Hooked (Never After, #1)

by Emily McIntire

Maybe people never change, and it’s only our perceptions that alter the view.

“And if you’re a good girl, maybe I’ll show you the real reason why my mouth should be illegal.”

“Just remember that whenever things feel bleak, all situations are temporary. It’s not your circumstance that determines your worth, it’s how you rise from the ashes after everything burns.”

“But I regret, with every fiber of my being, that for even one moment you suffered under my hands.” Her eyes widen, the beautiful shades of brown glossing over. “You are, without a doubt, the only good I’ve ever known.” I rest my forehead on hers, my shaky

breaths ghosting across her lips, my thumb rubbing against her cheek. “So don’t lie to me, Wendy darling. Because my heart won’t survive it if you do.”

It’s in this moment that I know, as wild as it seems, that I love her. And that terrifies me more than anything else ever has.

“You want to watch the world burn?” “Let me guess, you’ll set it on fire?” I ask. He chuckles, the sound vibrating through me and settling into my bones. “No, darling. I’ll hand you the match and stand at your back, watching you become queen of the ashes.” My breath stalls

“Darling, if I’m the dark, then you’re the stars.”

“The greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life was to love you, Wendy darling.”

And to think, it all started with a little bit of faith. Misplaced trust. Missing pixie dust.

And a villain who just needed to steal a little love.