Magic Side: Wolf Bound Complete Series: Books 1-4, page 124
“Thanks,” I said as Casey strolled into the kitchen and helped himself to two cookies.
“I mean it—for everything. Without you, we’d be screwed, and Magic Side would be in ruins.”
Laurel shook her head, clearly not comfortable with the praise. “You and Jaxson are the real heroes. I’m proud of you, Savy, and I know your parents would be, too.”
My chest constricted as I thought of them. I missed them so damn much, it hurt. But I knew they’d be proud, and that felt good, even if they weren’t here to see it.
A truck rumbled up outside, and Laurel glanced at the window. Jaxson.
“You two had better hit the road so you can make some headway before it gets dark.” Laurel walked over to the three boxes on the counter. “Casey, will you help me carry these outside?”
“Sure, what are they?”
Laurel’s eyes flicked to mine, and I sensed her guilt and shame. “Oh, just something that I’ve been meaning to get rid of for quite some time.”
Casey heaved two of the boxes into his arms and disappeared down the hall. I lifted the corner of the last box and peered inside.
The dossiers on the North American packs.
I looked up at Laurel and blinked. “Why?”
She took my hands and squeezed them gently. “Because you opened my eyes and showed me that not everything is black and white. Because it’s time to carve a new path forward. We need to be focused on the future, not on the grudges of our past.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, afraid that if I spoke, I was going unleash a flurry of tears. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Casey reappeared and frowned at the two of us before taking the last box outside. We followed him to the porch, where I found Jaxson waiting at the bottom of the stairs with his hands in his pockets. Butterflies filled my stomach. God, when was that going to stop?
Hopefully, never.
Jaxson dipped his head in greeting to Laurel, and she did the same.
“A little house cleaning?” he asked, looking at the three boxes on the sidewalk beside him.
“Sort of.” Laurel took a hesitant step forward. “These are for you, Jaxson.”
He lifted the lid off one, and his expression darkened as he flipped through the files. For the first time in a week, I saw some of the old anger and frustration creep back into his posture. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“My father collected data on all the North American packs. You know the hate he harbored for wolves, and…” She paused. “I kept these files and added to them over the years because I was afraid, and I needed insurance.”
His fists tightened around one of the files. “So why are you giving this shit to me?”
“Because I want to start fresh. A clean slate, and that means letting go of the past. Savy binds our families together. Let’s build a new future that we can be proud of. And for everything in the past—your sister, my father, all the anger and distrust—I’m sorry, Jaxson. I really am.”
My stomach churned as the silence stretched. So many terrible things had passed between our families—would he really be able to forgive her?
For a while, it felt like no one breathed, but then Jaxson finally spoke, his voice strained. “Thank you.” He shoved the lid back down on the box. “The Laurents aren’t blameless, either. I must also apologize for my actions, but also for those of the pack and my father. It’s high time we set things right.”
Relief tugged on my aunt’s features, and she let out a deep breath.
I looked between her and Jaxson. “We’re good?”
Laurel nodded. “All good.”
Jaxson met my gaze. Affection and devotion flashed in his eyes. “I’m tired of holding grudges. Besides, I can’t be at war with my in-laws.”
“I agree,” Laurel chuckled.
Wait—what did he just say? Wolfie asked.
In-laws? Was he subtly asking Laurel’s permission to…propose?
My heartbeat shifted into fourth gear. I wasn’t ready for marriage—yet. There was still a whole lot of being not married with him that I was looking forward to. Besides, we were fated mates, for God’s sake, so why would we need to get married? Also, I didn’t need a man to ask anyone permission for my hand. That was between him and me, so if he was going to damn well ask someone, it had damn well better be me.
Jaxson gave me a devilish grin, acutely aware of my agitation. Bastard.
At the same time, I couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through my chest.
“Casey,” Jaxson said, gesturing to the boxes, “could you load these into my truck?”
“Glad to get rid of them. Having them around makes me feel like a spook.”
Laurel handed me the bag of goodies she’d prepared for us as she walked me to Jaxson’s truck. “Best of luck with finding your mother’s family. Just don’t forget that you’ve got family right here who are eager for you to come back.”
“I’m just grateful that the fates, no matter how fucked up they are, brought me here in the first place.”
“Me, too.”
Jaxson opened the passenger door for me. “Ready?”
I gave Laurel and Casey hugs and promised to keep in touch, then climbed in.
As we rumbled through Dockside, I admired the work we’d done. There was hardly any trace of the hellstorm the Dark God had unleashed. The pack had really pulled together.
Sam met us as we pulled up out back of Eclipse.
Jaxson began unloading the boxes of files, and she peeked inside. “Wow, I didn’t think there would be this much when you texted. You sure you want me to destroy all of these? Information like this could be worth a pretty penny.”
“Burn them,” Jaxson growled.
Sam sighed. “All right.”
While they shifted the files into Eclipse, I loaded our bags into the back of my Fury. It had taken a rather heated debate to convince Jaxson to take my car—not to mention a heated make-up session—but it was the only way I wanted to see the world.
Thank God, we’re finally hitting the open road, Wolfie said.
I traced my fingers over the chipped paint on the side of the door and across the hood. My father’s enchantments flickered like pulses of energy under my fingertips, and a mix of sorrow and delight and pride filled me.
The back door to Eclipse closed, and I looked up.
“Are you sure you don’t want to take my truck?” Jaxson asked as he strolled over.
“Absolutely. This baby was meant for the highway.”
He lifted an eyebrow at me. “You sure about that? Because I’m not confident it’ll make it out of Chicago.”
We climbed in, and I turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life, and I smiled, feeling perfectly content.
“My father enchanted this car. It could make it to Colorado with only one wheel and no engine.”
As I pulled out of the side alley, Sam slipped outside and waved. “I don’t care how much fun you’re having, don’t forget to come home! We need you here!”
I waved back as a deep, warm glow rose in me. I had so many things I never knew I needed: dear friends who understood me, a loving family, and a place to call home.
Don’t forget me, Wolfie chirped.
Never. We’ve got everything we never knew we needed.
“You know, it’s funny,” Jaxson said as he looked out his window.
“What is?”
He wore the most contented smile I’d ever seen him have. “How everything comes full circle in the end. A month ago, you ditched Belmont and came to Magic Side just to get away from me. And here we are together, heading back out of town in your Fury.”
I smiled as I turned down the Diagonal and headed west. It was noon, and the sun was overhead. Not quite “driving into the sunset,” as Casey had suggested, but it was good enough for me.
Excitement thrummed within every inch of my body, and my fingers twitched.
“The fates are funny, aren’t they?” I said, and leaned over to quickly kiss him. “I wonder what they’ll have in store for our next adventure?”
Thank you so much for joining Savannah and Jaxson on this wild adventure! Are you ready for more? Don’t worry!
Our next adventure is a three book, enemies-to-lovers romantasy starring Sam and… THE DARK WOLF GOD: mybook.to/Wolf-God
Some monsters just need to be tamed - and Sam has the fire to do it.
If you’d like to read a free alternate point of view scene of Sam’s showdown with the Dark Wolf God, you can download it by signing up for our newsletter here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/iem2e1rx02 (you can unsubscribe at any time, and if you’ve signed up for our newsletter before, you can still click the link and you won’t be double enrolled).
WOLF GOD
RUTHLESS GODS: WOLF GOD, BOOK 1
Some monsters just need to be tamed.
The Dark Wolf God was a monster of legend—a shifter so powerful that he could lay waste to the world and make alphas bow before him. I didn’t believe he was real. Then four weeks ago, he attacked my pack and nearly ended my life.
Now he’s claimed me.
When a war with the fae threatens his realm, he tears me from my world and makes me his captive. He believes I have the power to free him from a curse, but unless I figure out what kind of magic I have, he’ll never let me go. He’s my enemy, but there’s no denying the heat between us or the bond that ties us together.
Should I defy the monster, or could the man behind the beast be redeemed?
If you love alpha heroes with dark souls, tortured pasts, and an obsession with the woman who could bring them to their knees, sink your teeth into this enemies-to-lovers paranormal/fantasy romance.
Wolf God: Samantha & Cadean, Book 1 of 3
*This is part 1 of a dual-POV, slow-burn romance with an HEA in Book 3 and increasing steam.
Grab it now: mybook.to/Wolf-God
WOLF MARKED: AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you so much for reading the Wolf Bound series!
Wolf Marked was conceived while hiking in the woods in Door County, Wisconsin. When the fog rolled in, we knew we were in werewolf country. Savannah’s car, on the other hand, was inspired by our own vehicle, which broke down catastrophically while visiting Linsey Hall. As of this writing, it is still being held hostage in an auto body shop with a busted tranny.
As archaeologists, we love to include historical tidbits and places in our stories. While Wicked Wish and the other books in Dragon’s Gift: The Storm swept our characters off to Egypt and Anatolia, we wanted to stay close to home with Wolf Marked and celebrate Chicago’s history.
Savannah and Jaxson visit a seer at the Full Moon Fair, which is a remnant of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The original Chicago’s World Fair was divided into two parts. The first was the White City, which was located in modern day Jackson Park. The central focus was fourteen great buildings constructed around a massive basin. Their white-washed exteriors and neoclassical design gave the Exposition its nickname, the White City. Despite the extraordinary effort put into constructing them, they were intentionally temporary structures. The only building that remains is the Palace of Fine Arts, which was originally constructed with a brick substructure to protect the priceless works of art on display. After the fair, it housed the Field Museum of Natural History for a while. Between 1928 and 1932, the building was reconstructed with a limestone exterior, and is now the iconic Museum of Science and Industry, which you can visit today.
The other part of the fair was the Midway Plaisance, a mile-long green space that connects Jackson Park to Washington park. It was populated with amusements, state and cultural exhibits, carnival rides and iconically, the original Ferris wheel—a 264 ft-high spinning marvel constructed to rival the Eiffel Tower. The attractions of the Midway Plaisance served as the direct inspiration for Magic Side’s Full Moon Fair—though our Ferris wheel is bigger and floating in the air. If you look at the Magic Side map in this book, you can see how we intentionally mirrored the Midway and Jackson Park in the layout of our city.
You may have found it surprising for Savannah and Jaxson to wander through a reconstructed street from Cairo while at the fair, but that exhibit was one of the major attractions of the original Midway Plaisance. It provided us with a fun chance to call back to Dark Storm and Neve and Damian’s adventures in Helwan. A fortune teller’s tent was outside the original Street in the Cairo Exhibit, which served as our inspiration for Dominique (who we assure you, is the real deal).
Belmont, Savannah’s hometown, is a tiny town in southwest Wisconsin. We chose it because it was the original capital of the state, before Madison. We wanted our book to celebrate Wisconsin as much as Chicago and figured the best place to begin was where that state itself was born. You can still visit the historic site where the first territorial legislature met in 1836. Two restored buildings remain, the Council House and the Court House. Afterwards, you can take a short stroll and look for werewolves lurking in Belmont Mound state park.
Did you know there’s a free prologue to the Wolf Bound series? In it, Jaxson investigates the murder of a witch and visits the seer at the full moon-fair, days before he meets Savannah for the first time. The fortune teller gives him his first glimpse of Savy, and foreshadows much of what would happen in the series. If you want to check it out, you can download it by signing up for our newsletter here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wgkpoqcjqa (don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, and if you’re already a subscriber, you can download it from our members only area).
UNTAMED FATE: AUTHOR’S NOTE
As archaeologists, we love to include historical tidbits and exotic locations in our stories. Savannah and Jaxson’s Italian adventure was inspired by a trip we took with Linsey Hall, long before we began to think about writing. One of the places we stayed was Civita di Bagnoregio—a tiny village perched on a plateau in the middle of a heavily eroded valley. It served as the basis for la Città Che Muore, the town where the mage lived. The only way to reach Civita di Bagnoregio is to either ascend the donkey path up from the valley floor or cross a long narrow bridge that stretches out from the rim of the valley (we removed the bridge for our version of the town).
Civita di Bagnoregio was founded two-and-a-half millennia ago by the Etruscans, who excavated caves in the hard volcanic tuff. The local geology has put the town in a precarious position. While the city was constructed atop the hard layer of tuff, the underlying layer is clay, and it is continuously eroding (we actually saw several landslides while we were there). The plateau continues to shrink, undermining the picturesque city, which is on verge of collapsing into the valley—giving it the nickname ‘the dying city.’ We spent time hiking in the region, and got just as mud-covered as Savannah did!
Savannah and Jaxson arrived in Italy through a portal in a garden of stone monsters. This location is based on the Sacro Bosco (Sacred Grove) in Bomarzo, also known as the Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters). The wooded garden is filled with towering grotesque sculptures, some of which were sculpted directly into the bedrock. They include a giant ripping a man in half, a war elephant with a Roman legionnaire wrapped in its trunk, and a massive turtle, among many others.
The garden was commissioned in 1552 by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini as an expression of grief. The prince returned from a brutal war in which he’d been held for ransom and lost his best friend, only to have his beloved wife die soon after. The garden defies all conventions of a well-manicured and orderly Italian renaissance garden. It is an expression of chaos, with grotesque sculptures, an asymmetric layout, wildly growing trees and shrubs, and even a tilting tower house.
Perhaps the most striking sculpture in the garden is the massive head of Orcus, whose screaming mouth opens into a cave, and which directly inspired the portal Jax and Savy traveled through. Orcus was an Etruscan/Roman god of the underworld and known as a punisher of broken oaths. In many ways, his open mouth is like a gateway to hell. Over the entrance, the words ogni pensiero vola are inscribed on his lip, which translates as “all thoughts fly” or “all reason departs.” If you are brave enough to enter the screaming mouth, you find a little table where you can have lunch, and thus take part in eating while appearing to be eaten.
Speaking of portals, you might be wondering why, of all places, did we put a portal to the Dreamlands in Forks, Washington—the town of Twilight fame? While on a writing retreat in the upper Olympic Peninsula, we were inspired by the Tree Root Cave in Olympic National Park. The cave is in the side of a cliff along the coast. The top is formed by a massive spruce which appears to be floating in midair. The dirt has eroded from around its roots, leaving them to dangle down freely. The tree clings to the cliff above the cave like a gangly spider or octopus. While the tree looks like it should topple over, it continues to thrive, which has earned it the nickname, the Tree of Life. Once we saw it, we knew that this had to be a way into the Dreamlands. We used the imagery of the twisted roots throughout the book, a metaphor for the strange connections between the waking world and that of dreams, as well as the interwoven fate of Savannah, Jaxson, and her wolf.
Untamed Fate is set in the wider Dragon’s Gift universe created by Linsey Hall. Magic’s Bend is the setting for many of her early stories, and you might recognize Alia from her Wolf Queen Book 1, Darkest Moon. She actually makes her first appearance in Infernal, book 1 of Linsey’s Hades & Persephone series. Definitely check them out! You can expect a lot of crossovers between the folks from Guild City, Magic’s Bend, and Magic Side in the future.
DARK LIES: AUTHOR’S NOTE
Dark Lies was inspired by a few places we have yet to visit—the cemetery at Pere Cheney being one of them. The historic town was founded in 1873 in northern Michigan as a stop along the Michigan Central Railroad. Unfortunately, an outbreak of diptheria wiped out most of the population, and by the early twentieth century the place had become a ‘ghost town.’ Local legends about the abandoned town abound, but perhaps the most popular is the legend of the witch who cursed the village after she was banished to the woods. Many people believed that she was to blame for the outbreak of disease and the death of most of the town’s population. She was later hanged from a tree and buried in the cemetery.
