The Unstoppable Storme

THE UNSTOPPABLE STORME EXEMPLAR HALL JL Madore & Ruby Night CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Afterword About the Author About the Author Also by JL Madore Moonstone Maelstrom Copyright © 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission. JL MADORE/RUBY NIGHT Cover Design: Melody Simmons @ BookCoversCre8tive.com Note: The moral right of the author has been asserted. This is a work of fiction. 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Exemplar Hall: The Unstoppable Storme JL Madore & Ruby Night ISBN: 978-1-990853-25-8 CHAPTER ONE JESSE Sunlight blinds me as the bio-lock disengages and I open the door that leads into Helm House. I shield my eyes as I adjust from the dim light of the Exemplar tunnel system to the swatches of September sun streaming into the Mercury House sunroom. The rays of light are warm and welcoming on my skin, and I breathe freely for the first time since leaving for class this morning. It’s good to be home. As soon as I step inside and shut the door behind me, it’s like a fifty-pound weight drops from my shoulders. I feel lighter with every inhale, and it has nothing to do with my hulking backpack loaded with books that I relinquish to the floor with a heavy thunk. No, this suffocating feeling has followed me all day—all week, even. It may be a new year at Exemplar Hall, but I’m getting a wicked sense of déjà vu now that I’m back to bluffing my way through the halls of the school day after day. I thought this year would be different—that once everyone knew the truth of who I am, I wouldn’t have to hide or pretend anymore. But there always seems to be some secret that needs to be kept on the down-low. This year, it’s the fake feud of the Gemini twins. Wyatt and Jesse Helm at odds seems to be the tea that all the gossipy jerks in this school are sipping. The thing is—it’s not true. Thanks to Floyd’s info tip and Dad’s ingenuity last week, we got Wyatt alone long enough to perform the ritual needed to free him from Branston’s mind control. I’ve got my brother back… only nobody can know that. And the stakes of our ruse are higher than ever. Every time I leave the comfort and safety of Helm House, I have to put on a mask of deception. It’s not just the Celestial Council that needs to be convinced Wyatt and I are still on the outs—it’s everyone. Especially Dean Belmont and Instructor Branston. That is a partnership of my nightmares. Their horrifying plan is to not only drive Wyatt and me apart, but also to set me up as their super-Magi baby maker—with Chad-the-cad-Branston. It makes me want to hurl just thinking about it. But it doesn’t just make me puke-y, it pisses me off. Not just me, but my eagle as well. She and I have the same feelings about being caged. She bristles angrily within me, feeling the need to spread her wings at the idea of falling prey to those men. Exhaling a deep breath that does nothing to calm me, I step up to the wall of windows that looks out onto the open lawn and bathe in the energizing rays of the sun. No one owns us. In the glass’s reflection, I catch sight of the faint golden glow coming from my eyes as my eagle rears her head. She would rather go down in a blaze of glory than let someone else control us. “Agreed,” I say to my reflection. “Good luck to anyone who tries to tame us, girl.” Chad and me? Not freaking likely. I would rather swallow a hive of live, angry hornets than let that skeezball touch me. Besides, I’m a taken Magi woman. If the Branstons want Jesse James Helm, they’re going to have a lot more to deal with than just me and my eagle. Now that River, Maverick, and I sealed our mating bonds, they are going to have to get through my protective bear and possessive wolf before they so much as think about laying a hand on me. Plus, there’s Brody and Jack as well. They may not be mated to us, officially, but they’re as much a part of the pack as River and Maverick. Our mates. They’re mine, and I’m theirs. Mated. It’s weird to stop and think about. In the Nary world, this would mean we’re practically married, the three of us. Except a Magi-shifter mating is more than a simple exchanging of rings and vows. It’s deeper. Like swapping pieces of your soul and tethering yourself to another person on a spiritual level. It feels right that we took that next