Synopsis
Three men with magical powers.
One Big Bad Wolf without her pack.
But she‘s got a price on her head.
Stephanie Rubbiani is royalty. Her pack is the most powerful in Fairy Falls, Louisiana. But when her reckless behavior triggers her father, Carlo gives her an ultimatum: live by his rules or leave the pack for good. She refuses to obey him blindly. So, he threatens to choose one of the bodyguards to lead the pack after he’s gone.
The problem with Carlo’s plan is that the men stir feelings in Stephanie she has never experienced before. And they can’t keep their hands off her. Their chemistry is through the roof, literally, as their elemental magic goes awry.
When they begin to find balance in their complicated relationship, a mysterious enemy puts a price on Steph’s head, with or without the rest of her body.
Now, they don’t have time to worry about love or allegiances. After all, Steph’s love might bring about a painful end to her alphas.
Read this spicy version of the Three Little Pigs to find out how this Big Bad Wolf finds her happily ever-after.
Fans of Alex Lidell and G. Bailey will devour this new series.
Fairy Falls Tales offers retellings of your favorite childhood stories in a contemporary setting, with a side order of spice.
Get it Here – Her Alphas
SNEAK PEEK
Chapter 6 – Stephanie
2023@ Liz Gavin
When we arrive home, Duncan holds the passenger door open for me. “I’ll tell Alex to fetch your car later,” he mumbles.
“Thanks,” I whisper, turning to climb the marble steps to the front door.
Before I reach it, the SUV takes off.
“Smart ass,” I chuckle.
I can’t blame Duncan for that move. He knows better than to stick around and witness a Rubbiani showdown.
Arguing with the all-powerful Carlo Rubbiani amounts to a herculean task. Doing so after a sleepless night could be described as daunting. Nevertheless, I persist. I never shy away from an argument or a fight.
Plus, my father keeps missing my point. That’s why we’ve been going back and forth for hours.
I stop pacing the length of the Persian rug that covers most of the floor in his den. I snap my head around to face him as he sits behind a massive oak desk in the center of the room.
“This is outrageous. No way.” I shake my head and curl my fingers around the edge of the desk for balance. “Out of the question,” I huff, repeating the words for the hundredth time. “I won’t be bullied into agreeing with your ridiculous terms.”
“You got that totally wrong, missy,” he scoffs. “You don’t get a say in this because I’m not asking you. I’m telling you that starting today you’re grounded. That means no partying, no barhopping, no nothing. And that will be your situation until I’ve trained you to lead the pack after I’m gone.”
I puff my chest, crossing my arms under my breasts, and let the air out of my lungs in a loud sigh. “You mean until you’ve tamed me? News flash, Dad. I don’t agree with your ruthless tactics, I never had. I never will. If following your footsteps is what it takes for me to get my freedom back, you’d better be ready to put up with me for the long haul. Under these conditions, I’m never stepping out of this house again. You can’t mold me into a female version of you.”
I swallow the rest of my bitter remarks before they bypass my enraged brain. I don’t need to remind my father I’m a lame substitute for his real heir. We both lost so much when my only brother died in that last battle with the vampires of New Orleans. That painful truth never leaves Dad’s mind.
The memory of Phillip never leaves mine either. I miss his easy smile and gentle soul so much it twists my heart until it bleeds.
Slamming his open hands on the polished wood, my father surges from his leather chair, gray eyes as cold as a winter day. He roars, “Your reckless behavior constitutes a real danger to our pack. Hell, you endanger the whole city of Fairy Falls, worse than any threat other magical beings can pose to us.”
“That’s rubbish and you know it,” I counterattack, digging my fingers into the flesh of my hips, lifting my chin in the air. “Those bloodsuckers got what they deserved.”
I bite my tongue before reminding Dad that the French and the German assholes were coming after him.
“I don’t give a damn about the vampires you killed in that hotel. They had it coming. Their friends in New Orleans, on the other hand, care a great deal about the fucking situation you created. You broke the truce and now they want revenge. You brought this new war to my doorstep, as if I didn’t have enough problems.” He pauses and eyeballs me. With a deep intake of air, my father straightens his back, raising an eyebrow. His stare lost the frost bite, but it’s still far from nurturing. “I’m responsible for the pack. It’s my duty to make sure they have a steady hand commanding them when I’m gone. I don’t plan on dying soon, but vampires can’t be trusted. If they succeed in killing me, I need to know you’ll be able to lead the wolves.”
“I will. Damn it, I am. Why do you think I killed the French and the German vamps? I’ve told you. They were coming to Fairy Falls. I had to defend the city.” I don’t see the point in telling the blockheaded old man I worry about him. The German giant did say he had personal issues to settle with my father.
“The vampires haven’t accepted your version of the story. They claim they didn’t know those Europeans and see your killing them as a hostile act breaching our truce. I’ve lost too much in this senseless war with them.” His voice breaks, he stalks away from the desk to stand by a bay window.
The early afternoon light pours in through the curved pane of glass. The rays of sun outline my father’s tall figure against the bookcases that flank him. The shelves, stocked up with first editions of precious hardcovers, run from floor to ceiling.
Today the spellbinding beauty of this room has lost its calming effect on me. The familiar pang in my chest reminds me of my dad’s loss.
Fuck, of my loss as well.
So, I shove the sneaky memories into the dark corners of my mind.
I whisper, “I’m aware you think I’m not good enough. I’ve never wanted to be your heir, that was Phil’s job.” I swallow past the lump in my throat. It leaves a foul taste in my mouth. I stare at my father’s back. He could be an ocean away instead of a few feet. I tilt my head. “Sorry, but you’re stuck with me now.”
He squares his shoulders and swirls to face me. For a brief instant, I deceive myself into believing his gray eyes beam at me. The rays of sun play tricks with my hopes.
“Before settling that truce with those vampires in New Orleans, I lost Phil to them. I’ll be damned if I allow them to take over now.” My dad’s words carry no inflection. His unhealed wounds run so deep they turn him stoic.
“That doesn’t give you the right to force me into this impossible situation.” I empathize with his grief, but I won’t become a doormat.
“Yet this is where we’re at now.” A muscle on the right side of his jaw twitches under the smooth olive skin. Other than that, Carlo Rubbiani gives off no signs of emotion. “Either you settle down and let me train you or you are out.”
Conflicting feelings battle inside my chest. I hold his stare as I struggle to rein in my runaway thoughts. Amid the painful memories, an undeniable fact sticks out like a sore thumb. Family and pack come first.
I open my mouth to grudgingly agree to his ultimatum, when I realize my father hasn’t denied he thinks I’m not good enough to be his heir. A deep-set sense of rejection raises its ugly head inside me, stealing my breath away.
Biting my tongue, I huff. “I refuse to be your puppet, if you think I’m a misfit.”
This is his last chance to say he accepts me for who I am.
Epic failure.
My father shrugs. “So be it. From this moment forward, I no longer consider you my daughter or heir apparent. You’re free to do whatever you want.” He delivers his decree without hesitation or pause.
A sharp pang robs the air from my lungs as if I’ve been punched in the guts by a giant.
Or a soulless father.
I storm out of his den before he catches the signs and gauges the real effects his words have had on me.
I expected to rejoice with my newfound freedom. Nothing could be further from that.
I fight bitter tears, but the stubborn little pup inside of me howls her pain. She’s been rejected by her sire.
Again.
Her sorrow spills from my eyes as I rush up the stairs to my room. The damn tears make it hard for me not to stumble. I’m not sure why I hurry though. It’s not as if my father is following me to try and stop me.
He’s not coming after me to say he loves me or that he’s proud of me. He’s never uttered such words. Why would he start doing that now after he’s disowned me?
I wiggle out of the minidress and grab the first clothes I find – a red top and a pair of jeans. As everything else in my closet, though, they are haute-couture items.
Wiping off the fucking tears that still roll down my cheeks, I fumble inside a bag for the key to my car.
I sniff out loud and grind my teeth when I remember it must be inside the car that Alex was supposed to bring over earlier.
I dash down the stairs and out of the back door.
Still no sign of my father.
Why did I think there would be?
I hop over the door of my black Ferrari and plop myself behind the leather-covered stirring wheel. The fob key is resting on the dashboard. I toss it inside the Birkin bag perched on the passenger seat and push the start button.
The engine roars to life and I speed down the long driveway to the front gates. They inch open as I approach them. The black and gold metal bars get distorted by the stupid tears that flood my eyes before streaming down my face.
I don’t know how to turn the waterworks off.
I howl as I floor the pedal when I get on the freeway.
Destination unknown.
I just want to get as far away from this pain as possible.
Keep reading Steph and her guys’s story – Here.