Fairytale Not Required

  Fairytale

  Not

  Required

  ***

  Stephanie Rowe

  “Rowe is a paranormal star!” ~J.R. Ward

  ***

  Praise for Forever in Darkness

  “Stephanie Rowe has done it again. The Order Of The Blade series is one of the best urban fantasy/paranormal series I have read. Ian’s story held me riveted from page one. It is sure to delight all her fans. Keep them coming!” ~ Alexx Mom Cat’s Gateway Book Blog

  ***

  Praise for Darkness Awakened

  “A fast-paced plot with strong characters, blazing sexual tension and sprinkled with witty banter, Darkness Awakened sucked me in and kept me hooked until the very last page.” ~ Literary Escapism

  “Rarely do I find a book that so captivates my attention, that makes me laugh out loud, and cry when things look bad. And the sex, wow! It took my breath away… The pace kept me on the edge of my seat, and turning the pages. I did not want to put this book down… [Darkness Awakened] is a must read.” ~ D. Alexx Miller, Alexx Mom Cat’s Gateway Book Blog

  ***

  Praise for Darkness Seduced

  “[D]ark, edgy, sexy … sizzles on the page…sex with soul shattering connections that leave the reader a little breathless!…Darkness Seduced delivers tight plot lines, well written, witty and lyrical - Rowe lays down some seriously dark and sexy tracks. There is no doubt that this series will have a cult following. ” ~ Guilty Indulgence Book Club

  “I was absolutely enthralled by this book…heart stopping action fueled by dangerous passions and hunky, primal men…If you’re looking for a book that will grab hold of you and not let go until it has been totally devoured, look no further than Darkness Seduced.”~When Pen Met Paper Reviews

  ***

  Praise for Darkness Surrendered

  “Book three of the Order of the Blades series is…superbly original and excellent, yet the passion, struggle and the depth of emotion that Ana and Elijah face is so brutal, yet is also pretty awe inspiring. I was swept away by Stephanie’s depth of character detail and emotion. I absolutely loved the roller-coaster that Stephanie, Ana and Elijah took me on.” ~ Becky Johnson, Bex ‘n’ Books!

  “Darkness Surrendered drew me so deeply into the story that I felt Ana and Elijah’s emotions as if they were my own…they completely engulfed me in their story…Ingenious plot turns and edge of your seat suspense…make Darkness Surrendered one of the best novels I have read in years.” ~Tamara Hoffa, Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

  ***

  Praise for No Knight Needed

  “No Knight Needed is m-a-g-i-c-a-l! Hands down, it is one of the best romances I have read. I can’t wait till it comes out and I can tell the world about it.” ~Sharon Stogner, Love Romance Passion

  “No Knight Needed is contemporary romance at its best….There was not a moment that I wasn’t completely engrossed in the novel, the story, the characters. I very audibly cheered for them and did not shed just one tear, nope, rather bucket fulls. My heart at times broke for them. The narrative and dialogue surrounding these ‘tender’ moments in particular were so beautifully crafted, poetic even; it was this that had me blubbering. And of course on the flip side of the heart-wrenching events, was the amazing, witty humour….If it’s not obvious by now, then just to be clear, I love this book! I would most definitely and happily reread, which is an absolute first for me in this genre.”Becky Johnson, Bex ‘N’ Books

  “No Knight Needed is an amazing story of love and life…I literally laughed out loud, cried and cheered…. No Knight Needed is a must read and must re-read.”Jeanne Stone-Hunter, My Book Addiction Reviews

  ***

  Dedication

  For all those who still hold the memory of someone dear in their hearts. They never leave us.

  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks to my core team of amazing people, without whom I would never have been able to create this book. Each of you is so important, and your contribution was exactly what I needed. I’m so grateful to all of you! Your emails of support, or yelling at me because I hadn’t sent you more of the book yet, or just your advice on covers, back cover copy and all things needed to whip this book into shape—every last one of them made a difference to me. I appreciate each one of you so much! I want to give a huge shout out to all my beta readers, whose eagle eyes and late night reading helped whip this book into shape. You guys are the BEST! Special thanks also to: Carla Gallway, Jeanne Hunter, Jan Leyh, Sharon Stogner, Summer Steelman, Teresa Gabelman, Holly Collins, Janet Juengling-Snell, and Phyllis Marshall. There are so many people I want to thank, but the people who simply must be called out are: Denise Fluhr, Dottie Jones, Alencia Bates, Emily Recchia, Rebecca Johnson, Nicole Telhiard, Mary Lynn Ostrum, Denise Whelan, Tamara Hoffa, Jean Bowden, and Ashley Cuesta. Thank you also to the following for all their amazing help: Judi Pflughoeft, Deb Julienne, Julie Simpson, and Shell Bryce. You guys are the best! Thanks so much to Pete Davis for such an amazing cover, and for all his hard work on the technical side to make this book come to life. Special thanks also to my amazing daughter, who I love more than words could ever express. You are my world, sweet girl, in all ways.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Praise for Stephanie Rowe

  Dedication and Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Sneak Peek: No Knight Needed

  Sneak Peek: Darkness Awakened

  Sneak Peek: Darkness Reborn

  Sneak Peek: Ice

  Stephanie Rowe Bio

  Select List of Other Books

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  He’d made a mistake.

  A gruesome, life-changing, stupid-as-hell mistake.

  Jason Sarantos felt the familiar sense of doom and failure settle over his shoulders as he stood in the doorway of the small Maine cafe he’d bought, sight-unseen, six weeks ago. He’d then promptly dismantled his life and his son’s to leave New York and move to Maine to take over the store and open a pizza joint.

  The sparkling new key dangled from his fingertips as he took in the magnitude of what he’d chosen in that one, desperate attempt to reclaim a life for his son. The store had once been a cafe, but now it looked like an ancient, long-forgotten tomb of rot and mold.

  Not exactly what he’d been anticipating when he’d taken a jackhammer to his life, shredded it, and hauled ass up to Maine for a soul-inspiring new start.

  He let out a sigh as he studied what he’d thought was going to be a quaint cafe in the center of a charming Maine town. He’d thought maybe there would be a vase of fresh flowers welcoming him, or maybe a little old lady with a plate of cookies would be standing in the doorway with a scruffy dog and an offer to babysit.

  Yeah, not so much.

  His small town greeting had been a couple of dive-bombing dragonflies, and the only tasty treat was the rotting wood along the top of the doorframe. The old linoleum floors were stained and torn, peeling up at the corners. Water had oozed from the window frames, marking the wood. The tables and chairs that he’d anted up to include in the purchase were nicked and damaged, covered in dust so thick he couldn’t even tell what kind of wood they were ma
de of.

  Glass display counters were coated with grime, nowhere near large enough for the pizzas he’d planned to showcase to tempt customers into trying a slice, and the “charming light fixtures” were rustic light bulbs dangling from the ceiling. The place was smaller than he’d expected, barely fitting more than ten tables. The walls were once polished wood, but now the varnish was cracked and peeling.

  And the stench. The air reeked of pungent decay, as if a rodent had died beneath the floor boards.

  This was what it had come to? Two years ago, he’d had a wife, at least in name, two great boys and a career as an ER doc that had consumed him for the last twelve years. Now, it was simply death. Of his wife. Of his son. Of a life he’d thought was doing all right.

  And now, today marked the apparent death of a second chance that was nothing but an old store that someone else had been smart enough to abandon.

  He glanced over his shoulder at the quaint town center that had felt so charming when he’d driven through thirteen years ago on his honeymoon. An old-fashioned Maine town that had sat in his memory for more than a decade, beckoning to him until the time was right to claim the dream.

  The time had never been right, but he’d always remembered how the town had made him feel, after he’d arrived so strung out from his first year at med school. Relaxed. At peace. At home. He’d never forgotten Birch Crossing, and when he’d seen that ad for the store after another hellish night of pacing the floor to avoid the nightmares, he’d jumped on it and sealed the deal before he had a chance to change his mind.

  And now, the fantasy that had nagged at him for more than a decade was a reality of dead rat, mold and dust and a sense of disbelieving failure for what he’d thrust his six-year-old son into.

  Noah shifted in his arms, burrowing more deeply against Jason’s shoulder. After being too upset about the move to sleep last night or in the car, the boy had finally fallen asleep a half-hour ago. Jason had been planning to wake him up to do the big reveal, but now…

  Shit.

  He couldn’t do that to his son. Not yet. He’d have to find a way to frame it that would somehow, someway, make it okay for Noah.

  Maybe he’d play the dead rat angle.

  God, was that what he was left with? Trying to restore his son’s life with the smell of a decaying rodent? Yeah, okay, so Noah would actually be on board with that, but hell, it wasn’t enough.

  Jason strode across the room, spread out his sweatshirt as a blanket, and laid Noah on the window seat. Then Jason sat heavily beside him and dropped his head to his hands, digging his fingers into his temples. “Think, Jason,” he said aloud, his voice echoing through the abandoned room. “There has to be a way to make this right.”

  “Of course there is,” a woman said, her melodic voice drifting across the dust-filled room. “A fresh coat of lilac paint on the walls and maybe a blue-green turquoise on the ceiling, don’t you think?”

  Jason jerked his head up at the intrusion, and then froze when he saw who had spoken. It wasn’t the old lady with cookies that he’d imagined. He’d been off by several decades and a whole lot of femininity.

  A woman was leaning against the doorway to his shop, her brown eyes sparkling with merriment he hadn’t felt in years. Her dark brown hair tumbled around her shoulders with a reckless abandon that spoke of a spirit that would never be tamed. Some of the curls had been woven into a yellow and green braided scarf that seemed to disappear into her thick hair. From each earlobe dangled several pairs of earrings, gold wire twisted into designs so intriguing he wanted to stride right over to her and see what they were.

  She was wearing a pair of faded jeans that showed womanly curves that he hadn’t thought about in way too long. The delicate straps of her pale yellow tank top rested across her collar bones, revealing a smooth expanse of skin that shot right to his core.

  But it was her smile that he couldn’t look away from. It was so full of life and vitality, that it made him want to grab her and yank her into his store so she could inject the dying place with her energy.

  Her eyebrows arched up, and there was no mistaking the glint of interest in her eyes. “You disagree with the lilac paint suggestion but you’re too polite to tell me that, or you’re just overwhelmed by my mind-numbing beauty and stunned into disbelieving silence?”

  Shit. He was staring? Jason swore and quickly stood up, brushing the dust from the store off his jeans. “My name’s Jason Sarantos. I bought the place.”

  Her smile widened, lighting up her eyes even more, like this great gust of relief breaking through the gloom trying to consume him. “Jason, everyone in this entire town knows your name, that you bought the store, and that it was twelve minutes after three when you drove your Mercedes SUV past Wright’s General Store when you arrived in town, not to mention the fact you were drinking a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee as you went by.” She set her hands on her hips and tilted her head, giving him a teasing grin. “Everyone was pretty offended you didn’t stop in to buy your coffee at Wright’s and introduce yourself.”

  Jason blinked, suddenly thrust back into the past, into his childhood, into the small town in Minnesota he’d grown up in, where his mother had found out about his first kiss before he’d even lifted his lips from those of Samantha Huckaby. That was why he’d been drawn to Birch Crossing: because it reminded him of everything he liked about his home and his childhood, yet it had the appealing bonus of being two thousand miles away from the sixteen cousins, five aunts and uncles, and four sisters that had driven him east to find his own path. “Shit. Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  The woman laughed, a beautiful, melodic sound that went right to his gut. God, when was the last time he’d seen anyone effuse such life? He was riveted by her, by the irreverence of her smile, by the fire in her eyes. This was a woman who was so damn alive that nothing could bring her down. He wanted that. He needed that. God, he needed that.

  “Don’t worry about it. The town will have you trained in no time, trust me.” She raised her eyebrows. “I don’t suppose you’re dialed into the gossip chain enough to know my name?” She wrinkled her nose, and he thought he saw a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. “I tend to be fodder for talk in this town. I’m not always a fit.”

  Yeah, he could imagine. She seemed to carry the kind of spunk that might knock an old New England town on its ass. Jason grinned, and he was almost surprised to realize he still knew how to smile. Felt like a long time since he’d meant it. “Yeah, sorry, I figure I need at least twenty-four hours to recognize everyone in town by sight.”

  “I’ll be back to quiz you in twenty-four hours.” She inclined her head and held out her hand. “Astrid Monroe. My brother Harlan is the one who sold you the shop. He’s out of town, so he asked me to stop by and see if you needed anything.”

  Instinctively, Jason reached out to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you. Thanks for the offer.” Yeah, he knew what he needed. He needed a damned angel to sweep into his life and fix everything that he’d screwed up, to make this okay for his son. He needed—

  Then as he felt the warmth of her palm against his, the light touch of her fingers on the back of his hand, his gut knew what he needed.

  He needed her.

  *

  Astrid was shocked by the burst of electricity that ripped through her as Jason shook her hand. It felt like her entire body had come to life, a reaction she hadn’t felt since the day she’d met her ex-fiancé.

  Fear rippled through her, and she jerked her hand back.

  Jason’s eyebrows rose, and she saw a hooded darkness sweep over his face. She was startled by the depths of the shadows in his eyes, shadows that went right to her heart, because she felt those same ones every day. Loss. Grief. Isolation. Pain.

  Unsettled, she shoved her hands into her pockets, trying to gather her composure again, unable to stop herself from glancing at his left hand. No wedding ring. Crud! Why was she even looking at his hand? Horrified, she jerked her gaze back to his face jus
t as he pulled his own gaze off her left hand.

  Awareness burned through her, and she quickly stepped back, fighting to put distance between them before the roar in her belly could gain traction. “So, we’ll expect you at Wright’s this afternoon to do your grocery shopping, so you can introduce yourself properly.” She swallowed, not liking how quavery her voice sounded. What was wrong with her? He was just a man, another man among the millions that were alive, men that all blended together until they were indistinguishable blurs in life.

  Except he wasn’t like that.

  Jason Sarantos was more. She knew nothing about him. The whole town was in the dark. Harlan had gotten no personal information from Jason during the deal. No one had any idea how long it would take for him to show up and claim his store. She knew only that he was from New York and that he drove a nice car… Something moved behind him and she noticed a young boy sleeping in the window seat. His son? Mixed emotions tumbled through her, feelings so much more complicated than she could begin to cope with.

  “I’ll be by,” Jason said, his voice low and rough, rolling across her skin like the heat from a wood stove on a cold winter night.

  “By? By where?” She jerked her gaze to him as chills rippled over her skin.

  He raised his brows. “Wright’s. Didn’t you say I should stop by?”

  “Oh, right. Yes.” Astrid shivered and hugged herself, trying to regain her equilibrium. “Great.” She was used to always being secure and grounded around men, always careful not to make herself vulnerable to a man…ever. But her reaction to Jason was so out of her control. She was noticing him as a man, and that was terrifying.

  The silence hung between them. Not awkward. One of intense awareness. He was watching her, those dark brown eyes so full of emotion he wasn’t sharing.