Sneak Peek at Book 3 of the Shadowed Series
Hello wonderful readers!
I’ve finally recovered enough from the Bell’s palsy that I can sit in front of a computer screen for more than a few minutes without pain! I’m very excited to get back to work on the as yet untitled finale to the Shadowed Series, which started with Shadowed Strength and continued with Shadowed Instincts.
In honor of my progress, both physically and mentally (Bell’s palsy can be very depressing), I’ve decided to share part of the first chapter of Book 3 with you- my patient and understanding readers! Please keep in mind that this is a rough draft and could change before the book is published (but I doubt it will change much other than some polishing).
I hope this will give you your fix of Melanie and the rest of the group while I continue to finish this story! Thank you all for your support and understanding!
Chapter 1
The air was thick with tension as Melanie pushed her plate away in disgust. Her hamburger had long gone cold and just the sight of the greasy fries made her stomach turn. She almost snickered at the thought of fries making her sick. Almost.
She snuck at peek at Jeremy beneath her lashes. He sat next to her, his back bowed as he stared at his plate without eating. The look on his face nearly broke Melanie’s heart. His eyes were glassy as his lip curled into some kind of mix between a frown and a snarl. As much as she wanted to reach out and comfort him, fear of his reaction kept her hands firmly in her lap.
Melanie flicked her eyes across the table to her best friend. She watched as Tara slowly lifted a fry to her mouth and bit the end off, letting the other half drop back to her plate. It was mechanical, an unconscious effort to appear normal, as she stared into space with unfocused eyes. As if she felt Melanie’s stare, her brown eyes flicked into focus and met Melanie’s. She attempted a smile, which came out more like a comical grimace. Realizing her failure, she dropped her gaze to her plate and sighed.
“Hey.”
Melanie’s body jerked at the sound. Her eyes shot to the doorway, where Declan stood with one hand rubbing his temple. Guilt and shame shot through Melanie’s body as her face heated in embarrassment. She took on all the blame for his current discomfort. She had suspected and accused him of horrible deeds. Tried to convince her father, as well as Declan’s, he was an attempted murderer. Her eyes dropped back to her plate before his glance around the room could make it to her. She didn’t want to look him in the eyes.
“Declan,” Darren said with a nod. “Come. Sit and eat. How are you feeling, son?”
Melanie flinched at her father’s words. She waited for the calming presence of Jeremy’s hand on her knee, but it never came. She looked over at his hands, moving only her eyes, to find them clenched tightly on his own thighs. A small shiver ran down her spine at the emotional distance between them.
“I’m okay,” Declan said, responding to Darren’s question as he took a seat next to Tara, directly in front of Melanie. “My heads hurts a little but other than that, everything seems to be in working order.”
His attempt at levity fell flat and a hush fell over the room once more. Someone brought Declan a plate, but he seemed just as disinclined to eat as the rest of them. After glancing around the table, Declan broke the silence, his voice again causing Melanie to cringe.
“I thought my parents would be here,” he muttered, not really speaking to anyone on particular.
“They are out dealing with…Chris,” Darren answered, seeming to change his words at the last second.
Melanie had a feeling he was going to say “the body.” At the thought, her body convulsed and curled in on itself. Grief mixed in with the guilt and shame, making it almost unbearable. She shuddered and caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Jeremy’s hand started to reach for her, almost out of reflex, but he stopped himself and put his hand back in his lap.
A tortured howl fought its way up Melanie’s throat and she attempted to push it back down. It came out as a high-pitched whine that brought everyone’s eyes but Jeremy’s shooting towards her. She shook her head vigorously and forced a breathless “I’m okay,” through her tight lips.
