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IT TOOK AWHILE TO DRAG their injured selves back to the main house. By the time they reached the clearing, the sky had turned purple with the approaching dawn.
Small groups of werewolves sprawled on the great lawn. Some were covered in blood with bits of fur in their mouths. Others curled around each other like lovers. In the house, a live band played salsa music for humans and other friends.
Matt greeted the weary group, relief flooding his face. “Where the hell have you been?”
“What does it look like?” Jake snapped.
“This is because of her, isn't it?” He jerked his head in Noelle's direction, sneering.
“Go get Stacey. Warren's got a nasty gash that needs treatment.”
“You're not letting that human stay, are you?”
“Matthew Alejandro Vargas, I gave you a goddamn order. Don't make me tell you twice.”
Matt left to find Stacey and Jake barked instructions to bring food and blankets out to the porch. Pack members rushed to obey and soon heaping plates were set before them. Noelle wrapped Derek in one of the blankets. He curled up at her side as if he was in wolf form and fell asleep without touching any food. Noelle stroked his side. Poor baby. On the outside he looked unharmed, but there was no way he got through this crazy night unscarred. She'd have to keep an even closer eye on him. She watched as sleeping wolves woke and stretched before heading into the main house. At least she'd have help this time.
Stacey arrived with her trusty kit. She cleaned Warren's wounds and rubbed an herby-smelling cream on him. After she finished with him, she and Jake signed for a long time. More than a few fingers pointed in Noelle's direction. Things must have gone in her favor because Stacey tended her thigh wound.
“Thank. You,” Noelle mouthed when she finished.
Stacey nodded, then checked Derek. His first day as a wolf and he gets kidnapped and almost eaten by demons. Did werewolves have shrinks? Derek was gonna need one.
“Don't worry about Matt,” Jake said as if she'd read her mind. She sliced rare venison into bite-sized chunks then left a pile of the chunks in front of Warren's snout. She scratched behind his ears cooing until he lifted his head and took a few bites. “I'll explain what happened to the pack before this evening's run.” Jake ran a gentle hand over Warren's body, avoiding the injured areas. “Don't know what to make of you, Agent, but I'm glad you were there tonight.”
“Could say the same. If you hadn't appeared—” Noelle didn't bother finishing. They both knew what could have happened.
“You and Derek have had quite the day. Not often someone finds out about werewolves and fights a group of demons in less than twenty-four hours.”
“I was just thinking Derek is gonna need some therapy.”
“And what about you? You okay with all this?”
“I don't know what to think. Your pack seems put together, but those demons— What the hell?”
“Last night was an anomaly. During this moon, the Balt celebrate a big holiday too. They can get,” she paused for a moment. “Over excited. We try to police ourselves for the mutual benefit of all, but sometimes it doesn't work. I'm sorry this happened to Derek. If you don't want to stay with our pack, I understand. There's a group in Maryland we're friendly with. I can make introductions.”
“I'm not going anywhere. I'm sure the Maryland wolves are nice, but your group is the only one I know and I'll stick with the devil I know for now.” Noelle took the first bite on her plate. Some sort of gamey stew with subtly changing flavors that kept her coming back for bite after bite. “Isn't there any formal agency keeping track of you guys? Someone to handle disputes between different supernaturals?”
Jake shrugged. “There is, but they don't do a very good job.”
Someone needs to change that. Noelle focused on sampling the other items on her plate. Man, these wolves could cook. Even the veggie dishes were bursting with flavors she recognized, yet tasted brand new. She couldn't wait to taste dessert.
Jake left Noelle alone on the porch with her two men. Derek snored softly, nuzzled against her thigh. She stroked his back, humming a tune she used to sing when he was a baby. On her other side, Warren had shifted into human form. Greasy smears of the green salve covered his torso from armpit to hip bone.
“Welcome back, babe,” she said running a hand over his head. It was the only place she knew he didn't hurt. “How you feel?”
“Battered, but not beaten.” He smiled. With slow movements he managed to sit up and lean against the house. His head bopped in time with the music.
Noelle's heart warmed. She reached for his hand entwining her fingers with his. “I'm glad you're okay.” She squeezed. He squeezed back. “Hungry?” She pushed a full plate toward him. He attacked the rare cuts of meat first, licking his fingers and smacking his lips.
As Warren ate, a sense of peace surrounded Noelle. Her son was safe, napping next to her like he did as a baby. On her other side, a man who'd been a stranger a few days ago, now considered friend. No, they were more than friends. She leaned against the house listening to the rest of the pack dance and sing. The sky was now lit with the orange purple glow of predawn.
In the past twenty-four hours, Warren had shown her a world she never knew existed. He'd also shown her a future she never thought possible. Her heart stirred with emotion. She'd never imagined finding love again, but Warren had changed it all. It was too soon to talk of love and riding off into the sunset together, but Warren was no fling, no boy toy. They had a bond. She was sure with all his wolf senses he felt it as well.
“I'm happy, too,” he said slipping an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close so her head rested on his shoulder.
“What do you smell?” Already, navigating the world by the nose seemed normal.
“Sweetness. Baked goods.”
“You sure it's not whatever they've got in the oven?”
Warren nuzzled her hair, sniffing deeply. “They're making chocolate inside. You smell different.” He shifted to face her. A hand cupped the side of her face. “Like fresh spring water and an orange grove with hints of honey.”
She smiled and leaned into his hand. He kissed her forehead. Her nose. Her lips. Her heart fluttered at his touch, his kiss. It would be easy to let him in and for the first time in a long time she was ready. Ready to embrace this new world. Ready to start a new chapter in her life. Ready to fall in love.
Begin your journey into the Awakening Series with a sample of book one, Angel's Awakening.
A race to prevent the apocalypse forces Charouth & Azazel into an unlikely partnership. Will love blossom again for the celestial ex-lovers, or will ancient allegiances tear them apart forever?
* * *
A WAVE OF POWERFUL supernatural energy washed over Charouth as she navigated the depths of an abandoned subway tunnel. Decades ago the E train sped along these tracks carrying countless passengers during rush hour. Now it all lay in ruins. Graffiti several layers thick covered the walls. Support beams, stripped of their paint, and coated in rust, hardly looked strong enough to hang a hat on, much less keep a ceiling up. Wood and cement rubble crunched under her heavy boots as she traveled farther from the point of entry. She glanced behind her. A weak emergency bulb shed meager light on the six mortals making their way down the treacherous steps onto the platform. They needed to hurry. The rotten scent of a not so fresh corpse hit her. Ugh. Gross. This kind of work was so far below her rank.
“Hurry up, guys,” she called to the struggling humans. “Dinner party’s almost over.”
She reached the point where the tunnel began a sharp curve. The heavy grunts and footfalls of the humans stopped. Charouth didn’t need to see what lay ahead. The familiar slurping and gnawing sounds of demonic creatures feeding gave her plenty of information. These guys were nasty, but didn’t have enough power to even keep that piss poor emergency light going. Something worse was about to descend on them: Charouth and her hunting party.
“Take this.” Jack, the leader of the humans crept up and presented her with a gun.
“No, thank you. I have my own weapon.” Cool white light pierced the darkness as a sword of pure celestial flame formed in her hand. The energetic fire licked around her fingers and up her wrist, yet she remained unharmed. The weapon was as much as part of her as her blood. She held the sword up higher and frowned. The flames usually burned brighter. She wasn’t one hundred percent then. No worries. She still had enough power to get the job done.
“Are you sure you're strong enough for this?” asked Jack.
“Of course. These flesh eaters are no big deal.”
“You could barely move yesterday.”
“I'm fine now. Don’t worry.” Poor Jack. He didn't know the half of it. How could he? He was just a man. A man who’d witnessed an angel crash land in his backyard a week ago. Lucky for her Jack was a member of the Order, a select group of humans who served as Heaven's earthly exterminators. In exchange for his hospitality while she healed, Charouth agreed to help him and his merry band on their next hunt. Better to get this debt settled sooner rather than later.
Gods Above and Below, how embarrassing, owing a human a favor. If anyone found out there’d be no end to the mockery.
Charouth’s side still ached from the rough landing, a constant reminder of why she skulked around in the dark with humans in the first place. Note to self: No more shortcuts through Titan territory. The whole pantheon was a bunch of bastards.
The nest of pests ahead didn’t bother her. That nasty something or other beyond them in the dark was worrisome, but a problem that could wait. Deal with the nest, get the humans to safety, then neutralize the real threat. With a game plan mapped out, Charouth inched ahead, with Jack breathing down her neck. He was way too close. His body heat radiated off of him and the smell of human sweat overwhelmed her. Why did they have to sweat so much? They were a hundred feet below ground in the middle of February. It’s not as though there was any heat down here.
“Back up, Jack. Give me some room.” She rustled her wings to emphasis the point.
“Sorry.” He fell back a little. Not enough. Charouth sighed and elbowed him gently in the ribs.
“Hey!”
“That’s better.”
“I just don't want anything to happen to you.” A flurry of clicks signaled the humans were locked and loaded, ready for Hell to open up under the busy streets of New York. Not bloody likely. If that ever happened Heaven was in trouble and humans were doomed.
She pasted a diplomatic smile on her face. “Your concern is sweet, but unnecessary. Protecting you is my job.” Not since before the Egyptians built the pyramids, but no need to tell him that.
“These flesh eaters are pretty nasty.”
Charouth scoffed. “The scavengers are the least of your concerns in this tunnel, Jack.”
“What else is out there?”
She stared into the shadows as if they could give her a clue of what awaited them. Too bad her excellent sight didn’t include x-ray vision.
“Nothing I can't handle.”
* * *
“KEEP THAT GODS-DAMNED hell hound away from me,” Azazel grumbled. He jumped back from the drool-covered fangs snapping at his neck.
On the advice of one of his contacts in Hell, he and Zarek had spent the past couple of hours crawling around the dirt and debris of defunct subway tunnels beneath 42nd Street. The guy said one of the items on Satan's shopping list was in the area. The list was short. Five items. A cross, a sword, an ankh, a cup, and the emblem that made the whole kit, kat, and kaboodle work. At various other points on the globe his demonic contacts searched for the first four. The fifth object needed more careful consideration. Satan trusted no one but Azazel and a few select others to retrieve the emblem Constantine saw on the battlefield before victory against Maxentius: In hoc signo vinces. In this sign you will conquer.
Legend had it that the owner of all five objects got some pretty badass powers. Like most legends, this one was probably worthless. Why something so valuable would be hidden in a dingy subway made less sense than sunshine in Hell. Didn't matter to Satan. What the Dark One wanted the Dark One got.
“You should be nicer to Princess,” said Zarek. “She's about to hit pay dirt.”
“Can we just find this damn thing and get the hell out of here?”
“Why so testy, friend? Didn’t sleep last night? Maybe you should see a shrink.”
Az’s vision tinted red as anger coursed through him and he swung out at the other Fallen. His fist connected soundly with the man's jaw, making a satisfying crack. Zarek spat out a loose tooth. Rubbed at his jaw. Served him right.
“Okay. I deserved that.” Zarek grinned like an idiot.
What was he so happy about? Smarmy bastard. Azazel turned his attention toward the two-headed hound sniffing around a hole in the wall. It sucked to admit it, but Zarek had a point. I am testier than usual. The nightmares that used to plague Az every night had diminished down to striking only a few times a week, but they still left him with his heart racing, panicked, drenched in sweat, and partially shifted into his demon form. A thousand years as the recipient of Satan's special brand of hospitality shackled him with a centuries-long fear of falling asleep. These days he only slept when his body made him.
“You flaking out?” asked Zarek, less out of concern for Az than how it might inconvenience him and his hellhound.
“Nah, I'm cool, man. I'm cool.” Az took a deep breath.
Princess stopped poking around the hole. Both her heads lifted, necks stiff, four eyes focused straight ahead. Fingers of powerful energy brushed against Az’s skin. He shuddered. Something dangerous was out there. “Looks like Princess found something.”
“Princess and I will check it out,” said Zarek. “I fully expect rescue if I don't return in five minutes.”
“Rescue this.” Azazel flipped him off.
With a cocky wave, Zarek took off down the pitch-black tunnel. Azazel drew the long hunting blade strapped to his thigh and began the countdown in his head.
––––––––
Find out what happens next!
Angel's Awakening is available at your favorite online bookstore