Surrendered in Salem by Milly Taiden Page 0,1

or am I going to have to make small talk with you?” Mrs. Gellar sat in one of the chairs in the small waiting area and tapped her watch.

She was a few minutes early, not that it would matter to Mrs. Gellar.

“You look tired. Not going to catch a husband with bags under your eyes.” Mrs. Gellar gave her another pointed onceover. “Or that haircut.”

Instinctively, Selene’s hand went to her hair. She lowered her hand, hoping the gesture hadn’t been spotted. Mrs. Gellar was being particularly snippy. Selene felt bad for Astra. It was obviously not going to be a good session. And afterward? Selene would have to deal with a very grumpy and very short-tempered Astra. She could only hope that she would have time to do her morning ritual.

It was an important part of her day, one that made her ready to take on whatever events might occur.

“Are your parents and uncle and aunt still off on trips like a bunch of teenagers?” Mrs. Gellar pulled an antibacterial wipe from her purse and began to rub the chair’s arms. “It’s disgraceful for people their age to go off gallivanting like that.”

Selene was seething. No one dissed her parents, or her family, for that matter. She was proud of all four of them for moving to a sunnier place. They were always off visiting all types of different countries, going on adventures. Selene knew those experiences would keep the four aging members of her family young for a while.

“I admire them,” she said with a shrug. “I’d love to travel one day.” She meant it, too. She loved Salem, and she really didn’t think she’d ever move from her hometown, and she was more a homebody than she cared to admit. She wished she had that travel bug.

There was a want to travel, and then actually doing it. Selene knew she would probably always be in the first category.

“Tsk. Admire them.”

Astra chose that particular moment to burst through the door. Selene didn’t miss the new rose quartz necklace around her neck. She shook her head and made a mental note to stop by Gemstones to pay for the piece of jewelry. Knowing her twin, Astra hadn’t paid for it.

“Morning, Mrs. Gellar,” her sister’s chipper tone was fake and forced. The corner of her smile was slightly downturned, like it was hurting her to smile, while the warmth didn’t reach her eyes. “If you’ll just follow me to Room 2.”

“Room 3,” Selene corrected.

“Right. That’s the one.”

Mrs. Gellar stood and started walking down the hall.

“Be good,” Selene mouthed to Astra, but she shook her head with large wide eyes.

It was an interesting task, keeping her sister in line. Selene was used to it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t exhausting. Thank god coffee and carbs existed to help her carry on.

Selene felt like a rebel as she waited to duck out of the shop on a mission for her morning treat. She, too, could be the rebellious twin.

Chapter Two

Jett

Jett Arrowood had made many mistakes in his life. Many. More than most people. In fact, Jett knew his life was nothing more than one long string of bad decisions. That wasn’t just his opinion. The entire wolf pack had the same impression of him.

And he had gone and proved them right. Again.

He didn’t want to move, nor did he want the woman in his bed to move. If everything just stopped for one second, he could go on pretending that last night hadn’t happened. Sure, he could be a major jackass, but he could stay right as he was and not feel like the biggest asshole in the world for a few more seconds.

“You awake?” his bedmate snuggled into his side and Jett had to fight his instincts to not shove her away.

He knew Leah was bad news for him, just like he knew he shouldn’t have brought her home last night. At the very least, nothing had happened. He had pretended to be too drunk, but Leah had insisted on sleeping over. She’d purred into his ear that he could make up for it in the morning.

Now that it was bright out and the sun was streaming into his bedroom, he wanted to send her packing and pretend this had never happened. Jett had decided he would stop fucking around. That he would clean up his act. But apparently, old habits died hard.

At first, his lady-killer, bad-boy attitude had been a facade he took on because that was what the wolf