Preface
Ella was desperately trying to hold her life together, and take care of her sick sister. She was jobless, about to get evicted from her new apartment, and at the end of her rope. Add to that, she was cursed. Or maybe she was a witch. Ella didn't know, and it really didn’t matter. All she knew was that whenever she got happy, sad, or anything in between, things got wild.
That’s when Ella met the tall, dark and handsome biker next door. The man was bad news. He riled her up, and forced Ella to feel the emotions she painstakingly safe guarded.
Wolf wasn't sure why he struck up a bargain with the Ice Princess. He was the pack alpha. The last thing he needed was some chick walking all over him, in her ridiculously high high-heels. He had more than enough to deal with, between his beta’s juvenile antics, and the other weird crap going on.
Little-Miss-Straight-Lace was so put together, and repressed. So why did she send his wolf into a tailspin? It’s not like he hadn’t been with hot babes before. But for some reason, Wolf couldn’t repress the urge to ruffle Ella’s feathers. Maybe it was the occasional glimpse of the beauty that lay beneath her polished veneer that moved him.
Ella and Wolf called a truce, and miraculously the world didn’t cease turning. For once in her life, Ella thought things were finally going her way. Then the other boot dropped, and everything was cruelly ripped away.
1 Bringing the House Down
Ella
"Sorry I couldn't help you move,” Ella’s sister apologized, remorse filling her voice.
“Sabine,” Ella admonished.
It had been a pain in the ass, but Ella really didn’t mind.
“I know, but we're supposed to be roommates," Sabine coughed.
Ella held her breath, as her sister groaned through a coughing fit. This was a particularly bad one. Sabine’s moods always seemed to affect her spells.
Ella glanced at her sister’s bed, sill in pieces, propped against the living room wall, wondering if it would ever be used. For the millionth-time, Ella prayed the experimental drugs her sister was on would turn things around.
Nope, can't get mired in fear. Sabine would have her miracle. God couldn't be so cruel as to bless one of them, while cursing the other.
Ella debated hopping on the Metra to head into Chicago, but it was getting late and she still had to prep for her interview tomorrow. Ella nibbled her lip wondering what she should do. Was she being paranoid?
"Hey, Ella!" Sabine groused into the phone.
"Sorry." Ella realized she had drifted, then smiled at Sabine's indignant tone. She loved it when her sister got spunky with her. It helped her forget the disease that plagued Sabine. "Just thinking about that interview."
"So, this design firm’s pretty nice, huh?"
"Yeah. I’m excited they called.”
“You have a ton of stellar references. They’d be foolish not to call you in."
Ella was more than just excited, she was nervous. She was banking on this job. She and Sabine had nearly burned through the money their father left them, along with the last of her student loans. If Ella didn’t land this position, she would probably have to whore herself out to cover living expenses, and the bills Sabine racked up.
Just kidding.
But things were getting dire. Not that Ella would ever breathe a word of that to her sister. She'd sooner die than lay that burden on Sabine's shoulders.
"Something's bothering you Bella Bear. I can hear it." Ella smiled at the nickname. Her given name was Bella, but only her family called her that. "Come on tell your big sister."
"Big sister, my butt,” Ella snorted.
Sabine liked to call herself Ella’s big sister, because she’d always been taller, taking after their father. Ella was actually the older one, though not by much. They were what people referred to as Irish twins.
If we were twins, then maybe Sabine would be freakishly healthy, like me, instead of suffering her whole life.
Ella clenched her fists, frustrated with fate. She couldn’t understand why life seemed to look favorably on some, while kicking others in the teeth. Ella forced herself to relax when she noticed the glass of wine rattling on the counter, sloshing her merlot about.
"Whatever. I can still hear you stewing about something. So, fess up," Sabine choked out, as she coughed again.
"Just nervous," Ella sighed.
“Bella Bear, stop stressing. You’re going to nail your interview tomorrow.”
"Thank you for having faith in me. Hey, Sabine, I gotta go. I still need to get my portfolio in order."
Talking to her sister brought a certain measure of comfort. But the longer Ella talked to Sabine, her sister would eventually drag the whole truth out of her. And life was too short to argue about finances.