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prurientpuddlejumper · 3 years

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Cabin in the Woods [18+]

Jackson Neill x Female Reader

For @storiesofsvu’s Fall Bingo! Requested by @resparza!

Summary: You and Jackson take a trip to New England that goes slightly awry.

Warnings: NSFW, nipple play, fingering, praise, slow gentle sex until the end when it gets a lil rough. Fluffy fluff & the tiniest bit of angst (so Jackson can reassure you). Trans male version here

3,350 words

Jackson made a tiny mistake with the timing. He booked your leaf-peeping getaway for mid-October, when the leaves in the city were just beginning to turn.

When you arrived at your cozy Airbnb in the mountains of Vermont, you were greeted by the awe-inspiring sight of… sticks.

“Goddammit. I forgot how geography works,” Jackson griped, pinching the bridge of his nose. He’d been in a sour mood for most of the drive up I-91 when the scenery started to look distinctly more ashen than orange halfway through Massachusetts.

“It’s like we time-traveled two weeks into the future,” you marveled at the bare tree branches rattling in a chilly breeze. Your rustic cedar-shingle cabin was surrounded by forest and at the end of a long dirt driveway. Even without the screen of leaves, you couldn’t see any neighbors.

“So much for leaf-peeping. There are no leaves.”

You picked up a bright red maple leaf from the driveway. “Found one!”

He chuckled at your enthusiasm and shook his head. “If I made our reservation a week earlier, the foliage would be, you know, in trees.”

“Found another!” you pointed at the colorful ground, grinning. “There’s another!” You picked each one up and tossed them at him like confetti.

“Alright!” he groaned, curling his elbow about your neck like a shepherd’s crook to wrangle you in. “I see you refuse to have a miserable time. Won’t even wallow with me for two seconds?”

“I think it’s pretty.” You turned in his arm and kissed him.

The tip of your nose was cold, but your lips were warm as he kissed you back and tried to look on the bright side. Just because things weren’t going to plan didn’t mean he had to relapse into his ingrained Catholic guilt.

***

Since the publication of his book, Meyerism: A New American Religion, Jackson Neill had been receiving threats from the eponymous cult that had him on edge. Not only was he afraid for himself—he wasn’t so macho to pretend otherwise—but he worried about you or his kids getting caught in the crossfire. The deeper he dug into the Meyerist Movement, the more he was convinced they were capable of anything.

This vacation was supposed to be a way to leave all that behind for a weekend, but stress clung to him like spiderwebs.

At least the weather was cooperative. Friday afternoon was clear and sunny—just the right temperature to sit out on the porch with a hot cup of cider. After unpacking, you settled down with Jackson on Adirondack chairs and listened to the sounds of nature as the fading sun slanted orange and red through the forest.

Pops of bright color still stood out amid the dull grey-brown landscape like flames—late trees that had waited for your arrival to change.

“You’re right: it is pretty,” Jackson conceded, your hand nested in his. Your fingertips were getting cold, so he held them to his lips and blew on them.

Tomorrow, you’d go on a nice hike with a beautiful view of the snow-capped Green Mountains. The trip wasn’t a total waste, Jackson thought. He tried to relax.

***

The next morning, you awoke to the pounding of rain on the roof and Jackson pacing downstairs in the living room. The entire cabin creaked and groaned with the force of the wind, and you quickly pulled on a sweater and wool socks before padding down the stairs.

Jackson was tapping at his phone, muttering under his breath, before finally tossing the useless device on the couch with a dry laugh. His apparent crankiness couldn’t have been that bad, though—he’d gotten up early to light about a hundred votive candles, filling the dim living room with flickering golden light. He must have been planning something romantic.

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his stubbly cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“No signal out here in God’s country,” Jackson rolled his eyes at a wooden cross decorating a door frame, which had not been visible in the listing photographs.

“Isn’t there Wi-Fi?”

Jackson stared at you with lips so thin they vanished into a fine line, and eyes that looked ready to shatter like exploding light bulbs at any moment. “Storm knocked out the power.”

Oh. That was why he lit candles.

“And our hike is canceled, unless you want to go out in that.” A freezing mix of rain and sleet rattled the window panes.

It was easy to let another person’s bad mood get you down, but you tried to stay positive. He’d been so tense lately, he needed support. You both needed this vacation to go well. “That’s OK. We can stay in and get cozy with the fireplace.”

“You would think so,” he gave a humorless chuckle, shaking your arm off to sulk into the open-plan kitchen. “The listing said breakfast was included, but the refrigerator is empty. We’ve got… toast.”

“Maybe we can drive into town? Find one of those quaint little bakeries.”

“Out into the cold,” he sighed. “And we don’t have internet to look a place up. No wonder the host thinks they can get away with starving us—I can’t even call to complain!”

The wall of positivity you’d constructed groaned and cracked, and the anxiety it held back began to stream through. You sank down onto the couch.

Oblivious, Jackson hunted through the charmingly rustic (and empty) cabinets with an increasingly frustrated frown. “This trip is a disaster.” The words stung as surely as if he called you a disaster.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” He turned. Your voice was so quiet he barely heard you say anything.

“I’m sorry,” you repeated so he would hear, lower lip trembling with the effort.

It took him three strides to cross the entire cabin, and he was on top of you, kneeling in front of the couch, stroking your face. “Hey, no, no… What are you talking about?” His green eyes were soft as the hay fields you’d passed yesterday as they searched yours.

“It was my idea to come here,” you sniffed.

“I know.” His head tilted, and frown lines creased his forehead. “I wanted this weekend to be perfect for you, and I can’t get anything right. I don’t know why you’re sorry. This is my fault.”

“But it’s my fault you’re miserable. I thought getting away from the city would be relaxing. I wanted some alone time with you. But you’re not having any fun. I just don’t want you to be upset…”

Something changed in his eyes.

“I… I’m not upset.” His thumb gently stroked your cheek. “I’m not upset at all—not at you. Maybe at myself. Fine, entirely at myself. This was your trip, and I fucked it up. I hate disappointing you.”

A hint of a smile crept back into your face. You covered his hand with your own and turned into it to kiss his palm. “Jax, you could never disappoint me. All I wanted out of this trip was to spend time with you. So long as we’re together, I’m happy.”

“You don’t look happy.” A flicker of a self-deprecating smirk. “Guess I ruined things by being a grouch, huh?”

Your face once again threatened a smile. “No…”

“Yes. I’m a big mean grouch. Come on, you can tell me off,” he grinned, leaning close to your neck and purring his words against your earlobe. “Punish me. Throw a handful of sleet down my shirt. Push me into a pile of wet leaves.”

“Nooo!” you squirmed beneath him, fighting a laugh as he invented tortures for himself and kissed them into your skin.

“Come on, I deserve it.” He pulled back, and a smile broke across his face like dawn to see how your eyes had brightened.

“Alright, alright. Maybe just a little sleet.”

“From now on”—he pressed his lips against your neck again and sucked lightly at the beat of your pulse point—“I promise”—he nibbled his way over your jaw—“to appreciate every moment of our vacation”—his lips ghosted against yours—“and make sure you feel good.”

You pulled him down onto the couch with you, falling back onto the cushions as his lips melted with yours and his tongue hunted for a moan inside your mouth. He found one, long, slow, and tortured as you tasted the raw heat of his apology.

“Mmm,” you hummed as if a chocolate truffle were melting on your tongue. “You want to make me feel good?”

“Yes,” he sighed back, lips moving against your cheek and his hips lazily grinding against your thigh.

“I have a few ideas about how you could do that…”

“So do I.”

His long fingers slid down your stomach and slipped beneath the waistband of your flannel pajama pants. You drew a sharp breath as his pads grazed the top of your slit, and he paused, looking to you with lust-blown eyes for permission to continue. Sucking your lower lip between your teeth, you angled your pelvis to move his fingers onto the aching bud of flesh that sent hot shivers out beneath your skin at the contact.

“Seems we’re on the same page, Dr. Neill,” you whispered, and captured his lips again.

Moaning into the kiss with a dark, gravelly rumble, Jackson let his fingers venture deeper into your folds. You weren’t drenched for him yet. Moments ago, you had been on the verge of crying, and he still had to reassure your body that it was wonderful and loved—but he was a patient man and enjoyed taking his time. Each breath and sigh was a signal he attended like a rapt student in the front row of the classroom, his own pleasure coursing through his veins as he played with your pussylips and brought out your trust and desire.

“Shirt off.”

Nodding, you peeled the hem up over your stomach, and he sat up to help you wriggle it off over your shoulders. While he was at it, he pulled off your pajama bottoms and stripped to his boxers.

“Hey, I’m cold,” you whined, pouting as goosebumps began to prickle over your naked arms.

He pulled the fleece blanket off the back of the couch and covered you both with it. “I’ll keep you warm, querida,” he purred as he lowered himself over you.

A hot flush spread over your skin. You loved when he spoke Spanish—sweetly, with the vocabulary of a 1950s telenovela, and full of diminutives the way his mother used to speak it to him as a child. A well-placed querida or cielito could send shivers up your spine. It was nothing compared to the back-arching jolt a moment later when his tongue teased your nipple.

You cried out, fingers curling sharply into his hair as if his tongue carried an electric charge, unsure if you were trying to push him off or pull him closer and make sure he never stopped. As he gently sucked and your sensitive flesh pebbled into a stiff peak beneath his circling tongue, you were leaning toward the latter. Head thrown back, you gasped out his name, begging for more.

He worshiped your chest, eyes flicking up to meet yours with a playful, attentive expression, but he didn’t give you more, no matter how you clawed at the back of his scalp. His tongue worked in gentle, leisurely circles, tracing one fully before moving on to give attention to the other.

Fingers delving back between your thighs, he found your clit swollen and throbbing. You let out a startled, sobbing moan as he stroked it, your back arching, clinging to his head almost painfully tight to brace against the overwhelming sensation. If he kept touching your two most sensitive areas at the same time, you were going to come fast.

“Easy…” he soothed, sensing your agitated level of arousal. “I want to make this last. Can you be good for me and wait?”

Whimpering, you nodded and loosened your tight grip.

“Yes, Dr. Neill.”

“Good girl.”

As he languidly serviced your nipples, he dragged his fingers lower, through your folds. It still made your skin prickle with wanting, but without direct contact with your clit, you wouldn’t come as fast.

When he found your entrance with the pad of a finger, it was slick enough to press inside without resistance. You let out a delicious, tortured moan as the long digit penetrated your tight walls, opening them a little at a time.

“Fuck, you’re so warm. So wet. That’s my good girl.” He lifted his face from your chest to kiss you in praise.

Your hips writhed to push the finger deeper as you kissed him back. He was hungry to reconnect with you—to go slowly and spend as much time as he could sharing pleasure with your naked body—but you were starving. You might explode if he didn’t fuck you.

He moaned softly as your wetness swallowed more of his finger. “Feels like you’re sucking it. Trying to pull me in. You must want more.”

“Yes… please,” you whined, your hands gripping at his broad shoulders.

A second finger stretched your entrance, and he began slowly fucking you with both.

“Oh, fuck. More! Harder,” you moaned.

“You sound so desperate,” he observed casually. “Like one of my students trying to cram for a test.” Heavy-lidded bedroom eyes betrayed his desire, but he wore a cheeky grin and did not increase his pace.

Wet sounds of flesh filled the cabin, so slow it was torture. “Please, Jackson… please let me come. Please…” you begged, but he just kept watching you studiously, worshipfully, as he fingered you slowly. Enough to keep you begging, but not enough to let you finish.

He was straddling one of your legs, and his cock pressed rock-hard into your thigh. Every so often, you would feel it twitch, usually when his fingers massaged a sensitive spot inside that made you give a satisfying noise, and he could feel your pussy gripping around him. Then he would murmur, “You’re so beautiful. Fuck, you feel so good.”

Only when you were a drooling, trembling mess that could barely string two intelligible words together did he start to actively roll his hips, rubbing his erection against your leg.

“Do you want more?”

“Y-yes,” you sobbed.

He sat back on his haunches, and you wailed as his fingers slipped from your yearning wetness, leaving you so empty. “Do you want me to fuck you?” he asked softly, so tenderly that “fuck” sounded like the most romantic, poetic word in the English language.

“I love you,” you replied, which wasn’t technically a yes, but made Jackson’s breath catch suddenly in his throat.

“I love you, too, mi corazón.” He tugged the elastic waistband of his boxers down over his straining cock, and, taking it in his hand, notched its thick head against your entrance. His forehead rested against yours as he demanded huskily, “Now tell me you want me inside you.”

You gasped. He was so big and blunt against your tight pussy, you almost didn’t think he could fit. But you knew he could—and you knew that was why he always warmed you up so gradually, so agonizingly, so he would never hurt you. With the crown of his cock stretching your opening, the temptation of being filled by him was so close that an unbearable ache drowned out every other thought.

“I want you, Jackson. I need you.”

A thrill rushed through you as his walls came crashing down. His hips canted forward, and a pleasurable burn filled your depths as his cock stretched you open farther than seemed possible—and you watched his mind empty in that moment. All the stress and worry were gone. Nothing was on his mind but you and how good you felt wrapped around him. Nothing existed for you but him between your legs and the ragged sound of his breathing.

As if to seamlessly replace his fingers with his cock, he set the same languid pace. At first, the difference in girth was enough to make it infinitely more intense. Relief cascaded through you as your pleasure finally began to build toward a finale, heat pooling in your lower body with every thrust. Dipping his head, Jackson found a hardened nipple and sucked it until you were babbling incoherently, hips jerking to add to the depth and friction he was giving you.

“H-harder,” you whispered, and this time, he didn’t tease you.

Your pussy coated his cock with so much cream, he knew you could take all of him. Knew you were ready to snap, and so was he—so his hips pounded faster, thighs slapping your skin, heavy balls swinging against your ass.

“Yes… yes… yes…” he breathed rhythmically, chasing his climax as your arousal coated his cock and slicked your thighs.

“More,” you rasped, though your fingernails were already digging red crescents into his back, the stretch almost too much. He needed a stress release, and you wanted to be his outlet. “Let yourself go.”

A final barrier broke inside him, and he took you so quickly, it was more like jerking himself off with your body than making love. Nothing went through his mind but seeking his own release. For a moment, Even you vanished, and there was nothing but his cock surrounded and gripped by unbelievable warmth. You cried out in pleasure at the new depths he struck with reckless abandon.

His hips stuttered. “Fuck!” he gasped, fingers gripping the couch cushion as his hot seed painted your inner walls.

He panted, going still. After a few moments of catching his breath, cock twitching the remainder of its contents into you, he wiped the sheen of sweat off his brow and opened his eyes.

“You didn’t come, did you?” He gave a sheepish sigh.

“It’s OK. Sometimes it takes me too long… It was fun anyway.”

“Stop that. Whoever gave you those excuses is a fucking idiot.”

Keeping himself sheathed inside you, he reached between your bodies to stroke your clit. You gasped out, finding your body responded quickly with waves of molten heat exploding between your thighs. You were still close to finishing.

Jackson circled his hips, using his spent, tender cock while it was still hard. Though each movement was overstimulating and made his body cry out to stop, he savored the way you responded to the pressure: your eyes squeezing closed, your breath growing shallow. He lowered his mouth to your chest again, stroking your clit faster as he flicked his tongue and rocked his hips in shallow thrusts. Your moans built, louder and more strained, back arching beneath him until finally, you came, walls crashing around him, convulsing and releasing, then clenching down again as your whole body shuddered with wave after wave of ecstasy.

Jackson’s mouth popped off the bud of your nipple as a pained moan tore from his throat. His exhausted cock suffered as your pussy involuntarily tried to milk another orgasm from it, but there was a smile on his lips. A breathy laugh.

“Fuck,” he moaned. “You’re perfect.”

You lay together for a while under the blanket. Even after you’d recovered, your shared body heat was incentive enough not to want to get up yet. The storm outside didn’t relent, and despite the warm light of a hundred flickering candles, the air inside the cabin was chilly. Soon, you would start up the fire in the rustic stone hearth, and you could stay cozy inside all day roasting marshmallows and reading books or playing board games. After a brief trip into town for supplies, that is. Besides, you would have to brave the storm to make good on your promise to slip some ice down his shirt.

For now, Jackson’s face was buried contentedly in the curve of your neck, hot puffs of breath tickling your skin. You held him in your arms, combing your fingers through his hair.

“So,” you murmured. “Enjoying our vacation yet?”

You felt him smile. “It’s everything I needed.”

• ● • ━━━━━─ ••●•• ─━━━━━ • ● •

Tags: @beccabarba / @itsjustmyfantasyroom / @thatesqcrush / @dianilaws / @permanentlydizzy / @mrsrafaelbarba / @madamsnape921 / @astrangegirlsmind / @neely1177 / @onerestein / @dreamlover31 / @isvvc-pvscvl / @shroomiehomie / @storiesofsvu / @welcometothemxdhouse / @feedthemadness-sweetie / @law-nerd105 / @amelia-song-pond / @michael-rooker / @xecq / @madpanda75 / @alwaysachorusgirl / @bananas-pajamas / @leanor-min / @mad-girl-without-a-box / @katierpblogg / @worldofvixen / @sassyada / @detectivebarba

#Jackson Neill x Reader

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lgbtqreads · 1 year

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Happy International Women's Day 2023!

Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate this global holiday, here are some books starring girls and women set all around the world! Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender Caroline Murphy is a Hurricane Child. Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and 12-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. She’s hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US…

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ao3feed-lokiangst · 3 years

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Little-diable's Kinktober 2021

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3A2ATBA

by littlediable

Welcome to this years Kinktober!

Words: 1280, Chapters: 1/20, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Peaky Blinders (TV), American Horror Story, Criminal Minds (US TV), The Walking Dead (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV), Supernatural, Star Wars - All Media Types, Sons of Anarchy

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Tommy Shelby, Chris Evans (Actor), Tom Holland (Actor), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Loki (Marvel), Klaus Mikaelson, Michael Langdon, Jasper Hale, Carlisle Cullen, Kylo Ren, Din Djarin, Jax Teller, James "Bucky" Barnes, Spencer Reid, Aaron Hotchner, Tom Riddle, Negan (Walking Dead)

Relationships: Tommy Shelby/Reader, Chris Evans (Actor)/Reader, Dean Winchester/You, Sam Winchester/Reader, Loki (Marvel)/Reader, Klaus Mikaelson/Reader, Michael Langdon/Reader, Jasper Hale/You, Carlisle Cullen/You, Kylo Ren/Reader, Din Djarin/Reader, Jax Teller/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Spencer Reid/Reader, Aaron Hotchner/Reader, Tom Holland (Actor)/Reader, Tom Riddle/Reader, Negan (Walking Dead)/You

Additional Tags: Reader-Insert, Kinktober, Smut, Blindfolds, Power Exchange, Priest Kink, Praise Kink, Voyeurism, Daddy Kink, Double Penetration, Knifeplay, Demon Sex, Breeding, Somnophilia, Sensation Play, Spanking, Glory Hole, Sex Toys, Wax Play

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3A2ATBA

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #loki #loki fanfic #loki fanfiction #marvel cinematic universe #angst

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llama-head · 2 years

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Transcript Below

[Coach Kelly] Ian! Get your head in the game! Jax! Hustle! Hustle! C’mon boys! Get with it! Boys, what the hell was that out there? You played great yesterday, what happened in twenty-four hours? Did you give up? Are you too tired after one game? What’s up? ...Anyone? Jax?

[Jax] I don’t know.

[Coach Kelly] You don’t know?

[Jax] No, I’m just playing how I normally do.

[Coach Kelly] Normally do? This is the semi-finals and you’re playing normally?

[Jax] I mean, yeah?

[Coach Kelly] Do you even care if we win or lose? Do any of you?

[Felix] We care!

[Coach Kelly] Well, you all look like you'd rather be anywhere else right now. Do you remember how you felt yesterday, when we won? Don’t you all wanna feel like that again? Imagine winning the whole thing! Getting a trophy! Don’t you boys want to be the first winning team in eighteen years?

[Brody] That would be cool and all but that team is insane.

[Ian] Yeah, there’s no way to beat them.

[Coach Kelly] No, boys, you can’t think like that. You beat them at the beginning of the season! [Ian] And they got better!

[Coach Kelly] So did you, you all grew as a team since then. Don’t let it crumble now! Rory? Do you have anything to say?

[Rory] Not...really.

[Autumn] You good bro?

[Rory] I’m fine, I just know there’s a lot of very important people watching me today and I’m sucking.

[Coach Kelly] Don’t get in your own head Rory! A couple shit plays aren’t gonna cost you a scholarship!

[Felix] Yeah man, it’ll be okay.

[Coach Kelly] You boys are gonna go out there and kick ass! You hear me? Kick ass!

[Rory] Coach, I don’t-

[Coach Kelly] No, shut the fuck up, kick ass! C’mon boys, say it with me. What are we gonna do?

[Everyone] Kick ass.

[Coach Kelly] Louder!

[Everyone] KICK ASS!

[Coach Kelly] Let’s go!

#sims 4 #ts4 #ts4 story #ts4 legacy #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 story #the sims 4 #The Garcia Family #jax payton #autumn lanes #ian guo #rory meyer #coach kelly #felix reece #brandan skaggs #brody hurley #high school coaches always swear #theyre basically adults its fine

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starstruckkittensweets · 2 years

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Chapter LIV (“AWWW”)

A/N: And here is the next chapter - the trial chapter! Even though this one went through a lot of rewrites/edits, I’m pleased with how it turned out in the end. Warnings are listed below, and I promise I’ll include a proper taglist in the next one, once we’re past this little “arc.” I hope you enjoy reading!

Fandom: Attack on Titan Pairing: Levi x Mia (OC) Words: 9.7k

Warnings: flashbacks/mentions of murder and sexual assault, graphic descriptions of bruises and markings from said assault, coping with PTSD, self-deprecating thoughts, mentions of graphic violence, insults and threats alluding to sexual assault. If any of this makes you uncomfortable, PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE READING! I promise this is the last chapter that will deal this heavily with this kind of material, and the next chapter will have the normal taglist. But if this makes you uncomfortable, please take care of yourself and refrain from reading this chapter!

|LIV|

The chains around my wrists were unbearably tight. Cold and heavy, reminding me of a Titan’s grasp. I stared straight ahead, directly at Aurille’s face, as he stood from his seat. He cleared his throat, beckoning the rest of the courtroom to quiet down in their chatter, before reading aloud from the papers in his hands.

“On April 29th, of this year 848, Jackson Meyer of this very assembly was brutally murdered. The culprit is none other than Captain Mia Wolf, who ended his life when he visited her office for a late-night chat at the Survey Corps base. The cause of death—fifteen stab wounds, to be exact, in Mr. Meyer’s neck and chest area.”

A collective gasp sounded from the audience around us. Christina’s face was livid, and her painted nails dug into the wood of the stand that stood before her. But I couldn’t look her in the eye—I couldn’t look anyone in the eye, not even my own sister.

Fifteen stab wounds.

Had I really stabbed him that many times? I remembered stopping only when my arm felt numb…but how could I stab him fifteen times? Was I really that affected by him that I thought one or two, or maybe even three weren’t enough?

“Thanks to our private investigation of the Survey Corps base,” Aurille continued smugly, “we were able to recover Mr. Meyer’s body, which was disposed of in a body bag in one of the morgues on site.” The morgues—the underground rooms of the castle where we kept the bodies of our dead soldiers, waiting for them to be buried. “Along with the stab wounds, Mr. Meyer also had a black eye and a split lip, as well as a broken nose and numerous welts to the facial areas; a clear sign of assault. Our coroner determined, what with the evidence clearly seen, that his death was a homicide. The murder weapon was this silver knife.”

He nodded to the corner of the room, and a Military Police officer stepped forward, holding a small black bag. Wearing rubber gloves, he plucked the knife out of the bag—and my stomach swirled when I still saw lines of red painted across the blade.

That was the knife Levi gave me. The knife Erwin and Mike took from my office. The one I used to kill him.

No—the one I used to protect myself.

I wanted to open my mouth, to defend myself against Aurille’s words, but I knew I couldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to speak until he was finished, and even if I could, what could I say to him? Everything he had said so far had been true. I had killed Jax that night, with that very knife, in what used to be my father’s office. He hadn’t fabricated a single event of that night.

At least, not yet.

“The assembly has come to the conclusion, with the blatant evidence provided by our investigative team, that Mia Wolf is guilty of Jackson Meyer’s murder. As per usual,” he added with a slight sneer, “the assembly is obliged to hear any and all arguments of the defendant’s side.”

Aurille took his seat once more, right between Gerald and Deltoff, just as Commander Erwin straightened himself up. He took a step forward, and immediately, I felt just a smidge safer. I always did whenever he was nearby. It wasn’t the same kind of safety that I felt with Levi or Leyna, but a different one altogether. The kind of safety that assured me that, even if I were to die today, it would not be in vain.

I trusted Levi and Leyna with my life, but in the worst times, I trusted Erwin to promise that my death would mean something, one way or another.

“As the superior of the accused, I speak on Captain Wolf’s behalf.” He nodded to the group of Scouts behind him, and Moblit stepped forward, clutching one of his black folders to his chest. “You mentioned Jackson Meyer was killed on the eve of April 29th, at the Survey Corps base—when in fact, he was here in this very castle just hours earlier. He had departed for the base early in the night, arriving just after midnight. What I’m asking you is this: why would he head back to the base alone, with no other Scout to accompany him?”

The assembly remained silent, but the citizens began to whisper. It was surely something to consider—why would a member of the royal assembly waste his time going back to the Survey Corps base without any of the soldiers stationed there? It made no sense for him to act out like that—that is, unless he had an ulterior motive.

“With all due respect, Jackson Meyer did not stop by Captain Wolf’s office for a late-night chat.” I shivered at the Commander’s voice—never before had I ever heard him sound so pissed. “He barged in there with the intent to harm her, and he succeeded in doing just that.”

His eyes burned with blue fire as Moblit opened the folder, revealing the sketches he had drawn of me that night, when we were sitting in Hanji’s office. Of the purple bruises splashed across my neck and throat—in the shape of Jax’s tight fingers, as they tried to squeeze the air from my lungs.

Some of the citizens gasped at the images; others simply shook their heads in pity. At Erwin’s subtle nod, Moblit began to sort through the sketches, passing them out so each member of the audience could see with their own eyes what that man had done to me.

And for the most part, it seemed to be working. Roderich winced as the images crossed his line of sight, and Gerald lowered his gaze to his lap. Only Deltoff and Aurille remained stone-faced at the sketches.

Leyna’s jaw clenched as she crossed her arms over her chest. Levi’s hands gripped the podium, his knuckles the color of snow.

“Captain Wolf was attacked by Jackson Meyer, as evident from the bruises on her wrists, neck, and throat. These sketches were recorded less than twenty-four hours after the incident. Meyer tried to suffocate Captain Wolf, prompting her to act in self-defense. However, she did not resort to violence straight away; in fact, one of our Squad Leaders had his suspicions of Meyer’s intentions of returning to the base. When he reached the captain’s office, he found Meyer attempting to suffocate Wolf to death.”

By now, Leyna’s eyes were nothing but icy blue shades. I hadn’t told her the details of my encounter with Jax that night, and for the most part she understood, not wanting to cause me any further pain. But now? I had a feeling that once this was over, she would pull me aside and demand to know why I didn’t tell her the full story straight away.

If there was anything Leyna was known for, it was her fierce loyalty to her family—and those who tried to harm her family would eventually suffer her wrath.

Levi didn’t look any better. His eyes were nothing but dark gray slits, his fists wrapped around the wooden stand of the podium. He didn’t even register Hanji’s gentle hand on his shoulder—not even she could break him out of his trance. And when Erwin beckoned him forward, the scowl on his face only grew more pronounced.

“What’s more, is that Captain Wolf was recovering from an injury she received in the field just a few weeks prior, on the 34th Expedition beyond the Walls. As a result, her right leg was rendered almost completely immobile, leaving her with limited range to protect herself from an attack.”

Behind the wall of Scouts, I could spot a familiar face: Lina was standing there, her jaw tight and her eyes dark. Of course, she could attest to my injuries; she had been the one who helped me once I returned to base. She was the one who knew my medicines, my exercise schedule, everything having to do with my injury. If anyone could defend Erwin’s take on this, it was her.

“Captain Levi was the one who found them in her office that day,” Erwin explained, as Moblit took his place beside Hanji. “He tried to diffuse the situation, but Meyer subdued them both, before attempting to suffocate Captain Wolf once more. Only when she saw no other option left, Captain Wolf decided to act in violence.”

Aurille openly scoffed at this, straightening up in his seat, his portly face brimming with anger. “That means nothing! She had no right to resort to murder, especially as a member of the military! Surely there were other ways to diffuse the situation—”

“Like what?” Levi spat out, before Erwin could even open his mouth. “Perhaps if you had actually been there, you would’ve seen that she did, in fact, try to diffuse the situation. How is she supposed to fight back when the bastard had her by the throat?”

“Don’t speak of him that way!”

All eyes turned to the side of the courtroom, where Christina Meyer leaned over the wooden stand, eyes bursting with fury. The citizens around her nodded in agreement, while the Scouts opposite from them only trembled in anger.

I swallowed hard when her eyes landed on me, full of hatred. She had every right to be angry with me—I had killed her brother, after all. I couldn’t fault her for wanting some sort of justice for him.

But Levi didn’t see it that way. Instead, his shoulders tensed as he shouted out, “Then how should I speak of him? How should I describe the man who tried to murder a fellow captain of the Survey Corps?”

My stomach flipped as the secret meaning behind his words hit me: How should I describe the man who tried to kill my lover?

I had never heard Levi sound so pissed before. It was honestly frightening, even though I wasn’t on the receiving end of it. I wanted to reach out to him, to break free from these shitty chains and hold him in my arms again, to tell him that everything would be okay. But I didn’t even know that myself…

“He wouldn’t have attacked her without a good reason,” Christina fired back, while Aurille reclined back in his seat up front. “Perhaps he felt threatened by her. Had she ever threatened his life before?”

“No,” Aurille answered smugly, as Levi glared up at him, “but she does pose a threat—not only to Mr. Meyer, but to everyone else around her.”

He held up a collection of papers, and immediately my heart sank to my stomach. It was the report of the 21st Expedition—the same expedition I had lost Rosalie and Emmett in. That creamy sheet of parchment listed my failures of that day, and now Aurille was prepared to bring it to the forefront once more, just as he did when I was assigned to the Elite Reconnaissance Squad just two years prior.

“In the year 843, Miss Wolf—then referred to as Squad Leader Wolf by her comrades, led the sixth squad of the Survey Corps regiment. That squad consisted of two cadets from the Ninety-Seventh Training Corps, Rosalie Richards and Emmett Johannsson. Unfortunately, they both perished during the twenty-first expedition beyond the Walls, in the spring of 844. As a result, Miss Wolf became very agitated, and she was deemed a danger to her comrades, thus resulting her in being placed in Flagon Turret’s squad shortly after.”

I grit my teeth so hard I thought they would shatter right there in my mouth. This was the second time he had tried to use Rosalie’s and Emmett’s deaths against me in this very castle, in this very city. How dare he use them as a cudgel for his own personal gain!

No, not personal—political. It’s all politics with these noblemen. It always has been. And the thought made me sick to my stomach.

“It’s no secret that the Scouts have kept a close eye on Miss Wolf since the incident a few years prior,” Aurille continued, settling back down in his seat. “Understandably, with her unpredictable nature and violent past, Mr. Meyer clearly saw Miss Wolf as a threat.”

“That still doesn’t make sense,” Levi lashed out before Erwin could stop him. “Even if he was scared of her, why would he go to her office in the middle of the night? Why would he put himself in that position if he was intimidated by her?”

“I second that.”

To everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t a Scout who spoke up—it was one of the citizens, on the opposite end of the courtroom. An older man, with gray lines in his hair and a moustache that drooped to his chin. He wrung his hands together and held his head high as he spoke, clearly used to addressing large audiences such as this one.

“The bruises on her neck, the injury on her leg—it just doesn’t add up. If Mr. Meyer was truly intimidated by Captain Wolf, I’m certain he would go to any lengths to avoid crossing her path. Why would he intentionally make himself known, if he suspected he was in danger?”

“Perhaps he thought he was on more of an equal standing with her,” Christina suddenly snapped, glaring fiercely at the man. “If she was injured, he probably thought he was safer around her, since she wouldn’t try to attack him if she wasn’t in top form.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“Levi,” Erwin hissed, but he was too late. Levi was already seething, looking like he was ready to pounce on Christina for even suggesting such a thing.

“She’s recovering from an injury—an injury that left her fucking comatose for four goddamn days, and you’re telling me that she had the upper hand in that fight? Are you out of your fucking mind?!”

“Don’t you dare speak to me that way!”

“Then how should I speak to you?” he spat, eyes blazing with silver fire. “Would you prefer if I called you one of those fancy fucking titles you always like to prance around with? Would that make you feel better, my lady?”

“Enough!”

Aurille’s fist slammed down on the oak table, silencing everyone in the room. The only sound that could be heard was the rattling of the chains around my wrists, scraping against the podium I stood behind. Aurille let out a shaky breath, before quickly collecting himself and glaring at Levi.

“Either way, it’s still your word against the facts.” You mean, your word against ours. “And unfortunately, the assembly needs much more than a single testimony to move forward with this case.”

“I agree,” Erwin replied, as cool as ever. Levi stiffened beside him, but didn’t open his mouth again. “In fact, we have another witness who was there that night—one who had been there from the start.”

He turned his head, and the group of Scouts began to break apart. Standing in the sea was a familiar girl—one with light eyes that reminded me of my own, and soft hair colored a fresh shade of ginger.

My throat closed up. Petra.

She was antsy—I could see it in the way she walked. Terrified, probably; this was most likely the first time she had ever been at the center of attention like this, in front of all these important people, no less. Still, she carried herself calmly, and she didn’t even flinch when Erwin motioned for her to speak.

“My name is Petra Ral, member and medic in training of the Special Operations Squad. I had been assisting Captain Wolf on the day of the attack; in fact, the two of us had eaten dinner together in her office just hours prior. I was helping her with errands and keeping her company while she was recovering from her leg injury.”

It all came back so clearly: sitting at my desk with Petra across from me, eating and laughing together, sharing stories of Hanji and Oluo with each other—simply enjoying each other’s presence. It all seemed so long ago, and for a moment I wondered if I would ever be able to have those kinds of nights with her again.

She swallowed hard, hanging her head before the assembly. My chest tightened; she looked so small right now, standing before them, in the center of it all. Every single person in the courtroom clung to her every word, waiting for her to continue. Waiting for her to give her side of the story.

She’s here for me. Even after seeing what I did, she still came to speak in my defense.

“Later that night,” she continued, “I was patrolling the grounds of the base before bed. When I was done, I headed back to Captain Wolf’s room, to see if she needed anything else from me. But when I got there, I started hearing…some strange noises. Almost as if…someone was crying on the other side of the door.”

An icy hand clawed at my chest. I remembered sobbing into the wood surface of my desk as Jax pinned me down, with one hand on my head and the other between my thighs.

“I thought maybe she had fallen, that she needed me to help her. There was a lot of rustling on the other side, a lot of movement. So I asked her what was wrong—” She cleared her throat, voice quivering slightly as she continued, “…And then I heard her scream. She…she screamed at me to run.”

Suddenly, everything came crashing down: the alcohol in the air, the wetness on my cheeks, the harsh hands around my throat. My knees nearly buckled, but I managed to catch myself just in time, leaning on the podium in front of me. The rusty chains squealed in protest; only Leyna and Levi turned to look at me, while the rest eagerly waited for Petra to finish.

“I tried to get in, but the door was locked. I kept asking her what was wrong, but she never answered. And then I started hearing other noises—almost like someone was fighting in there and making a mess. But I couldn’t hear Captain Wolf’s voice, I could only hear that man’s.”

She turned her head to look at me, her soft amber eyes filled with pity. This was taking its toll on her, I could see it in the way her shoulders sagged and quivered. But she kept her chin high, offering me a slight smile when I met her gaze. Something warm dribbled down the side of my face; I reached up to rub it away with my fist as fast as I could.

I didn’t see an ounce of fear in her eyes. Not like that night.

“Captain Levi found me after that. He ordered me to fetch Squad Leader Mike, before trying to break down the door himself. But by the time I got back to the office with Mike…the door was already open, and Captain Wolf…well, she was crying.”

Suddenly Aurille leaned forward in his seat, and my chest grew tight as he squinted his eyes in Petra’s direction. “And did you see Mr. Meyer’s body in the room with her, Ral?”

She wasted no time in responding, “Of course I did. It was in the corner of her office, right beside the desk. But she seemed almost scared to look at it.”

Aurille scoffed at that. “As guilty as ever, not wanting to see the consequences of her actions. I hate to say it, but your testimony proves nothing, Miss Ral.”

“I don’t agree with that.” The man from before, the one with the droopy moustache, shook his head at Aurille. “Were there signs of a struggle? What did her office look like?”

Petra seemed taken aback by his interest; in fact, she wasn’t the only one. It wasn’t often that a citizen from Wall Sina took an interest in the affairs of the Survey Corps and its soldiers. Then again, perhaps they were just intrigued with the mystery aspect of it, rather than my life or whether or not I was actually innocent. The citizens of Sina seemed to think that way, especially in Mitras, as my father used to say. It came from reading too many stories and hearing all kinds of rumors—sometimes, they forgot there was a line between fiction and real life.

Nevertheless, she answered him with a nod. “Yes, the office was a mess. It looked as though everything had been knocked off the desk in a rush. I remember seeing papers crushed against the floor, as though someone had stepped on them.”

“My point still stands,” Aurille snapped, “that proves nothing. We already know there was a struggle between the two. How could you tell that Miss Wolf was not the aggressor in this situation?”

“By the way she screamed at me through the door.”

Petra’s voice rang out through the courtroom, clear and fierce and simply furious. She was quickly losing her calm demeanor, which was quite common for anyone who attempted to talk to the royal assembly. All four of them were thick-headed men in their own special ways—but Aurille was arguably the worst of them all.

“If she was truly guilty, and she didn’t want anyone to find out what she was doing, she would’ve just told me to go away. But she didn’t. Instead she told me to run. She screamed it so loud and hard I’m surprised her voice didn’t give out. Why would she tell me to run if she didn’t think I wouldn’t be in danger?”

“Oh, so you thought you were in danger from this man, Miss Ral?”

It was the mocking tone he used to ask her that made my blood boil. How dare he try to invalidate her feelings in that situation? How dare he try to invalidate my own feelings in that situation!

“I’m not certain,” she admitted, “but by the way Captain Wolf screamed out at me that night… I truly believe she was trying to protect me from him.”

Her face became blurry, blending together in a sea of pale skin and ginger hair. I wiped at my eyes again, trying my best not to sniffle or sob. Crying would get me nowhere in this courtroom; I had to act as professional as I possibly could, no matter how much it hurt.

Aurille opened his mouth to speak once more, but a raised hand cut him off. It was Roderich, who looked less than pleased at the former’s handling of the situation. So instead he nodded respectfully at Petra, the golden chains around his neck clinking gently. The three goddesses of the Walls stared back at me from the chain: Maria, Rose, and Sina.

From the Order of the Walls, I reminded myself with a grimace. As the head of religious affairs within the assembly, and one of the most influential forces within the Wallist movement, he was a constant reminder of how much power the church held within these Walls. Still, I was inclined to hear what he had to say; it wasn’t often that he spoke at assembly meetings, often allowing his fellow assemblymen speak in his place.

“Thank you for your testimony,” he began, and Petra’s shoulders settled once more. “You’ve done an honorable deed, in defending your comrade and superior. I can tell you speak from a place of respect.”

I craned my neck, waiting for him to continue. It was rare that any of the nobles said something nice for too long. There had to be a catch to this.

“However—” Ah, there it is “—what happened on that night cannot be excused. There must be justice for the murder of Jackson Meyer.”

“And what about justice for Captain Wolf?” Levi spat out at him. “She was the one who was attacked in the first place. Petra made it clear she wasn’t the aggressor in this case. So where’s her justice?”

“Miss Wolf may or may not have been the aggressor,” Aurille fired back, “but the issue still remains: Jackson Meyer is dead, and Mia Wolf was the killer. What matters is that a good man is dead, and his murderer shows little remorse for her actions. This is an open-and-shut case!”

“Actually, it’s not.”

All eyes shifted to the corner of the room, where the five Blades of the King’s Guard were gathered. Aurille was practically seething as Leyna stepped forward, motioning to the silver band wrapped around her upper arm. Almost as though he was daring her to speak out now.

“Perhaps you four will suggest my views may be biased in favor of my sister,” she began, nodding in my direction, “so I will refrain from focusing on her right now. In fact, I’m much more interested in Jackson Meyer—and what he thought he was planning to accomplish that night he returned to the Survey Corps base.”

This was the Leyna I knew. Politics was her bread and butter, what made her well-known even before she became a member of the King’s Guard. She loved playing word games and dancing around issues, before confronting them head-on at full force. I had never understood the world surrounding politics, but it came so easily to her, as though it was second nature. It was no wonder she had been accepted so eagerly into the gates of Wall Sina, and later into the famed city of Mitras. She spoke the language of noblemen and politicians alike, as though she had been one of them all along.

My heart soared. Maybe I have a chance after all.

Aurille quirked an eyebrow as she made her way to the center of the room. “We’ve already discussed this at length, Officer Wolf.” It was almost laughable, how he referred to my sister by her proper title, but refused to do the same for me. “What led to the murder doesn’t matter in the slightest.”

But she shook her head fiercely. “It matters a great deal, my lord—and in the name of His Majesty, the King, I believe understanding Jackson Meyer’s mindset that night is vital to solving this case as a whole.”

He scoffed at that, shaking his head at once. “There is no case to solve! Miss Wolf murdered him, end of story!”

“Mia Wolf may be temperamental and hotheaded, but I’ve never known her to be a cold-blooded killer.” My knees trembled at my sister’s words, and when she glanced at me from over her shoulder, my nose began to burn. “She values the lives of the people around her. She mourns for people she doesn’t even know. In fact, I know for certain that she values your lives, despite the way you treat her and her comrades!” Her eyes flared with bright blue fire as she continued, addressing the whole courtroom now: “If there’s one thing I know about my sister, it’s that she would never kill someone unless she had a damn good reason to.”

All of a sudden, I felt like a child again—a lonely girl standing on the dirt paths of Shiganshina, hiding behind her brother as the neighborhood bullies taunted us. But the moment they saw Leyna, in her bouncy braided pigtails and her brightly colored dresses, they scurried off like the cowards they were. And while she would chide me and Ben for getting mixed up with such unpleasant kids to begin with, she was always there to defend us—always ready to stand by our side.

And even now, even when her little sister stood on trial for murder, she still felt obligated to defend her.

“Which brings me to Jackson Meyer’s intentions that night. In fact, something’s been gnawing at the back of my mind since this trial started—something you four have neglected to mention.”

An array of emotions passed over the noblemen’s faces. Roderich looked genuinely stunned, while Gerald appeared confused. Deltoff squirmed in his seat, as though he had something to hide. And Aurille grit his teeth, tightening his grip on the papers in his hands.

What is she getting at here? Where is she going with this?

“Jackson Meyer was killed on the eve of April 29th, correct?” But she continued without waiting for a response, “Of course he was. And by the next morning, you were already calling for Mia Wolf’s arrest and demanding for her to be put on trial. However, only a select few knew about what had happened that night; only those who were there at the base knew about Jackson’s murder. So how did the assembly manage to call for a trial not even twenty-four hours after the crime was committed?”

It was astounding to watch as all four of their faces fell in unison. At the same time, almost every single Scout and civilian inched forward, eager to hear what else Leyna had to offer.

And me? I was simply dumbfounded, finally managing to put the pieces together.

Leyna had mentioned earlier in the cell that the assembly had a messenger that night—the MP soldier that had accompanied Jax to the base for some “added protection,” or whatever she called it. But that was as much as we knew. The assembly hadn’t released his name or the details, or even had him come up to the stand to share his side of the story. They had kept quiet about the whole thing, seemingly ignoring the source of their information in the first place.

Of course, Leyna would be drawn to their hush-hush attitude about it. It was a common theme in politics, which made me despise it even more—if you didn’t mention it, it never happened. But if something was brought front and center for everyone to see…you had to address it sooner or later.

And by the way each member of the assembly was looking right now, I had to guess they would’ve preferred the latter.

Aurille was the first one to recover—and the first one to deny it, of course. “The source of our intel has been deemed as classified, in order to protect the identities of those involved.”

“To protect them from who? From her?” Leyna waved her hand in my direction with a scoff. “She’s hardly in a position to seek revenge for someone telling the truth. So what’s the harm in asking for the full story? Especially if you’re so confident in her guilt to begin with?”

“The full story has already been acknowledged.” Aurille’s portly face was getting redder by the second. “We’ve heard from every single person who had witnessed the horrible events of that night!”

“Not everyone. There’s two more you haven’t heard from.”

She motioned to the other Blades gathered at the corner of the room, and immediately, a shorter woman with black hair and pretty brown eyes stepped forward. A memory stirred in the back of my mind—of her smiling face greeting us at the gates of Mitras, just a couple years prior.

Monika Corrette, one of the members the Fourth Blade’s squad. And one of Leyna’s subordinates.

“Cadet Corrette had been present that night, when Mr. Meyer had left Mitras for the Survey Corps’ base. That part of Commander Erwin’s testimony is true—and Corrette here can attest to that.”

Monika nodded to Leyna, before stepping forward and clearing her throat. Despite her young age, she already seemed much more confident in addressing the assembly than I could ever hope to be.

She must take after my sister…

“I was out late at the stables, after finishing my patrol of the west side’s gate. I usually help the stable boy with putting away the horses, with Officer Wolf’s permission. Mr. Meyer had come down to the stables that night, asking for a horse.” She paused to clear her throat, her hands curling into fists at her side. “He said something about heading back to the Survey Corps base early, on special business. And that he needed a horse to get back, even though it was already late in the night. He also had one of the guards with him, from the west side gate of the castle.”

Everyone in the room fell silent at her admission. Up at the front, I could see Aurille shifting in his seat, his fist gripping the sides of the table ever so slightly. The other members of the assembly didn’t look much better, either. Roderich and Gerald squinted their eyes, while Deltoff cleared his throat as softly as he could.

They know, I realized with a jolt. They know what she’s saying is true. They know who the informant is. They know that the informant, whoever it may be, can tell everyone how Jax was truly acting that night.

And they were trying to avoid confronting the truth, all to suit their political agenda, and paint Jax as the innocent little victim they all believed he was.

“Max is the stable boy,” Monika continued, her cheeks turning a bit rosy at the name. “He can back up anything I say; he was there with me, that night. And the guard can, too. I’m sure of it. He was the one who left the castle with Mr. Meyer, after all. As his personal guard, to escort him back to the base.”

It was then that Aurille shot up from his seat, dark eyes blazing and throat raspy as he shouted, “And what of it, if he requested a personal guard to the base? What does this have to do with the fact that Mia Wolf is a cold-blooded killer?!”

“Actually,” Leyna replied coolly, “it has everything to do with it. This personal guard was with Mr. Meyer that night. He was the one who saw it happen. In fact, he was the one who sent the assembly a messenger in the first place, confirming the events that took place at the Survey Corps base. Without him, you would have no idea that a murder even took place that night.”

It baffled me, how she could act so calm and in control while confronting Aurille and the rest of the assembly. It had taken me years to muster up the self-control I had when speaking to them, and even now I found myself slipping up and letting my mouth run wild. But Leyna was different; she knew how to play the game, to mask her emotions and hide what she was really thinking and feeling. Sometimes I admired her for that. Other times, I envied her.

Now, I just hoped it would be enough to help me out of this mess I had gotten myself in.

Leyna suddenly jerked her head to the side, motioning to the group of MPs standing behind her. The soldiers shuffled out of the way, revealing a mousy-looking boy who seemed to be no more than seventeen years old. The same age as Reggie, and the thought made me wince.

The boy nervously stepped forward, his green eyes scanning the room for any friendly faces. He glanced at the citizens, the assembly, the Scouts—and finally he looked at me, and his shoulders stiffened at once before he quickly looked away. I swallowed hard and hung my head.

No wonder the kid was terrified, if what Leyna had told me was true. If he had really seen what had happened that night.

“Cadet Richter,” Leyna introduced the boy, “is a new recruit, having just graduated from the One Hundred and Second Training Corps. Richter, you were the one Mr. Meyer had approached that night, correct?”

The mousy boy said nothing. He simply nodded, his eyes never leaving the floor.

“Can you describe what he was like that night? When he asked you to accompany him back to the Survey Corps base?”

I watched the boy from my spot in the center, my hands gripping the rusty chains that dangled from my wrists. Everything was depending on this boy and his answers. If he spoke up, maybe I would have a better chance at survival. Maybe then the citizens would see how unstable Jax had been that night, and perhaps some of them would even empathize with my actions. But if he didn’t speak, I was damned. The assembly would brush him off and declare me guilty beyond reasonable doubt—before ordering my execution, most likely.

And right now, it seemed as though the boy had no interest in talking. Of course he didn’t. Why would he want to defend a murderer? Why would he speak up for someone, if he had seen them kill a member of nobility that night? And witnessed the other Scouts covering up the crime?

The kid was probably terrified beyond belief. And even now, I couldn’t find it in myself to blame him.

After all, I would probably be the same if I were in his shoes, at his age.

But Leyna prompted him again, her voice uncharacteristically gentle—the same kind of tone she used when I had told her about our brother’s death, all those years back in Trost.

“Anything from that night would help us. Can you remember anything? What he asked you, how he talked, how he moved… Was he calm? Was he irate or angry?”

Aurille scoffed and rolled his eyes. “This is pointless! The boy obviously has no desire to play your little games, Officer Wolf.”

But then the boy glanced up, staring at Aurille dead in the eye, before speaking in the softest voice I’d ever heard.

“No, he wasn’t angry. Not in the beginning, at least.” At Leyna’s subtle nod, the boy took a deep breath and continued to talk. “He found me at the west gate. He said he needed a guard to protect him on the way back to the base… He mentioned there was someone there who could hurt him.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Christina’s shoulders slumped in relief. Of course, she was inclined to see her brother as pure and innocent.

Meanwhile, I was starting to have second thoughts about this boy’s testimony. Would he end up helping us or doing more harm than good? I could only stand and watch, clinging onto every single word he spoke.

“So we left the castle together. At first he was quiet, but the closer we got to the Survey Corps base, he started…talking about someone. A Scout. He kept mumbling under his breath that he would teach her a lesson—that he would kill her before she got the chance to kill him. I asked him about it, but he brushed me off. He just told me it wasn’t my place to ask…and maybe he was right about that…”

Leyna’s eyes flickered to me, just in time to see me sink down against the podium before me. The chains scraped against the wood. My breaths were quick and sharp, my heart pounding violently against my chest.

Had Jax really planned on killing me that night? Had he returned to the base knowing full well that he was going to try to kill me?

“We got back to the base. He told me to stay outside with the horses, in case any Scouts tried to stop him. So I kept watch from outside, towards the back, where no one could see me.” Of course. Neither Levi nor Erwin had mentioned seeing an MP when they came back to the base. “But then… I could see him. Through one of the windows, on the second floor of the castle.”

My eyes widened. I had left the lantern beside the window that night, never blowing it out amidst the confusion. He’s talking about my room. My office.

“I only saw Mr. Meyer for a while,” the boy’s voice quivered slightly as the words spilled from his lips, “but it looked like he was leaning down… Like he was talking to someone below him. And then I saw someone else—Captain Wolf,” and for the briefest second he glanced at me, green eyes huge and bright, “and he grabbed at her. He was holding her neck from behind, and I could see her trying to push him off. I tried to see more but that’s when the other Scouts from the castle got back to the base. That’s when I hid in the forest with the horses. I didn’t want to risk getting caught—”

He glanced fearfully in Erwin’s direction, but the Commander’s eyes were nowhere near him. Instead, he glared directly at Aurille, who seemed to be trembling in fury at this news.

“That still doesn’t explain whether or not Miss Wolf was the instigator or the victim! In fact, it doesn’t even—”

“As a matter of fact,” Leyna’s voice cut in sharply, “it does. When Mr. Meyer is clearly making threats toward a particular Scout, and later when multiple people witness him being rough with her and hearing the sounds of a struggle… I think it’s perfectly clear who the instigator was in this situation.”

Aurille was practically shaking in his boots, his pudgy face a bright shade of red. He didn’t like being questioned, especially from a member of the Military Police—a member of the King’s Guard. The royal assembly’s power only went so far when it came to them, the personalized guards answering directly to the king himself.

Thankfully, he seemed to be the only one of the four who was truly enraged. Deltoff and Roderich just appeared to be embarrassed, hiding their hands in their laps and avoiding Leyna’s gaze altogether. And Gerald, for the most part, actually looked ashamed of himself. I wondered, for a moment, if they felt even the slightest bit of remorse for defending Jax as much as they did. If they, in fact, now considered the possibility that there could be another side to the story. And now that they had, it appeared that none of them wanted anything to do with it.

Nevertheless, Roderich raised his head and motioned to my sister with a hand, his lips tight as he spoke. “Officer Wolf, you have made your case incredibly clear. Perhaps Mr. Meyer wasn’t, in fact, in the right frame of mind that night.” In the corner of the room, I could see Christina practically seething, grinding her teeth together harshly. “However, I think it would be beneficial to hear one more testimony from that night.”

He looked at me then—and suddenly, every single pair of eyes in the room fell on me.

“Mia Wolf,” he began, “before the assembly and the citizens make any final verdicts, do you wish to say anything on your behalf?”

My hands trembled against the chains. I glanced at Roderich, at Aurille, at every single member of the assembly, before turning to Leyna. To Erwin, to Hanji and Petra. To Reggie and Mike and the rest of the Scouts. To Levi.

Everyone was here today because of me. Because they felt the need to defend me, even though they knew what I had done. I couldn’t let their selflessness and sacrifice go to waste. I had to make the best of it—just as I always tried to do.

“…I killed him. I won’t deny it, I never have.”

“And, if you don’t mind me asking,” Gerald continued, obviously taking off from Roderich’s lead, “why did you feel the need to kill him that night?”

This was my chance. To clear my name and get everything off my chest. To pay the Scouts back for their undying love and support for me. To stand up for myself, just as my parents and Leyna and Ben had taught me—and as Levi had always encouraged me to do.

I sucked in a breath, wiping the tears that gathered in my eyes, and stared up at the royal assembly.

“Because he tried to rape me.”

I couldn’t take it back now. It was out there, taunting me, waiting for me to crack and crumble. Waiting for me to sink to my knees and sob, just as I always had. But I knew I couldn’t stop now. And before I knew it, the words were pouring out of my mouth, hard and fast and desperate to be believed.

I could still hear his disgusting voice in my ear, murmuring the words from that night: Who’s going to believe you, sweetheart? The assembly?

I have more power over there than you do, Mia. You’re nothing to them, and you always will be.

I was sick and tired of his voice—his lies, his insults, everything that spewed from his mouth. And I wanted nothing more than to shut him up for good.

“He came to my office that night—he tried to force himself on me, but I wouldn’t let him. That’s when I heard Petra, when he had me against the desk. I tried to fight him off but I wasn’t fast enough. His hands—they were around my throat so fast. And then Captain Levi came in, and Jax threatened to kill him. There was just so much blood—and he grabbed at my throat again. I was terrified he was going to kill me for real this time. So I grabbed the closest thing I could find and used it against him.”

We’ll see how Humanity’s Strongest copes when his precious little fucktoy is taken away from him.

My whole body was shaking, so hard the rusty chains were rattling against the floor. I was too scared to look at anyone—at Levi or Erwin or Hanji, or even my own sister—so I kept staring at the assembly. Their faces blended together, but their expressions didn’t. A mix of shock and horror, and maybe even a little bit of pity.

Think of it this way, Mia, Jax’s voice echoed in my ears, all of this never would’ve happened if you just fucking obeyed me, like the good little girl you are.

But I refused to listen to him. He had gotten me into this mess in the first place, but I was determined to see myself out of it. Even if it cost me my life, I refused to be seen as the cold-blooded killer. I had taken that knife for a reason that night—and I wanted everyone in this room to know exactly what that reason was.

“I take full responsibility for what I’ve done…but I won’t regret it. He came after me that night. He tried to force himself on me, and when I fought back he tried to kill me. And if I had to…I would do it all over again.”

For the ones I loved. For Levi and Leyna, and Petra and Hanji and Erwin. I would do anything to keep them safe from that monster.

And for myself—for the fifteen-year-old girl who was still locked away inside, still scared of her own shadow, with her arms wrapped around her body. For her, I would do it all over again.

Aurille opened his mouth to speak—but it wasn’t his voice that filled the courtroom. Instead it was the older man on the side, the one with the droopy moustache and graying hair.

“It seems like a pretty clear case to me.” He hung his head as he spoke, careful not to look right at me. “The girl acted in self-defense. It all adds up: the bruises, the witnesses, everything.”

“I second that,” another citizen spoke up. He was quickly joined by a chorus of agreements, both men and women alike.

And for once, Christina Meyer was struck speechless. She simply stared at me, her face unreadable as she drummed her fingers against the edge of the stand.

I glanced over my shoulder at Levi, just in time to see his shoulders sag slightly. But we both knew it wasn’t over yet. The assembly had yet to reach a proper verdict, no matter what they had just heard.

“In any case,” Aurille growled, standing up from his seat, “the assembly will need to take a vote on this. Mia Wolf, if you are found guilty of murder, you will be charged and executed this evening at the gallows. Do you have anything left to say in your defense?”

I swallowed hard. Everything that needed to be said had already been said; I had nothing more to add. Still, I cleared my throat and raised my head. “I will take any punishment you plan to give me.”

I deserved that, at least. I didn’t regret killing Jackson Meyer, but I was willing to accept the consequences of my actions. Even if it meant certain death at the gallows.

Aurille nodded, and that smug smile quickly took shape on his pudgy face again. But it all but vanished the moment Roderich stepped up from his seat, placing his palms against the table.

“I vote for self-defense,” his voice boomed throughout the room, as Aurille stared at him with his mouth agape. “Mia Wolf did indeed kill him, but it was not unwarranted. I think with the testimonies and evidence provided, we can safely declare her actions justified.”

“Is that so?” There was a dangerous edge to Aurille’s voice. “And does the Lord condone those who murder freely, my friend?”

“No,” he responded instantly, “but the Lord does not condone men who try to take advantage of women, either. My vote remains intact—Captain Wolf acted in self-defense.”

“I have to agree,” Gerald added, clearing his throat. “It would be foolish of a Scout to kill any member of nobility, or to go after one in the first place. Captain Wolf was cornered. She had no other option but to kill him. So I have to vote for self-defense, as well.”

My eyes went wide. Two out of the four members actually agreed with my actions. Maybe I would be going home today after all.

“Well, I vote for murder.” Aurille flumped back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest. “What’s done is done. Motivations carry little weight when compared to what’s really happened. Miss Wolf has killed a member of the royal assembly, end of story. That alone should be a crime punishable by death.”

“Perhaps it should,” Deltoff replied, and it was then that I realized he hadn’t spoken a single word throughout the entire trial. “And perhaps it shouldn’t.”

Out of all the members of the assembly, Deltoff was aligned with Aurille the closest. They had similar mindsets when it came to ruling within Wall Sina—after all, their specialized fields of politics and economics seemed to go hand in hand more often than not. Still, I was eager to hear what he had to say, even if it meant my demise later tonight.

“The act of murdering a nobleman is unforgiveable on its own. However, the same cannot be said when it is done out of defending one’s own life. I’m inclined to agree with my colleagues, Aurille. My vote remains for self-defense. And it appears the vote is three to one.”

Three to one. Three to one.

With a final huff, Aurille straightened himself out and stood back up again. He aimlessly played with the stack of papers in front of him, before addressing the courtroom as a whole.

“It appears the assembly has reached a verdict. With the evidence and testimonies provided by the defense,” he sneered in Leyna’s direction, “as well as the support from the citizens of the Walls, the assembly declares Mia Wolf had acted in self-defense. She will be allowed to remain in the custody of the Survey Corps, but she is refrained from participating in any Scout expeditions beyond the Walls until the following year. And she will never be welcomed through the gates of Mitras again, no matter what. If one of our officers or guards sees her, they will have the legal right to arrest her. And with that, this trial has concluded.”

It wasn’t until he slammed his fist on the table that I remembered how to breathe. I trembled as one of the guards stepped forward to release me from the shackles. Once the rusty chains clattered to the ground, I rubbed at my wrists, blinking back a flood of tears.

I did it. I can go home today.

The thought of seeing Edel again, of going home to see my squad and the rest of my comrades, to live to see my sister again—it all came crashing down on me at once.

I’m alive.

A pair of warm arms came around my upper body, quickly followed by another pair around my waist. Murphy’s reddish-brown hair tickled my nose, as Reggie’s chest shuddered against my side. Gretel and Evan rushed forward, nearly shoving their squadmates out of the way to grab at me. When I opened my eyes, I could see Leyna looking at me, the corner of her lips quirked up ever so slightly.

I held my arms out, trying to catch all of them at once, to hold them as close as I could without breaking down. I glanced up at Hanji, at Erwin and Mike. And then at Levi, who looked relieved beyond words.

Thank you. Thank you all so much. But I couldn’t open my mouth—Gretel’s arm was still blocking it.

I knew this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Still, it was enough for me for today. I would be able to go home with my fellow Scouts, with my squad and my Commander and my best friend, and the man I loved with all my heart. And I would be able to leave knowing my sister was still here, defending me with everything she had.

I choked out a sob as I held my kids close, ignoring the eyes of the assembly and Military Police and citizens alike, as I finally let the flood of tears fall.

|~|

“…Are you going to be okay?”

I forced myself to nod, clasping my hands behind my back. “I think so, Leyna. You don’t have to worry.”

But she only rolled her eyes. “I have to worry, you’re my sister. So don’t try to get into too much trouble on the way back, alright?”

I nodded again, before glancing back at the single Scout waiting for me. My squad had gone on ahead with Mike and Erwin, with Hanji and Petra following close behind. Now it was just me and Levi, with Mischa waiting patiently for us at his side.

I wished I could have a proper goodbye with Leyna. There was still so much I wanted to say to her—so much that I could’ve said earlier, but didn’t have the strength to. And now it was too late. The assembly’s new order decreed that I had to be out of the city gates by dark, or else they would arrest me for trespassing. And it was already sunset, with the sky painted a beautiful orange color.

“Come here.” Before I could protest, she had pulled me into her chest, her arms wound tightly around my shoulders. I hugged her back, breathing in her fresh rose scent, already feeling the tears surge forth. “Are you really going to be okay over there, Mimi?”

I knew what she was insinuating, but I had to be strong. Not just for her sake, but for my own as well. “I think I’ll be fine. I said I’d do it all again if I had to, right?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you should have to…”

I swallowed hard and squeezed her once more, before pulling away from her chest. She held me at arm’s length, dragging a finger along the scar on my cheek.

“Write to me, okay? If you ever need me, I’ll come down to visit. It shouldn’t be too hard for me to get away; I’m sure either Emil or Sara will cover for me while I’m gone.”

I stifled a laugh. I knew I couldn’t always drag Leyna away from Mitras just to bring her to the Survey Corps base. She had her own duties here, her own life to live. And as much as I hated to admit it, she belonged in this city. She belonged in this twisted world of politics and word games and people, both citizens and nobles alike.

I was suited to live as far away from that world as I could, and the assembly had finally seemed to notice that. Finally, something we can both agree on, I thought to myself bitterly.

Still, I knew I would miss my sister. And we would make it work, no matter what. We were family after all, right? Family always made it work.

“You should come visit sometime. I’m sure Levi will love that.”

Her face scrunched up at the mention of my captain, and she glanced up and over my shoulder at him before shaking her head.

“I don’t get what you see in him, Mia. Too grumpy, if you ask me. But…if he makes you happy, then I guess that’s fine.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. It was the most I would ever get out of her about Levi, it seemed. I couldn’t really complain about it.

“Stay safe. I’ll come by soon, okay?” I nodded, and she gave me another quick hug—and a firm kiss on my cheek, right against my scar. “Love you, Mimi.”

“Love you too, Leyna.”

It was hard not to burst into tears as I walked back to Levi, as he helped me onto Mischa (being mindful of my leg) and urged her on. I had to be strong, even as I watched my sister wave to me as the golden gates closed shut behind us.

It wasn’t until we were outside the gates that Levi spoke, glancing at me from over his shoulder. “You okay?”

My palms trembled as I tightened my arms around his waist. “I think so.” He nodded at turned back to Mischa, but not before taking my hand and brushing his lips over my knuckles in a soft, tender kiss.

Even as we left the gates of Mitras and the borders of Wall Sina altogether, I could still feel my sister’s warm arms around me, the ghost of her sweet kiss still lingering on my cheek.

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #slow burn #levi x oc #levi ackerman #mia wolf #romance #a wolf with wings #wolves of the walls saga #oc x canon #oc story #oc insert #levi x mia #volume i #aot fics

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gimmeromance · 3 years

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Ask from a user who wants to remain anonymous:

Can you make this anon?

Lately I've been reading a bunch of romance and it's always with alpha males. I'd really love to read more romance like The Rakess with an alpha heroine where the woman is the dominant personality and the man is not. BDSM is fine so long as it is actually romance and not just erotica. I want to see women in heterosexual relationships being awesome and dominant and the dude totally being okay with it. (Like Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff.)

Please help! It feels like romance tends to forget that het/bi/pan women with alpha personalities need love too.

Alpha females are definitely not the norm in most romance, you’re quite correct. We’re glad you already discovered The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham; that author has written a couple of submissive males in her BDSM historicals. Also weirdly enough, some old school historical romance totally gets into this trope - probably because Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy is the original Alpha Heroine/Beta Hero (unless you count the Taming of the Shrew which depending on the production and interpretation is viable.) And as you likely already know, OP, having an alpha personality doesn’t mean that the woman has to be unfeminine. It just means that in the relationship the woman is the dominant partner.

We’ve scoured around and found a few more you might enjoy!

Historical

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan - M/F, Victorian Romance, Asian Romance (heroine is Chinese, hero is half-Chinese), alpha female, Open Door

Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt - M/F, Regency Romance, Open Door, heroine is a masked vigilante

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - M/F - Regency Romance, No Sex, Heroine is Gentry. Classic Romance.

Desire in Disguise by Rebecca Brandywine - M/F - French Revolution, Open door, heroine is a pirate, Old School Romance.

Skye O’Malley by Bertrice Small - M/F - Elizabethan England, Open Door, Interracial Romance, Old School Romance, CW: Rape, Domestic Abuse, and Sexual Slavery. Book 1 of a two book series. Heroine is Irish and head of her Clan and Captain of a fleet of ships.

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole - M/F - Civil War America, Open Door, Interracial Romance, CW: Slavery, Rape, Racism (all the racism). Heroine is a Spy

A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke - M/F - Regency Romance, Open Door, CW: Alcohol Abuse, Withdrawal, Sexual Assault. Heroine is a Spinster.

An Eye for an Earl by Jean Wilde - M/F - Regency Romance, Open Door, CW: Rape, Sexual Assault, Heroine is a Courtesan.

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Fantasy

Tinker by Wen Spencer - M/F, Fantasy Romance, Mechanic Heroine, Elf Hero, Near-Future, Unknown Heat Level - book 1 of 4, HFN in Book 1.

The Stormbringer by Isabel Cooper - M/F. Fantasy Romance, Warrior Heroine, Epic Fantasy, Open Door. Book 1 of 3, each featuring a different couple, heroines are all warriors.

The Edge of the Woods by Jules Kelley - M/F Bisexual (MFC referenced having past relationships with women), Shifter Romance. Open Door - heroine is alpha wolf of her pack, hero is not a shifter

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs - M/F, Shifter Romance, Urban Fantasy Romance, Native American heroine, Interracial romance, Love Triangle, Open Door - book 1 of 13 (and counting) in the Mercy Thompson series

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse - M/F, Post Apocalyptic Romance, Urban Fantasy (Magic User), Native American Heroine, book 1 of 2 and likely more.

Alpha Night by Nalini Singh - M/F - Urban Fantasy (Shifter, Psychic), Book 19 of a 20 book and counting series, Heroine is the Alpha of her Pack.

Men Are Frogs by Saranna DeWylde - M/F - Contemporary Fantasy - Fairy Tale Retelling, Interracial Romance, Heroine is a Wedding Planner, Book 2 of a 3 book and counting series.

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Science Fiction

Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair - M/F, SciFi Romance, Smuggler Heroine, Open Door - you cannot go wrong with Linnea Sinclair. Her entire catalogue fits your ask. Try Gabriel’s Ghost or Games of Command or An Accidental Goddess, too.

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre - M/F, SciFi Romance, Pilot Heroine, Closed Door - book 1/6 in the Sirantha Jax series. Each book has an HFN and book 6 Jax and March get their HEA.

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YA Romance

You’ll actually find quite a lot of kickass heroines (and the heroes who adore them) in the YA genre. From Katniss in The Hunger Games to Celaena in Throne of Glass and Jaenelle in the Black Jewels trilogy. However, these are not always romance, in that they don’t always fulfill the promise of the HEA or even HFN (Jaenelle doesn’t get either, in particular). It’s very common for the HEA not to come until the end of the series, so bear that in mind when looking at the recommendations below (and any other YA series).

Graceling by Kristin Cashore - M/F. YA Fantasy Romance, Unknown Heat Level, Assassin Heroine - book 1 in a series of 4.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers - M/F, YA Fantasy Romance, Open Door, Assassin Heroine - book 1 of a trilogy.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - M/F, YA Science Fiction Romance, Open Door, Cyborg Heroine. Book 1 of a series of 4; each featuring a different strong heroine.

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena - M/F, YA Fantasy Romance, No Sex, Magic User Heroine, Book 1 in a Duology.

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Contemporary Romance

Vanessa’s Winter Romance by Christina Rose Andrews - M/F - Open Door - Interracial Romance, Law School Heroine, Black Heroine, Hispanic Hero, Beta Hero. (Bood 2 of a 3 book series)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert - M/F - Open Door, Interracial romance, College Professor Heroine, Black Heroine, Muslim Hero, Bisexual Heroine, Beta Hero (Book 2 of a 3 book series)

Dirty Sweet Wild by Julie Kriss - M/F - Open Door, Disabled Hero (Amputee and PTSD), Sex Worker Heroine, Veteran Romance, Billionaire Romance (Book 2 of a 4 book series)

Tramps Like Us/Kimi wa Pet/You’re My Pet by Yayoi Ogawa - M/F - Open Door - MANGA Series, CW: Homelessness, Love Triangle. Heroine is a successful Business woman.

*These suggestions are not endorsements. Please read the description and the reviews to decide whether you want to read the books!

#trope ask #alpha heroines #Historical Romance #science fiction romance #fantasy romance #interracial romance #Paranormal Romance #contemporary romance #YA Romance #&#^

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readswithreed · 3 years

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I wanted to make a book stack spelling out my username just to see if I could so here is the end result.

I only had to stretch/cheat on one or two but I’m still pretty happy.

R - "Ruthless Gods" by Emily A Duncan

E - "Ecstasy in Darkness" by Gena Showalter

E - “Edgar Allen Poe Stories” by Edgar Allen Poe

D - “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” by Laini Taylor

Y - “You’re Gonna be Okay” by Jax DeBellis

A - “Allegiant” by Veronica Roth

L - “Little Woman” by Louisa May Alcott

I - “Into the Drowning Deep” by Mira Grant

K - “Kingsbane” by Claire Legrand

E - “Eclipse” by Stephanie Meyer

A - “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J Maas

B - “Blue Lily, Lily Blue” by Maggie Stiefvater

O - “Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the” - J.K. R*wling

O - “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck

K - “King of Scars” by Leigh Bardugo

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juarezesdeporte · 8 months

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LOS MINEROS DE UTEP ABREN LA TEMPORADA 2023 VISITANDO A JACKSONVILLE STATE

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP abrirá su temporada número 106 en el nuevo programa de la Conferencia USA, Jacksonville State, el sábado 26 de agosto con el inicio programado para las 3:30 p.m. MT/4:30 CT en Burgess-Snow Field en el JSU Stadium en Jacksonville, Alabama. Los Miners and Gamecocks serán televisados a nivel nacional por CBS Sports Network y se podrán escuchar en 600 ESPN El Paso.

Los Mineros abrirán en la semana 0 por tercera temporada consecutiva, mientras que el inicio del 26 de agosto es lo más temprano que UTEP abrirá una campaña.

El entrenador en jefe de UTEP, Dana Dimel, regresa para su sexta temporada bajo el mando. Los Mineros buscan ser elegibles para el tazón por segunda vez en tres años después de su aparición en el New Mexico Bowl de 2021.

Trece mineros que fueron All-CUSA en 2022 vestirán el nuevo equipo adidas como Praise Amaewhule, Deion Hankins, Tyrice Knight, Angelo Tejada, Marcus Bellon, Steven Hubbard, Kobe Hylton, Elijah Klein, Justin Mayers, Andrew Meyer, Joshua Sloan. Keenan Stewart y Tyrin Smith se vestirán en 2023. UTEP regresa con siete titulares en ofensiva, seis en defensa y cinco en equipos especiales. En total, 41 ganadores regresan con el Naranja y el Azul.

Jax State terminó su campaña final como programa FCS con un récord general de 9-2 y una marca de 5-0 en la acción de la Conferencia Atlantic Sun. Los Gamecocks corrieron más de 2,900 yardas, promediaron 251.0 yardas por juego y anotaron 37 TD. JSU ocupó el primer lugar en ASUN y el quinto en FCS en carrera por tierra. Su ofensiva anotadora (36,2 puntos por partido) ocupa el décimo lugar en FCS y la primera en la conferencia.

"Cada vez que un equipo tiene marca de 9-2, sabe cómo ganar; quiero decir, es una temporada fuerte para ellos", dijo Dimel. "Ellos hicieron un gran trabajo. Son muy, muy atléticos. Tienen una gran velocidad de equipo en defensa. A la ofensiva, tienen su versión de Frank Harris, un mariscal de campo de séptimo año que regresa. Entonces, creo que tiene un poco de experiencia en lo que hace. Es un muy buen jugador y muy atlético. Tienen un grupo de corredores en el backfield. Tienen mucha profundidad en su backfield. Consiguieron que cuatro de sus cinco titulares regresaran a la línea ofensiva, por lo que tienen mucha profundidad allí”.

UTEP no alcanzó la elegibilidad para el tazón y terminó 5-7 en general y 3-5 en el juego CUSA. La defensa terrestre de los Mineros fue algo de qué hablar el año pasado, ya que permitieron la menor cantidad de yardas terrestres por juego (136.0) desde 1967. El ataque terrestre de UTEP ganó más de 2,000 yardas por primera vez desde la temporada 2016.

Para Jax State, es la primera vez que juega como un programa de FBS, mientras que los Gamecocks ingresan a su primera temporada en el nuevo CUSA después de jugar en la Atlantic Sun Conference en 2022 y en la Ohio Valley Conference las nueve temporadas anteriores (2003-2021). .

Los mineros no sólo se enfrentarán a un equipo con nueve victorias el sábado, sino que el pronóstico de finales de agosto prevé una temperatura máxima de 97 grados y un 66 por ciento de humedad.

“Hemos tenido un verano muy cálido, como todos sabemos, en El Paso, y hemos corrido y acondicionado a un nivel más alto que nunca durante todo el verano. Nuestros muchachos están muy bien acondicionados. Nuestros muchachos están muy preparados para manejar los elementos que traerá el primer juego”, dijo Dimel.

UTEP (0-0, 0-0) en Jax State (0-0, 0-0)

Fecha: sábado 26 de agosto

Hora: 15:30 horas. MT/4:30 CT

Ubicación: Jacksonville, Alabama.

Lugar: Burgess-Snow Field en el estadio JSU (24,000)

Actualizaciones de Twitter: @UTEPFB

Televisión: CBSSN

PxP: Vals Rico

Analista: Aaron Taylor

Línea lateral: Amanda Guerra

Radio: 600 ESPN El Paso

PxP: Jon Teicher

Analista: Cole Freytag

Línea lateral: Mando Medina

DÓNDE VER Y ESCUCHAR

El concurso será televisado a nivel nacional por CBS Sports Network con Rich Waltz (jugada por jugada) y Aaron Taylor (análisis) convocando la acción, y Amanda Guerra al margen. Los fanáticos pueden sintonizar 600 ESPN El Paso con Jon Teicher, “La Voz de los Mineros”, narrando jugada por jugada en su temporada número 43. A 'Teich' se le une el ex WR de UTEP Cole Freytag (2012, 2014-16) en el stand brindando análisis en su segunda temporada y Mando Medina reportando desde la banca. La acción también se puede escuchar en la aplicación Mineros de UTEP.

SERIE VS. ESTADO DE JAX

Los Mineros y los Gamecocks se enfrentarán por primera vez el 26 de agosto de 2023.

ACERCA DEL ESTADO JAX

Los Gamecocks, bajo la dirección de Rich Rodríguez en su primera temporada al mando, terminaron 9-2 en general y 5-0 en la Conferencia Atlantic Sun durante la temporada 2022. Jax State, en su primera temporada como programa de FBS, presenta 22 titulares y 50 ganadores de letras para la campaña 2023. La temporada pasada, los Gamecocks promediaron más de 36 puntos por partido, mientras que cedieron poco menos de 23 puntos. JSU promedió 423,6 yardas de ofensiva total y cedió 398,7 por partido. El corredor líder en carreras, Anwar Lewis, regresa después de ganar 818 yardas en 115 acarreos (7.1 en promedio) y ocho touchdowns. El QB Zion Webb también regresa después de correr para 13 anotaciones y 647 yardas (5.6 en promedio), el máximo del equipo. Webb agregó 10 pases de touchdown con 1,737 yardas por aire y nueve intercepciones. Webb completó el 55,2 por ciento (111-210) de sus pases

(PHOTO CREDIT: UTEP Athletics // REPORT BY: Mark Brunner)

#local

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phoenixrising23 · 3 years

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Bloody Masquerade

Sorry for the short chapter had alot to do and also need to set a pace for this. Going to try and post every day.... can’t promise that of course

I've created my own character in this

But all rights go to Stephaine Meyers the creator of twilight

I've created my own character in this

But all rights go to Stephaine Meyers the creator of twilight

Chapter 1

Bella’s POV

The moment they walked through the doors of the cafeteria I knew something was different about them, but the one thing I knew was that the blonde girl was going to be mine no matter what the hell I had to go through it was odd really it felt as if me and Rosalie I believe her name is it felt has if we are connected by some type of force. But then that's when I hear everyone else talk about the guy with the gray hair. He looks as if he doesn’t get much sleep, he almost looks as if death was a person.

Jax’s POV

Must these god forsaken humans continue to stare I swear one of these days I am going to kill every single one of them, damn school why must we repeat another year of stupid useless shit that Ive already learned hundereds of times over and besides its not like any of these humans will ever use or even remember anything they are taught. That is when I hear the rest of my family talking about the new girl Bella I think her name is I really couldn't care less, until I hear my pixies voice saying this bella girl is going to be an important member of the family. Of course our family would somehow get involved with a human, oh god great a human that's the only thing this family needs it's not like we have oh I don’t know enough to worry about we really don’t need a damn war with those disgusting mutts at la push.

Jax babe I don’t know why you are complaining so much when you and her are going to become the best of friends, Alice honey I truly doubt nor do I want a human as my friend I go the rest of my immortal life never speaking to that girl ever. Well that isn’t going to happen because you have biology with her and you need to keep her away from Rose right now until we are sure that they are mates and do remember to try and not do nothing to creep out the poor human girl, my Alice says while kissing me as she begins to get ready to head to her next class. I swear that girl can get me to murder a whole cluster of people with blinking an eye. I chuckle to myself

#Twilght #Ooc #Rosella #rosalie hale

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Globe, January 4

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Ghislaine Maxwell buying her way out of prison

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Gavin Rossdale playing tennis with his pup Chewy, Brooke Burke holding holiday balls topless, James Franco takes his cellphone into the sea

Page 3: Leighton Meester surfing in Malibu, Robbie Williams, Lisa Rinna wearing two masks

Page 4: Angelina Jolie is bracing for major humiliation after being dragged into Johnny Depp’s latest legal showdown with ex-wife Amber Heard -- Angie’s run-ins with Johnny who she starred with in 2010′s The Tourist are coming under intense scrutiny as Depp gears for a second court battle with Amber -- Angie and Johnny were so coy about their white-hot connection at the time even though their romance was an open secret but they got lucky because nobody had the smoking gun to prove it but now it’ll all come out in the open -- at the time Johnny was still dating Vanessa Paradis while Angie was five years into her doomed love-in with Brad Pitt -- there’s talk bisexual Amber was kind of obsessed with Angie so Angie is central to the plotline whether she likes it or not

Page 5: The Bachelor host Chris Harrison is worried he’ll follow Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron out the door -- both these shows have been on TV forever and the world has changed around them and to keep up with Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement changes are being discussed and that’s left Chris fearing he’ll be the next Tom Bergeron and replaced by a woman of color

Page 6: Aging divas Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton are caught in a bitter country catfight and long-dead Patsy Cline is the excuse -- although there’s been little love lost between the Nashville icons for nearly 50 years their simmering feud exploded weeks ago when Dolly apparently took some veiled public shots at Loretta’s BFF Patsy who was horribly disfigured in a car wreck two years before dying in a 1963 plane crash -- in an interview Dolly recalled standing in the wings of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry at age 13 and watching Patsy perform and she remembered thinking about how awful it was that she got her pretty face scarred up like that -- Loretta was fit to be tied over the comments Dolly made about her old pal and thinks Dolly should stop running her mouth about Nashville legends like Patsy and Johnny Cash -- Dolly’s heard about Loretta’s complaints through the grapevine and brushes them off as quarantine boredom mixed with old age

Page 8: Blake Shelton’s going bonkers after fiancee Gwen Stefani told him she wants to skip the mega-million star-studded wedding shindig he’s been planning and elope -- Blake is all bent out of shape over Gwen’s latest switcheroo which calls for them to get hitched on the sly at a Mexican resort and she’s got him so mixed up he can’t think straight because for the longest time she wanted the Hollywood-style wedding with all the bells and whistles and was very particular about details but now she’s telling him to ditch those plans which have already cost them a small fortune and book a trip somewhere exotic so they can just just get it over with -- Gwen wants to elope so they can hitched at the Riviera Maya resort in Cancun where they could swap vows on the beach witnessed by her three sons and Blake has no choice but to give in to Gwen and he’s saying he’s fine with it as long as she’s sure this time

Page 9: Hollywood horndog John Mayer is back sniffing around old flame Jennifer Aniston after his mom gave him a shove -- John and Jen had a steamy fling for about a year before he dropped her in 2009 and now John’s mom Margaret Meyer is scolding him for letting Jen go and John’s mom is always on him about settling down and she feels that at 43 he should be married and she recently had a heart-to-heart talk with him and told him she thought Jennifer was the most down-to-earth of all his exes and because John considers his mom one of the smartest people he knows he decided to reach out to Jen and he’s always admired Jen and thought of her as a classy lady and now he’s reaching out to her again in hopes of getting her to agree to see him again once things leave lockdown

* FKA Twigs has socked actor Shia LaBeouf with a bombshell lawsuit claiming he subjected her to relentless physical, emotional and mental abuse and gave her an STD and she also accuses him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress -- although Shia says she’s lying Twigs insists Shia once choked her in the middle of the night and kept a loaded firearm by the bed leaving her terrified to get up at night for fear he’d think she was an intruder and shoot her -- she claims during an incident around Valentine’s Day 2019 Shia threatened to crash his speeding car unless she professed her love for him so when he pulled into a gas station she got out of the car but he threw her against the car while screaming in her face then forced her back into the car -- Shia also had rules about how often Twigs had to kiss and touch him -- Shia has been arrested several times on now-dismissed charges including assault and disorderly conduct

Page 10: John Lennon didn’t have to die -- that’s law enforcement experts’ explosive analysis after reviewing newly discovered evidence about the Beatles legend’s December 8, 1980 murder in NYC -- an odd series of coincidences and simple decisions put Lennon and his killer Mark David Chapman in the same place at the same time -- a review of the details concludes Lennon’s death was a strange result of flukes including his penchant for running around without protection and a missed appointment with his photographer and without these quirks of fate John would still be alive and recording hit songs

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Pink flashes her bandaged thumb after getting stitches in Santa Monica (picture), Amanda Seyfried confesses she made a terrible decision for turning down the role of a lifetime as Chris Pratt’s love interest in Guardians of the Galaxy and now she’s watching from the sidelines as the director’s second choice Zoe Saldana skyrockets in the money-making Marvel franchise, Katherine Heigl will star in the upcoming limited biopic series Woodhull about Victoria Woodhull the first woman to run for president in 1872, Big Brother alum Zach Rance has come out as bisexual after admitting a sizzling same-sex romance with his former reality show housemate Frankie Grande who is the real-life older brother of pop star Ariana Grande

Page 13: Jaime King slurps down a meal on the streets on L.A. (picture), Jax Taylor mowing the lawn (picture), Guns N’ Roses axman Slash loads up on supplies at an L.A. grocery (picture), former teen heartthrob Chad Michael Murray admits his inflated young ego got the best of him and now he looks at photos of himself and thinks what a dweeb

Page 14: Julia Roberts is headed for the small screen headlining the limited TV series The Last Thing He Told Me where she’ll form an unexpected relationship with her teenage stepdaughter while searching for the truth about her husband’s mysterious disappearance, Emma Stone is also heading for the flat-screen in the comedy series The Curse alongside Nathan Fielder about a couple starring on an HGTV-style show who are trying to conceive a child amid an alleged curse, Nicolas Cage is hosting a new series called The History of Swear Words in which he’ll delve into the origins and pop culture usage and science and cultural impact of profanely shocking expletives

* Fashion Police -- Peyton List 8/10, Sofia Carson 9/10, Vanessa Hudgens 2/10, Neve Campbell 1/10, Chelsea Handler 4/10

Page 16: Cover Story -- Jeffrey Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell’s $30M jail break -- terrified and tortured Ghislaine risks family fortune to buy her freedom -- the accused sex predator and her fat cat inner circle are set to plunk down an obscene $30 million to buy her way out of federal prison in what outraged investigators fear is a brazen plot to cheat justice

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Mayim Bialik

* Lizzo is admitting she’s having negative thoughts and is hating her 300-pound body but adds she knows she beautiful

* The Spice Girls were likely liquored up on cut-rate champagne when they made their first album according to Emma Bunton a.k.a. Baby Spice who says she and her bandmates swilled the cheapest sparkling wine in the studio

Page 20: True Crime -- a chilling message left by the elusive Zodiac Killer has finally been cracked by a team of code breakers after 51 years -- a hodgepodge of numbers, symbols and letters called the 340 cipher was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969 and lawmen believed it contained key clues to the serial killer’s identity but the truth is even more chilling -- according to the experts the message says I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me, I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me

Page 21: Caitlyn Jenner is terrified after learning her skin cancer has returned a second time -- she was diagnosed with basal cell skin cancer a few years ago and had an entire layer of skin removed from her nose -- since then she’s been slathering on sunscreen but a new red spot on the right side of her nose popped up along with some crusty areas on her scalp but the nose patch was not cancer but hypertrophic keratosis or scaly damage from sun exposure -- however the dozen spots on the top of her head was squamous cell carcinoma which is a skin cancer that’s known to be aggressive so her doctor burned off the offending spots -- her doctor recommended she replace her 1960 Austin-Healey convertible but the chances of Caitlyn selling her prized ride are slim

Page 23: Your 2021 Horoscope -- love, luck, health, wealth, happiness -- plus surprising celebrity predictions -- Elton John, Valerie Bertinelli, Johnny Depp, Jessica Simpson, Matthew Perry, Cameron Diaz, Will Smith, Katy Perry, Howie Mandel, Savannah Guthrie, Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood

Page 30: Larry King has reached a deal with estranged wife Shawn but she’s royally peeved about the payoff -- Larry has agreed to pay her a lump sum of $20,000 plus $33,000 a month in spousal support which lasts until at least their next scheduled hearing in April but Shawn claims the 33Gs only covers a third of her monthly nut which includes $25,000 for rent on her home, $12,000 on clothes, $3500 on groceries and $4500 for hair and nails and pet care and gym

Page 31: Kim Kardashian is reading husband Kanye West the riot act over his junk food benders that are sabotaging her healthy eating program and it’s led to more than a few arguments with no peace in sight -- he’s telling her to chill and let him live by his own terms but she can’t do that because it’s driving her crazy -- what really ticks Kim off is his junk food has totally taken over her section of fresh cut veggies, fruits and water and she wants him to get his own storage in a different part of the house where she won’t have to see it or hold her nose

* Kardashian momager Kris Jenner’s faux reality TV home is on the market for nearly $8 million even though she never lived there -- the L.A. estate was used for exterior shots of the image-conscious family’s compound on Keeping Up with the Kardashians but it was all for show -- dubbed the Iredell Estate the house also appears in True Blood and Chelsea Lately

Page 33: Health Report

Page 34: Wrestling Ring Kings: Where Are They Now? Sable, Bret Hart

Page 35: Lex Luger, Steve Austin, Ric Flair

Page 36: The Undertaker, Tito Santana, Diamond Dallas Page

Page 37: Kane, Kurt Angle, Sunny, Mick Foley

Page 39: Despite an astounding 30 No. 1 country music hits legendary singer Charley Pride took a haunting regret to his grave that he never made it as major league baseball star -- Charley had so much success but he died tormented his baseball career short-circuited -- Charley was singing and playing guitar by the time he was 14 but his real goal was to pitch for the New York Yankees -- Charley signed with a Yankees farm team as a flame-throwing phenom at 17 but in his rookie season he threw out his arm and was just never the same -- after he struck out in baseball he put his full energy into singing but faced an uphill battle -- Charley was the Jackie Robinson of country music and he endured a lot of racism

Page 40: Kelsey Grammer admits he often breaks down and blubbers like a baby and it makes him feel better and he cries when he’s upset or sad or scared and it provides him a lot of relief and he believes years of tragedy in his life taught him to cry as a healing mechanism and now he sheds tears whenever he has sad feeling bottled up inside him

* A moneybags James Bond fan coughed up a whopping $256,000 for the handgun 007 Sean Connery toted in the first spy epic Dr. No -- the disabled Walther PP semi-automatic was supposed to bring in no more than $200,000 but the unidentified American buyer who claims to have seen every Bond epic went even higher

Page 44: Straight Talk -- Miley Cyrus is now blabbing about why she broke up with husband Liam Hemsworth after years of togetherness and just nine months of marriage and it sounds like a case of the pot calling the kettle black

Page 45: Furious Queen Elizabeth has booted Princess Eugenie and her husband out of Prince Harry’s Frogmore Cottage home in a bit to foil Meghan Markle’s plan to completely cut him off from England and the royal family -- pregnant Eugenie and her booze-seller husband Jack Brooksbank were ordered to quit the cottage and move back to Kensington Palace just six weeks after Harry and Meghan secretly leased them the home meaning Harry and Meghan are still on the financial hook for Frogmore which was a gift from the queen and they will have to underwrite the cost of keeping up the property and it also ensures Harry has a home in Britain if he ever wants to come back -- by moving Eugenie and Jack out the queen has made sure Harry still has a place to hang his hat if he decides to come back to leave his American wife

Page 47: Bizarre But True

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