The Art of Deception

A scientist, a shapeshifter in love with her, a king obsessed with her and something ancient watching her every move...

„Curiosity killed the cat" - Maybe that is true, but death is a sacrifice she is willing to make, if she can trade it for knowledge.

Kora Swan, a young scientist with a sharp mind and a little too much ambition, returns to Forks after a year abroad. Only to find her younger sister, Bella, being wrapped in a series of strange events, all surrounding her twitchy, new boyfriend Edward and his family of potential cultists (Or so she suspects).

Kora's always loved playing a good mind game. And deciding to make it Edward's problem he's a telepath, while investigating him is quite entertaining.

She definitely couldn't foretell that this would draw her directly into the supernatural world, into the hands of a shapeshifter who has loved her far longer than she realizes and into an Italian city full of vampires.

Outplaying their king at his own game is her first mistake. Obsessing over her is his.

It traps her between this tempting pull towards the darkness of an equal mind, that she can't seem to resist and the warm, brown eyes and beating heart of the wolf that remind her of her own humanity.

But while Kora plays with monsters an even worse one has been writing the rules all along...

Embry/OC/ Volturi king love triangle
Felix/other OC sideplot
Leah/other OC sideplot

♦️

I also consider this as extremely slow burn, because we will meet the first love interest only 17 chapters in and the other way after that.

This story is also posted on AO3.

TW: Violence, Death, Sexual Content, Drug Use, Self-Harm, Weapons, Swear Words

Disclaimer: All characters except the MC and etc. belong to Stephanie Meyer.