Bonded by Thorns

Bonded by Thorns Elizabeth Helen Luna Fox Press Contents Copyright Dedication Preface 1. Rosalina 2. Rosalina 3. Rosalina 4. Keldarion 5. Rosalina 6. Rosalina 7. Rosalina 8. Rosalina 9. Rosalina 10. Rosalina 11. Ezryn 12. Rosalina 13. Rosalina 14. Rosalina 15. Rosalina 16. Rosalina 17. Dayton 18. Rosalina 19. Rosalina 20. Rosalina 21. Rosalina 22. Rosalina 23. Rosalina 24. Farron 25. Rosalina 26. Rosalina 27. Rosalina 28. Rosalina 29. Rosalina 30. Keldarion 31. Rosalina 32. Rosalina 33. Rosalina 34. Rosalina 35. Rosalina 36. Dayton 37. Rosalina 38. Rosalina 39. Farron 40. Rosalina 41. Rosalina 42. Keldarion 43. Rosalina 44. Ezryn 45. Rosalina 46. Rosalina 47. Rosalina 48. Rosalina 49. Rosalina 50. Rosalina 51. Rosalina 52. Rosalina 53. Keldarion 54. Rosalina 55. Rosalina 56. Rosalina 57. Rosalina 58. Rosalina 59. The Prince of Thorns About the Authors Thank You For Reading! Bonus Chapter Acknowledgments Playlist Copyright B onded by Thorns Copyright © 2023 by Elizabeth Helen All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents in this book are either the product of the authors’ imaginations or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the authors except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Published by Luna Fox Press First Edition published February 2023 Interior Design © 2023 by Elizabeth Helen Cover Design and Illustration © 2022 by saintjupit3rgr4phic Identifiers ISBN: 978-1-7388279-0-9 (eBook) ISBN: 978-1-7388279-1-6 (paperback) ISBN: 978-1-7388279-2-3 (audio) Dedication To everyone who grew up wishing for their own fairytale, featuring far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, princes in disguise... and of course, plenty of beasts Preface Bonded by Thorns is an adult fantasy book. It contains mature themes and is intended for audiences 18+ Trigger Warning Explicit sexual content, emotional abuse in a past romantic relationship, implied physical abuse in a past romantic relationship, blood and fantasy violence 1 RosalinaI have traveled around the world. I’ve walked the Great Wall of China, eaten dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and ridden the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka. That’s not all. I’ve led an army into battle on dragonback, seduced a vicious mafia boss, and journeyed back in time to fall in love with everyone from Vikings to the Knights of the Round Table. I’ve lived a thousand lives. Too bad the only real one fucking sucks.I sigh and close the book I’ve been reading. It’s a good one, about a ghost hunter who accidentally falls in love with the spirit she’s supposed to track down. Some people call these guilty pleasure reads, but why should I feel guilt for wanting to escape to somewhere else, even for a little while?The bookstore is dead quiet today, so I’ve been able to sneak in a few pages… or a hundred. It’s typical for autumn. Once tourist season ends, Orca Cove goes into hibernation mode. Only the regulars come around, and they don’t need—or want—much from me.I push a wayward strand of hair behind my ear, not bothering to trap it back into the messy rat’s nest I’ve got piled on my head. Just peering out the big windows at the front of the shop has me reaching for my sweater. Rain during fall in the Pacific Northwest is as typical as a bear shitting in the woods, but that doesn’t stop the locals from complaining. Careful not to knock over the display of books I’ve arranged, I press my palm against the moist glass. I like the rain. It makes me feel less guilty for huddling inside, away from everything and everyone else. I’m sure if I said that to someone, they’d think it’s weird. But hey, like rain in Orca Cove or bears shitting in the woods, that’s to be expected.The door jingles open and Josie and Tiffany walk in, nattering to one another. They’re as typical of locals as you can get: middle-aged, wine-loving, clique-y. Wives of two of the fishing guides. “Hello,” I say, pretending to fix the display instead of staring out at the rain like a weirdo. “How are you two ladies today?”Josie stops and puts her hands on her hips. She’s gotten her hair done, short strands curling under her ears. “Rosalina, I walk past this shop every day and you’re in the window every single time. Doesn’t Richard give you a day off?”Richard is my boss. And I’m sure he’d like to give me days off… permanently. But he’d never find anyone else in town who’s willing to open and close nearly every day with no overtime pay. “Oh, I ask to work this much.” I stand behind the till. “Keeps me busy.”Josie and Tiffany exchange a pitying glance. “I thought I saw your father driving into town the other day,” Tiffany says slowly. “Where was he this time?”“He just came back from Petra. In Jordan.” I turn away, not wanting them to see my face flush. “He’s on the road again, though.”“No faeries in Petra, then?” Josie squeaks. She’s trying to say it as a genuine question, but there’s laughter behind her words. A giddiness in getting more gossip for their little get-togethers at coffee shops and workout classes. I won’t give it to her.“No,” I mutter. “He hasn’t found what he’s looking for yet.”“Come on, let’s check the new magazines.” Tiffany pulls Josie to the back of the shop.Leaning against the counter, I put my head in my hands. Maybe this’s why Richard keeps me around. When it’s not tourist season, the only way to drive business is to be the circus act for regulars to come and taunt.I shouldn’t think that way. Josie and Tiffany are nice enough. And I’ve had plenty of friends in Orca Cove. Sure, they all moved on after graduation, going to college or making their mark in big cities. I don’t hear