It’s Monsters Night, the annual event where the portals to other realms and realities open, and monsters flood the streets to search for their potential mates. And I’m one of the candidates. Why? Because I broke all the rules. I fought back against the elitist system hellbent on enslaving humankind. And f--k if I’m going to let one of these monsters claim me. Let alone three of themOrcus.

Hi, I'm Eve Wakefield, twenty-five years old, professional caterer, recently abducted by aliens alongside my best friend. I'm also completely and utterly screwed. Lost on a jungle planet. Rooming in a downed spaceship with a dragon dude. Being hunted by a moth man with demon eyes and vampire teeth. Begging for help from a tentacle-tailed fox man who also happens to be… a space cowboy?

Half-breeds are seen as dangerous freaks, rejects, misfits who are useful for absolutely nothing. But my parents made a place for people like us to be free, to live together in peace. It was a sanctuary for half-breeds, and the place all my happiest memories took place. But I should have known it wouldn’t last forever. That peaceful place was destroyed, everyone I loved was killed, and I was taken—and tortured. I don’t know how long I was in that dark place before I was freed, but now I’m a different kind of prisoner.

My family is gone. My parents. My twin sister. All of them murdered by the man who has stalked me for years. He nearly killed me, too. But I got away and he’s still out there, searching for me. He won’t find me. At least, I hope not. Thanks to WITSEC, I’ve been given a new life with a new identity. I know my future will be hard and lonely. I must stay strong and focus on the good. I’m getting a second chance at life. I am safe. My new home is beautiful. The four brothers who live next door are even more so.

I’m determined to honor the memory of my family by respecting the rabbit shifter community’s traditions. That is right up until I’m slapped in the face with an unexpected betrayal. The Elders are offering me up on a silver platter to the five male rabbit shifters whose favorite pastime is tormenting me.

Fate wouldn’t tie me to these men, would it? Sent to the ruthless academy for magicals after years hiding from the authorities, I'm behind, poor and, with my pet pig in tow, struggling to fit in. No surprises I'm picked out for ridicule by the other students - as well as the teachers. And four men in particular seem determined to make my life here hell.

The Fates had dealt me a twisted hand. After a lifetime of abuse aimed at awakening a power I never even possessed, I devoured my mother's soul. Suddenly, I was face-to-face with a father who was oblivious to my existence and burdened with the knowledge that I was the sixth soul eater in all of Kalista.

My life hasn't been typical. All I remember is waking up in an alley when I was ten, scrounging for scraps to survive until I was taken to the Bronzeheart estate. That's where my life began, where I've lived for the past eight years with the ruling family, the Blitz Clan. It's where I found my best friend Gage, the future leader of this clan. At the time, I didn't question my good fortune because I was happy to know I wasn't alone in this world anymore. But maybe I should have. After landing a shocking invite to Dark Imaginarium Academy, I realized how much of a safe haven the estate was.

Did you know roughly twenty-seven percent of child abductions are carried out by an acquaintance or family friend? Who better to lure you away than someone you know and trust? With every day that passed, the likelihood of my being found grew smaller. I never imagined I’d be one of them—my face tacked to a bulletin board at the local grocery store and a statewide search issued on my behalf. Even harder to fathom was that I’d ever be one of the lucky few who made it home after enduring years of captivity.

Moving to a new town to start college, where I can try to be normal. Or at least pretend I am. I’m willing to fake it, because I’m tired of trying to get better. Tired of spilling my guts to doctors and therapists to understand why I’ve heard voices since I was a child.