollow Series
(In order by Publication Date)
Prequel - Loving the Monster Within by Cassidy K’ O’Connor
1. Reviving Love by Cassidy K. O’Connor
2. Silver Linings by Sheri Lyn
3. Finding Her Fire by Gracen Miller
4. One Man’s Curse by Jennifer Wedmore
5. It’s the Little Things by Robbie Cox
6. Resurrecting His Heart by J.C. Layne
7. Sacrificing Love by Cassidy K. O’Connor
8. To Trick the Devil by Robbie Cox
9. Fairly Sweet by Jennifer Wedmore
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sp; 10. Accepting Love by Cassidy K. O’Connor
11. Finding Her Kings by Gracen Miller
12. Resurrecting His Heart by J. C. Layne
13. April’s Fool by Robbie Cox
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About the Author
Author of the popular series, Destined Mates, Robbie Cox started writing to escape—escape his teachers, escape his fears, even to escape his insecurities and doubts. However, his stories of seduction and adventure, not only allowed him to hide in the lives of his characters, but also captivated those who wanted to escape with him. Now, he enjoys a full-time career as a storyteller and novelist, creating rich worlds of fantasy adventure, paranormal action, and steamy romance. He invites readers to run away with him- to escape, getting lost in the seduction of adventure.