Second to the Right (The Neverland Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Second to the Right, by T. S. Kinley

  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 © 2022 by T. S. Kinley

  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 April 2022

  Book design by T.S. Kinley

  Editing by Elizabeth M. Danos

  Cover design by Moonpress www.moonpress.co

  www.TSKinleyBooks.com

  The road to your dreams can be a long and arduous one. Our debut novel is that dream come true and it would not have been possible without the unwavering support from our husbands.

  To Nick and Stephen, thanks for being our biggest fans and giving us the courage to keep moving forward when we thought about giving up. This book is dedicated, with our never ending love, to you.

  Contents

  Authors Note

  Prologue

  1. The Open Wound of Betrayal

  2. Nothing Lasts Forever

  3. Neverland’s Secrets

  4. The Lost Boys

  5. Beautiful, But Dangerous

  6. A Bet’s a Bet

  7. Your Ending is a Bit Off

  8. Forgive Me

  9. Faerie Dust

  10. Target Practice

  11. Trust or Faith

  12. Intentions

  13. Nothing But a Stand In

  14. Pirates

  15. The Grotto

  16. Lush

  17. May Day

  18. A Gift

  19. The Lake of Spirits

  20. Deception

  21. Captain James Hook

  22. Through the Veil

  Epilogue

  Straight on til Morning

  Beyond the Veil

  Like what you read?

  About the Author

  Authors Note

  Second to the Right is a reverse harem erotic romance. All characters in this book are above the age of eighteen. The content in this book contains sexually explicit depictions. Please be aware of the following possible trigger warnings and read at your own discretion. Lewd NSFW depictions of sexual acts, dubious consent, bondage, drug and alcohol use, anxiety and depression, violence, assault, hostage situations, cheating, terminal illness/cancer, and death.

  Before you go. Follow T.S. Kinley on social media. Let’s be friends! Check out our Instagram, Facebook, and Tic Tok pages and get insights into the beautifully, complicated mind of not one, but two authors! Have questions? Something you are dying to know about the amazing characters we’ve created? Join us online, we love to engage with our readers!

  “Those who don’t believe in magic

  will never find it.”

  -Roald Dahl

  It would be different this time. I felt it in my bones.

  The past few days of watching her had made that abundantly clear. When I’d returned through the Veil from Neverland, it felt as though no time had passed. Although time is funny like that, how it quietly sneaks past you. But as I sat, yet again, and watched through the window, from the outside looking in, it was obvious that everything had changed.

  This time, I’d perched myself in the large oak in the backyard, which was perfectly positioned for me to see into her window. The home was the familiar old Victorian, but nothing else was the same. The gas lamps had been replaced, and the lights were much brighter than before. The furniture, the music and the girl, were all different. It had been an interesting few days as I’d watched, biding my time before I approached her. I ventured close enough at times to listen to her, waiting to see if she would tell the same stories as Wendy, but she told no stories.

  She was a curious creature. I couldn’t keep myself from watching her, puzzling over what she was doing and what she was saying.

  Tonight, she had sat and stared at her reflection for hours, playing with her hair and putting on makeup. The outfit she had on complimented her figure in a way that had me staring at her lasciviously. Her long legs were outlined in black and the soft brown of her hair fell in waves around her face. The gentle swell of her breasts in that revealing shirt kept drawing my attention.

  The way she looked had my heart racing as it does in the heat of battle and I felt a sudden urge to touch her. I broke my stare, trying to get my wayward thoughts under control as I raked my fingers through my unruly hair.

  This was an entirely different experience than the last time I’d been here. This was no girl that I was watching, she was definitely a woman. I was different as well. My boyish youth, that I had clung to for so long had slowly leached away. The universe had different plans for the boy who refused to grow up. I had been forced to come to terms with the fact that absolutely nothing was permanent, no matter how much you rebelled against it. It seemed I was doomed to learn that lesson over and over again.

  I wanted so badly to breeze through her window, proclaiming myself as the notorious Peter Pan and spend the night basking in her smiles as I regaled her with stories of pirates and mermaids. I got as far as springing the latch, before I thought better of it and pulled away, worried that I might scare her.

  I flattened myself against the outside wall as she came to close the window. She paused there and made no move to leave. I was closer to her than I had ever been before and she was intoxicating. I could smell her, fresh and sweet, like ripe berries in summer. Her skin was creamy and smooth, her lips pouty, full and parted. She was a vision in the moonlight.

  She moved away from the window as her sister called out for her. Sadly, I had noticed that her sister’s health was waning, and she did not have much time left in this world. It was a shame that she had such a fleeting spirit. But this girl, this sister, was vibrant, and full of life and something altogether different.

  I reached into my belt and pulled Wendy’s “kiss” from the leather pouch attached there. I rolled the cool metal dome in my fingers and remembered our time together. I had been naive back then. I hadn’t realized at the time, but Wendy had been a key catalyst in my life. She had changed me so completely, for both the good, and the bad. Would this girl leave her mark on me as well? Did I even want to put myself through that again? It almost broke me last time. But, the more I watched her, the more I convinced myself, that if I could only get her to come back with me, I didn’t need to have all the answers right then. I had time. Against my better judgment, I was determined to bring her back with me. While she explored Neverland, I could explore her.

  I was brought back to reality as I realized the two sisters were leaving the house. This was different than her normal routine that I had become accustomed to. I felt a twinge of annoyance that she would leave and deprive me of watching her. With a huff of impatience, I settled into the oak tree to wait for her to return.

  I wished, briefly, that I had brought Lilleybell along to keep me company, but faeries had no room for more than one emotion at a time. Her jealousy could be all consuming and I didn’t want to make the same mistakes I had made with Wendy. It would have been better if I’d gotten away with sending her off for spring cleaning, but she was a loose end that I would have to deal with later.

  Alone with my thoughts, I began to get nervous, which was a relatively foreign feeling for me. If she decided not to go with me, would I stay here with her? Could I resign from my respo
nsibilities back in Neverland? I had a vision of myself picking her up, throwing her over my shoulder, and taking her against her will to Neverland. Alas, that was something only a bastard pirate would do, those uncivilized fucks, and I wouldn’t lower myself to their level.

  I wondered what she would think about the Lost Boys? They had been keen to hear about the girl that I’d planned to bring back. Would they have the same feelings toward her as I did? I felt a flash of senseless jealousy at the idea of her with them. This girl was making my rational thinking go out the window.

  I began to get restless just after midnight. I’m not the type to wait around for anything. I had grown tired of my tormenting thoughts, and I was spiraling down a rabbit hole of negativity. I decided it was best that I return home. Just as I was about to take my leave, and head second to the right, she returned home. I perked up instantly, thrilled at my luck. She had arrived just in time so I could continue my appreciation of her.

  As they made their way into the house, I could tell something was off. Her sister was fawning over my girl, wrapping a supportive arm around her as they made their way inside. I’m not entirely sure why I thought of her as ‘my girl’. I had never really considered Wendy or any one of her daughters as mine before, but my mind grabbed a hold of the notion and it just felt right with her.

  The overall mood of the pair was sad and solemn. I wondered what had changed from the cheery mood they had been in when they’d left. Yet more questions surrounding this girl. She had my mind in overdrive thinking about what might’ve happened. I watched intently, hoping she would return to her room. The minutes ticked by like hours as I waited for her to appear.

  She finally entered her room and walked dejectedly to the small bathroom and closed the door. I decided to get close, placing my ear to the window to see if I might hear anything that would clue me into her stark change in mood. My concern for her felt like a knot of tension in my chest and the need to make sure she was okay took over.

  I could hear the sound of the shower, pouring down in her bathroom for some time. I was torn on what my next move should be. Go in to check on her or continue my wait and watch approach? My indecision was infuriating! She emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. She was wearing low slung, gray sweatpants that gripped low on her hips and a short black top that exposed her flat stomach. Her skin was dewy from the steam in the air and her hair was dripping, leaving wet patches on her shirt, clinging to her chest and showing off her erect nipples.

  I sucked in a deep breath as I took her in. I could no longer deny that I wanted her, to mark her and claim her as my own. A dark shadow loomed in the recesses of my mind, what consequences would I face if I followed that path? But one look at her face and my inhibitions left me. I knew that she had been crying. Her makeup was smeared, and her eyes were red and puffy. Why was she crying? The not knowing was driving me crazy.

  She sat quietly at her vanity, a blank stare on her face. I looked at her reflection in the mirror, my gaze settled on her soft, caramel eyes and felt a strong desire to protect her, to take her tears away. What was going on with me? I had never felt this carnal and protective before. I was pulled from my thoughts when she swept her arm violently across the vanity, sending bottles crashing to the floor, then promptly sunk her face into her pillowed arms and started crying.

  Her raw emotions spurred me into action, all my earlier hesitations forgotten. I sprung the latch in one swift flick of the wrist and landed silently on the floor behind her.

  “Girl...why are you crying?”

  Wendy’s first words to me echoing in my head.

  The window was open.

  Not everyone can pinpoint the moment their universe was forever altered and relate it to such a mundane thing as opening a window. But that is exactly where my life changed course, and I would never be the same.

  It was the cold night air, blustering into the room that drew my attention. The engulfing chill sent an involuntary shiver up my spine. My bedroom curtains billowed in the wind that gusted through the open bay window.

  How did that get open? I wondered.

  I grasped my shoulders and absently rubbed my arms for warmth. The rusted hardware must have finally given out on the old window, or at least that’s what I told myself. My family had owned this house since the 18th century and the logical conclusion was that it was always in some state of disrepair. I sat briefly on the window seat and paused before closing the window. It was a bitter London evening as the last vestiges of winter gave its final breath before relenting to spring. The moon was full tonight, setting a warm glow to the landscape below while the stars peppered the sky above. I smiled and took a moment to enjoy the beauty of it.

  The old house groaned in protest with the wind, creating an ethereal moaning as it passed through. I felt the hairs raise on my arms and goose pimples spread across my skin. An odd sense of foreboding crept into me as the crisp air filled my lungs. It was a feeling I couldn’t quite discern, something like anticipation mixed with anxiety. I felt an expectation that something was about to happen and it had me on edge.

  “Gwen?” My sister, Michaela, called to me from down stairs. “Are you ready yet, birthday girl?”

  Disrupting me from my reverie, I quickly pulled the window closed and managed to secure the latch, which was oddly perfect and did nothing to relieve the uneasiness I felt.

  “Coming! Just need to grab my purse.” I shouted down to her.

  I took one final look in the tall mirror before I headed downstairs for our night on the town. I turned to check out how good my ass looked in these leather pants. It was definitely something I would never have picked out on my own, but Michaela had been right about the outfit, even though I would never admit it to her.

  The fabric of my blouse clung to me in all the right places, showing off what little cleavage I could manage and the black lace of my bralette peeked out from the deep V neck of the top. Satisfied with my look, I flopped down on my bed, slipping on my favorite peep toe heels and grabbed my purse.

  I found Michaela sitting at the kitchen island, staring at the little compact she was holding, intently applying her lipstick. Her face, that had once been so much like mine, now appeared thin and gaunt. Her recent treatments had taken their toll on her. Her beautiful hair had not grown back yet and tonight she sported a sleek, platinum blonde wig with a heavy bang. As children, we had often been confused for twins, but now the stark contrast between us broke my heart.

  “Damn, eighteen is looking great on you!” My sister squealed as she noticed me and pulled me into a quick hug. “I wish mom and dad could be here to see you.” She added softly, her eyes taking on a far away look as she remembered our late parents.

  “Thanks, love.” I said, a bit distantly. I was still trying to shake off the feeling I’d had at the window seat and I didn’t want to add to it with thoughts of another birthday without my mom and dad.

  “Everything okay?” She asked, brows instantly furrowed in concern.

  “It’s nothing, the bay window blew open and I guess it just creeped me out.”

  “It’s Gram’s fault for always filling our heads with her so-called fairytales about this place when we were little.”

  “Ugh, yes! I remember spending nights awake, petrified that someone was looking in my window because of those stories.” She giggled at me as I rolled my eyes and quickly changed topics.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this tonight?” I asked quietly. I was hoping not to offend her but I was genuinely concerned over what a night of drinking and dancing might do to her frail health.

  “Sweetie, I wouldn’t miss this for the world! It’s not like you turn 18 every day. It’s been far too long since we’ve been able to act our age. So I’m taking you out and we are going to have the night of our lives.” Her exuberant voice belied her weakened body.

  I decided to put my worries to bed as best I could, because I selfishly wanted to spend this night with her. Not only was it my birthday, but she
had just recently finished chemo and her cancer was now in remission for the second time and it was a victory worth celebrating.

  “Let me text Jamie that we’re leaving and he can meet us at the club.”

  “Are you sure you want him to come along? You’re not going to have as much fun if he’s there.” She groaned exaggeratedly.

  I gave her a chastising look, “Oh stop, can you please just give him a chance? I really like this one Mic.”

  “I just...” she paused, carefully considering her words. “I just think you can do better. I know you’ve been swooning over this guy for months now, but I don’t trust him. That whole thing with his ex-girlfriend really rubbed me the wrong way.”

  “He explained that already, Mic! Nothing happened, she just needed closure and I think it was sweet of him not to blow her off. He told me it’s over and I believe him.” I rebutted in his defense. She was never going to let that go.

  “My gut is telling me that something is off with him. But I’ve said my piece and if you trust him, then that will have to be good enough for me.” Her words sounded genuinely concerned. “I can only hope, when you go away to university this fall, you’ll meet some smoldering book nerd in one of your literature classes, who will make you forget all about Jamie Holder.”

  But Jamie Holder wasn’t just some random boy. He had been the object of my affection since grade school. Albeit my affections had always been from afar, but all that had changed when he had finally noticed me in our last semester at school. I could agree that he wasn’t perfect, but neither was I and I rationalized it by admitting that I couldn’t hold him to impossible standards. Plus, the fact that he was hot as hell definitely hindered my better judgment when it came to him.