Tattoos and Cupcakes (Amulet of Queens Book 1) Read online

  Amulet of Queens

  Book One

  Tattoos and Cupcakes

  Everly Taylor

  Title: Tattoos and Cupcakes

  Series: Amulet of Queens Book One

  Copyright @ 2019 by Everly Taylor

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This includes, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—so don’t steal my shit, k? It’s not nice, and if you like enough to want to steal it, then you like it enough to be honest about it. Don’t be jerks.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Though if you share a name or something similar with one of the characters in this book, you are probably a bad ass. So if you secretly want to think I wrote about you, I won’t tell anyone.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. This is called piracy guys, and while pirates in hats are sexy as hell, stealing other people's shit isn’t. So get your parrot and sword, play pirates, but don’t be sending yourself to Davy Jones’ Locker for doing something you’re not supposed to.

  Drinking Rum is still an accepted form of piracy though.

  To all of those that believed in me.

  Thank you

  To my family and friends.

  I am not responsible for any reaction you may have

  once you turn these pages.

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter One - Selena

  Chapter Two – Selena

  Chapter Three - Valentina

  Chapter Four - Selena

  Chapter Five - Selena

  Chapter Six - Selena

  Chapter Seven - Damien

  Chapter Eight - Valentina

  Chapter Nine - Selena

  Chapter Ten - Selena

  Chapter Eleven - Selena

  Chapter Twelve - Valentina

  Chapter Thirteen - Selena

  Chapter Fourteen – Selena

  Chapter Fifteen - Selena

  Chapter Sixteen - Adrien

  Chapter Seventeen - Aldrich

  Chapter Eighteen - Selena

  Chapter Nineteen - Selena

  Chapter Twenty - Selena

  Chapter Twenty-One - Selena

  Chapter Twenty-Two - Selena

  Chapter Twenty-Three - Selena

  Chapter Twenty-Four - Selena

  Chapter Twenty-Five - Selena

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Selena

  Chapter Twenty-Seven - Selena

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About Everly Taylor

  Prologue

  Valentina

  It was the night of the blood moon and I knew better than to let my desires get the best of me. I knew better, especially with him. Blood called to blood and there was no helping it, neither one of us could deny ourselves any longer. Consequences be damned.

  He ran his strong hands down my back and I shuddered at his touch, arching closer for what I had deprived myself of for so long. The future queen couldn’t allow herself such indulgences but once, just this once, I was going to take what I wanted.

  The moon cast its eerie red shadow across the room, filling it with power so thick you could reach out and grab it. Its heady essence enveloped me and I knew there was no turning back now. I reveled in the fact that I was making him lose control, reveled in the fact that we were doing something so forbidden.

  Confident, he lifted my dress over my head, dropping it to the floor. Watching his eyes widen at my lack of undergarments caused my excitement to grow. His intense stare on my naked body made me tremble with eagerness, leaving me feeling more exposed than I ever had been before. I didn’t care. Tonight with him, I would give all. I would take all.

  I reached for him, an invitation to join me. Pulling his clothes off he tossed them to the side and pushed me back on the bed. He caressed my neck slowly, sweetly, tracing kisses as he worked his way up toward my chin. Finally reaching the curve of my throat, I felt his fangs extend and brush against my skin. Shivers of anticipation raced through my body.

  I knew what was coming. I craved it.

  My own fangs extended in impatience. They brushed against his shoulder, throbbing, needing to taste him. Our power mixed with that of the blood moon and I ached to have him fill me, to have his blood fill me.

  He ran his hands up my thigh, scarcely touching me as he worked his way to my already hot and waiting center. I pressed my hips against him, begging for more while he teased me, barely slipping a finger inside, testing me, tormenting me. I remained on edge, waiting to crash, and he recognized it. Running my nails up his muscled back I urged him to give me more, anything more. He smirked knowingly at me and drove his fingers deep inside, and my back arched as I let out a moan.

  Shifting closer, he angled himself between my thighs, sliding his hand under my already arched back as he brought me nearer to him. He leaned into me, licking my throat before sinking his teeth into my flesh and entering me at the same time. Letting out a deep moan my own fangs sank into his neck. This was the greatest pleasure and pain I had ever known. None of it mattered, not the brief sting or even the consequences we would face. The only thing that mattered right now was that he didn’t stop, that we let ourselves free, lost in the pleasure of one another.

  I drank deep as his rich flavor filled me in places I didn’t realize had been empty. I greedily took everything he offered, wrapping my legs around him as I shifted to take him deeper. His blood was unlike anything I had ever consumed, unlike anything I knew I would ever consume again. It was laced thick with power, with forbidden magic that only existed on this magical night.

  I wanted him to go on forever. The way his body trembled over mine though, I knew we were both going to lose control soon. His hips rocked against me, the pleasure building until it was almost unbearable. My body quivered with the onslaught as he drove me harder toward completion. We both slipped over the edge at the same time, waves of bliss crashing over us.

  The blood moon had reached its peak and was now descending from the sky. Sated, my teeth retracted as he shifted off of me to cushion my head on his chest.

  We lay there for a moment in the silence of the night, the red now completely faded from the room. Our passion and the magic both spent.

  “Valen—” His words were cut off at the sound of footsteps in the hall. I rolled off of him quickly, scooping up his discarded clothes from the floor and shoving them into his arms. Piling his shoes on top, I pushed him toward the window.

  “Go, you must go,” I urged, shoving him closer to the opening. My eyes widened as the footsteps stopped outside my door. He stared at me, words left unspoken between us. A knock on the door had him moving silently through my window, the curtains swaying to the side, the only sign he had been there.

  My door opened and my mother stormed through. Her deep blue eyes flashing around the room. “He was here, wasn’t he? I can smell him.” She never missed a thing, I didn’t know why I thought this would be any different.

  “Yes.” I refused to back down on this. I would not defend myself nor regret what had happened.

  “Valentina, you are to be the future queen of our people. You cannot behave like this.”


  “Yes mother, that is clear. I am the future queen and I will take who I want, when I want.”

  “Anyone but him Valentina,” she pleaded. “You don’t know the dangers you put yourself or our clan in.” Her eyes widened as she looked at me, realizing for the first time that I was unclothed. “You didn’t.” I met her gaze evenly, not responding. “You foolish girl, you have no clue what you have done.” She turned and left my room, closing my door sharply behind her.

  Going to the still open window, I slowly slid it closed and gazed out. There were nothing but shadows left of the night, and those shadows normally called to me, comforted me. Tonight they somehow felt empty. I placed my hand on the glass, wanting to reach out, and see my lover, to call him back. Instead there remained only my reflection in the window, my platinum silver hair, a stark contrast in the dark.

  A tear streaked down my cheek, cold and lonely. The feeling was welcome.

  It was almost as welcome as the warm sensation starting to build in my stomach. I jerked away from the window quickly as I realized my thought. I don’t feel warmth. My body is incapable of feeling any sort of heat, I am of the night, cold and dark.

  My hand flew to my belly and I focused on the little bead of heat building, growing ever so stronger. Suddenly it fluttered, shifted, and steadied itself. A quiet warmth flowed through my stomach, quieting, and finally settling to a calm glow.

  Mother was right for once. I had no clue what I had done.

  Chapter One

  Selena-26 years later

  Why the hell wouldn’t the pounding stop? There was no way I had drank so much last night that my head was still throbbing today. I knew we had a good time, but this was ridiculous. I shoved my head under the pillow, hoping the darkness would bring some sort of relief. When the hammering not only continued but got louder, I realized it was a lost cause.

  “Lena! Get your ass up and open this door!”

  I groaned, well at least the pounding wasn’t my head. “Hold your fucking horses! I’m coming!” I shouted back, pushing off of the bed. I knew she would hear me, even if I hadn’t yelled. My tiny one bedroom apartment—if it could even be called that—had paper thin walls. They were so thin I could practically see my neighbors, and that was nowhere near as appealing as it sounds. We already had the not so great pleasure of seeing seventy-three-year old Mr. Newman walking through the hall to check his mail. His bathrobe would flap open, tidbits hanging for the world to see, and he couldn’t care less. Not something I aimed to view on a daily basis.

  “Lena, get out here!”

  Making my way through the living room, I flicked on a light as I went. My head might not actually be pounding, but there was still no way I was opening the curtains this early. As I reached the door, the scent of coffee and bagels was already wafting through. She had brought sustenance, so I guess I would let her in.

  I swung the door open just as her raised hand was about to start hammering again. She grinned at me, dropping her arm. How the hell did she manage to look so put together this early in the morning? “Really Sam? You couldn’t wait five fucking minutes?”

  “You needed to get up anyways, and watch your mouth.” Sam breezed by me as she pushed a bag from my favorite bakery into my arms. Okay, I forgive her, but she didn’t need to know that.

  “I really didn’t. My first appointment isn’t until noon, and it’s only seven in the morning.” I shut the door and flopped over the back of the couch, digging into the bag.

  She dropped her coat onto the bar next to the coffee and launched herself at me. “Yes you did, it’s your birthday! I couldn’t let you sleep it away. What kind of friend would that make me?”

  “The very best kind,” I mumbled around a mouthful of bagel, pushing her off of me. “You know I don’t like to make a big deal about my birthday, Sam.”

  “All the more reason to celebrate! You don’t turn twenty-five every year Lena. We need to make the most out of it.” Sam was so excited she bounced up and down on my tattered sofa, her short blonde hair bouncing with her.

  “Ugh, all the more reason not to.” I rolled my eyes at her. Sam had been my best friend since we both moved into the apartment complex seven years ago. She had come bounding up and introduced herself, inviting me to go to hang with her and refusing to take no for an answer. From that night on we were inseparable, despite my initial attempts to dissuade her. We were complete opposites in every way possible, but it still worked somehow.

  Sam was a makeup artist and it suited her perfectly. She had the most bubbly, outgoing personality I had ever seen and just oozed charm. People gravitated toward her wherever she went. I swear she must shit sunshine and rainbows. Her hair was always spiky perfection, she rolls out of bed and it just obeys her. She didn’t care that she had a thin, willowy frame that a model would kill for. Sam ate whatever she wanted and still didn’t gain an ounce.

  Then there’s me. I’m definitely more reserved and only deal with people when I have to. Why I chose a profession where I had to interact with people on a daily basis beats me. A tattoo artist is almost like a therapist, people get in the chair and decide it’s time to tell you their life story. I guess it wasn’t so bad though, because they mostly talked and I just listened.

  I’m clumsy and oblivious to anything around me, even when it directly involves me. People seem to avoid me when they can for the most part, even taking measures to walk around me at times, which is one of the reasons I was so surprised Sam had insisted on being my friend.

  My long burgundy hair is a constant dismay to Sam who is always trying to tame it, style it, or color it. It always does its own thing and won’t ever take any color she tries to apply. Thankfully she eventually gave up trying, and she’s happy that I even run a brush through it before I leave the house.

  “I know you don’t like to celebrate, but maybe it’s time for a change?” Sam asked hopefully.

  “No Sam, I’m doing the same thing I do every other day. I don’t want to—” I was cut off when my phone rang. I knew who it was and she would be upset if I didn’t answer. I took a deep breath and slid my thumb across the screen. “Hey Mom.”

  “Selena! Happy birthday, sweetheart! How does it feel to be the big two-five?” she gushed.

  “Thanks, Mom, I feel the same as any other day.” I closed my eyes and leaned against the back of the couch.

  “It’s so much more than any other day. It’s the day the world blessed us with you. You need to get out of that apartment more and we need to celebrate. Your dad and I would like you to come over for dinner this weekend,” she continued on, oblivious to my silence. “You can bring Sam too. Won’t that be nice?”

  “Yeah, I know I need to celebrate, and thank the universe, and blah, blah, blah. It’s just another day though, no different than any other.”

  “Well if you won’t go celebrate, at least come for dinner?” she pleaded.

  “Okay Mom, I’ll come for dinner and I’ll ask Sam if she can come too.”

  “Wonderful! Your dad will be so happy to see you. You don’t come over enough.”

  “Yeah I know, I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, think nothing of it sweetheart. We know you’re busy with the shop and life,” she paused and I could hear her grin through the phone, “and men. There is a man right?”

  “No Mom, no man. Just Sam.” I glanced in her direction to see her giggle. I narrowed my eyes at her, not sure what was so funny.

  “Oh, oh- well honey, we fully support your lifestyle choices. Is that why you haven’t come around? Are you afraid we will judge you?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Selena, we have always supported you. This time won’t be any different. Wait until I tell your dad you have someone special in your life! He will be even more excited when I tell him you two are coming to dinner. Sam really must come with you now—”

  “Mom, stop,” I interrupted her. “There is no one in my life. What are you talking
about?”

  “Well, you said ‘just Sam,’ so I assumed you meant she was, you know…” She trailed off. I could feel the blush creeping up my cheeks. I looked over to see Sam doubled over in fits of laughter. She knew, the little shit knew what my mom was thinking and let me go on. I tossed a pillow at her, which only made her laugh harder.

  “Sam is my best friend, there’s nothing more between us. Sam is not my girlfriend so there’s nothing to tell Dad.” I put my hand over my face—ugh, why did I even have to explain this?

  “Okay, sweetheart. Just know we will support you if that’s what you decide.” She still sounded unconvinced. My now ex-best friend wasn’t helping the issue any as she blew kisses at me from behind the pillow.

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said, flicking Sam the middle finger. “Look, I have to get ready for the day. Thanks for calling.” I felt bad for cutting it short, but I really didn’t want to keep hearing about how great my birthday should be or how I needed a man in my life.

  “Of course I called. Happy birthday, baby, we love you.”

  “I love you guys too. I’ll talk to you later.” I sighed and hung up, tossing the phone onto the coffee table. “Really Sam? You knew, you freaking knew what she was thinking and let me go on with it anyway!”

  “Oh, that one was too good to interrupt.” She batted her eyelashes at me. “So where are we going tonight, girlfriend?”

  “Shut up,” I laughed. There was no way I could stay mad at her. If I was honest with myself, it was my fault. I should have realized where that conversation was headed. It’s where it always ends up. Of course my mom picked up on the very first hint that I might be with someone. This time it happened to be Sam. She wanted to see me happy and settled, but that just wasn’t in the cards for me.

  “Okay, enough birthday talk. I have to shower and get ready for the day. Since you woke me up at the crack ass of dawn, I might as well go in early and finish up some stuff.” I stood and pulled Sam off the couch. “Out, you brat.”