Surrender
to the Chase
Under
Realm Assassins
Book
2
Amanda
J. Greene
Genre:
paranormal romance
Date
of Publication: 5/26/15
ASIN:
B00Y9JE3DS
Number
of pages: 117
Word
Count: 33,500
Cover
Artist: Kim Killion
Book
Description:
A
year after the tragic death of his close friend and fellow assassin,
Ethan Halstead is ready to take up his sniper rifle once more. But
his first assignment is nothing he ever expected. Ethan must hunt and
retrieve a beautiful, spirited, alluring werewolf.
Knowing
no other way to escape an arranged marriage, Fraya flees from her
pack. As she contemplates slipping across the border and heading to
South America, she is captured by a dangerously seductive vampire who
plans on escorting her back to her family. Even as Fraya vows to make
Ethan's mission as difficult as possible, she can't resist the
riotous desire he sparks within her.
But
Ethan isn't the only predator that peruses Fraya. A powerful rival
pack's alpha wants to make her his mate. Will Ethan be able to keep
Fraya safe and return her to her pack? Or will he surrender to
temptation and claim Fraya as his own?
Excerpt
1:
Lightning splintered
the sky. Thunder shook the earth beneath his feet. Damp heat
thickened the air. Any moment, the winds would kick up and the red
hued clouds would release a torrent of rain.
Ethan
loved summer storms and treasured Arizona for its monsoon season. It
was only during the madness of the storm that he found peace. In
those rare, precious moments, the world reflected the chaos that
roiled inside him and he felt… as if he belonged.
Closing
his eyes, he took in a deep breath and savored the soothing scent of
the desert. To his disappointment, he would not be able to appreciate
the beauty of nature’s fury. Clearing his mind, Ethan unleashed his
senses. His mark was close. He could feel her. Crossing the street,
he headed for the quaint coffee shop he frequently sped past. She was
here, which meant he could call an end to this pointless job.
Ethan
was an assassin, not a damn babysitter. He was an expert tracker and
sniper, yet the Under Realm Syndicate had him chasing after a spoiled
little she-wolf. He had been tasked with fetching the runaway and
returning her to her pack – a complete waste of his time and
talents. He couldn’t believe he had let Cole talk him into this.
The fact was this case should’ve never made the list. Why the
Syndicate decided to get involved was beyond his understanding. This
wasn’t a kidnapping or a hostage situation. The female wasn’t a
criminal. She wasn’t a threat to the human world or Under Realm
society.
His
annoyed growl blended with the booming thunder. Cole had insisted
Ethan accept this assignment, “You should be grateful the Syndicate
is willing to give you a second chance. You’ve been out of
practice.”
Who
could argue with that logic? Ethan had been off the map for a year.
Most within the Syndicate believed he had been killed on his last
mission.
I
should have been. Shaking his head, he dispelled the thought. He
refused to take sober trips down memory lane. He needed to focus on
his task.
The
aroma of freshly ground coffee was overwhelming. Ethan reigned in his
supernatural senses as he stepped inside the shop. The door closed
and the torrential rain began to fall. He did a quick, nonchalant
sweep of the café, careful not to meet anyone’s gaze. Eye contact
encouraged conversation, and he was here on business not pleasure. He
would grab the werewolf, take her back home, and detain her until he
could make arrangements with her father. Simple.
Ethan
walked to the counter. After the blonde and brunette baristas
finished arguing over who would help him, he ordered and received a
black coffee. The cup had both girl’s names and numbers written on
it. He thanked them with a smile. They batted their lashes and
insisted he stop by a college party later that night.
Ethan’s
shoulders shook with a light laugh. Naïve mortals.
Turning,
he headed up the winding iron staircase that led to the second floor
loft area. The walls were made almost entirely of glass, providing a
glorious view of the storm. Students sat at the tables working on
their laptops while groups lounged on the sofas discussing the world
of social media.
The
delicate scent of wildflowers drifted through the air, drawing his
sharp gaze to the far corner. There was nothing remarkable about her
presence. She appeared to fit in perfectly with the scene, as if she
were just another co-ed. She wore a pair of skinny jeans and a
crimson sweatshirt. She sat with her feet tucked under her
crisscrossed. Leaning over the table, her long dark brown hair
tumbled forward, blocking his view of her face. Ethan noted the worn,
tattered condition of the book she read. Her frame was small. She
seemed fragile, but he knew better. She was strong, fast, and
intelligent. His mark appeared to be ‘normal’ by human standards,
but she was the wolf he was looking for.
Hoping
everything would go smoothly, he advanced. This was a delicate
situation. The female could freak out on him. She could cause a
scene, and he loathed drama just as much as he loathed this
particular job. It was not a search and rescue mission. No, it was a
track-down-a-spoiled-brat-and-take-her-home mission. A simpleton
could do it. Why it had to be done was beyond him. At twenty-four,
she was an adult. She had a degree in biology and was a werewolf; she
was more than capable of taking care of herself.
Who
cares? Grab the girl and go.
Ethan
quickly reminded himself of the two basic rules: never become
personally involved with your mark and strike first, ask questions
later – if you cared about asking question at all.
As
he approached the woman, he felt a slight tremor in the air. A
warning? A threat? Someone was watching them. He set his senses loose
once more, scanning the café for the source of the violent energy,
but it had vanished just as quickly as it had arrived.
The
girl must have felt the glimmer of danger. Her gaze snapped up and
met his. Her warm, honey colored eyes were round with surprise. Her
tempting red lips parted with a silent gasp. Ethan froze. She was…
more than beautiful.
She
blinked up at him. Her gaze innocently seductive, her mouth violently
tempting, and her wild flower scent was overwhelming. His body
reacted instantly. It had been years since he’d felt such a strong,
instant attraction.
He
watched her lick her lips; lust shot through him like a lightning
strike. Oh, yes. The wolf was alluring and, to his surprise, he was
disappointed that she was his mark.
“Hi,”
she said with a nervous lilt to her voice.
Ethan
mentally shook himself and crossed over to stand at the chair
opposite her. “Hi,” he replied.
Thunder
rumbled; the force shook the glass walls. The girl flinched and her
gaze fell from his. For a soundless moment, she sat with her hands
clasped in her lap, her head tilted down. The mortals gasped and
laughed as another boom shook the windows.
“You
may sit,” she said, her voice low, barely audible.
Ethan could smell
the fear that sparked within her. Was she frightened of the storm, or
what possibly lurked outside? An overwhelming sense of protectiveness
settled over him and he frowned. He didn’t like it. He wasn’t the
protective type. He was a killer not a savior.
Focus
and get this over with.
“Not
a fan of thunderstorms?” he asked as he claimed the chair.
She
straightened and fixed her gaze on him once more. Her expression was
bland, her cute stubborn chin titled up, her shoulders back. She
looked regal and refined. Every bit the aristocrat she was.
“I’m
accustomed to snow storms.”
“Really?
Where are you from?”
“Minnesota,”
she answered with a hint of hesitation.
He
smiled and was shocked he didn’t have to fake it. “You’re a
long way from home.”
She
shrugged and returned her attention to her book.
Ethan
took a sip of the surprisingly good coffee and relaxed in his seat.
He picked up a golf magazine, which rested on the table beside them,
and began flipping through the pages. He wasn’t at all interested
in golf. Being a vampire, he preferred keeping out of the sun.
Although, contrary to popular lore, he wouldn’t burst into flame or
turn to ash. He could work on his tan, he just preferred not to.
He
casually glanced over at the werewolf and inwardly groaned. She was
reading a list of the top ten hot spots in Chile. It appeared she was
interested in sunbathing and he couldn’t stop the image of her in a
bikini from cropping up in his mind even if he’d wanted to. And he
certainly did not want to erase the image.
She
sighed, closed the book, and tucked it away in her backpack, which
hung off the back of her chair. She took up her latte and settled her
gaze on him. Her lips turned up with a sweet smile.
“You
don’t strike me as the golfing type.”
He
raised a brow and tossed the magazine down on the table between them.
“No?”
She
shook her head, her long dark curls waving around her shoulders. “Not
at all. You look like you’d rather go to a shooting range than work
on your golf swing.”
Ethan
couldn’t argue with that. He’d had his basement converted into an
indoor gun range.
“Very
observant,” he said. “What about you? What’s your hobby?”
She
bit her bottom lip as she contemplated. Ethan wanted to bite it for
her. “Traveling. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. You
know, see the world, and experience different cultures.”
“Is
that what your trip to Arizona is all about?” he asked.
“More
or less,” she answered with a shrug.
“Well,
South America is beautiful.”
Her
eyes grew wide. She leaned forward, placing her hands on the table.
Excitement laced her voice, “You’ve been?”
Ethan
shifted closer and reached for her hand. The air trembled with
another flicker of danger just before the lights went out. Darkness
flooded the café.
His
mark shoved away from the table, snatched her backpack, and darted
toward the stairs. Ethan was right behind her. The mortals grumbled
complaints, some laughed, while others stumbled through the dark.
She
was about to reach the exit when the door flew open, crashing against
the wall. Humans screamed and shouted in alarm. The girl froze, and
Ethan cursed. Clearly, he hadn’t been the only one searching for
her. He could sense the alpha’s presence and, judging by his
target’s reaction, so could she.
Ethan
grabbed her wrist. She swung around. Her fist raised, her honey
colored eyes glowed, and her fangs bared. Shadows of a wolf’s
fierce visage flickered over the fine features of her face. Her
fierce growl vibrated her entire body. Ethan ignored the warning and
tugged on her arm, pulling her toward the emergency exit at the back
of the coffee shop.
He
pushed the door open. His mark tried to twist free of his hold, but
he held her firm.
“Let
go of me,” she demanded, her voice roughened by her partial
transformation.
“Not
a chance, sweetheart.”
She
growled and fought harder. He wasn’t surprised by her strength and
knew she was still holding back. So was he.
Pushing
her now soaked and tangled hair from her face, she snarled, “What’s
going on?”
“I
thought it was obvious,” he said.
“That
you’re attempting to kidnap me?”
Ethan
shook his head. “No. That you have an alpha hunting your ass.”
Her
stare was one of confusion, awe, and horror. She stopped, and he
paused. Literally dragging her across the street would draw unwanted
attention. He reluctantly released her wrist. She was soft and warm
while he was hard and cold. A frown creased his brow when the sharp
sense of loss pricked his long dead heart. On some level, he’d
enjoyed the feel of her.
She
blinked up at him. Her large, honey eyes sparkled with fear. “W-what
did you say?”
His
chest rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “I’ll explain. For now,
come with me.”
She
shook her head.
Ethan
glanced over his shoulder, scanning the parking lot for any sign of
the alpha. He could sense the wolf was close.
“We
don’t have much time. We need to go.”
The
woman fell back a step and Ethan’s body tensed. His instincts
flared. She retreated another step. Would she run? A part of him
wished she would. He loved the chase. The hunt. His heart began to
pound, his pupils dilated, and his fangs began to sharpen, all in
anticipation.
“Don’t
About
the Author:
Amanda
J. Greene is a paranormal romance author. When she is not writing,
she can be found playing the role of a university student who also
works full time. She lives in Southern California with her very
supportive husband and their two dogs. Doing all the above and being
a military wife is not easy, but rewarding! Of course, she
accomplishes everything with a strong cup of coffee in her hand.
Amanda
is also an associate reviewer on The Book Nympho blog.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/amandajgreene1
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