Chapter 9 | Noah A quick glance in the rearview mirror confirms my suspicions. The black car is still there. Saint Pyre’s the only town near Stag’s End Hotel, but that hardly makes it less of a coincidence. We stopped off for gas. Hell, Shane spent a solid ten minutes talking to the attendant about his love for the slimy hot dogs sweating under the heat lamps. And yet remarkably, the same black car has ended up behind us...

I check the weather console. A crust of frozen pixels still smears across the lower half of the second digit where Moose smacked it earlier, but it seems to read -28°C outside. It should be dark by now, yet the snow clouds have swallowed the night and turned it into a pale fog of blue and grey. When I return my gaze, Viv is watching me with a bemused smile. “You know whiteouts can generate infrasound?” she says, clearly r...

“Watch your footing. The ice is tricky here.” I brace myself, planting each step with care, letting the studs on my boots bite into the frozen surface with a satisfying crunch. Rounding the snowcat, I spot Moose’s bulky form kneeling on an insulated mat as he inspects the treads. His down parka gives him the magnitude and presence of the animal he’s nicknamed for. He squints up at me from behind his balaclava, cheeks flus...

From behind the door comes his muffled protest. “You’re not serious…” I’m dead serious. “Is there a problem, babe?” I ask, grinning like an idiot. Silence. Then, quietly, “No.” A moment later the lock clicks and the door eases open as he comes shuffling out. “You’re evil,” he mutters, shooting me a look that’s more heat than hate. I grin wickedly. “No, babe… this would be evil.” I slip a hand into my pocket and press the...

I wince at the faded sign. Brightwater Gardens. I haven’t been here since I was a teenager and I was embarrassed to be seen here then. Now, at twenty-nine, I’m back. Standing in line, I feel my pride peel away like the chipped purple and yellow paint on the sun-bleached letters overhead. A few months back, we decided to call it quits. Me and Charlotte, the woman I was supposed to marry. No hard feelings. Since then, my li...

Chapter 8 | Moxie “No, it’s that one,” I say, pointing upward. “The one with the giant crack running through it?” “Yeah! You probably didn’t notice it cause of all the spiderwebs.” We’re huddled in the courtyard beneath a rickety canopy, squinting up through the heavy rain like morons, trying to figure out which window belongs to our room. I take a slow sip of my beer, like it’ll help me concentrate. Funny how running for...

Chapter 5 | Shane I pull on a weather-worn grey tee and loop the heavy chain around my neck, letting the links settle against my chest. The weight of the metal feels grounding. I slip in my septum ring and try to style my hair in a way that doesn’t look like total shit. Yesterday was fucking weird. My fingers won’t stop twitching. I feel restless, anxious. I need my bass. Need to bleed some of this static out through the...

Chapter 3 | Moxie The door creaks open and we step into the hallway. I’m rocking shredded black jeans, a faded Slayer tee, leather jacket slung low over my shoulders and dark sunglasses shielding the bags under my eyes. Mara’s swallowed by an oversized graphic hoodie, her black nail polish chipped to hell. Her hair’s tied back messy, loose strands framing her face. She looks like a hungover woodland creature. It’s weirdly...

Chapter 1 | Mara I’m riding shotgun, one boot on the dash, flicking ash out the cracked window. Noah’s hunched over the wheel, staring out over the dark winding road like he’s afraid of what’s waiting at the end of it. It’s way past midnight and we’re tearing through the woods with the speakers screaming and my head is pounding. The van smells like sweat, weed, and fast food we didn’t finish. I’m tired, pissed off, and vi...

The words hang in the air. Levi blinks, stunned, scanning my face for a sign I’m joking, but he finds none. Then his eyes shift to Maya. Her cheeks are flushed deep red, her eyes flicking down, lips pressed together. His gaze snaps back to me. “Are you guys serious? I don’t want to cross a line.” Maya still doesn’t look up, but her voice is quiet and clear. “You’re not.” He looks back at me, hesitant. “You’re really okay...

Knock. Knock. We both freeze. Suddenly back in the bedroom, back in our bodies. Maya turns to look at me, panting. Her thighs trembling, spread wide. The vibrator keeps humming between them, wet and glistening, her fingers shining with the mess she’s made. "Levi," I say quietly. Of course, he’s here for his package. She holds my gaze, head tilted, a slow grin spreading. “Well…” she says, her voice like honey. “Go ahead.”...

It starts with banana bread. Well—no, actually, it starts with a knock on the door. Maya and I are in the middle of bickering over who gets the last slice of lasagna when I answer it and find Levi standing there, holding a foil-wrapped loaf and wearing that sheepish little grin of his. “It didn’t rise as much as I’d like it to, but it’s edible. Possibly even pretty good,” he says. “You guys want half?” He’s moved in just...