ADAM by Jacquelyn Frank

ADAM by Jacquelyn Frank

The Nightwalkers- Book 6

Haunted by magic, beset by evil, the Nightwalkers face their darkest hour yet. And when they unthinkable happens, only one legendary male has the power,
the will, to save them: Adam....

FOR 400 YEARS HE WAS LOST TO HER, BUT HE IS HERS TONIGHT...

From their first tantalizing touch, Jasmine knows he is different. What other lover could unlock her tight control, flood Vampire senses jaded by a lifetime of decadent self indulgence? Centuries ago, when he disappeared without a trace, she had given up hope of ever fulfilling the promise of incomparable passion. But here he is, against the very laws of nature, ready to bring down their most vicious enemy, ready to bring her blood to the boiling point.... If she will only let him.

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Prologue
Samhain 2008

“There’s too many of them!” Isabella cried out after a moment wasted in catching her breath. The dark ebony cloud of her hair was flung around her head in a wide arc as she whipped it around to look at her companion: her mate and husband, the father of her daughter, not to mention their son, whose impending existence they had only found out about a week ago. He guarded her back just as she guarded his in this fight, and together they were protecting the thing most precious to them both. “Jacob!”

The female Druid was forced to turn her back on her attackers as she saw that the odds she faced were nothing compared to his. No matter how strong and skilled she had become as a fighter over her years beside him, no matter how powerful an Earth Demon he was, they would never survive against such forces. Not alone. But Jacob would not relent.

He could not relent.

It was not only because they were the Enforcers and it was their duty to fight these foul aggressors with every last breath in their bodies. It was because their daughter, Leah, was secreted away only a few yards distant from the ground they currently defended. Jacob would sacrifice his last breath before he would see his family harmed. Isabella would do no less.

“Bella!”

Jacob reached for her between one smooth strike at the enemy and the next. He linked his arm through hers, and like the perfectly fitting cogs of a watch, she rotated over his back, her legs windmilling in dual strikes that stunned and stumbled enemies. When her feet hit the ground, she instantly stepped back so the heel of her left foot touched the heel of his right.

They braced themselves in that back-to-back position as the forces around them circled like vultures. Fortunately, both fighters knew that baser instincts would prevent these Transformed Demons from organizing themselves with intelligence, cunning, or strategy. The situation was critical enough with their bloodlust berserking; if they were to work in tandem, they would have a horrifying advantage.

Even as Bella struck a mark with a petite arm that packed far more punch than would be expected in one so small, Jacob spread his hands out parallel to the earth, his fingers curling as if they were burying into the soil that, in actuality, was a good four feet below the thick stone under their feet. Shattered quartz and rich loam spewed up toward those commanding hands, starting in one place and rapidly exploding in a circle around him and his wife until they were being swallowed by a perfect cylinder of dirt, rock, and debris.

Isabella wasn’t afraid when the ground caved in beneath her and the earth literally sealed its lips above her head and swallowed her up. She instantly dropped down into the chute of the tunnel being burrowed through the soil, her husband sliding swiftly beside her as they fell. Even though she could see and hear the rumble of clean fill collapsing above their heads almost as fast as they fell, she was not intimidated. On the contrary, she was relieved. The monsters above them could never catch them now. It was all Jacob; every grain and every pebble being manipulated around them was under her husband’s artful command. He was the most powerful Earth Demon alive. The oldest of his kind.

None of the Transformed Earth Demons above them could match the speed and accuracy Jacob used to manipulate the Earth around them, or the way the soil was repacked above them tighter than nature herself had originally done. Now their enemies would have to figure out how to find their way through tremendous amounts of earth in order to find them.

Finally they passed through what was once solid limestone before bursting out of the Demon-made tunnel and into a nature-made cavern. Jacob manipulated gravity so they landed gently on their feet, even giving Isabella an extra moonwalk bounce that made her laugh briefly in spite of their dire circumstances.

Then she turned sharply around to face her mate.

“The baby!”

“Easy,” her husband reassured her. “She’s just through the caverns. I pulled her down, too. What did you think I was going to do?” He reached out and swatted her backside as she hurried in the direction he had indicated. But despite the playful gesture and her smart look over her shoulder, they were both very aware that they weren’t safe yet. Granted, most of those above could not follow them, but some . . .

Some could.

“I pulled Jasmine into the caverns as well, but she’s hell and gone from here,” he warned his wife. “It’s going to take some time for her to reach us.”

Bella threw up a hand of acknowledgment, even though he already knew she had heard him and understood him. Understood they were on their own.

Isabella’s speed as she ran along the twisting corridor still amazed her. It had been six years since she had evolved from a human into a Druid, or rather, a hybrid of human and Druid. The power that had come with that alteration in her genetic makeup, including her ability to run with incredible speed, had been one of many blessings in her life since then. As she rounded a corner, she saw one of her blessings indignantly dusting off the soil the other blessing in Bella’s life had caused to get on her dress.

“Daddy, I’m dirty,” the five-year-old complained, the hands on her tiny hips and the jut of her lips all too reminiscent of her mother’s infamous gestures of pique. She completely disregarded the fact that she’d been in any danger.

“Sorry, angel,” Jacob apologized halfheartedly as he looked up toward the cavern ceiling, sensing the danger looming above them. “We have to make haste,” he said softly as he leaned in toward Bella’s ear.

Isabella was already scooping up her daughter as her husband’s hand fell into the small of her back to guide and hurry her.

“Mommy, I can walk,” Leah reminded her with her trademark stubborn independence, just as she always did when Isabella tried to carry her.

Of course, Leah let her father truck her around everywhere from dusk to dawn if that was his wish, and she never complained then, Isabella thought.

“Mommy is faster than you are, sweetheart, and we have to run,” Bella explained as she began to do just that.

She didn’t lose patience with her daughter’s distorted priorities. It wasn’t that Leah didn’t understand that there was peril around them, because she did. However, Leah had grown up watching her parents run into battle at the slightest threat to their home and homeland, their friends and family, or their monarch’s people. She was speaking like a child who wasn’t worried in the least about her safety because she knew her parents to be a mighty force, an undefeatable army of two that would never fail to protect her for as long as she lived.

There was a bursting change in the cavern’s air pressure, one that all three of them recognized; although in Leah’s experience, the force that created that sinus-snapping aftermath was always friendly. This one was not.

Isabella skidded to a halt, shoving her daughter behind herself so suddenly that Leah’s dress hit the dirt once more.

Bella and Jacob squared off to face the traitorous Demon Ruth, who had become a powerful enemy as she’d added potent necromancer magic to her already vast repertoire of ability as an Elder Mind Demon. It was she who had betrayed and Summoned the Transformed Demons Jacob and Isabella had left up above them, layers of earth and rock away.

Worse yet was the presence of the Vampire named Nicodemous, who now shared her power, just as he seemed to share her black magic abilities. Ruth had caused devastating death and destruction when she had defected, first with her daughter, and then, upon her daughter’s death, on her own. Now, mated to a Vampire of such age and avaricious might, she was an unfathomable force of evil.

They both were.

The only small thing in the Enforcers’ favor was that Ruth’s Transformed minions couldn’t immediately come to her aid. That wouldn’t last long, however.

Ruth only needed a moment of concentration before she could begin teleporting them down to her side a bucketful at a time.

Isabella refused to give her the advantage. The Druid released the tight rein she always kept on her ability to dampen the power of any Nightwalker. This was by far her most powerful ability, and it was also the most unpredictable and dangerous to her personally. She even forced herself to acknowledge the unknown damage it could do to the delicate fetus she carried.

But she didn’t see that she had a choice with the lives of the rest of her family at stake. Even with Jasmine on her way to back them up, the female Vampire was only one person, and it would take an army to defeat these two evil creatures if their powers remained intact. They had learned much about how to use them over these past few years. And it was only going to get worse. Bella and Jacob had to strike now, while they had a chance. And besides, the traitorous bitch was coming after her child. Bella would see to it Ruth paid for even daring to think about touching Leah. Damn the painful consequences she might suffer. If Bella didn’t do something, they all would die anyway.

Clearly Jacob felt the same, or he would have volubly protested her impending actions through the telepathic link they shared with one another. He knew what potential harm there was to his wife, but while he’d argued against it in the past on many occasions, there was no time to argue now.

And so she opened herself to the dangerous unknown and drew it into her vulnerable mind and body. Bella had absorbed the power of a female Mind Demon before, but nothing like this blackness of soul. It was sucked harshly into her like acrid ammonia.

She had taken the power of a corrupted Vampire before. He had stolen the lives of other Nightwalkers, gathering their power into himself through the drinking of their blood. But she knew instantly that this Vampire was tainted well beyond that, the stain of necromancer magic on his soul as well. It was like imbibing a double dose of pure, liquid evil. She felt the cloying blackness of dual channels of power from the twin sources; they seeped into her like thick oil and tar. The evil twisted together inside her, suffocating her from the inside out. Her eyes, normally a beautiful violet color, blacked over and she looked down at herself to see pitch liquid oozing out of her skin. She did not realize the vision was only in her own mind.

Jacob felt his mate scream in horror long before she actually found the voice for it. He saw what she saw, just as he knew her every waking thought every moment of the day. He knew she was seeing a hallucination, and he couldn’t help the instinct that had him leaping into her mind to convince her of what was real and what was not. He whirled around to catch her in a single strong arm as she lurched in a back-arching seizure.

Leah watched with wide, frightened eyes as her mother was flung backward by an unseen force. Her young heart leapt into her throat as her father spun to catch her mother, the long brown-black tail of his hair whipping like that of an agitated horse. She felt her heart seize fitfully with incomprehension as she watched him quickly ease his beloved wife to the ground as gently as he could, considering the violent contortions of her body.

That was all the time it took for the enemy behind him to strike.

It was the Vampire that moved. Leah watched, paralyzed with shock and fear as he reached with blinding speed into his long, dark coat, grabbing for something that looked sharp and deadly. Even Leah’s immature Demon senses could smell the sudden tang of rusted iron, the poisonous metal that was deadly to Demons.

A moment later the Vampire leapt onto her father’s turned back and drove the iron spike between rear ribs and shoulder blade.

Leah watched as if through someone else’s eyes as the spike burst through her father’s chest, spearing him straight through the heart. The inconceivable sight of her sire’s blood exploding out of his chest was nothing compared to seeing him fall to his knees in total shock, his face full of outrage and a clear frustration that only those who loved him would understand. Jacob looked up into his little girl’s violet eyes, so like her mother’s, and felt his failure to protect his family so sharply that the last sound to leave him was a keening cry of utter remorse.

Then he fell forward onto her mother, the last exhale of his breath echoing in the suddenly silent cavern.

“Daddy!”

Leah screamed for her father as the Vampire reached to yank him off her mother, baring his fangs. He hissed and then threw Jacob away so violently that Leah heard her father hit the near wall with a sickening smack.

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CAVEAT EMPTOR: ANGUISHED LOVER by Zenobia Renquist

ANGUISHED LOVER by Zenobia Renquist

Caveat Emptor Book Four

To save their love, Sicily may have to sacrifice her life.

Sicily has volunteered to put herself on the front lines in the vampires' fight against the mages. Lamon has no choice but to go with her to keep her safe.

When the worst happens, Sicily has to find out just what she's willing to sacrifice to save the lives of her lover and her friends.

Caveat Emptor -- Let the Buyer Beware.

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Caveat Emptor: Anguished Lover
Zenobia Renquist
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2011 Zenobia Renquist

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.


Sicily ran her hand over the tall end table situated next to her front door. She had picked out the three-legged, faux cherry wood piece because it matched her living room set. It had been in her house for the last five years, and yet she felt as though she were touching it for the very first time.

Everything around her felt familiar. At the same time, it all seemed like it didn't belong to her. It was a disconcerting feeling she could only attribute to having been away from home for nearly three months. It felt more like an entire lifetime since so much had happened.

It had all started with Sicily's best friend, Ryver, who had decided to purchase a vampire for home security. The man ended up breaking his bonds of servitude and whisking Ryver away to vampire territory. Meanwhile, those left behind, namely Sicily, thought Ryver had been killed like so many other owners of vampires who had gone rogue.

Fear of Ryver being dead was put to rest when Ryver contacted Sicily asking for help freeing Theron, Ryver's vampire lover, from his magical restraints. That put Sicily in the path of mages who wanted Theron dead and had decided to use Sicily to do it. They put her under a puppet spell that Sicily had yet to break.

A small smile curved Sicily's lips, and she glanced over her shoulder at Lamon, Theron's second-in-command and her lover. Lamon was over six feet of bronze Thai goodness with straight black hair that fell to the middle of his well-defined back. He normally looked stern and imposing, but she had seen that chiseled visage crumble into one of passion.

She and Lamon had spent two glorious weeks trapped in a cabin with only each other as company. A wonderful two weeks filled with explosive sex the likes of which Sicily had never felt before, and she'd had her fair share of lovers.

"Stop it," Lamon whispered against her neck as he circled his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his strong chest.

She said in a low, coy voice, "I'm not doing anything."

He drew his nose up the curve of her neck and then licked her pulse point. "You are thinking naughty thoughts. Your body is radiating the smell of your lust around the house and distracting us from our task."

Sicily peeked around Lamon at the five other people who had come home with her. Vampires from Theron's own personal army. Each of the men ranked amongst the strongest magic users of Theron's people, with Lamon as the most powerful of them all. They had to be. Theron had charged them with the task of capturing the mages who had used Sicily as an unwilling pawn in the plot to destroy Theron in his home.

The five men concentrated on separate points around the house. They were doing something magical that Sicily didn't understand, but which amounted to a capture spell meant to trap the mages when they sensed Sicily's return to her home and came to investigate.

None of the men paid the least bit of attention to Sicily. She shifted her hips side to side, rubbing against the bulge that was pressed against her ass. "The only person I'm distracting is you."

"I'm the only one that matters." Lamon cupped her breasts and rolled his fingers, massaging her D-cups through her shirt.

A tingling ache started in her pussy. "We just got here, and you're already acting like this." She scolded him lightly because she wanted him as much as he wanted her. The dampness of her panties was proof.

"Which way?"

She pointed to the door at the end of the hallway. Her bedroom.

Lamon lifted her against his chest and carried her there in the time it took her to blink. He kicked the door closed before walking her to the bed.

She asked as he laid her down, "What about the others?"

"Ignore them." Lamon knelt over her.

"They'll hear us."

"I don't care. In few moments, neither will you." He made a gesture, and their clothing disappeared. Lamon looked over her body with a hungry gaze.

Sicily smiled up at him as she drew her fingers over one nipple. She asked in a breathy voice, "Not sure where to start?" She shifted so her thigh rubbed against Lamon's hard shaft. "It's always best to start slow with a big meal so you can enjoy it fully until the last bite."

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DIARY OF A NARCISSISTIC BLOODSUCKER by Lynda Hilburn

DIARY OF A NARCISSISTIC BLOODSUCKER by Lynda Hilburn

Told in first person by the vampire herself (Zara), this is the diary of an ancient, self-absorbed, yet-amusing nightwalker.

She lusts for both sex and blood. Unfortunately, something has gone awry and her normal habits now create new problems to solve. In the midst of sorting things out, she meets an intriguing human named Niven - a musician who lives in the magical kingdom of contemporary Boulder, CO - and discovers that he is much more than he appears to be.

Then, if things weren't interesting enough, Zara encounters her old mentor/lover - the vampire who originally turned her - and things get downright supernatural.

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Excerpt:

Anyway, on that fateful day where our story begins, as the last rays of the sun slid behind the mountains, my eyes opened, I sat up, and immediately knew something was different.

It was as if there was a blip in the space-time continuum. Or the vibrational soup I'd grown accustomed to swimming in had a new carrot in the pot. Or someone's soul signature was pulling me: As if a special radio station with a signal that only I could hear had gone on the air.

And, while we're on the subject, let me clear up another thing right now. Vampires have souls. It is the body that dies. Any respectable metaphysician will tell you that the essence of what we Earth inhabitants are – fundamental and deeper than alive/not alive – is some kind of etheric energy. This energy continues, regardless. It does seem to be the case that each soul – yes, that includes vampires – has its own song and, according to legend and myth, each soul is theoretically matched with another soul whose song is similar. We've all been bashed over the head with the soul mate thing, so I won't bore you with that. Besides, the entire topic really is much more complicated and interesting than we usually hear about.

But, back to what I was saying. When I arose, I sensed…something.

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TAINTED BLOOD by Stacey Kennedy

TAINTED BLOOD by Stacey Kennedy

The Dark Element Book One

Darkness is settling over San Francisco - vampires in the throes of blood lust are taking innocent lives. One witch will need to see past her fear, and trust her Guardian, before everyone is in danger, including herself...

Earth Witch, Sabi, has been gifted with the ability to see premonitions of the darkness that threatens human lives. Safe in the Otherworld, she adjusts to these new visions...which isn't going so well. Luckily, she's got the sexy Guardian, Ryker to help her work through these visions. He's intent to show her how to distance herself from them and help her gain control of life. Not that it's really helping. The visions are leaving her crippled and unable to help pinpoint the killer's locations to stop the acts from happening.

If that's not enough to deal with, she soon begins to see vampires on a killing rampage in San Francisco. Vampires are being born and left to fend for themselves, resulting in innocent lives being taken while they're in the throes of blood lust. But as Sabi's visions begin to kick up a notch, personal matters need to be put aside. And as the mystery begins to unravel, Sabi will begin to see that these visions are getting far more dangerous and that humans are not the only ones at risk - she is.

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Excerpt:

Ryker took another step toward her, but Sabi raised her hand to stop him.“Don’t give me that smoldering look. I mean it, if my dessert goes in the garbage again, there will be hell to pay.”

“I’m only interested in comforting you.”

“Sure you are.” She continued to step away from him. Her stare focused on his, and good heavens, they burned with desire. The one part of their relationship that had never been an issue was the spectacular passion between them.

“Now come on, I only want to hug you.”

She knew him all too well. “A hug will lead to nakedness, and the dessert will be forgotten.”

He continued to approach her, moved her out of the kitchen as she backed away from him while he gave her his sexy grin. “You think so little of my restraint?”

“I know you don’t have any,” she retorted, suddenly aware her legs were stopped by something. She glanced back to find he had herded her into the bedroom. “I mean it, Ryker. You’ve ruined too many of the treats I’ve made for you.”

He pinned her, leaning his body against hers, and his gaze said he enjoyed the position he put her in. “May I remind you, I’ve said to stop all this baking and let me just enjoy the taste of you.”

Classic Ryker—bold, yet somehow charming. He could say something dirty and make it sound endearing. He closed the distance between them, raised his hand and ran a finger down her cheek. “What if I touched you here, would this change your mind?”

“No,” she said, determined. Oh, she would fight him, and ignore how sexy he looked in his Guardian gear—all warrior—all man. She enjoyed baking for him, liked doing nice things for him, and he’d made it a habit to let her efforts burn to a crisp. No, she would hold her ground and refuse him. They needed to wait forty-five minutes, if that, and then they could play.

“What if I did this?”

He ran his thumb over her lips, and on instinct, her lips parted as her breath followed in a whoosh. “No, my mind would not be changed.”

He grinned, and she almost succumbed to him. The confidence oozing from him, the pure sex appeal emanating from him, plus his gorgeous face―she was screwed.

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ANOTHER CHANCE by Rebecca Royce

ANOTHER CHANCE by Rebecca Royce

Patrick O'Callaghan is a vampire grappling with the fate that has been laid out for him. Turned into a vampire during World War II, he lived for many years as a crazed monster searching only for blood and dishing out death. That is until he is approached to join a unique unit of the United States military, a special operations division made up of vampires looking for a second chance, for a way to redeem the horrors they have caused by serving God and Country. The only catch? He had to give up human blood.

Jennifer DeMarco is a hard-nosed reporter and the daughter of an Admiral in the United States Navy. When she goes missing, kidnapped by terrorists she hoped to interview, Patrick's unit is sent out to rescue her and then remove her memory of the events, making it like they never happened.

Things go awry when Patrick responds sexually to Jennifer, something that hasn't happened since he was made a vampire. New truths are unveiled to Patrick-things he never thought he either could or should have as a creature of the undead, and Jennifer's life continues to be in danger.

When disaster strikes, the two will discover that there are second chances if only you're willing to take them.

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~Excerpt~


Jennifer had cried herself nearly asleep, which was the absolute last thing she’d wanted to do. Of course it didn’t really matter. It might actually be better to be unconscious when the time came for her to be raped and murdered. Oh God, why hadn’t she just listened to her father and stuck to a desk job? Why did she have to prove something to everyone by becoming a hardnosed investigative reporter? Ha. She actually laughed. She wasn’t acting at all hardnosed at the moment.

Jerking back, she jumped when she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Straining to turn around, she decided she had to be crazy. The room was pitch black. There was no way she could see anything moving around. Even if there was something in there with her, it was most likely something she wouldn’t want to see, like a rat.

She grimaced at the thought. There was nothing she hated more than rodents, which was funny considering that she was about to be beheaded with the video posted on the Internet for her family to watch. In the world she lived in, there should be a lot more to dislike than one small rodent.

“Don’t move.” A voice spoke from behind her, and she started before she could help herself. No one could have gotten in here. Was she hallucinating?

“I’m real and, no, I can’t read minds. People tend to think they’re hallucinating when I appear.”

Jennifer couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard amusement in the stranger’s voice. Truthfully, that was sort of comforting in an odd way. If he could be funny then maybe her straits were not as dire as she’d feared. That was, of course, assuming that he was actually there to rescue her, which he had not said.

“I’m going to take off this gag and you are still not going to make any noise, do you understand me, J.L.?”

He’d called her J.L. For some reason that didn’t sit well with her. Usually, she preferred it. Jennifer was the name her parents had given her. J.L. she had invented herself. However, from this man it didn’t sound right. Since she couldn’t see him, all she had to go by was the intonations and accent on his carefully chosen words.

There was no question, he had a thick Brooklyn accent. It couldn’t be mistaken, and she hadn’t heard anything like it in years. Everyone she knew spent so much time trying to hide their origins, to sound so completely unidentifiable in order to gain respectability. It had been a long time since she’d heard such a completely unabashed representation of where someone was from.

She didn’t know a thing about him and already she was anxious to get a look at this person whose very presence in the room intrigued and terrified her.

True to his word, he sliced the gag from her mouth. Her tongue felt heavy and she was horrified to hear herself pant. She’d had no idea she was in such bad shape.

“I’m going to undo your wrists and your ankles. As soon as I have, you’re going to wrap your arms around my neck. Do you understand? Nod, if you do.”

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DECEPTIONS OF NIGHT by Virginia Cavanaugh

DECEPTIONS OF NIGHT - Order of Night Book Two by Virginia Cavanaugh

Tempers run hot through the members of the Order of Night as Lex tries to settle in as the new Triad vampire. But when a jaguar attacks him in his bed, his life gets turned upside down, and he discovers a new meaning to keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.

Kill the triad vampire or your brother dies. Shayla grudgingly accepts the assignment. But she soon realizes that success is easier said than done as she lies prone, trapped against the floor and secured by the body of one pissed off sexy leech.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Lex wants answers and Shayla wants her brother returned alive. They form a shaky truce as they seek out the man who has both. Fierce attraction pushes them closer as mistrust tears them apart.

Deception lays in wait around every corner as they struggle to find the master mind behind the traitors to the Order of Night. As the tension rises, desire begins to burn with an intensity that threatens to consume, leaving them to question whether they can find what they seek with their lives and hearts intact.

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Chapter One


What a clusterfuck this turned out to be. Lex sat up a little straighter in the high backed chair and looked around the room from his place on the raised platform, his patience thin. The Order of Night for Area Four had been called into session to swear in the new shape-shifting senators, and Lex’s newly appointed place with the Triad dictated his presence here. The room offered quite a bit of space under normal circumstances, but with the raised awareness and irritation simmering just under the surface of everyone in the room, he felt confined.

Lex turned his gaze to his brother Kale, who sat at the vampires’ table. Kale should be the one sitting up here in this chair, but he’d been removed from the Triad as punishment for the senate shifters he’d killed. Lex had also taken one out, but no one would ever know about his presence with his brother that night. They also held his brother responsible for the death of a sorceress named Kierra, but she was still very much alive.

Down below him and his two counterparts were three tables arranged to form a triangle. Five senators from each race sat on their appointed side. The shape-shifters sat huddled together, their displeasure evident. Lex had to suppress the need to roll his eyes. The furballs could stay pissed for all he cared.

Lex didn’t want this appointment to the Triad. He only took it to please his father after Kale had been forced to step down. Lex had been content to handle family business and be a leader to his people. Everyone knew his social skills where the other races were concerned lacked at best.

Senator Colin stood up, puffing out his solid chest to make up for his lack in stature. “We are outraged to have to sit in the same room with the filth that took the lives of our people.”

Travis, one of the vampire senators, tipped his Stetson hat back marginally. “I would watch who you’re calling filth, fur ball, unless you want to be on the receiving end of a good ole’ fashioned ass kicking.”

Lex watched as Kale placed his hand on Travis’s shoulder. They didn’t need a brawl in the middle of the meeting room. Then again, it would provide some entertainment to an otherwise boring bitch session. Who knew, maybe someone would even be willing to place bets and he could carry away a little pocket change at that. A voice sounded to Lex’s left, and he turned his attention to the shape-shifter Triad member, Roland, who tilted his head slightly to look down his hawk-like nose at everyone in the room.

“The Triad is displeased with Kale’s continued presence...”

“Hold up, Wild Kingdom.” Lex rose to his feet. “You are displeased with Kale’s presence, but the Triad is not. So you need to think before you speak for all of us.”

“Who are you to speak to me in such a manner? You’re nothing but your father’s lackey, undeserving of the position you now hold,” Roland replied, with a curl of his lip.

Lex started toward Roland, ready to show him what kind of ass whooping a lackey could dish out, but Kale’s booming voice stopped him.

“Enough. I think this meeting should be adjourned. We’re clearly not going to get anywhere while everyone’s temper is unleashed.”

Lex found himself smiling at Kale’s pun. “I second that motion, unless...” Lex turned his head and stared at Roland, casting him a look full of intent if they stayed here any longer.

“I’m also in favor of this,” Roxanne, the Triad sorceress, stated as she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

“Meeting adjourned,” Roland sneered. “We will reconvene in two weeks.”

Lex cast a sardonic smile in Roland’s direction, before hopping off the platform to join his brother and Travis, who were exchanging parting words with the other three vampire senators. “You know, I believe I hate this more than I thought I would. I have no tolerance for ass wipes.”

“Well, brother, you are going to have to grow some, because it only gets worse from here.” Kale cast a half smile.

Lex turned his gaze to Travis. “And what is it with this hick getup? I haven’t seen you in a century and you have gone and went country on me.” Travis had spent so many years as one of the vampire guardians that Lex had come to think of him as family. But his father had made a wise choice in appointing Travis to the Order. He made one hell of a leader.

Travis laughed. “What can I say? Once a farm boy always a farm boy.”

Lex winced. “When things settle down, I’ll have to kidnap you and help you before the fashion police descend.”

“I reckon you will. Well, I’m outta here. Maybe I can make it back home to Texas by tomorrow night. Have a good one.”

“You too, Travis. It’s nice seeing you.” Lex waved to Travis and then turned toward Kale. “Shall we?” He motioned toward the door with his outstretched hand.

Kale preceded him as they walked out into the fresh night air. The humidity caused Lex’s shirt to stick to his body. He would have to take yet another shower when they arrived back at Kale’s house in Erie. He still needed to find a place of his own, but it’s not as if Kale was using it. He made the pretence of staying there, but it didn’t take him long to sneak away in Lex’s new Hummer to stay at the undisclosed place they were hiding Kierra.

Kale reached the Hummer. “Come on and stop lollygagging.”

“I know you didn’t just say lollygagging.” Lex laughed. “Where in the hell did you pick up that word? Lollygagging? Really?”

“Stop dicking around,” Kale half growled.

“Now that sounds more like the man I know.” Lex laughed at the frown of frustration crossing his brother’s brow.

“Lex, I’m not in the mood.”

“Alright, keep your panties on.” He jogged the rest of the way to the Hummer. “But seriously. Where did you get that word?”

Kale rolled his eyes. “Cassie and Ramie arrived back from London and have been staying at Dad’s. Tristan sent Cassie to gather some things to take back. So I’ve been trying to watch the language if you will. I sure don’t want to receive an ass chewing from Cassie like the one you got about a year back.”

Lex sucked in a breath between clenched teeth. “Point taken.” His sister-in-law had torn him a new one after his sweet little niece had, by chance, picked up a few choice words from him.

As they made their way through the light early morning traffic, they talked about the lack of progress made during the meeting. More than likely the decision to leave Kale on as a senator would be taken to the High Court, which meant he would have to go to England. Something Lex didn’t relish the thought of doing. One trip this month had been enough.

Lex spared a glance in Kale’s direction before facing the road again. “So how is Kierra adjusting?” The surge in her power and the gaining of new abilities had been a lot to deal with.

“She’s doing as well as can be expected. She gains more and more control of her new abilities every day. Learning her new limits and weaknesses has been tough though. Not being able to leave the house is the worst. She’s going stir crazy. The first few days she rearranged the furniture and reorganized the dresser drawers to keep busy. I still can’t find half of my shit in that house. I think she hid it on purpose so I would argue with her.” His lips tipped up in a knowing smile.

“I’m glad to see you happy. And I like Kierra. She suits you well. I mean, someone has to keep you in line.” Lex hit the button on the automatic garage door opener and then pulled the Hummer into the garage next to Kale’s Lotus. The garage door slid back into place behind them.

Kale opened his door and made his way around to the driver’s side of the Hummer. “You won’t mind if I don’t stay, will you? I need to get home. There is something I need to check on.”

Lex backed away from the Hummer. “No, go ahead. I’m going to take a shower and relax.” Lex watched from the door leading into the house as Kale slid behind the wheel. He had to change cars with Kale to keep the cover of Kale staying in this house by himself. He had no idea where Kale and his father had chosen to hide Kierra, only that it was close enough for Kale to get to without having to worry about the sun. Lex entered the house and closed the door behind him. It didn’t take long to hear the Hummer backing out of the garage and out of the driveway.


* * * *


Every shifter had a purpose in their pride, and hers was death dealer. Shayla sucked in a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for her latest mission. A string of curse words bubbled up inside her, but she stayed silent. Not only did her life depend on her success, but so did her brother’s. She crept along the side of the house, careful not to make any noise that would alert the vampire to her presence. A faint pink touched the horizon signaling the approaching dawn. The heat and humidity , caused her light brown hair to become more frizzy than curly and no doubt it would only become worse. She smoothed it back with an angry swipe, becoming more and more pissed about being here.

When Gabe, the head of her pride, had approached her, she figured it would be for business as usual. She’d taken on assignments for hits ordered by him in the past, but they’d been hits on low-life thugs who thought to run away without paying their debts to Gabe. As much as she hated killing, she knew that if they didn’t make an example out of those punks then it would be someone in her own pride that went without. The whole pride depended on the money made by Gabe’s bar. Only a select few outside of the pride knew of all the other entertainments Gabe offered to earn the extra that was needed. However, this time she hadn’t been asked to chase some loser across state lines. Instead, Gabe had asked her to kill the vampire member of the Triad.

Yeah, she could hold her own in most fights, but to take on a leech, of no doubt advanced age, would be a likely death sentence. So she’d balked when Gabe gave her the assignment. Besides, in no way did she want anything to do with the politics or potential ramifications of assassinating a vampire of high standing in the Order. That’s when Gabe dropped the bomb and pissed her off to no end. He threatened to take her younger brother’s life if she failed to do as he asked. Her lips pursed at the memory, and her temper spiked a little hotter. Not having much choice, she’d accepted the mission.

Gabe didn’t tell her a whole hell of a lot about the whys. Just that he had killed the shifter senators for Area Four and messed up some big plan Gabe was a part of. Truthfully she didn’t even care about the whys. As soon as she could get back and save Ethan, she planned on leaving the pride.

A deep breath filled her lungs as she refocused on the task at hand. She’d been given a key to the sliding glass door at the back of the house, but didn’t bother asking how Gabe had come across it; she just hoped that it worked. Her hand lifted and slid the key into the hole with as much finesse as possible and then turned it in the lock silently. The door glided with a soft whisper of air. For a few seconds she stood silently, listening for any noise that would suggest her entry had been detected. Gracefully she stepped over the threshold. She toed off her sandals with care and then slipped the spaghetti straps of her sundress off her shoulders. Her panties hit the floor right before she started to shift. Her body shimmered slightly as her bones rearranged themselves and her skin became fur. Finally, in her jaguar form, she hunted for a vampire.

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FREEING THE LOVE SLAVE by Tianna Xander

FREEING THE LOVE SLAVE by Tianna Xander

Cara is fighting her destiny. What would you expect from a woman whose genetic code requires she eventually become a love slave? For years she's avoided the inevitable transformation...now everything has changed.

When Cara realizes she's close to becoming Alexander's mate, only one more kiss stands between a fling and forever.

Alexander will stop at nothing to find his fleeing mate. She is his, perfect for him in every fashion. He only wants to know why she has run from him.

When Alexander finds Cara in danger and exhausted, he is determined to take her home and make her his.

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Chapter One

Cara Simmons ran as far and as fast as she could. Low branches slapped her face as she ran through the thick underbrush. Her car had broken down, which left her on foot. She'd grabbed her wallet and ran. He would have started to follow her as soon as he woke up and got dressed. There was no doubt of that. Cara knew she had an hour on him at the most. Add in time to gas-up and sleep, he could be right on her tail for all she knew. She had to keep moving.

If he caught up with her, he would take over her life. She knew he would, because she would allow it. Her people did their best to hide in plain sight. Hardly anyone knew her kind still existed. Their best chance for a long, fulfilling, and, most importantly, free life was keeping their existence a secret.

She couldn’t allow him to catch her. Every time she looked into his mesmerizing green eyes, she capitulated. She'd done anything he wanted. It wasn’t because he forced her compliance. If he tried to force her, she would have found the strength to resist. She would allow him to take over because she loved him.

Love. It seemed like such an innocuous thing. It brought people together, even brought out the best in most people, but not her. For Cara and her kind, love was like a drug. It was a dangerous obsession for another that robbed them of their will. It stole their individuality and made them little more than puppets.

If she stayed with him, he would become her master, plain and simple. Her only choice was to run, to hide. To leave before their bond was complete. One more kiss, one more night in his arms, would cement their bond. The invisible threads would chain her to him just as irrevocably as if someone handcuffed her to his wrist.

She stopped at a riverbank drew in great gulps of air as she clutched her side. Though her lungs ached from her mad dash through the woods, she knew she must keep moving. There was most likely nothing wrong with his car, and he would catch her easily if she couldn’t maintain her distance.

Cara glanced around, hoping to find a boat, but knew it was wishful thinking. She fell to her knees and lowered her face to the cool stream. The quality of the water didn’t matter. Her kind never got ill despite how they lived. Sometimes she thought of it as a curse. Longevity and health was a gift to most people. It was just too bad that she was so different.

Raising her head, she listened, intent. The sound of him calling her name carried on the breeze, his voice filled with worry and anguish over her disappearance. Pressing her lips together to keep from returning his call, she stood, staggering slightly on the edge of the soft wet bank. She was tired, so tired. She needed rest. After casting one last glance behind her, Cara stumbled into the rushing water.

How did he know which way she went after her car died? Maybe he had dogs. Perhaps he had found out about her and wanted the unique bond she could offer. God, she hoped not.

Desperate, Cara waded deeper into the stream, intending to follow the water. Hurrying over to the other side of the narrow river, she made sure to leave wet footprints on the edge before leaping back into the frigid water. With luck, the footprints would mislead him at least for a little while. Perhaps it would give her a chance to escape. The last thing she wanted was to live her life as nothing better than a mindless slave.

The stream grew wider and deeper. Cara chose to stay on the far side as she made her way down the wide ribbon of water.

Her feet grew cold and numb in the rushing water. There was naught she would like more than to lie down on her back in the strong current and let it do all the work as it carried her away. She couldn’t submerse herself. As exhausted as she was, she knew that way led to hypothermia and death. There must be somewhere nearby she could rest undetected. Perhaps she could climb a tree and hide in the upper branches, the leaves blocking the vision of anyone below. It would work if he didn’t have a dog. It had to work.

She’s close. I can smell her. Alexander Ivanovich took a deep breath. Every step, every breath, brought him closer to her. He tried not to think of what her scent did to him. How his stomach clenched with need and his cock literally stood up and took notice. He glanced at his constant companion. Have you nothing to say?

Nicco, the ferret that had accompanied him in one shape or another for the last fifteen years, remained conspicuously silent. Alexander snorted. Now I know something is wrong. He glanced around, his senses on alert. I see nothing, and I smell nothing, but my gut tells me there is danger.

Specifically, danger to his mate—and Cara Simmons was his mate. Of that there was no doubt.

Danger approaches.

Finally, you speak, Alexander said with no little hint of disgust in his voice. Sometimes he hated the smug holier-than-thou attitude Nicco had. A shapeshifter of a different breed, Alexander kept him around for their friendship more than any other reason, but the creature could be dense with a capital D.

You would do well to remember that not all communication is necessary.

And you don’t have to sound so damned superior all of the time either. Alexander watched with a scowl as Nicco scurried up a tree for a better look at the surrounding forest. Remember to keep yourself hidden. You may frighten her.

She is here. Two trees to your left. The large oak. She sits perched in the upper branches, wedged in a tight crotch.

I wouldn’t mind being in her position right now. Alexander couldn’t help the wayward thought as he grinned and fought the urge to look up and search the high branches. His cock pulsed against the button fly of his jeans. Damn, he’d only been without for a few days, and he could think of little else. What was wrong with him?

Nicco shook his head and bared his teeth, showing his displeasure. Why must your species always think of sex? You’re almost as bad as a human.

You’re wrong there. We don’t always think of sex. Some of us don’t think of anything for several months out of every year.

If Nicco could have snorted, Alexander was sure he would have. That’s only because they are sleeping. It’s not a conscious choice.

I beg to differ. Just the act of going to ground is a choice. Alexander scented the danger once again. It was closer now. Very close. Enough of the bickering. He shot Nicco a dirty look. Where is the danger, and why can I sense it but cannot feel from which direction it comes?

Nicco fell silent for a moment. He rose up onto his hind legs, his body gently swaying back and forth as he listened and reached out with whatever other senses he had. Another stalks her from above.

Alexander fought the urge to look up. If he did and Cara saw him, she would know he had found her and try to run again. Still, his mind urged him to look. To be sure she was safe. He needed to see her. To look into her soft brown eyes, caress her lovely skin, cup her cheek, and tell her everything would be all right. Whatever caused her to run from him was a minor thing they could work out. Something they must work out. She was his mate. There was no other way.

Though the urge to look was strong, he chose not to. Let her think she was safe and alone for the time being. She would know something or someone other than him stalked her soon enough unless they could deter whatever creature planned to make her his next meal.

His friend scrambled up a few more branches and scurried from tree to tree. Alexander, reached out with his senses and connected with Nicco. With their minds linked, he could see through Nicco's eyes. The foliage was thick. Ivy grew on the trees. Their ropelike vines were everywhere, growing dense and almost strangling the majestic oaks. The vines were an effective trap for the unsuspecting. The last thing Alexander wanted was for Cara to fall and strangle herself in the clinging vines.

He almost sighed with relief when he saw her. She sat on a high branch, her arms and legs wrapped around the trunk of the tree. Her cheek rested against the rough bark. Her dark hair spilled out behind her, leaves and other debris clinging to it. He willed her to open her eyes so he could see how she fared. Instead, the beautiful mahogany orbs stayed closed, avoiding his inspection.

It was no wonder it took him so long to see her sitting there. Her tanned skin and dark clothing helped her blend into her surroundings. He never would have seen her from below without knowing exactly where to look.

Alexander’s slow smile didn’t reach his eyes as the scent of another predator finally reached his nose. He would not lose her to a hungry beast. Not today. Cara may think to run from what they had, but he couldn’t allow it. Without her, he had no life. She was his mate, and as such, she must remain with him for he would never find another. Cara may hide from him, but she could never escape him. It was inevitable that they come together. If she didn’t already realize it, she soon would.

He heard the danger before he saw it. His enhanced hearing picked up the slight rustle of leaves brushing silky fur. A mountain lion crouched above her, hungry and needing sustenance. It thought to make Cara its next meal. Alexander didn’t wish to kill the majestic beast. It was emaciated, nearly starved, its ribs sticking out through the thick fur. Humans encroaching on its habitat caused its troubles. It was natural for it to hunt the easiest most likely form of nourishment.

Still, he would never allow it to attack her as it planned. Instead of attacking the poor hungry beast, Alexander growled, pulling the noise from deep within his chest. The low sound drew the attention of the animal for a moment, then its hunger returned foremost in its thoughts.

When he growled again, the sound more insistent, the big cat looked up and sniffed the air, searching for its new enemy. It crouched lower in the tree, its stance aggressive. Apparently, it thought to fight for what it believed was its dinner. Alexander leaped into the tree and growled again, the sound growing more agitated, more aggressive. Still the beast looked toward Cara, its gaze filled with feral need. Nicco moved toward the large cat.

Do not get too close. The beast is starved and unpredictable.

I can outrun it, though perhaps it would be better to feed it. The offer was there. As always, Nicco put Alexander’s life, his wants, his needs, before his own.

No! Just lead him away. I will arrange to feed him, but you are not to become his next meal.

Nicco stopped for a moment, turned to look into Alexander’s eyes, the offer still there. When Alexander shook his head, Nicco moved slowly, coming out of the cover of trees to the cat’s left. He was limping, acting wounded. The mountain lion turned his attention toward the injured ferret. With Alexander willing to protect Cara, the mountain lion obviously decided the ferret made an easier target. Nicco met the cat’s gaze for a moment, then took off through the trees at a much slower rate than normal. The hungry beast, taking the bait, gave chase.

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CHARMED LOVER by Zenobia Renquist

CHARMED LOVER - Caveat Emptor Book One by Zenobia Renquist

Caveat Emptor - let the buyer beware...

Ryver is one of the many humans who owns a vampire. She purchased Theron for home security. When the magic charms keeping the vampires docile and subservient suddenly start failing, Theron goes from protector to threat. A nationwide, mandatory recall of all vampires is in effect. Ryver is ready to comply, but a night of passion spent in Theron's arms changes her mind.

It's only a matter of time before someone figures out Ryver and Theron's secret. With the threat of mages bearing down on them, Ryver has to decide if she's willing to give up her lover - or her freedom.

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Caveat Emptor: Charmed Lover
Zenobia Renquist
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2011 Zenobia Renquist

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

Ryver came awake with a startled scream. The man touching her inner thigh moved his hand higher. She struggled against him and tried to get away but he had hold of her ankle.
"Theron!"

"Here."

She froze. In the darkness she could just make out Theron's features on the man attacking her. The glint of something red at Theron's throat caught her eye.

The docility charm was red.

It had failed.

The complete horror of that realization kept her paralyzed.

Theron smiled at her, flashing his fangs in the dim light. "I do believe you asked what I would do to you if I were free. Shall I show you, Ryver?" He used her ankle and pulled her closer to him.

Fear kept her from answering or even trying to escape.

The charm had failed.

Theron was loose.

She should have taken him back. She shouldn't have trusted some stupid green glow over her common sense. She should never have gotten him in the first place.

Theron leaned into her. Only then did she try to move away.

She pushed at Theron's face and kicked her free leg, hoping to hit something sensitive. He still had one of her ankles trapped in his grip, and her body was half pinned beneath his, though he braced most of the weight on his other hand which was planted firmly on the bed next to her waist. Her struggles didn't faze him. Theron chuckled as he continued his descent. His mouth was aimed for her throat.

He planned to bleed her dry.

At least it wouldn't be a painful death.

She hoped.

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