Luther had to commend Aimee, for a human who chose to transition into a shifter for love, the wolf that answered her call was a strong one. After subtly testing her throughout their conversation, Luther surmised that Vixen was of high Beta rank, which was pretty unheard of in a changeling. After learning that Connor had left, Aimee hadn't missed a beat. With conciseness that impressed the older Alpha, she had explained all that transpired in the past twenty-four hours. Not unlike Luther, Aimee had lost all of her club hierarchy, including her father, in one fell swoop. By the time she was silent, the sky was streaked with pink, and dusk approached.
"Given that this was initially a pack issue, and my club got caught in the crossfire, I wanted to know how many warriors you'll assign to me tonight when we retaliate?" She asked him directly. Luther liked to think he was a fair man, but the idea of trusting his pack members to a green wolf didn't sit well with him, particularly wh
If he was talking to a customer, the chances were he would never have heard the breaking news on the radio. But Braxton was alone in his garage working on his motorcycle when it came through loud and clear."The Aces and Eights motorcycle club appeared to have been attacked while sleeping at the clubrooms early this morning. Witnesses say that growling could be heard within the bar, but it wasn't considered unusual given the club's nature. One man was taken to Memorial hospital, and we understand that he later died from his injuries. There were no other known survivors. We can now reveal the deceased man was the club president William 'Wild Bill" Carter, aged 57. He is survived by one daughter that we have been unable to interview. Still, reports tell us she was last seen arriving at local businessman Connor Salvatore's home shortly after leaving the hospital."There was a loud roaring coming from somewhere, but Braxton couldn't identify where, while his wolf
The beat-up old ford clattered its way along the dirt road ringing its guts out as the driver swerved to miss potholes while maintaining a reasonable speed. Aimee lay down in the back seat, thrashing like a possessed banshee one second and the next lying so still Eric had to check to make sure she was still breathing. As one hour bled into the next, the smiling assassin wondered if they would make it to Moon howler in time to save Aimee. She was a putrid shade of grey, and the last mile had been spent with Aimee's head hanging out the window, showering the landscape with vomit torpedoes that had Eric seeing her in a whole new light. The landscape changed as he finally entered the valley, forest sprung up, and the fortress that was Moonhowler came into view, 'Thank Christ for that.' The smiling assassin thought as wolves appeared, running alongside the vehicle. He was escorted to the front of a building where a young woman waited. Beside her was the last face Eric expected to see as
"It was a pseudo reaction to something his mate either ingested or was poisoned with; Baku is traveling through Aimee's dreams now to find the source."Braxton slowly opened his eyes to find Shadow talking to a young woman wearing a high priestess's robes. Next to her was a creature resembling a chimera, only he appeared to be made up of different animals as well, almost like someone took the animal kingdom's leftovers and decided to make a whole new species with it. His eyes resembled a rhino's, and they were staring directly at him. However, it looked as though the Baku was operating separately from his physical body, as it twitched now and then.Braxton remembered a story his mother used to tell him about the Baku. They were mythical creatures who entered your sleep and ate your bad dreams. She always told him that if he woke up during the night from a nightmare, he was to chant "Baku-san come eat my dream" three times, and a Baku would appear to gobble up his
Connor felt his wolf swell in size as he struggled to break free, but for once, he was unable to bend Connor to his will, and with a last snarl of defiance, he retreated. The truth was, when Eric had pulled up to the packhouse and Narelle told him what was going on, he was in the middle of the meeting with the other packs about Karistas and her calling. The whole thing had seemed crazy to him, but because Damon believed her, he was trying to keep an open mind. As soon as he found out Aimee was here, he'd raced outside, unable to believe his luck. Lifting her still form out of that car almost undid him, though. She was small and barely breathing. His wolf wouldn't even consider leaving her side. Now that Aimee had Vixen, Legion, his own wolf, felt even more bonded to her. But not in a romantic way. Strangely, after their shared moment in the rain, those feelings of attraction had begun to dim and be replaced with the kind of love Connor associated with the family. Hearing just now th
He was shirtless, he was hot, and he was horny. What a goddamn sorry state of being in, Braxton thought as he lay on his bed in the stifling heat with the world's hardest boner. Mated wolves aren't meant to be away from each other for so long, and his wolf was such a dick, purposely sending image after image through his mind of the times he and Aimee had been intimate. Over seven years, there had been a lot of those times, especially since they hadn't had pups yet.Now, the annual Howling was near, and it was Shadow and Bella's turn to hold it this year, so unmated wolves were milling around, sending out pheromones and hoping to find their mates before the run with the Royals. Braxton just wanted Aimee. Never had he been more aware of the distance separating them than right now.Taking a chance, he picked up his phone and dialed her number. To his surprise, Aimee answered instantly."Hello? Is that you, Brax?"'Speak you, idiot!' Ricochet yelped,
1.Muscles bunched and released. Sweat dripped down torsos, and the sun threatened to burn skin as Monroe and Micah carried the plow, driving it through the dirt to aerate the soil. The Alpha hadn't lied to Con, the soil was beautiful, and although he had just turned sixteen, Monroe was no stranger to hard work. In truth, the earth was like home to him in an organic way. Seeing the corn popping up in the next field over was reward enough, and after they finished plowing the field here, the potatoes could be watered in. Then it would be on to the third paddock, which he'd already sectioned off into six smaller areas for Tomatoes, Lettuce, silverbeet, broccoli, sweet potato, and carrots. Micah wasn't quite so enthusiastic but knew that the plowing was the hardest part and offered to help Monroe anyway. A frisson of awareness prickled Monroe's skin as he worked, and without looking at the fence line, he knew she was there, watching him. Casey Parker was one of the more popular g
The Wild West was just as Aimee remembered it. Set on the beautiful shores of Priest Lake, the single style bungalow was nestled snugly against a backdrop of Douglas Firs. Many a childhood Summer had been spent with Tatiana at The Tamrak eating huckleberry rolls while their Dad went trout fishing on the lake, and for a moment, her toast felt tight with emotion. Now the cabin was hers. As they turned off their motorcycles and removed their helmets, the front door swung open, and five shirtless males, clad only in board shorts, came scuttling down the pathway.Max reached them first, plucking Aimee right off her bike while Scott and Reggie tackled Eric. Fists were swung half-heartedly as the boys carried them down to the lake and threw them into the water. It was an Aces and Eights tradition for the last ones to arrive back to the club. When they emerged laughing, the seven surviving members hugged it out and went inside for a drink.Aimee took the first shower, gingerly
The pack was in fairly good order financially, and Liam told Luther as much at their afternoon meeting. Being in an environment where they were respected and could go about the day in safety had done wonders for all the Baron brothers. Conan was just down the hallway, in an office adjacent to the Alpha's, and he knew his older brother was in his element. Con, was always born to be a leader. Even now, he could hear Con strategizing with the pack Delta, bouncing ideas off each other so fast there was an electric feel to the air near his office. Liam's area of expertise was in finance. Looking at a budget the size of a major pack like Armageddon was like giving a kid the keys to his favorite candy store, and the bear shifter had already made several suggestions on streamlining that Luther seemed really impressed with. That wasn't the only reason Liam enjoyed coming to work, though, if he were honest. A major reason happened to knock on the door at that moment and waltz on in. Willow ga
The Aces and Eights stood in a clear standoff with the Ladrona pack as Jenny made her escape. Another time, another place, her wolf whispered in regret. With her brothers' help, she managed to get into the back of the family truck, and with a look that spoke volumes, her father lowered the canopy, making sure to leave a gap so that Jenny could see the night sky. "Mates, huh?" she whispered to herself as they drove steadily out of the territory; despite the dire situation, Jenny Vasquez smiled like a woman in love. Her human had proved himself anything but weak tonight, and she couldn't deny that Adam was as sexy as all hell. She hoped that their paths would cross again soon. In fact, she looked forward to it. In the meantime, though, her whole family had picked up sticks and left a pack where they held a prominent position, and they'd done it for her; she really owed her father and brothers for coming through for her. It seemed the Vasquez family were destined to be rogues again-but a
"Tell me again why I'm doing this?" Aimee muttered as she and Adam snuck across the yard from the packhouse. Adam looked nervous, and he was slow to answer, "Do you believe in dreams, boss?" Aimee looked at him sideways as they rounded the corner."What kind of dreams?" She asked as they went past the clinic and through the main gate leading to the holding cells."The kind of dreams where a beautiful lady comes and tells you that your one-night stand is also your mate and that if you don't get her out of the hole, her pack will kill her kind of dream?" Adam confessed."Holy shit!"Aimee looked at Adam to see if he was taking the piss, but one glance told her he wasn't. She exhaled slowly, "Enough said." She conceded as they stopped in front of the hole. Aimee tried forcing the lock, but it easily withstood the strength of a wolf, and Adam shook his head, laughing quietly as he pulled out a mini blowtorch from his jacket.Kneeling, he crouched while
Braxton and Aimee lay in bed, cuddled up at the packhouse. After the Alpha had done a complete one-eighty, insisting on them staying as his guests until Adam was better, the MC management was quick to hit the sack after their long ride."What do you think will happen to her?" Aimee asked, and Braxton stiffened beside her. He reluctantly told Aimee about the hole and what usually happened to anyone put in it. As expected, his woman was furious. "That's ridiculous," Aimee sputtered, "You heard her tell everyone that Adam's her mate, so she stole a bike and punched a human? It's hardly cause for execution."Brax shrugged uncomfortably. In many ways, Aimee was still human; she operated to human laws and struggled with the shifter caste systems- it was a huge adjustment for a human turned werewolf, and sometimes he struggled with how to approach her on things like this-nevertheless he had to try."Xavier has no choice. He bought a team of warriors with him to aid his
Jenny tried to move past the lump in her throat as Adam lay bleeding on the gravel. Jax had her arm, dragging her away when Jenny's wolf muscled her way through, catching Jen completely off guard. "Leave me alone. I need to stay with my mate." Rosa's firm voice growled, and Jenny lost control of her body completely. In a flurry of tangled arms and legs, Rosa fought mindlessly against those seeking to restrain her. Brown eyes turned to charcoal, and the trembling began. Someone yelled, "Watch out, she's shifting!"And then Jenny's world turned black.Somehow Xavier managed to stop a full shift. But Jenny was immediately taken back to the packhouse, unconscious. Her brothers carried her to an SUV and made sure she was comfortable in the back before it drove off. Then Jaxon and Kyle turned around, tentatively asking, "What will happen to our sister?"Xavier shook his head, refusing to answer. Pack rules were clear. It was how he maintained order amongst the criminals. Jenn
The boy put up a fight, phasing into his wolf as soon as he realized that it was his best chance of winning. But, he was no match for Braxton. Aimee's mate showed incredible restraint, beating the beta wolf into submission without breaking a sweat and the Prez thought to herself that he should be rewarded for that when they were alone. A fact that was wholly endorsed by her wolf. Now they were in front of the garage where the bike thief was hiding. Holding her brother as bait.Aimee caught a movement in the shutters as she removed her helmet, and she found herself looking into the eyes of a woman as she stared back at her.Bingo.In a clear voice, she called out, "Jenny Vasquez, we just want to talk. Come out, and I'll let your brother go. I give you my word."Slowly the door opened, and two figures emerged. 'Beta wolves,' Vixen confirmed. Ricochet's voice filtered through in her mind, 'Be careful, mate. The Ladrona pack betas won't hold back, be r
It was dark by the time Jenny pulled into her father's garage. The beautiful purr of the iron horse under her made the journey go by quickly, but as she looked at her watch, she wasn't surprised to see it was after nine pm. Dad would already closed for the evening, but Jaxon or Kyle might still be tinkering on something inside if she was lucky. She got off the bike and impatiently knocked on the window. Sure enough, a rattle of chains signaled someone was inside, and as the roller door rolled up, her younger brother Kyle was there, wrench in one hand, dirty rag in the other as he whistled at her latest ride. "Do I even wanna ask how you came by that, Jen?""Probably not," Jenny drawled as she tossed him the keys, "Take it for a spin, see if it needs anything done before we onsell-oh-and stay away from Howling for a while. The old owner is in some gang there."The Vasquez family were the law around Honey Glade- her older brother Carlos was the sheriff, and her sis
Adam O'Connor sat in the back row of his Gamblers anonymous meeting, silently listening to the others recite the twelve steps to recovery. He could have recited them backward with his eyes closed. That's how many times he'd relapsed. But this time was different. Now Adam was being held to account by the prez and the henchman-two club members he couldn't afford to get on the wrong side of.The brunette beside him stifled a yawn, and he idly wondered if she had a gag reflex, it had been a while. Now that Aimee had made the brothel a legit business, members couldn't get any more freebies, and Adam was damned if he'd waste his time wining and dining a one-night stand, and that's all the stud was after. At twenty-three, he was way too young to tie himself to one old lady.On his other side sat Carl. Carl was still going through withdrawal. Adam didn't much like him, which made things awkward since he was Carls sponsor. The balding, overweight Accountant traveled every week
This concludes His Achilles heel. Don't worry, though. The big story doesn't end here. The thing about my books that readers don't realize is they are all connected. The spinoff series of this book is called Aces and Eights: The inner six. If you got caught up in the smiling assassin's charm or the stud's cockiness, then this is the series for you. Read on to discover what becomes of the six original members of Braxton and Aimee's crew. If the supernatural is something you'd rather sink your teeth into, and sexy Braxton is on your 'to-do' list, then hook into the Fated series, where Brax and Aimee team up with the 'it' Alpha couple Shadow and Isabella Stalker-although this series is not for the faint of heart.Looking for a good Judge and Jury series? Did the legend of Karistus intrigue you? Damon and Lisa's story begins in Unworthy: The cleansing wars. My supernatural world has no limits. Do you crave a dominating dragon lord? Try Dragon Fire and fall in love with Ragnar or
Karistus could smell the decay as soon as she crossed Armageddon's boundaries. Behind her, Rage and Karma growled lowly as they were hit with the same stench, and it never got any easier for either of them. Wolves who had strayed too far from the pure path to be saved emitted the same odor-the worse the soul, the higher the smell, and Luther Salvatore was like a homing beacon to the judge and her jury.They found him out running. Karistus and her team looked like a shimmer in the air to other pack members- but to the accused, they appeared in full form. The old Alpha wolf saw them as he passed through the canyon, and as they thought it might, the chase began. He was a quick and agile adversary, but for the first time in his life, Luther couldn't outrun his judgment. Out of respect to their fellow enforcer, the trio made the kill swiftly, so Connor's father wouldn't suffer. A heartbreaking howl pierced the silence as Soraya felt her mate's passing and Luther left this ea