Discovered silver falls.., p.1
Discovered : Silver Falls University 3, page 1
DISCOVERED
SILVER FALLS UNIVERSITY
M. SINCLAIR
LOST & BOUND PUBLISHING
IMPORTANT NOTE
Discovered is book 3 in the Silver Falls University series. Readers can find Lost and Forgotten, books 1 and 2 in the series, as part of the Kingdom of Wolves Universe Collection.
Please note, Lost and Forgotten should be read FIRST before Discovered in order to read the series in proper order. https://geni.us/SFU-1
Discovered: Silver Falls University #3
Copyright © 2022 by M. Sinclair in USA
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced/transmitted/distributed in any form. No part of this publication shall be shared by any means including photocopying, recording, or any electronic/mechanical method, or the Internet, without prior written consent of the author. Cases of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law are the exception. The unauthorized reproduction/transmitting of this work is illegal. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
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The Union of Love & Madness
CONTENTS
Description
Prologue
1. Effie Harlow
2. Effie Harlow
3. Caedmon Moroz
4. Effie Harlow
5. Effie Harlow
6. Effie Harlow
7. Tore Hansen
8. Effie Harlow
9. Effie Harlow
10. Dakota Claymore
11. Effie Harlow
12. Effie Harlow
13. Effie Harlow
14. Effie Harlow
15. Julian De León
16. Effie Harlow
17. Ryder Buso
18. Effie Harlow
Author Note
M. Sinclair
Published Works
DESCRIPTION
Five broken alphas. One lost wolf. A fate she never expected.
My life had been irreversibly changed by coming to Silver Falls University. Although I don’t truly realize just how much until we visit the Whitepaw pack. I wish I could say that the most upsetting part was reuniting with a pack that had no problem expressing their dislike of me. No, instead I find myself remembering something about my past that I’d completely forgotten.
That realization comes with the knowledge that my mates and I are in so much more danger than ever before. Especially now that Dr. Haistain has taken drastic action to force our hand on creating a mating bond by shaming my mates…
At least that was what we assumed when he invited all of their families to campus.
Instead, he suggests something so drastic it brings someone completely unexpected into our lives.
What they tell me, what I discover about my past… changes everything.
Join Effie Harlow on the second part of her journey at Silver Falls University.
This slow-burn reverse harem paranormal romance features five protective and possessive shifter mates that are bound and determined to keep Effie by their side, no matter what. To prove to her that she is so much more than anyone has ever tried to tell her she was. Will they be able to convince her of her place at Silver Falls and in their lives? Or will Effie get lost in the university crowds like she did back home?
Find out in this third installment of five in the Silver Falls University Series.
Warning: This PNR university-style RH will contain swearing, adult sexual content +18, elements of PTSD and mention of prior emotional, sexual, and physical abuse, violence, and additional darker themes. Minor cliffhanger warning.
PROLOGUE
EFFIE HARLOW
Sweat broke out on the back of my neck as a wave of nausea washed over me, terror saturating every element of my being. I kept running though. I forced myself to keep sprinting at full speed through the dark forest that was so different from where I lived. In the distance, I could hear the taunting calls of the entities that had pulled me here in the first place. That had pulled me away from my mom and dad.
Why hadn’t they saved me? Did they not realize I was gone? Why had I been ripped from my home? What had I done to deserve this? My legs grew tired, but I kept pushing myself until I finally broke into a clearing. Underneath me wasn’t grass, though—it was pavement, and there were metal structures placed throughout, the light from above glinting off their array of colors.
Where was I?
Turning back towards the forest, I realized the taunting had stopped. The fear of immediate danger had subsided, and I took that as a sign that I was safe… At least for now. I wrapped my arms around myself as a harsh wind ripped over my skin, making me feel almost breathless—but that wasn’t what caused chills to roll up my spine.
No, it was the piercing howl of a beast.
My heart began to beat fast as I stepped back, away from the wild landscape and towards the metal structures. I could faintly pick up the sound of paws hitting the ground, and I knew I had to run. I turned to look at a series of buildings in the distance, faintly visible on the horizon from my elevated position.
Was that a city? I had never seen a city like this one before. It looked stark against the night skyline, and in the air the scent of iron and water seemed to permeate everything. I found myself not wanting to go there. I wanted to go home…but that wasn’t an option. I looked up at the moon as my eyes watered, practically begging for some help. Praying for some help.
I reached inside myself, trying to call on the internal connection that normally existed, and winced, realizing it had been harshly severed. A sob nearly broke from my throat in both frustration and fear, but the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs caused my heart to go double-time as I refocused on the world around me.
That was when an obsidian wolf, its fur streaked with gold, emerged from the forest, its black eyes locking on mine.
Normally, that wouldn’t have scared me, I knew many wolves, but I could tell this one was different. This wolf was young like myself, but far more powerful than I would have expected, and a hurricane of energy seemed to surround them. One that terrified me more than even the entities in the forest. This wolf was the true unknown—the true threat. I stayed rooted to my spot, not giving in to the urge to run, knowing it would only cause the wolf to chase after me.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I whispered as the beast stalked forward, a low growl emanating from its chest.
I expected the worst when the wolf approached me, a scared whine working its way from my throat. But when it simply butted its large head against my stomach, I nearly collapsed at the relief, feeling my adrenaline dip as exhaustion coated every part of me.
“Thank you,” I sighed, my voice weak. I felt my knees collapse, and the cold, hard ground beneath me hurt my body, causing a chill to push through it like I’d never experienced before. The wolf walked around me before sitting and placing its head down on my lap. I ran my fingers through its fur as I tried to clear my head and think through this situation.
“What do I do?” I asked out loud before looking up at the sky. “How did this happen?” Everything had been so normal today. It had been my birthday, and the feast we’d had stretched from early morning until evening… When chaos erupted. I felt sick to my stomach remembering the screams, and that was when I’d been ripped away from my home. Before I could make sure my family was okay.
Panic slammed into me. Was that why they weren’t helping me? Could they not? Were they in trouble? The wolf let out a concerned whimper, and I looked down at them and tried to find some resolve.
Okay, so apparently I was stuck here for a bit. I tried to recall what I knew about this place from my past studies. It was where all four wolf types resided, as well as kitsune. It was where humans resided. It was where someone like me would stand out—I knew that. So how would I fit in? I knew my magic was obvious because it worked as a natural part of myself, and my other forms had yet to emerge…but there was no way I could fake being lycan, totemic, or fenrir. They had such a strong magic association with their past.
So…bitten? Could I pull off being a bitten wolf and just not shift? I ran a hand over my neck as I met the gaze of the wolf trying to keep me warm. I had to assume they were bitten, but I honestly didn’t know. I may have had some book smarts, but when it came to the other stuff, like recognizing it in person, I wasn’t nearly as talented.
“You need to bite me.”
The wolf let out an unhappy sound and placed its head down on my lap. I fixed it with a look, frowning. “You have to. If those things come after me again… I need to hide. Come on, please?”
After a moment of examination, the wolf stood and let out a small rumble, its eyes darting to my throat. I didn’t want to do this, really. But I had to trust my instincts that this would at least help, so I moved my hair.
I clasped one hand around the necklace resting on the base of my throat, feeling a trace of that connection to my family, the one that had been so severely damaged. I prayed that it didn't mean… No, I couldn’t think like that.
The wolf’s eyes darted to my neck, and a whimper left its throat, as if it really didn’t want to do this. Apparently, this wolf was fa
Maybe I thought that too soon, though, because with a sudden force it lunged forward, and I felt teeth pierce my flesh. It hurt. I’d expected that. But what I hadn’t expected? My magic to rebound.
It blasted through the two of us, and my colorful, warm world, tainted by the darkness of the night, turned cold in scales of gray. I felt everything narrow to a pinpoint before going dark, my memories fading with my consciousness.
1
EFFIE HARLOW
I’d spent most of my life—or at least what I could remember of my life—as a victim of violence. I’d been beat down and harassed for the amusement of others, just because they could. Just because they knew no one would stop them.
It had been useless and unneeded, all of it, because I would have never gone against the Whitepaw Pack. I feared them and the consequences associated with that type of action far too much to even consider it. Instead, I had attempted to follow the rules religiously and keep to myself. None of that had helped though. I had been targeted merely because of what I was—a lowly bitten wolf.
A lie that I’d been told to excuse their treatment. I wasn’t positive I preferred how Dr. Hastain or others viewed me, though.
Because of my past—because of the way I’d been hurt—my perception of violence and its purpose had been skewed greatly. I had categorized it as unnecessary and wrong. Something that meant pain for me and no one else.
I was learning now that wasn’t always the case. That violence was sometimes needed, especially if it meant protecting the ones you cared about. The ones you loved.
A primal part of me, one that I’d assumed was buried or hadn’t existed in the first place, had started to emerge after meeting these men. It told me to be protective. To be violent if necessary. To do whatever I needed to in order to safeguard my mates. My family. My new pack.
Although, the concept of me being able to protect anyone was almost laughable. I had never been able to protect myself, so why did this intense urge exist? My wolf let out a vicious growl in my head, mostly at the ridicule I placed on myself for my past, and once again pushed that part of me further to the surface, making it so I couldn’t ignore it. I couldn’t shy away from it.
I felt it crawling under my skin, that urge, and while I’d yet to do anything like that, I understood the compulsion. It was why I couldn’t blame my mates for reacting how they did in our current situation. Why I couldn’t blame them for wanting to protect what they considered essential. This situation was forcing me to deal with this direct conflict head-on, and for once, my wolf and I were in complete agreement.
Sometimes violence was needed and necessary.
The sound of tearing flesh burned itself into my subconscious, and the echo of Reamann’s agonizing scream of pain filled the clearing. I wasn’t positive what I’d expected Caedmon to do when Reamann had tried to pull me back, away from my mate—but it wasn’t to rip off his arm. The brutal action should have bothered me, but instead I just leaned further into Caedmon’s touch as he held me close.
Any fear that I’d assumed I would feel in the situation, especially with him shifted, was completely absent. My mate may have looked different, but I could feel that it was him. So rather than worrying about being in his arms and possibly being cut by his lethal claws, my attention was focused on the retaliation he could face and the injuries the others had suffered. Mainly, Dakota.
Reamann shifted in a violent explosion, pulling me from my internal thoughts and making me realize that he was nearly as large as Dakota—although my mate was still larger and more vicious-looking. Reamann howled, a growl catching in his throat, as he fell to the ground, unable to stand because his severed limb carried into his shifted form. I probably should have felt some level of guilt, but I couldn’t find it in myself to muster any.
“Caedmon, Dakota is hurt.” I tugged back his attention as he let out a vicious growl, his glowing purple gaze narrowed on Reamann’s form. “We need to focus on that first.” I knew Ryder was guarding the man, trying to take care of him in any way he could, but I needed to see Dakota for myself. I needed to help.
“You fucking bitch, you caused this,” one of their BBP members shouted towards me as he charged forward—only to be slammed into by Tore. An explosion of chaos and violence broke out all at once.
The other BBP member that I didn’t know suddenly began shifting into a lycan form, causing my eyes to widen at the grotesque process. Flesh ripped. Bones snapped. I let out a scream as the lycan charged us, and Caedmon placed me to the side with an odd amount of gentleness before he was met with a force that was similar to his own. I hissed, panic filling my chest as they slammed together into the trees on the edge of the clearing, causing a massive boom. I felt momentarily frozen by what was occurring, deciding to run to Dakota and Ryder…before Weylin appeared in front of me.
“You are leaving with me.” His snarl was filled with malice, and he grabbed the back of my sweater before looping an arm around my waist, the pressure causing me to wheeze as something inside me snapped. The force and pain was enough that I couldn’t cry out.
Luckily, I didn’t have to. Tore suddenly appeared, easily dislodging Weylin’s hold on me. Despite the pain, relief hit into me, my teeth nearly jostling as I landed on the ground. When I looked up, I was struck by the terrifying beauty of seeing Tore and Caedmon engaged in battle.
I watched as Tore twisted Weylin back, his arm caught in a hold as a crack sounded through the space. I should have been scared by his action, especially since the fenrir had been the one to hurt my wolf and me, but I wasn’t. I knew Tore as a man, and he would never hurt someone unless he thought it was completely necessary.
Then worry slammed into me. Not for my mates—well, not exactly—they seemed more than capable of handling these men. No, it was because I didn’t want a repeat of what had occurred in the cafeteria. I didn’t want them to get in trouble because of me, to suffer because of me.
I needed to move. Why was I still frozen? It was like I couldn’t look away from everything that was happening.
Julian was in a confrontation with the other BBP’s bitten wolf, Tore was fighting Weylin, Caedmon was fighting the other lycan, and Reamann was on the ground howling in pain, causing the entire space to feel chaotic and violent. Deciding I shouldn’t get directly involved in the physical action, I ran towards Dakota, who was laid out in the grass. Ryder had his fingers near his pulse and was gently twisting his head, looking over the injury that was saturating the ground with blood.
The scent of it had a sob catching in my throat.
No. No. No.
This was so wrong.
My skin buzzed with energy, practically begging me to shift, as I knelt down next to my mate and cupped his jaw. Panic hit as I tried to search out that part of my magic, the one that was buried underneath my wolf, that I’d used in the huler to heal my mates. The one that would make sure that Dakota was okay and that this bleeding didn’t get any worse.
But all I was met with was a dull throbbing on my temples.
Frustrated tears welled in my eyes as I heard a howl of pain from one of the other men. Dakota’s eyes were shut, his skin chalky and pale, as I felt his wolf enter my subconscious. It wasn’t with the normal vigor, though. Rather the opposite as he laid on his side, his breathing labored.
“Dakota,” I whispered, leaning forward and feeling heartbroken. “I promise I am trying to fix this. I promise I am trying to heal you. I just need you to be okay, please?”
