Cruel Orchid

Cruel OrchidHaunted Legacies: Book 2Ryana HunterRaven Warren Studios Copyright © 2023 Ryana HunterWritten & Published by Ryana HunterEdited by Phil BecketProofreading by Mr BoombasticCover Design by Gee at DarkbyDesignInterior Artwork by Midjourney & MEBIIFormatting by MEBIIFirst Paperback Edition June 2023All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters and events are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, establishments or events is coincidental. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used without the express permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in the context of a book review or article. To all the monsters emerging…. CAUTION!This is a dark story with broken creatures. If you don’t like pitch black darkness this might not be for you. It is also written from a third person point of view - if you prefer first person this might not be a right fit for you. This particular book in the series is the second out of four - there will not be a HEA at the end - that won’t happen until book four. If that is a problem this probably isn’t the book for you. PLEASE read the content warning! I write fucked up stories filled with villains, if you prefer heroes or uplifting tales then this definitely isn’t the right book for you. Content WARNINGWelcome to the dark world of Ryana’s Hunters! Before you join us on this journey, it’s important to warn you this is a cruel and dangerous place. It’s filled with monsters, graphic violence, heartache, and perilous situations. The characters are complex and their relationships are even more complicated. There will be moments of beauty and love mixed in with the angst, and yes, eventually they will find peace or some form of a happily ever after. But be warned one person’s idea of happiness is not another’s.This story contains themes, discussions and situations that might trouble some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to:death, suicidal ideations, childhood trauma, mental abuse, mention of sexual assault in past, mention of drug/alcohol abuse, mention of child loss, cannibalism, medical experimentation, mental health issues, torture, blood, graphic injuries and gore, self harm, bullying, toxic relationships, explicit sexual content, breath play, blood/knife play, sadomasochism and other possible triggers. Reader discretion is advised.If all that sounds good to you, welcome to the cult. This tale has sharp teeth, it will make you bleed. Cruel Orchid is book 2 in the Haunted Legacies series, a reverse harem dark romance and told in multiple POV’s with a slight cliff hanger. Contents Title PageCopyrightDedicationCAUTION!Content WARNINGChapter 1 - ValChapter 2 - ValChapter 3 - DevChapter 4 - ValChapter 5 - ValChapter 6 - MadocChapter 7 - BelaChapter 8 - ValChapter 9 - MadocChapter 10 - ValChapter 11 - DevChapter 12 - ValChapter 13 - ValChapter 14 - ValChapter 15 - RenChapter 16 - ValChapter 17 - DevChapter 18 - BelaChapter 19 - MadocChapter 20 - GideonChapter 21 - ValChapter 22 - ValChapter 23 - BelaChapter 24 - ValChapter 25 - ValChapter 26 - ValChapter 27 - MadocChapter 28 - RenChapter 29 - ValChapter 30 - ValChapter 31 - GideonChapter 32 - MadocChapter 33 - ValChapter 34 - ValChapter 35 - ValChapter 36 - ValChapter 37 - ValChapter 38 - ValChapter 39 - GideonChapter 40 - DevChapter 41 - ValChapter 42 - ValChapter 43 - ValChapter 44 - BelaChapter 45 - ValChapter 46 - ValChapter 47 - ValChapter 48 - MadocChapter 49 - DevChapter 50 - ValChapter 51 - ValChapter 52 - BelaChapter 53 - ValChapter 54 - ValChapter 55 - ValChapter 56 - ValChapter 57 - DevChapter 58 - ValChapter 59 - RenChapter 60 - ValChapter 61 - ValAcknowledgementAbout The AuthorHaunted Legacies Chapter 1 - ValBlood trickled down her forearm, and finally a little of the weight lifted from her chest. Not what she wanted and not as much as before, but some.Val leaned her head against the wall and exhaled. She watched the bathroom door, her vision blurred. But, inside her mind, images of Dev, Bela, Ren, and Gideon encompassed her thoughts. Again.No matter how many times she’d tried to drive them out, they persisted. She’d been to a hypnotist to forget. No dice. Before her second husband, she’d tried drugs, alcohol, and a combination of both to push the memories away. Some days, it nearly worked, but if she passed out from the effects of her concoctions, she found herself trapped with their memories until she awoke.She bit her lip, remembering Bela’s lips pressed against her cut, Ren’s pressed against her temple, as Gideon held her from behind. Val choked back a sob.“You almost done? We don’t want to be late for dinner,” Madoc called from the other side of the door.Val cleared her throat. “Yeah, just need to finish my make-up.” She made her voice sound neutral and held her breath until she heard her husband grumble and walk away. Her eyes flicked to the counter where her make-up sat, unused. She swallowed, she had to get it together. Tonight they were celebrating his promotion, she had to seem as normal as possible.Val gazed at the razor she was still clutching for a few seconds, before she stood and rinsed it off in the sink.“No one gets to make you bleed but me,” Dev’s voice said behind her.Her eyes darted to the mirror, and she stopped breathing. His dark eyes were angry with her actions.“I’m… sorry. I just needed… Please don’t be upset,” she whispered.Dev grabbed her from behind and gripped her hand until she dropped the razor into the sink. The water ran over it and splashed the counter. “I told you, we’re bound together and I’ll destroy you to possess you. Tear you apart to consume you…”Val’s eyes slid closed as his teeth sunk into her neck. She gripped the counter and stifled a moan.“You okay?” Madoc’s voice came through the door. “Are you sick?” he asked, his tone filled with concern.Val’s eyes snapped open