The
Omegas
The
Vanguards
Book
One
Annie
Nicholas
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Date
of Publication: Jan 2010
ASIN:
B00IGFXCTM
Number
of pages: 97
Word
Count: 25,000
Cover
Artist: Renee Rocco
Book
Description:
Only
a vampire is man enough to teach werewolves how to fight.
Pretty
librarian Sugar wants her life to stay quiet. That’s hard enough
when friends and neighbors turn into furry werewolves every full
moon. But when a hot vampire gets involved, life’s bound to get
complicated.
The
Omegas have always been the pansies of the paranormal. Now Chicago’s
top werewolf pack has issued them a life or death challenge. Their
only option: hire a vampire warrior to teach them the moves.
Daedalus
has been a powerful vampire for ages. Intrigued by the chance to
train the geeks of the underworld, he wasn’t bargaining on losing
his heart to a human. Can he make the Omegas a success, fit into
Sugar’s quiet life, and avoid being ripped to shreds in the
process?
The
Omegas Excerpt:
Chapter
One
Eric
strode into the living room holding an envelope. “I found the
solution to our problem.”
Sugar
uncurled her legs from under her and sat straighter as she watched
Eric’s lanky form approach. They had both survived growing-up in
the same low income neighborhood. Friendship forged in such fires
never died.
He
handed her a letter and joined the rest of his pack lounging on her
mismatched furniture.
Sugar
examined the front, then the back of it. “Pal Robi Incorporated.
What’s this?”
“It’s
our salvation.” Eric shifted in his seat to lean forward. “Read
it to everyone.”
She
glanced at him with a questioning look. What was he up to? Slidding
her fingernail under the corner, she tore it open. The letter was
printed on good quality paper with a huge golden company emblem
stamped at the top. An errant blond curl slid in front of her eyes
and she shoved it back behind her ear.
To
the Omega pack:
I
have reviewed the details of your plight. Pal Robi Incorporated deals
mostly in security issues, but I find your problem worthy of my
personal attention. Enclosed you will find a non-negotiable contract.
Please review it closely, and have your signature notarized. The
return fax number is listed on the contract so proceedings can begin.
Mail the original to my office. Thank you for your business.
Sincerely,
Daedalus
Pal Robi
Cold
claws of fear gripped her stomach. What had Eric done? “You hired
a vampire?” Her shout shattered the silence around them.
The
other wolf shifters responded to her outburst with low growls
directed at Eric.
What
had she gotten herself tangled in? She wasn’t pack, just a plain
vanilla human. The Omegas were her neighbors and also her closest
friends, each of them an outcasts from their old packs.
Driven
by loneliness, Eric had solicited Sugar to help him search for others
like himself. Werewolves with no attitude. Geeks of the underworld.
Pansies of the paranormal.
Their
friendship spanned years, since high school, when he’d rescued her
from a home of drug abuse. Eric had treated her like a little sister,
advising her on life in general. When he survived his werewolf
attack, both their worlds shattered and their roles reversed.
Eric
found four others to join him: Sam, Tyler, Katrina and Robert. No
alphas ruled in this pack. They needed each other, so they became a
family. All five lived in the apartment next to her.
Eyes
wide, Eric held his hands out in front of him. “Mr. Pal Robi is
offering to teach us how to fight.”
Sugar
tilted her head as she surveyed her friend. “Yeah, for a
substantial fee. How can you guys afford this?” He always thought
with his heart.
Eric
looked at his pack, pleading. “Before you make any judgments, let’s
have Sugar read the contract out loud.”
She
held it in front of her.
This
is an agreement between Pal Robi Incorporated and Eric, Sam, Katrina,
Tyler, and Robert, from here forward to be known as the Omegas.
Scope:
1.
Pal Robi Inc. will provide to the Omegas, training in defense,
hand-to-hand combat and small weapons use.
2.
Training will take place for the duration of the period beginning
with the trainer’s arrival until the challenge date.
3.
Combat training is inherently dangerous. Pal Robi Inc. is not
responsible for injury or death sustained during such training.
4.
Trainer will not intentionally hurt and-or kill any Omega during the
period of this agreement.
Responsibilities
of the Omegas:
1.
Omegas will provide trainer from Pal Robi with appropriate lodgings.
2.
Omegas will provide daylight security of said trainer.
3.
Omegas will submit to the direction of the trainer without question
for the duration of the training.
Fees:
1.
Omegas agree to pay Pal Robi Inc. $8,000 in cash prior to the
beginning of training.
2.
In addition, Omegas will provide the trainer with fresh, consumable
blood upon request.
Penalties:
1.
Failure to provide payment renders this agreement null and void.
2.
Failure to abide by the terms specified represents a breach of
contract which renders the agreement null and void.
3.
Breach of contract will result in an immediate investigation.
Vengeance will be swift and unmerciful.
Sugar
placed the contract on her lap while waiting for their reactions.
Robert
held up his hand to speak, like a kid in a classroom.
She
sighed. How could this pack of puppies fight a pack of wolves?
“Robert, speak up. You don’t need to ask permission to talk
anymore, remember?”
He
grinned sheepishly. “What do they mean ‘vengeance will be swift
and unmerciful?’”
They
turned to Eric, but it was Tyler who answered. “It means if
anything happens to the vamp, we can kiss our asses goodbye.”
Sugar
folded the letter closed. She agreed with Tyler. Vampires were bad
news. Literally, all over the news swearing they had turned a new
leaf and won’t hunt humans anymore. Wouldn’t catch her becoming a
donor any time soon.
Eric
stood and faced his pack mates, staring at each one in turn. “How
can we not hire him? The Ayumu pack officially challenged us. One of
us has to fight and beat one of their alphas in a month. There’s no
other way.”
“We
will be absorbed again,” Katrina whispered in her thick Asian
accent, as she hugged her knees tight against her chest. Being a
submissive female in a pack equated to being anyone’s meat. Sugar
had tried to help Katrina come to terms with those old wounds, but
they kept her captive.
Tyler
shuffled closer to Katrina, petting her long, black, silken tresses.
She shrank from him, fear etched on her delicate features.
He
looked at Sugar and shrugged.
She
crumpled the letter in her hand. How did preying on weaker members of
the pack equate to strength? She just couldn’t understand shifter
culture.
“You
should run away.” The weight of Sugar’s words hung in the sudden
silence.
Eric
crossed his arms. “There will always be another Ayumu pack wherever
we go. We’re finally happy. We have jobs, friends, and a home. It’s
all worth fighting for, right guys?”
Sugar
watched her friends’ expressions harden and her heart sank. So it
would be a fight.
They
nodded to each other, sealing their fates.
There
went their quiet life.
Worst
of all, a vampire would be moving in next door.
*
* * *
Daedalus
Pal Robi strode across the foyer of his house and tossed his car keys
to a passing vampire. “Can you park it the garage for me? I’m
done hunting for the night.” He pointed to a piece of wood
protruding from his abdomen. That was a close call. He would let the
others think the vampire-gone-bad he’d been hunting and finally
killed had done this. In truth, a clumsy fall almost ended his long
existence.
The
human police were discovering decapitated bodies in the river. They
thought a serial killer responsible so far. Daedalus knew better,
decapitation was an excellent way to hide bite marks, as well as
burning the bodies or shredding the flesh to make it look like a
shifter kill. As Nosferatu Prime of Northeastern America, it was his
responsibility to take care of these issues before the humans did.
Vampires didn’t need more bad publicity. History did that for them.
Daedalus
killed the lazy son-of-demon. It didn’t take much effort tracking
and staking him. In his over-confidence, Daedalus had spun around to
leave and tripped on a fucking extension cord. It sent him flying
face forward onto an antique wood chair, hence the chair leg sticking
out of his stomach. A little to the left and two inches higher and a
pile of dust would all that would have been left of him.
His
nest mate stared at the injury. “Do you need help, Master?”
“Nah.
Just a flesh wound. It won’t take long to heal.” He closed the
door to his study behind him and crossed the room to the fireplace.
Leaning against the mantle with one hand, he wrapped the other around
the wood shaft. He took a deep breath and yanked the son of a bitch
out.
“Fuck.”
Wood burned. It didn’t matter where in the body it stabbed him. He
tossed the piece into the fire and rested his forehead against the
mantle. Blood trickled from the wound in a steady thin stream. He’d
have to feed to finish the healing process.
He
pressed his hand to the wound and retreated to his comfy chair close
to the fireplace. That was too close. If he’d perished, how would
people remember him? The Infernal Champion of the Brotherhood, Vile
Butcher of Babylon, and Subjugator of the Accords, to name a few of
his titles.
For
the last two hundred years he’d been trying to be good. Whatever
that meant. It started out as an experiment but over the last century
it had transformed into a true desire. After an age of depravity and
lack of role models, he still wasn’t clear what he should and
shouldn’t be doing.
The
Vampire Council ordered no killing of humans so he enforced that law
to the best of his ability. If a few unsavory ones vanished in the
night and nobody missed them then he turned the other way. Ridding
the human race of evil doers seemed good.
Someone
knocked on the door.
He
jerked in his chair at the sharp noise and stifled a moan at the
stabbing pain. Careless again. Too lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t
heard the footsteps. He’d grown complacent in job surrounded by his
loyal nest. “What?” Yanking his leather jacket closed, he hid his
healing injury.
The
door cracked open and Clementine, his vampire secretary, stepped
inside, her eyes downcast as always. She hurried across the room and
handed him a large business envelope. “This arrived while you were
gone, Master.”
“Thank
you.” He glanced at the return address, glimpsing the word Chicago,
and fingered the edges of the seal. It wouldn’t behoove a Prime to
tear it open like a boy on Christmas morning. “Could you call for a
donor to attend me, Clementine? I feel like eating in tonight.”
She
bobbed her head and backed out of the room. One day she’d stop
fearing him, he hoped.
Ripping
open the envelope, he saw what he’d been hoping for. The shifters
signed the contract. He could afford to leave his nest for a few
months and take this small side job. He grinned and buzzed his
personal security team.
“Yes,
Master?”
“We’re
going to Chicago tomorrow night. Come by my study so we can make
arrangements.” Training a few shifters to defend themselves seemed
like a good thing to do.
The
Alpha
The
Vanguards
Book
Two
Annie
Nicholas
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Date
of Publication: June 2010
ASIN:
B00IGFXDCI
Number
of pages: 92
Word
Count: 25, 000
Cover
Artist: Renee Rocco
Book
Description:
Someone
is about to get some Spice in his life.
Spice
has nothing but the clothes on her back when she returns to Chicago.
She’s looking for a better life, and that means reuniting with her
estranged twin sister, Sugar. She isn’t thrilled to find out
Sugar’s boyfriend is a vampire. But then she meets Eric, once the
bottle-cap-glasses wearing nerd next door - now grown into the kind
of man she’d love to snuggle with on this cold winter night...and
he’s offered her his room in Sugar’s house.
Eric
can’t believe Spice has returned. He’d given up hope of ever
seeing her again, let alone having her stare at him as if he’s sex
on a stick. But now that all of his fantasies for them are coming
true, reality rears her ugly head and Eric must tell Spice his
intimate secret; he’s actually an Alpha werewolf looking for his
mate and he thinks he’s found her.
Content
Warning: Graphic sexual content.
The
Alpha Excerpt:
Chapter
One
Tyler
followed Eric into the kitchen with Robert and Sam in tow. “What’s
wrong with you, Eric? You almost lost control of your beast.”
Running
his fingers through his hair, he tried to hide the blush heating his
cheeks. Spice is home. He’d lost hope of ever seeing her again. The
desire in her eyes when he loosened her jacket and the smell from her
pussy set his beast-side on a craze.
I,
Eric Turner, the geek next door, turned her on. The sexiest, most
confident girl he’d ever met, his high school obsession.
“Sorry,
she took me off guard.” He looked at Robert, his calm, overly
serious second in command of the pack, who shook his head at him.
“Damn, I almost changed in front of her. What a disaster.” Eric’s
mouth went dry.
Sam
handed him a glass of water. If anyone understood losing control of
his beast, it was him. Ever since the Omegas conquered the Ayumu
werewolf pack, their females kept knocking on the door. The
bodybuilder had trouble refusing them, and his beast liked the
attention. He didn’t completely transform mid-intercourse anymore
but they heard his howls.
Eric
needed to stop thinking of the pack as Ayumu. They were all Omegas
now and he their alpha. The sip of water he tried to swallow went
down the wrong way and blocked his windpipe. Nothing came out, not a
cough and not a breath.
“Eric?”
Sam asked.
Katrina
scurried into the kitchen. “I make tea. You want some?” She
stopped. “What is wrong with Eric?”
He
coughed out a manly squeak and pointed to his throat.
Redheaded
Tyler pushed pass Sam and pounded on his back.
Not
a moment later Spice sashayed into the room. Even in his distress,
her presence drew him like a magnet to iron.
A
solid smack on his back set off a cough. He expelled the water from
his throat, and it landed on her generous, rounded chest.
She
stood with arms out at her sides, and her mouth hung open.
“Smooth,
real smooth.” Sam patted him on the shoulder and exited the room.
The others followed in silence but a few seconds later, Eric heard
their restrained laughter from the direction of the living room.
He
grabbed a dish towel from the rack by the sink and raced over to her.
“I’m sorry.” Without a coherent thought in his scrambled brain,
he dried her tight, white sweater.
Tension
in her shoulders as he bent over to stroke around her curves clued
him in that he’d done another boneheaded maneuver.
Her
intense stare weakened his knees as he glanced up with her breast
cupped in his hand. The urge to fondle it sent a shiver up his spine,
but the ingrained gentleman inside of him beat down the beast, who
wanted more than just a touch.
He
jerked his hand away. “Sorry.” Alphas shouldn’t apologize that
much. Daedalus would kick his ass if he heard him.
Eric
straightened and swept the annoying hair out of his eyes. Why did he
decide to let it grow? Who cared if all those guys in romance books
had long freaking hair?
“Don’t
be.” She gave him a small, seductive smile.
He
kept waiting for this wet dream to end.
“Who’s
Daedalus?”
Nothing
more deflating to a man’s ego than to ask about the resident stud
vampire. “Sugar’s boyfriend.”
“The
one she has to ask permission to cut her hair. Then you’re not
together?”
“No.”
That question showed how much she paid attention to them as kids. He
and Sugar had been best friends since sixth grade. Dating her would
be like dating a sister. Even though they were identical twins, Spice
got placed in a different category from Sugar. She topped the list
for the five-finger-knuckle-shuffle when he needed it.
She
leaned closer and ran her finger down his chest. It left a trail of
heat along his skin. “What’s happened since I left two years
ago?” Gesturing around the room, she raised an eyebrow. “New
house, new boyfriend, new friends, and…” She stepped to press
against his body and gazed at him with green sparkling eyes. “New
Eric.”
Where
did he start? We hired a Nosferatu vampire to teach us how to fight
about a year ago, who by the way, is banging your twin sister. Oh
yeah, all of us are werewolves, except Sugar, and I defeated the
local alpha in a fight to the death so it made me top wolf in
Chicago.
“Nothing
much. We pay rent to Sugar and live here.” The old Eric she
referred to still resided inside of him. He still liked Star Trek,
‘live long and prosper,’ worked from home for a computer software
company, and read as much as Sugar.
His
heart twisted a little. She didn’t like him; she liked the changes
the beast made inside of him. After the werewolf attack, his eyesight
returned to twenty-twenty. He got stronger and faster, which meant
leaner and more muscular.
She
moved back and placed her hands on her hips. “Six of you live under
this roof?”
“Seven.
Daedalus lives here too.”
Shaking
her head, she grinned and looked at the floor. “Unbelievable.”
He
heard the front door open and close. “I’ve got Thai.” Sugar’s
voice, higher and more musical than Spice’s, called out.
“What’s
going on?” Daedalus must have given her a ride from work. “Why
are you guys so serious?”
The
Beta
The
Vanguards
Book
3
Annie
Nicholas
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Date
of Publication: May 2011
ASIN:
B00IGFX5JY
Number
of pages: 97
Word
Count: 25,000
Cover
Artist: Renee Rocco
Book
Description:
Three
days of hell, in charge, and running out of antacids.
As
the pack’s Beta, Robert needs to watch over the Vasi werewolf pack
for a few days. He hates the responsibility, but his job is to
dissolve any problems while his Alpha honeymoons. Nevertheless,
trouble comes to town and her name is Esther. She’s beguiling,
beautiful and picks his pocket. Although Robert doesn’t trust her,
he still wants to possess her.
Esther
arrived in Chicago with the intention of slaying a vampire named
Daedalus. While trailing her quarry, she encounters Robert who
unhinges her world. He doesn’t know her trade, and she doesn’t
know his connection to the vampire. Disturbed by her attraction to
this unusual werewolf, she can’t decide which prey to hunt—the
one who’s stolen her heart or the one who’ll fill her bank
account.
Content
Warning: Hot graphic werewolf sex, growing body parts, and one pissed
off Nosferatu vampire.
The
Beta Excerpt
Chapter
One
Another
man exited the building not long after the vampire. He wore a rumpled
button-down, short-sleeved shirt tucked into loose jeans. His mouse
brown hair cried for a cut and a comb.
He
pushed his glasses up his nose and bent to tie his running shoes.
Recognizing
him as the person who had accompanied Daedalus earlier, Esther heard
opportunity knocking. He didn’t look like a threat being thin and
weak. She crossed the street and approached him from behind. “Excuse
me. Do you have the time?”
Glancing
over his shoulder, his gaze traveled along her bare legs, to her knee
length loose skirt, and finally met her stare. Her breath caught in
her throat. The irises of his eyes reflected a non-existent light and
shone pale amber. He blinked and it vanished, must have been the
glasses that gave such a strange effect.
He
rose in a single fluid motion that set her predator alarm off.
Checking his cellphone, he gave her a shy smile. “It’s ten after
two.” He scanned the area around them. “This is a dangerous part
of town, ma’am. You shouldn’t walk around alone. Trouble is going
to find you.”
Or
maybe find him. She eyed his wiry arms and changed her assessment of
him. Lean, tight muscles slid under his skin as he moved. He wasn’t
weak, more like a cross between a martial artist and a geek.
“Are
you offering to walk me home?” Flashing him her most flirtatious
smile, she toyed with a piece of her hair.
He
swallowed. “S-sure.” Shuffling to her side, he fell in next to
her, eyes darting around them.
Men
were so easy to manipulate, but this one actually wanted to protect
her. So cute, she could have pinched him. Trying to be discreet, she
took quick peeks at him. Nice strong chin and straight nose. Maybe a
hint of freckles? It was difficult to tell in the dark.
“I’m
Esther.” She held out her hand. What the hell prompted her to use
her real name?
Wrapping
a firm hand around hers, he shook it. “I’m Robert.”
His
touch sent tingles along her arm. The name seemed too mature for him.
“What are you doing out so late, Rob?” How did such a polite man
like him get involved with a Nosferatu? She checked his neck for
bites and didn’t see anything, but there were more places on the
body to feed from besides the neck. It would be a shame if he was a
blood slave.
“Robert
is fine. I was checking on a…friend.” He stuffed his hands in his
pockets. “And you, Esther?”
She
laughed. “I’m up to no good.” And she winked at him.
A
rosy blush surfaced on his cheeks as he stumbled.
Something
in this man attracted the devil inside of her. She entangled her arm
around his and leaned into his hard body. The strength hidden under
the geeky exterior sent a pleasant shiver through her body. Not all
things were as they appeared. She hated surprises but not this one.
If this was an act then he deserved an Emmy. She glanced at him,
pleased that she needed to arch her neck back slightly to meet his
sharp green gaze.
God,
what was she doing? She assessed him like a potential lover instead
of a possible avenue to get her mark. Stupid, focus. Once Daedalus
was out of the picture she’d come back for Rob if she still wanted
him. Until then…she stopped in front of a duplex. “This is my
place.” She lied with the ease of an expert.
.jpg)
Omegas
in Love
The
Vanguards
Book
4
Annie
Nicholas
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Date
of Publication: March 2012
ASIN:
B00IGFXF0I
Number
of pages: 100
Word
Count: 30,000
Cover
Artist: Renee Rocco
Book
Description:
Some
things are best to forget. But what if the past won't be forgotten?
Born
in China of a pure shifter bloodline, Katrina was raised with only
one purpose--to breed. Abused by her alpha, she runs away to America
as soon as she can. With a new pack and her true mate, she thinks the
nightmare is behind her, but when she is abducted on the streets of
Chinatown, Katrina must face her past and fight for her freedom.
It
took Tyler a year to earn Katrina's love, another to build her
confidence and pride, and only a moment to lose her. Broken-hearted,
Tyler won't give up his search for Katrina. But he never trained as a
warrior like the other shifters. What chance does a real estate agent
have in the fight for his mate?
WARNING:
Explicit shifter sex, heartbroken torment, and an unstoppable shifter
in love.
Omega’s
In Love Excerpt:
An
antique red archway covered the entrance to the tourist trap to keep
evil spirits away and good luck in. Sticking his hand in his jacket
pocket, he rubbed the small, velvet jewelry box he’d placed there
earlier today. He could use all the luck he could get–just because
Katrina was his mate, didn’t mean she’d agree to get married.
Raised
in an all-wolf-shifter community in rural Mongolia, she didn’t
think like American shifters. Like him. He took a deep, shaky breath.
Marriage was a foreign ritual to her.
He’d
chosen this location not just for his superstitions, but for its
significance. Katrina worked in the area, a place where the old Asian
world met the new, as an interpreter for some of the local companies.
She
waited under the arch, facing him, her delicate eyebrows furrowed. An
Asian man he didn’t recognize spoke with her.
Facing
the stranger’s back, Tyler could only see his short black hair and
long fall trench coat.
A
sharp stab of jealousy drove him to quicken his pace. He couldn’t
help it. As a shifter, possession was nine-tenths of the law, and
Katrina belonged to him.
Passing
half a dozen souvenir shops offering cheap trinkets, Tyler trotted
along Wentworth Avenue. Katrina’s raised voice reached his ears,
but he couldn’t understand Mandarin. He growled low in his chest.
His mate didn’t yell often.
Three
other men broke from the crowd and surrounded the arguing couple.
Tyler’s
heart rate took off like a locomotive on a downhill slide. He smelled
shifters. Non-Vasi shifters on their territory. Surrounding his mate.
The
Asian stranger grabbed her arm and yanked her into his embrace.
“Hey!”
It took every ounce of Tyler’s control to keep his beast from
busting out on the tourist filled streets of Chicago’s biggest
attraction. He shoved the stranger from behind, knocking Katrina from
his arms.
She
stumbled and landed hard on the ground. Tears stained her cheeks. The
cold wind blew strands of long, black hair across her face.
“Get
your hands off her.” He bent to help her, but the stranger blocked
him. Straightening, Tyler glared at Katrina’s assailant and met a
cold, dark stare.
His
beast rose closer to the surface and clouded his thoughts. She
belonged to him and this male thought to block his way. The only
solution was to tear this asshole limb from limb. “Get out of my
way.” He spoke each word separately and clearly to get his point
across.
“This
is none of your concern.” The stranger spoke with a thick accent
like Katrina’s.
“You’re
on Vasi territory. Anything that happens here is my concern. And she
belongs to me.” Tyler pointed to Katrina, then back to himself.
“Chinatown
is not Vasi territory. Never has been and never will be. And this
female mated me before she ran away.” Crossing his arms, the
stranger planted himself in front of Tyler. “She still belongs to
me and has never been yours to take.”
Tyler’s
jaw hung as if on broken hinges. He shot her a questioning look, but
she stared at the ground, not meeting his gaze. Katrina hated to
speak about her past. Now, he knew why.
She
wiped her face, huddled on the ground, and didn’t deny a thing.
Every
bit of joy in his life lay with Katrina, but truth’s claws dug into
his heart. He didn’t know which hurt more, the lies or the way she
hunched on the ground, submitting to this stranger like an omega all
over again.
Sigma
The
Vanguards
Book
5
Annie
Nicholas
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Date
of Publication: August 2012
ASIN:
B00IGFXFCQ
Number
of pages: 97
Word
Count: 30,000
Cover
Artist: Renee Rocco
Book
Description:
To
defend and protect, at any cost.
Sam
is Sigma of his pack, defender of the innocent and frail. Too bad the
one time it mattered most, though the urge to guard the weak runs
strong in his shifter blood, he failed to protect his best friend
from an attack. Just when his self-confidence can't go any lower, he
becomes entangled in a vampire skirmish and is left with an injured
female in his arms.
ampire
accountant for Pal Robi, Inc., Clementine can't believe her master
would ask her to commit corporate espionage. She’s shot when
discovered, but a shifter comes to her rescue. It's as if he's made
of her fantasies, and in the few hours with him she lives more than
the decades she's spent among her clan.
Hiding
with him on the streets of Chicago, in the midst of fighting together
to stay alive, can a petite vampire break through her hero’s jaded
heart?
WARNING:
Hot dominating sex, an action packed evening, and a first date gone
all to hell.
Sigma
Excerpt:
Sam
ground his teeth at Clementine’s stubbornness and hovered around
her in case she fell.
Blood
soaked the back of her pink t-shirt and dripped, leaving a gruesome
trail as she walked along the exterior balcony toward their motel
room on the second floor. “You paid with cash like I told you?”
She weaved on unsteady feet.
“Yes,
ma’am.” He barely had enough money in his wallet to buy a soda
now. “No credit card to track.” He reached out to grab her elbow,
but she swatted his fingertips. Reflexively, he shook the sting away.
“Playing tough and insisting on walking doesn’t get you brownie
points if you pass out.”
He
unlocked and opened their room door. The scent of cheap air freshener
and stale sweat swept over him. He turned and sneezed.
“Bless
you.”
He
wiped his mouth. “Thanks.” Wasn’t there some supernatural law
against vampires being polite?
“It
smells odd in here.” She leaned against the door frame and pointed
to the faded yellow bed. “Can you pull off the blanket?”
“We
got what we paid for, a cheap-ass room. At least they don’t charge
by the hour.” He winked and did as Clementine asked, then watched
as she crawled onto their bed, lying on her stomach. “What can I do
to help?” The deep red stain continued to spread under his
scrutiny. “When Daedalus was staked, he didn’t bleed like this.”
She
twisted around and whispered, “You were there?” With her blue
eyes wide, she appeared very young, but vampires were experts at
fooling people. Clementine could be five hundred years old, for all
he knew. With a wig, Daedalus looked twenty, younger than Sugar.
He
chuckled at the memory and recalled the expression of horror on
Sugar’s face. “It happened in my old apartment.”
“You’re
one of the original Omegas?”
“You
make it sound like a bad thing.” They’d had five pack members at
the beginning, before Daedalus came and changed everything. Now they
numbered in the triple digits and were called the Vasi. He pointed at
her wound. “Can you bleed to death?”
She
rolled back onto her stomach. “No, but I’ll need to feed before
the blood lust takes over me. You have to remove the bullet.”
He
grabbed the edge of her shirt and tore it open, exposing her back.
She
hissed and glared at him over her shoulder. “I could have taken it
off.”
Pasting
mock surprise on his face, he laid a hand on his chest. “Where’s
the fun in that?” Not waiting for her response, he went into the
bathroom and washed off his pocketknife. A pair of tweezers would
have been handy. And some gauze. He grabbed a face cloth instead. “Do
I need to sterilize my knife or find some antiseptic?”
“I’m
a vampire. Disease doesn’t plague us.”
He
shrugged off her prickly tone, betting she was as gentle as the sound
of her name on his lips. “Good, because I can’t provide either.”
On his knees, he straddled her legs and leaned forward to examine her
wound. He planted his palm between her shoulder blades.
“What--”
She struggled under him. “What are you doing?”
“I
don’t want you to move.” Using his shifter strength, he shoved
her flat against the bed and wiped the blood away. “Stop wiggling
so much. It’s distracting.”
“Not
like you can do more damage.” Her words came out muffled.
“No,
but you’re turning me on.”
She
went limp, her breathing heavy and strained.
He
couldn’t help but chuckle. This shitty day was getting better.
Using the tip of the pocketknife, he gently probed her wound. “Tell
me if it hurts.” The hole in her flesh was deep. It appeared as if
her backbone had absorbed the impact of the bullet. Damn, vampires
were tough.
Prima
The
Vanguards
Book
6
Annie
Nicholas
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Date
of Publication: Feb 2013
ASIN:
B00CFXOXZI
Number
of pages: 215
Word
Count: 40,000
Cover
Artist: Hailey Edwards
Book
Description:
Shattered
in forgotten memories.
Sugar
survived a shifter attack but it left her broken. Paralyzed on the
left side, she fights for her independence in her day-to-day life.
Her worst injury, the scars on her soul, has her pushing Daedalus
away. How could he still love her when she is just a shadow of
herself? But a new threat on Daedalus’ life yanks the veil of
self-pity from her eyes and she’s resolved to protect him, even
precariously balanced with her cane.
The
vampire council sends an emissary to Daedalus. His clan brother,
another Nosferatu, hands him an ultimatum. Return to his post as
Prime in Pal Robi or he’ll kill Sugar and her shifter friends.
Daedalus has brought enough trouble into Sugar’s life. He won’t
be responsible for more, so he agrees to leave Chicago.
To
both warriors surprise, Sugar’s not willing to remain behind, and
with her own shifter guards she’s ready to help Daedalus regain
control of Pal Robi.
Prima
Excerpt:
As
soon as he closed the sliding glass door shut, Daedalus would bet his
bank account that his conversation with Pallas would only have a
pretense of privacy. Shifter hearing could be miraculous, especially
when pressed to cracked-open windows. The distant sound of a chair
clattering to the floor in the dining room reached his own sensitive
hearing. He could picture his housemates scrambling to find the best
places to eavesdrop.
Pallas
strode to the center of the moonlit garden. “So the rumors are
true. You’ve lost your mind.”
Daedalus
chuckled. The other Nosferatu hadn’t changed. They’d been close
once. “Maybe. I wish the one about you was true.”
Pallas
spun around. “Which one?”
“You
being dead.”
“That
would be too convenient.” A familiar crooked smile bloomed on his
ugly face.
Daedalus
laughed louder and shook Pallas’s hand, squeezing his fingers
together as hard as he could.
“You’re
such an ass.” Bearer of bad news or not, he was still a brother, a
tie to his past, and a comrade at arms.
Pallas
returned his strong grip. “I learned from the best.” His clan
brother, and he used that term loosely since they weren’t born from
the same parents, bore the trademark appearance of their people—bald,
pale, and deadly. “You’re creating quite a stir in the council,
enough for them to coerce me to wake and seek you out.”
They
released the painful handshake, and Daedalus shook his numb fingers,
grinning as Pallas did the same. “You can tell them, for once, I’m
happy.”
He
snorted. “Like they care. I can’t believe you’re living with
shifters again.” He made a distasteful noise. “Nasty habit. They
said you left your post.”
“I
did, and I left it in good hands.” Then the fools were killed and
the traitors who took over tried to have him assassinated, but Pallas
didn’t need to know that.
“Your
company is in chaos. I went there before arriving here.”
“No.”
Pal Robi Inc. was his private security company, hence it being named
after him. What better than hiring an almost indestructible vampire
as a guard? The company also served as a front for the vampire
political structure in his area. Vampires had revealed themselves,
with the other supernatural creatures, to humans fifteen years ago.
Vampires were expected to follow human laws and their government, but
vampire society had had these things in place long before humans had
figured out how to organize themselves. The Vampire Council didn’t
expect their people to follow human laws, but Pal Robi Inc. was
developed to give his people legal jobs and to police their hunting.
In other words, if a vampire couldn’t feed without killing, it was
his responsibility to stop that person before humans were aware of
it.
“I
didn’t assign those who presently think they are running my
company.”
Pallas
sighed. “Are they under your command?” He gave Daedalus a pointed
stare. “Currently.”
“No.”
Daedalus shrugged. “How much damage can they do? The last thing
they want is to draw the Council’s attention. I haven’t truly
lost control.”
“Your
estate is abandoned.”
“It’s
not abandoned. I dispersed my staff to other tasks, and there’s a
shifter house sitter. You probably scared the shit out of him.”
He’d have to call Stephen and check on him. The young shifter
didn't like company, let alone drop-ins from hell.
“A
little scare never killed anyone. The council wants you to straighten
things out at Pal Robi Inc. and return to your post as Prime. Things
are falling apart in the area.”
An
alien sourness curdled his stomach. He examined the odd sensation and
decided he didn’t like the source. “Or what?” This visit was
expected. Not Pallas himself but someone the council would send. The
Prime kept the peace among vampirekind in his area. Sort of like a
sheriff. If those traitors hadn’t been so greedy and tried to kill
him, things would still be fine.
“They’ll
make me kill everyone at Pal Robi Inc…” Pallas’s gaze wandered
to the house, “…and here.”
“Do
you think you can defeat me?” It had been ages since he’d fought
one of his own kind. Living among the Vasi pack had softened him.
A
hard shield fell over Pallas’s eyes. “Yes.”
About
the Author:
Annie
Nicholas writes paranormal romance with a twist. She has courted
vampires, hunted with shifters, and slain a dragon’s ego all with
the might of her pen. Riding the wind of her imagination, she travels
beyond the restraints of reality and shares them with anyone wanting
to read her stories. Mother, daughter, and wife are some of the other
hats she wears while hiking through the hills and dales of her
adopted state of Vermont.
Annie
writes for Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, and Lyrical Press.
