Flame: Sneak Peek
Team Apocalypse is back tomorrow in FLAME, the third book in the Ragnarok Prophesies series. And this time, EVERYTHING is different for our ragtag band of warriors. With few allies left and little choice, Arionna will be forced to choose between the alpha she loves and the fate of the world.
Check out an exclusive sneak peek below!
FLAME: The Ragnarok Prophesies #3
Who do you trust when betrayal threatens to destroy everything you hold dear?
When Arionna Jacobs fled town in a desperate bid to save Dace Matthews, she never expected the chaos she would leave in her wake. Now her closest friend is dead, and another is missing, forcing Ari to return to face the devastating consequences of her actions and the broken boy she left behind.
Her problems are only just beginning.
Even as her bond with Dace grows stronger, Arionna finds herself weakening when Freki's cage shatters. Fighting the wolf for control is tearing her apart piece by piece. And at every turn, she finds that those she's put her faith in aren't who they seem, bringing her face to face with Sköll and Hati. As the depth of their betrayal is revealed, Freki spirals out of control, and Arionna must face her greatest fear: losing herself to the fierce wolf within.
The world balances on the edge of a blade, and one wrong move will destroy it all.
With few allies she can trust and little choice left, Arionna must decide between the lives of her friends and her own future with the alpha she loves. Will she be able to stand firm for the sake of the world, or will she falter in the face of defeat?
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"Does anyone live here?" I asked Dace in a whisper.
"No. It's an old hunting cabin. The owner hasn't come out here since he had a stroke last summer. No one else comes out here much anymore, either."
The heavy wooden door opened with a groan, stale air and dust filtering out. We stood there for a long moment, listening, but no sounds reached my ears. If Dace heard anything, he didn't tell me. He patted along the wall for the light switch, but nothing happened.
Of course not.
"Come on," he said with a weary sigh.
I hesitated. With the light trickling in from the pole outside, I could make out a little of the room―lumps I assumed were furniture and an old blue rug in front of the door, but not much else. Traipsing inside with no clue what waited beyond the small pool of light didn't particularly appeal to me.
"You can stay out here."
"No, I'm coming." I took a tentative step into the cabin.
Dace stayed as close as possible. He moved through the living room like a ghost, making no sounds. I followed in his wake, my fingers clutching the back of his shirt. Four steps in, the light faded, leaving us in complete darkness.
"I'm so glad you can see," I muttered when a table brushed against my side, causing me to jerk. I wished, for the thousandth time, that I had night vision like he did. Seeing in the dark would make my life so much easier.
"Your eyes changed," he said.
"I know. I still can't see like you can." I paused. "Does it bother you?"
"Your eyes, or the fact that you can't see in the dark?"
"My eyes."
"You're beautiful, Arionna. Whether your eyes are hazel or green, you take my breath away every time I look at you. So no, the fact that your eyes have changed doesn't bother me." He stepped into the hall, leaving the small pool of light far behind, and then he paused. "I hear something."
I froze, my heart leaping into my throat, half out of fear and half because of what he'd said about me. I swallowed noisily. Soft shuffling sounds reached my ears, coming from somewhere in front of us. It sounded almost like someone rustling around on a bed, crying softly.
"Son of a―" Dace plunged forward into the darkness.
I hurried after him, terrified to lose my grip on his shirt and wind up in the pitch black of the hall by myself. We were halfway down the narrow hallway when he came to a dead stop, causing me to bump into him.
"Stay here," he said, his tone making it clear this wasn't a request. This was alpha Dace speaking, the one used to issuing commands and being obeyed without question.
The desire to argue with him, to challenge him, rose swiftly through me―called up by that part of me that resented being treated like a helpless little girl. I bit my tongue against the almost overwhelming urge to tell him no, reminding myself that he'd agreed to let me come inside with him. That had to be enough for now.
"I'll wait," I murmured to him.
He turned as if to ensure I obeyed his order and then pushed ahead. Within a few paces, the darkness swallowed him, leaving me alone in the hallway. Goosebumps ran up and down my arms, my heart hammering. The creak of a doorknob turning reached my ears, and then a soft, feminine cry of surprise and fear.
"Mandy?" Dace said softly. "It's Dace. I'm not going to hurt you."
Mandy! A surge of relief flowed through me as soon as he spoke her name.
"D-Dace?"
"Yeah," he said, moving deeper into the room. "It's me."
I shuffled forward, following the sounds of his soothing words and her sniffles. Halfway there, I bumped into something like a bucket or tin chest. A loud clang echoed throughout the room.
Mandy screamed.
"Shit," Dace swore, swinging to face me. "Mandy, you're safe. It's only Arionna."
She didn't stop screaming.
Bright light flooded the room, momentarily blinding me. I squeezed my eyes closed and held for a moment before blinking them open. Black spots floated in my field of vision momentarily. When they cleared, a gasp broke from my lips. Mandy huddled in the very corner of an old bed, thick chains around one of her ankles and one of her wrists, keeping her tethered to the bed. The short chains allowed her to move only a few steps away from where they were attached to the heavy bed frame. Her blonde hair was a wild tangle around her face, her blue eyes wide and dilated with fear. Wrinkles and dirt marred her clothing. She looked like hell.
How could Skoll do this to her? How could anyone?
Freki stirred at the thought, her anger lancing through me. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm so she didn't try to break free and seize control again. I still didn't think my body could handle another round with her right then.
"Mandy," I said, slowly making my way toward her.
Dace stood near the door, his hands in the air as if to show he wasn't a threat. She stopped screaming, breaking off with a frightened whimper when I climbed onto the bed beside her.
"A-Ari?" she whispered, licking her dry lips.
"Yeah, I'm here." My throat burned with unshed tears at the overwhelming fear in her eyes.
"Oh God," she cried, throwing herself at me. A flood of tears poured down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms tightly around me, squeezing. I fought the urge to groan in pain, pulling her into a hug. She sobbed on my shoulder, great, wracking cries that shook her entire body.
Dace met my gaze over the top of her head, fury burning in his eyes.
"Unchain her," I demanded.
He nodded once, crossing the room in two steps. I'd known for a long time that he was a lot stronger than an ordinary human, but until the moment he wrapped his hands around the chains and jerked them free of the bed without even breaking a sweat, I hadn't realized exactly how strong he was. The chains tore away from the bedpost with a deafening screech. Wood splintered, coming free alongside the metal.
Mandy flinched at the loud sound, but she didn't start screaming again.
"Let me see your wrist," he said quietly, tossing the chains to the floor.
"Come on," I urged when she stayed right where she was, clinging to me like a vine. I loosened her arm from around my neck and held it steady for Dace, who tore the chain off her in a matter of seconds. He set to work on to the one around her ankle, quickly removing it.
Her skin was red and raw where the chains had dug into her flesh.
The sight sent another wave of anger rushing through me.
"Do you still need time to think about accepting his terms?" Dace asked, his eyes locked on me. Rage filtered through his expression, followed by sorrow as if the thought killed a little piece of him.
With his eyes on me and those bruises on Mandy's porcelain skin…I couldn't say I did need the time.
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Need to catch up on this bestselling upper YA series?! You can grab FADE and FALL below!
FADE: The Ragnarok Prophesies: Book 1
She's a college student grieving for her mother. He's a teaching assistant torn in two by the feral wolf sharing his mind. Together, they're Odin's last hope for the world…but they have no clue who they are or what's coming for them.
When nineteen-year-old Arionna Jacobs meets Dace Matthews at her new college, she quickly learns there's more to him than meets the eye. They're drawn together in ways that defy description, leaving them questioning everything they thought they knew. More importantly, he and his wolf have intimate access to her mind for reasons neither of them understands, and something inside her fights to rise to the surface.
As Arionna and Dace struggle to discover who they are to one another, things quickly go from bad to worse. A mutual friend is brutally murdered, her dangerous boyfriend is lurking in the shadows, and Arionna's dreams warn her that something deadly is on the horizon.
With the help of Dace's shapeshifters, the gray wolves lurking in the woods around the town, and their human friends, Dace and Arionna will fight through hell to uncover the terrifying truth. What they find will change their lives forever.
An ancient Norse prophecy of destruction has begun…and they are all that stand between the world and those called forth to end it.
Can they figure out who they are and what they're destined to do, or will they be forced to watch the people they care about die?
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FALL: The Ragnarok Prophesies: Book 2
How do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
Those called to stand guard against the end are broken, and Sköll and Hati run free. Now Arionna Jacobs and Dace Matthews face a threat unlike any before. Ragnarök is coming and they aren't strong enough to stop it.
Arionna thought she understood sacrifice, but she never counted on her destiny tearing Dace apart. Ever since she nearly died, he has been consumed with guilt. Now it threatens to turn him into the monster he always feared.
It's up to Arionna to stop him before it's too late, but the path to hell is paved with good intentions, and Dace is hurtling toward self-destruction. This time, Arionna isn't sure she can save him from himself.
Can she convince him to let the past go, or is her true destiny to sacrifice her heart in exchange for the lives of the people she loves?
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