Shadow
Born Book 2
Angela
Dennis
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date of Publication: September 23, 2014
ISBN: 1619224569
ISBN13: 9781619224568
ASIN:
Number of pages: 279
Word Count: 76,000
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Tagline:
Everyone has a breaking point.
Book Description:
Her hundred-year penance lifted, Shadow
Bearer Brenna Baudouin returns to the Earthly plane with her partner, Gray
Warlow, to keep the peace between humans and supernatural creatures—and to
prevent another apocalyptic war from happening.
The attraction between them is nearing a
critical point, but their checkered history has left Brenna unable to trust
either her heart or her instincts.
It’s chaotic business as usual until
humans begin turning to statues of dust. There is no explanation, no sign of
magical foul play or a biological toxin. The humans are convinced it’s the work
of a deviant supernatural faction, twisting the knife in the already tense
relationship between their species. Brenna and Gray agree—the deaths have a
former comrade-turned-rogue stamped all over them.
In a race against time, they enlist the
help of both friend and foe to save the human race and stop the impending civil
war. Along the way, they are forced to come to terms with their past and
decide, once and for all, whether they will come together or fall apart.
Warning:
Contains a heroine who knows her weapons but not her own heart, an outbreak of
supernatural proportions, copious bloodletting, and a race to save an endangered
species—humans. All tied up in a tight bow of sexual tension.
Available at Amazon BN Kobo iTunes Google Play
Excerpt
Copyright © 2014 Angela Dennis
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publication
Darkness embraced Brenna
like a thick wool blanket. It wrapped around her, blocking the dim lamplight as
she walked toward the seedy bar. Glass residue from the riots crunched beneath
her leather boots. Mixed with snow, the bits of broken beer bottles and smashed
windows glittered like an army of broken icicles. She breathed deeply, inhaling
the cool night air. It smelled of sour beer and clove cigarettes and left a
bitter taste on her tongue.
Shadows embraced the
sides of the stone structure that housed the Dirty Ruby, one of the few
multi-species bars in Denver proper. They stalked across the snow and mixed
with the night to merge into a black mass. From its midst stepped a man. Well
over six feet, he moved with grace in contrast to his size. The moonlight
played across his face, highlighting his chiseled features.
Brenna’s pulse quickened
and she took an involuntary step forward. Self-conscious, she ran a hand
through her copper curls, freeing them from the careless bun. The thick strands
streamed down her back like fire as she moved, her breath coming in quick harsh
bursts. She slipped off her black leather duster and draped it across her arm.
Without it the tight black corset left her taut belly and back exposed, but she
didn’t feel the cold. She never did around Gray.
“Four demons. Thirty
humans. Keep the casualties to a minimum.” Brenna brushed past him, tossing him
her coat. “I’ll bring them out. You send them back to hell.”
“Hell?” Gray grinned.
His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “You speak human now?”
She shrugged. “When in
Rome.”
Her back to him, she
turned toward the freshly white-washed door. But before she could move, he had
her shoulder in a vise grip. His fingers twined in the hair at the base of her
skull. His breath hot against her cheek. “I know your other partners let you
boss them around.” He turned her to face him. “I’m not them.”
He stepped forward,
forcing her back. They moved in an awkward dance until her ass hit the stone
wall. Trapped, she stared at him, wary. A shadow fell across his face hiding
all but his piercing violet eyes.
“We enter together. Once
they’re dead, we leave.” He stepped back, loosening his hold.
“The humans—”
“Won’t remember a
thing.” He crushed his lips to hers even as he slid the duster across her
shoulders. “And I’m not your coat rack.” Releasing her, he stepped back.
Brenna rubbed the back
of her hand against her bruised lips. Gray would be the death of her.
If she didn’t kill him
first.
She leaned against the
wall to regain her bearings as he stepped into the light. He moved like a
jungle cat. Ropes of strong muscles slid beneath his bronzed skin as his wild
untapped power stirred beneath the surface. Akin to a force of nature, he would
never go unnoticed. Even incognito, only a fool wouldn’t recognize Gray was
dangerous. He was a beautiful, powerful thing to behold. And he was hers.
If she wanted him.
His black hair shimmered
in the pale lamplight. It was tied with the usual brown leather strap, but a
few pieces had slipped free. They curled around his face, softening his
features. The sight of him stirred memories of what they had been to each
other. Memories she had struggled for nearly a hundred years to repress. But
she still wanted him with a fervor that was both frightening and exhilarating.
A sigh slipped from her
lips as she pushed off the wall to follow him into the bar. Wooden planks
creaked beneath their feet as they stepped inside. The room was crammed
wall-to-wall with sweaty bodies. Humans surged on the dance floor, moving in
chaotic abandon. Brenna stripped off her duster. The heat from the wood stoves
was overpowering. Sweat beaded on her forehead. It dribbled down her face,
sliding across her bare skin to pool between her breasts.
She threw the duster on
the seat of a red plastic booth then slid in beside it. Her leather pants moved
across the slick fabric like silk as she took a quick inventory of the room.
Humans clanked beer bottles together, their shouts drowning out the death metal
band screeching in the far corner. She closed her eyes to focus and searched
for her prey. It took several minutes, but she found what she was looking for.
The stench of rotten flesh and brimstone. It was subtle, but unmistakable. The
demon was here, but he wasn’t alone.
Her seat shifted as Gray
slid into the booth beside her. “This is new. They don’t usually hunt
together.” He tossed a muscular arm across her shoulders.
Brenna leaned into his
body. Her head against his chest, she breathed him in. He smelled of sage and
wood smoke. “I doubt they’re aware of each other. Demons are territorial. They
don’t play nice, and they’re not that bright.”
Gray shrugged. “There’s
a first time for everything.”
“True.”
He brushed a stray curl
from her face. Unable to resist, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the simple
touch.
“You take the males.
I’ve got the females.” His breath was hot against her skin.
Her body tightened. She
pulled back, a false smile playing on her lips. Beneath it she cursed her
inability to keep him at a distance, even on a job. With a quick nod, she
tossed back the shot of whiskey he shoved across the table. She leaned into
him, her hands pressed against his chest. “We’ll meet at the van.”
“Agreed.” Gray kissed
her lips. “Sam knows the drill.”
She could still taste
him as he walked away, and that treacherous part inside her yearned for more.
The best way to blend in was to act like a couple, but they needed another
option. She was already sexually frustrated, and the night had barely begun.
But there was nothing more cathartic than a good hunt.
Brenna glanced at the
demon. It lounged on a barstool, deep inside a human man around thirty. With a
bored look, he watched as a young woman, her shirt in tatters on the dirty
floor, straddled him. Her skirt hiked to her crotch, her body trembled as he
drained her life force. A second woman stood behind him. Clad in tiny purple
panties and a lace bra, she swayed to the music. Glassy eyed, breasts heaving,
she waited her turn. It was disgusting.
It had been a human war
that had ripped through the Veil between the planes of reality, and the humans
had paid the price. Supernatural creatures, the humans now called deviants, had
poured onto the Earthly plane, only to be trapped once the Veil had healed. The
humans had managed to survive the onslaught by allying themselves with
sympathetic deviants, but they had gotten too comfortable. And the demons were
taking full advantage.
Brenna slammed the shot
glass on the table. Time to play human.
About the
Author:
You can visit Angela at her blog www.angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com or at her website www.angeladennisauthor.com
She loves to hear from her readers, so
find her on Twitter for a chat @angeladennis
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