Pretty Poisoned Novel by Elle Mitchell

“You need to stop babying her,” Declan says. “She’ll be fine.” “H-how long is the drive?” I ask. “Can’t really tell you that,” Declan says. “It’ll be a while. I’m going to give you something that’s going to help you, Teagan. Open up.” “What is it?” “You’re just going to have to trust me,” Declan…

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” he says. “I’m going to get you a real drink now. We’ll be out of here soon. Don’t let go of me, okay?” We walk over to a bar, and my eyes roam the room while he orders us drinks. That’s a mistake. Everyone is dressed like we are;…

Just before I come, he tightens that hand around my throat, squeezing hard enough that I come without making any noise. Silently, the waves of pleasure roll through my body, and somewhere in the back of my head, I’m screaming because he’s still touching me, and it’s too much. It feels too good. I writhe…

“Hello?” “What the fuck is going on?” she says. “Do you check your texts at all?” “Um, not since last night, why?” “Well, check them now,” she says. I sigh, then bring up my home screen and click on the messages app. I click on her name, and I’m assaulted by a barrage of messages,…

“Small security breach. Just escorting her out,” he says. “Sorry for the commotion.” Declan grabs the man by the collar of his shirt. “Get your fucking hands off of her before I slit your throat and watch you bleed out like the pig you are,” he says through clenched teeth. “She’s my fucking family. Don’t…

“Serve drinks with blood here. They’re not like you, right?” “Some of them are, or they will be after tonight, and that’s because of us. But to be honest, sharing this part of ourselves has a lot to do with aesthetics,” Rhett says. “Those videos they’re making are going to get millions of views. That’s…

I look up and see Eli standing at the end of the table, his arm around another girl I’ve never seen before. Guess he ditched the two he brought home—two-stop rule. He seems to like bloodsluts just fine. Exclusively, even. “I didn’t want to interrupt, but the cars are here,” Eli says. “Let’s get out…

He’s upset. Or hungover. Probably both. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” Hazel asks him as he pulls out the chair beside her. She kisses him on the cheek, then massages the nape of his neck. “I’m fine,” he grumbles. “Oh shit, did you guys see this?” Brady says, looking up from his phone. “One of the…

I don’t answer. But he’s right—I did fuck him afterward. “You and I are not that different, Teagan. When you finally let go, you’ll see that.” Eventually, without saying a word, he picks up that book and starts reading again. I take mine from my bag and do the same. The drive to Portland is…

Of course, there is the context. Blood soaked into the soil merely thirty feet away from me. We burned our clothes in that fire last night. And that clearing by the waterfall—that place where I went to escape, to find peace—well, there’s a body there now. Everyone keeps telling me to put those things out…