Our Final Dare (Khaos Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  Our Final Dare

  J. M. Johnson

  Table Of 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

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue

  Praise for J. M. Johnson

  Our Final Dare- Columbine Pirouette – 5*

  I love this spellbinding trilogy! So glad I was able to follow this series from the very first book.

  Last book of the Trilogy, wow! - Pearl– 5*

  I have read all 3 now. And, oh, my god! What a ride! I found myself heartbroken, scared for characters that I've grown to love, unable to hold back laughter at conversations and just overall hooked.

  Ready for the next book! - Sharon– 5*

  Amazingly compelling story and transition from Violet and Khaos to their children

  Such a vividly graphic story! - Jessica

  Amazingly violent and action packed, and the suspense from chapter to chapter just kept coming. Loved it from beginning to end!

  Our Final Dare – Lynette Santana– 5*

  I think you did an amazing job with all 3 books, kept us on our toes throughout the whole books, but still gave us that great ending we hoped for. I look forward to reading anything you come up with next. Great job!

  All About the Wolves – Michelle Dickinson– 5*

  Such a moving story, written with so much feeling and intensity. You bring your characters to life, leaving your readers on the edge of their seats with so much emotion they feel for the characters. You have a unique and exciting writing style.

  Love it! – Barbara– 5*

  I hate that this series has come to an end. I have fallen in love with all the characters. The writer has let the characters of Khaos, and Violet unfold beautifully. In this story they are a lot older and changed but still have many character traits from when they were younger. Nice to read how these characteristics have been transferred to Eros and Antheia but still have a different personal character. Too bad this is the last part I enjoyed it and hope we can read more from you soon. You have a gift for writing and for communicating your characters' feelings to your readers.

  Love this trilogy! – Gillian– 5*

  I wasn't sure how I felt it first that the story mostly followed Eros. However I ended up loving the story it went so perfectly with the trilogy. Just like the other two books you laugh, you cry, you get angry, but you love the book because it pulls all your emotions. Definitely a must read!

  Our Final Dare –Liudmlla– 5*

  What can I say ... your work is amazing! I enjoyed every single bit of the trilogy, even the shocking parts. As a writer, you have an ability to make your reader to feel things...lots and lots of different emotions. Thank you for sharing your amazing work.

  Our Final Dare – Catherine– 5*

  Seriously! These three books have been a rollercoaster ride! I've laughed, cried, and cursed several times. I'm so in love with Khaos, and so happy he finally got his happy ending! You did an amazing job with this series.

  The Trilogy – Akshanka – 5*

  The Khaos Trilogy is one of the best series of books I have ever read. It is much harder to move a person just with writing, but author you have done it multiple times, all throughout your books. The excellent choice of words at the right time, with an amazing streak of intriguingly detailed turnings of the book at every chapter, keeps me at the edge of my seat with all the mind-boggling twist and turns and THE most satisfying outcomes of the suspense that keeps building up with every passing chapter. All in all it is one hell of an adventure, that is sure to keep you awake until you finish the books. I absolutely cannot wait to read all of your other books because you simply kill it every time!

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2021 by J. M. Johnson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [email protected]

  First paperback edition January 2021

  Book design created using Canva.

  J. M. Johnson

  [email protected]

  ISBN: 9798727433911

  Many thanks to my amazing sisters. You guys have been my mother figures, my best friends, my anchors, and my rocks. I would be lost without you three.

  Even if we weren’t sisters, I would still choose you as my friends.

  Heather,

  Vicky,

  Lisa.

  Chapter 1

  Unknown

  “W

  here is she?!” The hooded man snarled, careful to keep his face hidden in the shadows.

  “I – I don’t know!” The other man pleaded. The sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead as he strained against the chains pinning him down. He knew his situation was hopeless, but he still had some fight left in him. He wouldn’t go down without knowing he had given it his all. Even if it did turn out to be useless in the end.

  “Wrong answer,” the hooded man hissed. He snatched out a hand and grabbed hold of the lever. “Last chance…” he warned.

  “No, please! Listen to me! I have no idea! I—”

  A guttural scream tore from his throat as the hooded man pushed the lever down with unnecessary force, grinning at the sounds of the screams as though they were music to his ears.

  The hooded figure kept his gaze on the table and watched in satisfaction as the chains attached to the shackles began to spread the man’s body – his arms were pulled up above his head, and it stretched his legs out in front of him. He was laid on his back, his head thrashing left and right as the chains shortened, stretching his body even further.

  “This could be so much easier for you if you just obliged and told me what you knew!” He snarled.

  “I don’t know anything!” The man said helplessly, tears of frustration and hopelessness making their way down his face. He looked at the hooded man and pleaded with his eyes, begging him to believe him. “I haven’t spoken to my brother in years! I didn’t even know he had a daughter! I—”

  “Enough!” The man flinched as the hooded figure slammed his hand on the metal table before he pushed himself away from him. Shaking his head, he reached into the folds of his dark cloak and pulled out a photo.

  His eyes went wide as he took in the image. His body began to shake. He tried to speak, but his mouth dried up in terror. He knew what this meant for him.

  “Please…” he said again. The hooded figure reached for the lever once more, and the man thrashed about. “No! Please! Who are you? What do you want with them?!”

  The hooded man leaned forward, grinning at the man on the table. He pushed the hood off his h
ead and revealed his face.

  “Surprise,” his grin widened.

  “Alpha?!” The man gasped, the terror in his eyes multiplying. How did he not recognise his own Alpha’s scent? How did he not realise where he was? He was angry at himself for allowing himself to be captured this way, by being too blinded by fear that he hadn’t realised who, and what was doing this to him. “Why?” He asked simply, his body sagging on the table as he resigned himself to his fate. He knew his Alpha’s reputation. He wouldn’t be leaving here alive.

  The Alpha didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped back into the shadows, and his hand went back to the lever once more. With one small push, the chains tightened more. The man on the table screamed once more. The scent of blood filled the air as small tears in his flesh appeared in both armpits as well as his groin.

  “Not much longer now,” the Alpha murmured. “One more sharp pull of this, and your limbs will be severed. Last chance – Where. Is. She?” He strode forwards to grab the man’s chin and forced him to look up at him. “Where is she?!” He roared, the spit flying from his mouth.

  “Fuck you!” The man on the table shot back, spitting in his Alpha’s face. “I won’t tell you shit! If I’m to die today, I’ll die knowing I protected my niece until the very end! They left your pack for a reason, Alpha, and you’ll never find them! They want fuck all to do with you!”

  “She’s an abomination!” The Alpha responded, wiping the spit with the back of his hand, and flicked it at the ground.

  “She’s just a child!” The man screamed back as the Alpha retreated once more. “She didn’t ask for any of this! She didn’t ask to be what she is! Leave her alone. She’s nothing to you, not now! They don’t deserve this!”

  “No one leaves my pack. Nobody disobeys me,” the Alpha said back with an eerie calmness. “They knew what I expected of them. I want the girl, and I want her father. He knew better than the mingle with the wolves,” he almost spat the word. “I will punish him for the abomination he has created. All of them will die a death of unimaginable pain and suffering. And so will anyone found to be aiding them,” he added, grinning as the man on the table shouted for mercy.

  Too late.

  There was no mercy left in him.

  He watched in satisfaction as the cranks ground up the chain, making the tears in his armpit widen. The scent of blood filled the air, filling the Alpha’s nostrils with the most delicious aroma. He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds, chills breaking out on his body in ecstasy.

  It wasn’t long before the tears on the man’s body were deep enough for his shoulders to protrude, for chunks of muscle to spill over the broken skin. The Alpha could hear the wet slaps as clots of blood seeped onto the table.

  Blood was everywhere, spilling from the man, pooling over the table, and running down the metal legs onto the tiled floor. He screamed, gargling on the spit that ran down his throat. The sweat on his forehead seeped into his eyes, blinding him as his arms hung on by a thread.

  The Alpha snapped open his eyes and lowered his gaze to the man’s legs, noting with a satisfaction that was bordering on pleasurable, that the two legs were almost severed. The only thing keeping them connected were a handful of stringy veins and one thick bone.

  With a loud snap, the bone broke, the sharp edges slicing through the remaining veins. His thighs hit the table with a wet thud, his legs hanging uselessly in the air.

  The Alpha looked up just in time to see the same thing happening to the man’s arms. The shoulders bent at an unnatural angle until they finally came apart, ripping out parts of his collarbone as they went.

  The Alpha laughed as he walked away – his last thought was that the collar bones had reminded him of a wishbone. He wasn’t superstitious, and he believed you made your own luck in this world, but that didn’t stop him from making a wish on the broken collarbone. A wish that would have his enemies worshipping at his feet and pleading for forgiveness.

  He gave a nod to his worshipers, and they descended, their bodies shaking with excitement.

  They licked at the trail of blood that trickled away from the body and followed the delicious path up to the now dead man on the table. Each of them raised their snouts to the air and gave a howl of appreciation before they ripped into the flesh, swallowing huge chunks down without even bothering to chew.

  The Alpha left them to it. He sent a mind-link to his warriors to inform them that the job was done, and they could now check the bags that had belonged to their dead guest.

  It hadn’t taken them long to realise he had packed up and was planning on leaving the pack grounds, just as his brother had done years ago. It surprised the Alpha that he hadn’t left a long time ago, but he soon realised these people were not stupid.

  They were scared.

  And they were hiding.

  Had he thought for a moment that the dead man would have led them to the people he was searching for, he would have added an extra day to his life.

  But he knew better.

  Now they just had to hope that in those bags was a paper trail. Something that would give him a hint as to where to look.

  The search for Sophia had begun a long time ago, and finally, they were making progress.

  Chapter 2

  Eros

  Twelve years old

  “C

  ome here, Eros!” Sophia called, “My mum wants to meet you since apparently I never shut up about you!” She laughed, not at all embarrassed by her revelation.

  I held out my hand to the older lady as I murmured politely. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” I told her, making sure my handshake was firm, remembering all the things my dad had told me about first impressions.

  “What lovely manners!” She grinned, shaking the hand I offered her. “Any friend of Sophia’s is welcome here! Are you hungry, Eros?”

  “I’m always hungry.” I grinned back, liking her instantly.

  “Just like our Sophia, she never seems to stop eating. Well, come on, come on, get inside.” She looked around, her eyes darting behind us.

  Was it me, or did she look nervous about something?

  “Are you okay, ma’am?” I asked in concern, feeling my wolf come forward as he recognised the instinct to protect those who may be in danger.

  “What? Oh, yes. I’m fine. Just looking for Sophia’s father – Mark. You’ll meet him soon. And enough of this ma’am business, you make me feel old.”

  “That’s what my mum says,” I laughed.

  “Then me and your mum have something in common.” She ushered me and Sophia inside, locking the door behind us. She pointed to the living room. “I’ll leave you two to it. Sandwiches okay for everyone?” She waited until we nodded and then went to leave. At the last minute, she poked her head around the door frame. “And Eros? Please, call me Jasmine.”

  Jasmine?

  Where had I heard that name before?

  My wolf came forward with a joyful shout, nudging in my mind as he tried to tell me what was happening.

  Before I could focus on my wolf, Sophia’s mum clasped my hand, shaking it firmly, a frown appearing on her face. “Have we met before? Your face is so familiar to me...” her voice trailed off as her eyes widened. She grasped my hand, pulling me closer, her head descending to inhale my hair deeply. “Violet,” she whispered, looking completely awestruck.

  “Mum?” Sophia questioned, raising her eyebrow at the scene the pair of us made. Jasmine laughed, gently pushing me away from her.

  “I’m sorry, you remind me of someone, but it’s not possible.”

  I took my shot, knowing that I may be a million miles from the truth, but wanting to do this for my mother, regardless. If there was even a small chance that I was right, I had to take my chance. I would never forgive myself. My mother had been heartbroken over the loss of her friend for as long as I could remember, and I know the guilt of not knowing how she fared still kept her up at night.

  I took a deep breath. “Did you once belong to the Dra
gon Heart Pack? Under the leadership of a man named Khaos?” Jasmine paled more than I thought it was possible for our kind to do so.

  She pulled back from me, her hand clamped over her mouth as tears sprung to her eyes - although I couldn’t tell if these were because of overwhelming emotions or genuine fear.

  “Who sent you?” she demanded, her face growing angry before my eyes. “Sophia, get him out of my house! Now!”

  “Mum, what has gotten into you? It’s just Eros—”

  I interrupted before the situation got completely out of control, “I didn’t mean to scare you, Jasmine - my parents… they have been looking for you for a long time. Especially my mum, Violet...”

  “Violet mated again?” she gasped, her eyes clouding over as she focused on her memories. “I never thought she would be able to get over it… the two of them were unlike anything I had ever seen.” She shook her head slightly and looked at me once more. “Sorry, Eros, I’m sure you love your father, and I imagine your mother loves him very much too. It’s just Violet and Khaos… they were…”

  “What? No, I think you misunderstand me, Jasmine. My mother did not mate again... Khaos is my father.”

  I thought Jasmine was going to pass out as her face paled even further. “That’s not possible - you’re lying.”

  I think my dad possessed my body for a moment because I scoffed in her face, folding my arms over my chest. “I have no reason to lie.”

  Jasmine smiled softly, “You look so like your mother, apart from your dark hair, but when you stand like that, it’s like Khaos all over again. His mannerism are your own, it's uncanny,” she paused, looking off into the distance and stroking down her arms. “I’m sorry for your loss, Eros. Khaos was an amazing man whilst he lived – though not without his demons. I don’t know why I’m surprised really,” she added with a small laugh, “the two of them were at it like rabbits.”

  My cheeks flamed at her remark, but I remained silent. I knew what my parents were like.

  “Khaos looked after me when no one else would. I know a lot of people hated him, they feared his reputation, but I promise you, the world became that little bit darker when Khaos left it. And Goddess knows it’s dark enough as it is,” she added in a soft voice, almost too quiet for anyone else to hear.