
Shadows In Durango
Bethany Donaghy · Completed · 222.8k Words
Introduction
But Durango brings its own set of challenges. The first being Vincent Walker: the school's intoxicating bad boy who taunts her relentlessly yet sends mixed signals with his unexpected moments of protection and flirtation. Rumours swirl about his family's deep ties to the criminal underworld, only adding to the mystery that surrounds him and the town.
As Sofia navigates through her new life, she also meets Vincent’s best friend, Daryl— a total sweetheart who offers a stark contrast to Vincent's dangerous allure. Drawn into their world, Sofia's secrets begin to unravel. When Vincent and Daryl discover the truth about her living situation, they demand that she moves in with them, promising her safety and a place to belong.
Torn between the enigmatic Vincent and the endearing Daryl, Sofia finds herself falling for both. But her newfound stability is shattered when her past catches up to her, bringing her toxic ex-boyfriend Ashton back into her life. With his relentless apologies and attempts to win her back, Sofia is thrust into a tumultuous love triangle, all while fearing the return of her father and brother who are determined to take her back home.
Caught between three loves and the ghosts of her past, Sofia must navigate a treacherous path to find where her heart truly belongs. Will she choose the dangerous allure of Vincent, the sweet safety of Daryl, or the familiar yet toxic pull of Ashton? And can she ever truly escape her horrifying past?
Chapter 1
Sofia's POV
"Your keys Miss, rent is due in a month - and remember to make it cash!" The grumbly caretaker tosses the metal towards me carelessly as I fumble to catch them, swallowing to wet my drying throat.
"Thank you..." I manage to say, with my voice barely audible, but he nods nonetheless as though he had heard me before making his exit.
He was a stout man, who didn't pride himself much on his appearance by the looks of things, but who was I to judge anyone in this state?
I had managed to land this little apartment for only $350 per month, and although that doesn't sound much to the average person, it really was a lot for somebody who was new to town without a job...
Not to mention my new school that would be taking up most of my time during the week. I would need a night time job no doubt, something convenient to help me make some money - and fast.
I sigh, hearing the front door creak before finally closing over, giving me a proper moment to view the apartment for what it was.
It had nothing in it, no furniture, and the place looked as though it had seen over a thousand crack parties in its time.
I was already wary of my neighbours too who I had passed by on my way inside here. Two men who both stood out in front of the building seeming to smoke something that evidently wasn't normal nicotine or tobacco.
I peered out of the broken blinds, seeing one of them wobble slightly in his high state, before rebalancing himself and going in for another puff - this time from a small pipe that I could see...
Unfortunately, it seemed that one of the men was the top floor resident and the other was the bottom floor - sandwiching me in between them like some cruel prank in our block of three.
I had no choice though, this was the cheapest place I could find and I chose this life for myself... this was my burden to carry and I had to make the most of it at this point because I knew I would never go back home.
I walk towards the tiny kitchen, finding nothing in the cupboards other than some soup tins and so I quickly go back over to my bags which were left in the centre of the floor.
I unzip the one which contained my last small puddle of cash in order to scrutinise just how much I had fucked up thus far...
I had used most of what I took now, and this was my last chance to settle somewhere without them finding me again... and so this has to work!
I pull out my small pink zip purse, opening it to reveal some notes and coins as I slump down on the hard wood floor and tip the contents out.
Taking a second to start counting it, I chew my lip in anticipation for how bad my situation really was this time around... fifty... seventy... ninety...
Pointing to each coin for it to count towards my total, I slump my shoulders slightly and breathe out.
$137...
Not enough for next month's rent but it's something to get me by until I find a job, right?
I check the clock, seeing that it was three in the afternoon, as I push all of my money back inside of the purse - putting it into my bag once again.
I guess it's time to explore my new town - Durango, Colorado.
I was getting further West, but I didn't mind.
Before now, I had just stuck to city hopping, having lived in two already before coming to this place. But they would always manage to hunt me down, like I was a wild animal, and this time around I knew that I had to try a different tactic.
A smaller town would be harder to find and hopefully they would just bypass the place assuming that I would have gone to Vegas or somewhere more extravagant.
I will say though, I did get more for my money in the cities with there being better housing options, but I couldn't grumble - at least I have a roof over my head and a door that locks.
With that, I toss my backpack over my shoulder and head back out - taking the keys and locking the door behind me on my exit.
I quickly rush down the stairs, out in to the bright sun, silencing my two neighbours who eye me curiously with creepy grins.
Thankfully, they say nothing as I pass through the middle of them both, but after a few more steps they both snigger and mutter between themselves - their words inaudible and I wasn't sure if I would have wanted to hear what they were saying either.
I follow a sign towards the town centre, learning quickly that my street seemed to be filled with addicts and drunken people as I passed by, but I didn't mind - as long as they were peaceful and left me out of it that is...
The town itself was gorgeous, far different to the city life, and I got the vibe that this was no doubt a place where everyone knew each other.
I was shocked to find that a couple of blocks away from my own apartment, the streets were lined with ridiculously large extravagant properties and fancy cars, highlighting the wealth that also resided in this small place.
I quickened my step, slightly embarrassed to be walking by the residents who sat out on their front porches to enjoy the sun - with my messy unclean hair and overall scruffy appearance.
I would have to grab some necessities to shower with, or I would face backlash on my first day of school which I didn't want nor need on top of everything else that I had going on. Plus, nobody would hire me looking like this either!
I eventually reached the main town, passing a number of boutique restaurants and coffee shops, before finding a discount store that I quickly swerved into in shame.
The lady on the till seemed surprised when I walked in, but quickly forced a smile to which I returned awkwardly and hurried towards the isles.
Do I look that bad now? I had never let myself get this unkept... but this was nothing more than a result of travelling for eight days straight to get here...
Deciding to put my pride first, I granted myself permission to spend what I had to spend in order to freshen up completely for my first day of school tomorrow.
Glancing across the hair and body products thankful to find that they were pretty cheap, I grabbed a small basket and began to add shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a sponge, toothpaste, a toothbrush, deodorant and a razor to shave with.
Calculating the total in my head, I was relieved to have only spent seven dollars - returning back to the checkout lady with my products.
She looked somewhat guilty, as she scanned each one, glancing over what I had came in here for.
"Uhh listen dear... it's on the house... don't worry about paying today, we all fall into a low place sometimes but you'll pick yourself back up again... I'll cover your total." The woman's words shock me, as my lips part and my eyes widen.
"N-No I can pay!" I push, quickly retrieving my purse in embarrassment as she shakes her head and waves me off.
"Put your money to something else, there's a great little thrift store across the road, you could have a look in there? I'll get this." She pushes, bagging up my products as I gulp and nod slowly.
This was embarrassing, but I couldn't help but feel grateful.
"Thank you... I'm uh, new around here... I just need some time to get on my feet." I nod quickly, realising that she probably thought I was an addict of some sort looking this way.
"I understand, have a nice day dear..." She smiles and ignores my rambles, handing me the bag with a soft smile as I thank her once more and hurry out of the store.
Jeez...
I inhale a slow breath, before spotting the thrift store across the road that the lady had spoken of.
Maybe I could go in and use the money I would have spent for a first day school outfit?
I sigh, noticing some girls around my age staring over at me from down the street in confusion. I quickly cross the road, rushing towards the store to get away from their judgemental eyes - hurrying myself inside.
The place was huge, organised in to colours and sizes as I head towards the pinks first to browse. I loved clothes, and at first when I left home I had took most of what I had with me. But each time they found me, I had to flee as quickly as possible which meant that sadly stuff got left behind on the way.
I think I have three outfits and some underwear left, that I could hand wash in the sink when I get back home to freshen up a bit.
I pull out a pink crop top with buttons at the top, and seeing that the shirt was only two dollars I decide to take it.
I also find a baby blue tee, plain with only a white heart on the left hand side. Due to having a small mark on the sleeve it was only a dollar to which I also decide to get it.
It was an odd feeling, shopping for clothes again when it was something I used to enjoy so much but I enjoyed it in here nonetheless. Like every other store though, some of the prices were really great and other prices seemed ridiculous, especially for second hand clothes.
I moved towards the jeans, rummaging through the racks for my size before finding a nice black pair for only five dollars in a 'Mom style' fit.
Ok I can't spend anything else, this was a treat... I decide, as I head towards the checkout desk and count out what I need.
The younger guy watches me, choosing to stay silent since he probably deals with people who look like me every day in here, before I hand him over eight dollars total to which he thanks me and bags the stuff for me.
Leaving, I stop in to the small excursion shop next door finding the different activities and trips you could book in or close to town before my eyes land on a little brochure with a map of town on the back.
Perfect! That would help me find my way around a little better!
I place the pamphlet in my bag, and trudge my way back towards my new empty apartment to freshen up as much as humanly possible for my big day tomorrow...
But I could confirm so far that this place wasn't all bad...
Last Chapters
#145 Chapter 145
Last Updated: 6/18/2025#144 Chapter 144
Last Updated: 6/18/2025#143 Chapter 143
Last Updated: 6/18/2025#142 Chapter 142
Last Updated: 6/18/2025#141 Chapter 141
Last Updated: 1/12/2026#140 Chapter 140
Last Updated: 1/12/2026#139 Chapter 139
Last Updated: 1/12/2026#138 Chapter 138
Last Updated: 1/12/2026#137 Chapter 137
Last Updated: 1/12/2026#136 Chapter 136
Last Updated: 1/12/2026
You Might Like 😍
On Christmas Eve, I aborted the CEO's child
On Christmas Eve night, my husband brought his mistress home and demanded that I, his pregnant wife, leave with nothing.
On this day, I lost my husband and also lost the child in my womb...
When I Disappeared, He Regretted It
The moment the screen lit up, my entire world came crashing down.
The woman on the bed was Calista - that girl who grew up with us since we were kids. And that hand caressing her skin was wearing the wedding ring I had personally put on Matteo's finger.
"I've missed you so much..."
"You drive me crazy, baby..."
Those sweet words I knew so well completely destroyed me.
Everyone said we were the perfect couple, but who knew this marriage was built on nothing but lies?
Since he's so good at acting, I guess it's time I gave him a show of my own. I'm going to make sure everyone sees what this "perfect husband" really is...
He Never Loved Me, Until I Left
I put away the divorce agreement with a wry smile.
When he and my son completely disappeared, he finally panicked.
Three months later .
He knelt down on the streets of Chicago in despair, begging me to remarry him.
My six-year-old son looked coldly at his biological father and said, "Get lost, you bad uncle! You don't deserve to be my dad!"
He Thought I'd Never Leave
When he said he was being bullied, I believed him. When he kissed me on that rooftop, I thought he felt the same. When he asked me to transfer schools with him, I said yes without hesitation.
Then I heard him bragging to his friends: "She'd save her first time for me. Hell, she'd still be thinking of me on her wedding night."
The bullying was staged. The kiss meant nothing. He just wanted me gone—so his new girl could feel more comfortable.
He thought I'd beg. He thought I'd cry. He thought I'd never actually leave.
I left the country.
And ran straight into his stepbrother.
Bury Me in His Regret
The kidnapper pressed the gun to my temple and asked, "Choose your wife or your sister-in-law?"
Zachary didn't hesitate. "Let Valerie go," he said.
He actually chose to save his sister-in-law! In that moment, even the baby in my belly seemed to stop kicking.
Later, they locked me in the basement. Drugs to delay labor were pumped into my veins over and over. Zachary wanted to save the "firstborn son" status for his sister-in-law's child.
When warm blood finally soaked through my skirt, I dialed the number I knew by heart with shaking hands.
"Zachary," I whispered into the phone, "our child... can't wait any longer."
The Kidney That Killed Me
A few months ago, my sister was hospitalized with kidney failure. The doctor said she needed a transplant. My family's first thought was me—the backup daughter they'd kept around all these years.
When my husband Allen took my hand with tears in his eyes and said, "Only you can save her," I agreed without hesitation.
When the doctor explained the surgical risks and potential complications, I smiled and nodded my understanding.
My parents said I'd finally learned what sisterly love meant.
Even Allen, who'd always been cold to me, held my hand gently and said, "The surgery's safe. You're so healthy, nothing will go wrong. When you recover, I'll take you to Hawaii."
But they don't know that no matter how the surgery goes, I won't be around to celebrate.
Because I just got my own test results—I have terminal brain cancer. I'm going to die anyway.
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.
On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...
Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.
George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"
Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.
When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.
"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"
George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Omega Bound
Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life.
Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Shattered Girl
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Was that too much?” I could see the worry in his eyes as I took a deep breath.
“I just didn’t want you to see all my scars,” I whispered, feeling ashamed of my marked body.
Emmy Nichols is used to surviving. She survived her abusive father for years until he beat her so severely, she ended up in the hospital, and her father was finally arrested. Now, Emmy is thrown into a life she never expected. Now she has a mother
who doesn't want her, a politically motivated stepfather with ties to the Irish mob, four older stepbrothers, and their best friend who swear to love and protect her. Then, one night, everything shatters, and Emmy feels her only option is to run.
When her stepbrothers and their best friend finally find her, will they pick up the pieces and convince Emmy that they will keep her safe and their love will hold them together?
Goddess Of The Underworld
When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates
"Let me go," I whimper, my body trembling with need. "I don't want you touching me."
I fall forward onto the bed then turn around to stare at him. The dark tattoos of Domonic's chiseled shoulders, quiver and and expand with the heave of his chest. His deep dimpled smile is full of arrogance as he reaches behind himself to lock the door.
Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.
"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" He whispers, untying the knot and slipping a hand inside. "Because I swear to God, that is all I have been wanting to do. Every single day from the moment you stepped in our bar and I smelled your perfect flavor from across the room."
New to the world of shifters, Draven is human on the run. A beautiful girl who no one could protect. Domonic is the cold Alpha of the Red Wolf Pack. A brotherhood of twelve wolves that live by twelve rules. Rules which they vowed could NEVER be broken.
Especially - Rule Number One - No Mates
When Draven meets Domonic, he knows that she is his mate, but Draven has no idea what a mate is, only that she has fallen in love with a shifter. An Alpha that will break her heart to make her leave. Promising herself, she will never forgive him, she disappears.
But she doesn’t know about the child she’s carrying or that the moment she left, Domonic decided rules were made to be broken - and now will he ever find her again? Will she forgive him?












