Immortal Redeemers
Box set available at:
Amazon and Changeling Press (where you'll find links to all outlets)
Set includes: Unforgivable, Unredeemable, Unhinged
Not even love could tame the deadly creature
inside him.
Nightshade Santone discovered the Covenant
right under his nose in the eastern part of the United States. Tales were told
of its power, and Shade plans to make the book his. He doesn’t count on a
feisty veterinarian getting in his way. The sexy-as-hell human willingly takes
Shade to her bed, and damned if she isn’t keeping him there! Now, more than
ever, he needs to possess the book and its secrets.
Kelsea Arden’s battle to keep animals safe
and alive became a passion. One of a handful of humans privy to the secrets of
Immortal Redeemers, she finally hoped to make a difference, but the untimely
arrival of Shade Santone, a powerful immortal seeking the Covenant, is about to
test Kel’s loyalty. The Redeemer not only unbalances her heart and her life, he
gives Kelsea a new purpose -- capturing and keeping the raptor forever.
Excerpt:
Two hours and five espressos after
he’d claimed his table, Nightshade Santone sat still as a statue. Nothing
ruffled his feathers, not even patrons milling around his table eying the lone
empty chair in the café. Shade waited patiently. Shit, he had waited a lifetime
to find the Covenant.
It was within his grasp if he
waited just a little longer.
Arriving a few days earlier, Shade
had booked a room at a motel in Shenandoah and called the manager of his club
in Arizona to have money wired to the local bank. He was surprised to find one
of his favorite menswear stores tucked away in a corner of the tiny mall when
he made a necessary shopping trip to purchase warm clothing for his stay. Shade
did not intend to remain in this part of the country any longer than necessary
so he opted against buying at least one pair of the long johns he’d eyed
distastefully. He thanked the magic which came into play and saw to it he
always reappeared in the clothes he’d donned before allowing his raptor to
emerge.
Townspeople bustled into the only
establishment open for miles and it remained overflowing. Some sat on
windowsills, some leaned against walls, and none appeared in a hurry to go back
outside. What locals called a nor’easter blew snow in every direction, and
before lumbering plows made any headway, more of the white stuff fell, covering
pavements and anything else that didn’t continuously move.
If hell were to freeze over -- it
would happen today.
Canvassing the area before the
storm arrived, Shade had sniffed out three women, none of whom would pose a
threat when he made his move. One, a female Redeemer around a hundred years
old, the second woman he couldn’t quite figure out. There was an odd scent, not
the usual piney aroma.
The third was the human he waited
for.
A smile tugged his lips when his
thoughts drifted back to the women and their scent. Immortals carried an aroma
that had no rival, and having followed the human for a few days, Shade enjoyed
the scent clinging to her even though it caused him quite a bit of discomfort.
He wondered if she wore long johns and if flowers or butterflies decorated the
thick cotton material. The sound of a tray clattering to the floor snatched him
back to reality. The Covenant. He was in this godforsaken town for one
reason and if he didn’t detest cold, snowy climes, he would have come for it
sooner. Yet, niggling away at the back of his mind was the objectionable idea
he hungered for contact with his own kind after years of loneliness. Nightshade
shoved that thought away, and with a grimace pulling his mouth in a stern line,
he attempted to stamp it out for good. There were bigger things to think about.
Standing between him and the book was a legend among immortals, and the
son-of-a-bitch had kept the tome hidden for centuries. Currently, he wasn’t in
the area, and with this storm, he wouldn’t be likely to return anytime soon.
Hawks took flight in bad weather, but not far, and snow made travel by car
treacherous on windy, mountainous roads.
A patron decided to stop, eye his
empty cup and the vacant chair, interrupting his train of thought. “You done? I
need a couple seats.”
Ignoring him for the moment, Shade
watched a teenage boy yank a leash and choke a golden retriever. The kid
dragged the dog in his direction, and he prayed they passed his table. Come
to Poppa. Small town, and the owner, a real nice guy, allowed a few people
to come in out of the bad weather with their animal companions as long as they
remained on a leash and were quietly tucked under a table while everyone sipped
their coffee or nibbled a breakfast roll.
“You done or what?”
Shade’s spine tingled in agitation
and he’d opened his mouth to respond when the kid tapped the man on the arm.
“Dad, Champ keeps jumping around. I
think he has to go.”
The father turned to his son. “I
told you, kick the shit out of him if he doesn’t mind you.”
The woman he waited for picked that
moment to walk through the door, just in time to hear the dog yelp when the man
punched it in the head. Shade slowly slid his chair back, but not before she
weaved through the tables and stood toe-to-toe with the man.
“Jake, if you hit that dog one more
time, I’m taking him from you.” Anger colored her cheeks, made her more
beautiful than Shade remembered. She shook snow from long brown hair and
pierced the huge man with a deadly brown stare. “I’m not telling you again.”
Shade bided his time. Sniffing the
air, he detected the unmistaken sweet aroma that moments ago made him smile. He
briefly wondered why the woman visited the Redeemers each morning, or was it
possible she stayed there? Highly unlikely so many Immortals in such a small
territory would require helpers. Shade, sometimes known as the Shadow by a
handful who lived to tell the tales of him appearing out of nowhere and taking
down small armies, had been the human’s personal shadow for three days and he’d
followed her to the café each morning. Today, he’d come early and awaited her
arrival. The man, his kid, and the unfortunate dog, just made meeting her a lot
easier.
A pin dropping would have made a
loud noise as every eye peered in their direction.
“What the fuck you gonna do, bitch?
That’s my dog.”
Aww, hell.
The behemoth of a man drew his
oversized foot back, prepared to strike the animal -- but never got the chance.
Shade didn’t have to leave his seat
to reach the man’s raised foot with his hand. He snatched the big bastard’s leg
from under him and he crashed to the floor face first. The youngster gawked in
disbelief at his old man eating dirt.
“That’s no way to talk to a lady.”
Shade stood and helped the man up before he totally gathered his senses and
became even more confrontational. “You and sonny boy should run along.”
Grabbing a fistful of material, he yanked the man close. The tips of their
noses brushed, and leaning toward the man’s ear, he whispered, “I’m not as nice
as she is and if I ever see you harm that dog again, I’ll rip your fucking nuts
off and shove them down your throat.” He dusted dirt from the man’s shirt.
“Understand?”
“I’ll get you for this.”
“Sure you will.” He glared at the
man and allowed his eyes to change enough to spook anyone with common sense.
Having a little bit of sense, the bastard took a step back. “I’ll be around.”
Shade detested men like him and wondered if he abused the boy. “Maybe I’ll look
you up later, how’s that?” Turning quickly, the bastard headed for the door,
and his son fell in line behind him tugging the dog. “Easy on the leash, young
man, shorten the strap and let him walk beside you.” The kid followed his
advice, but it wouldn’t be long before he learned his daddy’s way. Brute force.
Twisting back to the table, he
heard applause. The man had probably bullied everyone here at some point. Shade
shrugged. “I wonder sometimes why dogs are called animals instead of us.” The
woman remained in the same spot gazing at him. When she smiled, the café lit up
as if the sun shone. “Only empty seat in the place, join me.”
“I’d love to.” She removed her
fleece-lined coat and hung it over the back of the chair. “I’ll be right back.”
Shade moved his chair to face the
counter. Sitting down, he noted a few people started to don their outerwear and
leave, no doubt to gossip about the morning’s excitement. A table emptied
beside him, allowing room to stretch his long legs as he watched the woman
weave toward the register. The top of her head hit him chest-high. Standing
five feet five at the most, she was curvaceous as hell with an ass made for
fucking. He decided to spare an extra night before heading back west.
She returned with two steaming
cups, and handed him an espresso.
“How’d you know?”
“I asked the young lady at the
register.”
Shade dug into his memory for the
last time someone did anything so simple for him. He gave up. Yeah, one extra
night wouldn’t make a difference in his timetable. “Thanks.”
“Thank you.” She took a sip from
her cup and glanced around the café. “You shocked everyone confronting Big
Jake.”
“Doesn’t happen often I take it?”
“Jake’s a mean bastard and he meant
what he said.”
“So did I.” Shade stared at the
woman across from him. “You’re not shocked.”
Her head tilted and she peered at
him for a few seconds before a smile curled her lips. “Nothing an Immortal
Redeemer does shocks me anymore.”
“Well, goddamn, I’m
shocked.” He didn’t bother to mask his gold eyes when he picked up his cup and
drank the black liquid. “You smell me?” His dick twitched. She knows what I
am! Shade planned to use her to help locate and retrieve the Covenant, but
now that might not be as easy as he thought since she knew what he was.
“Uh-huh.” She took another swallow
of coffee. “You probably smell them on me.”
“Uh-huh.” He missed casual
conversation with the usual women he chose to fuck. Damn if it didn’t make him
hard.
“You’re here for a reason?”
He put his cup down, reached over
and took her hand. “I think I found a reason to stay a little longer.” A
perfect nose sat between high cheekbones and over lips painted red, lips he
wanted to lean into and taste. She was breathtaking. Her laughter tinkled
through the air, made him feel happy for no reason at all. “You’re not afraid?”
“Should I be?”
Shit raced through his mind. How
far away were the male immortals he scented, how much time did he have?
Hundreds of years fucking made sex something Shade did lately only to release
pressure or break the monotony of his day-to-day life. He only selected those
who discerned his scent. There were women all around the world, lots of them,
but lately he picked them up in his club, screwed in his office without much
conversation, and sent them on their way. Usually with a handful of money.
Nightshade had not felt this alive in years, and it might take more than a
night or two to get the woman across from him into his bed and out of his mind.
“I’m Kelsea Arden, the local vet.”
“Nightshade Santone.” He brought
her hand to his mouth and kissed the palm. “At your service.” Christ, he felt
like standing, and bowing.
In another time, he would have.
Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out. - J. Hali Steele
