Clanless

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.

Copyright © 2016 by Jennifer Jenkins

CLANLESS by Jennifer Jenkins

All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Month9Books, LLC.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN EPub: 978-1-945107-13-9 ISBN Mobi: 978-1-945107-14-6

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-944816-55-1

Published by Month9Books, Raleigh, NC 27609

Cover design by Danielle Doolittle

Series and title design by Victoria Faye

“Jenkins weaves an unforgettable story that will forever be ingrained in your heart! With believable characters, epic romance and nonstop action this is a must read series!” - Bridget,
Dark Faerie Tales

“Absolutely breathtaking! Jenkins brings this world to life with vivid imagery, beautiful writing, swoon-worthy romance, and compelling characters! You will root for Zo and Gryphon to find one another and for love to prevail in this world of darkness and death” - Jaime,
Two Chicks on Books

“Jenkins yet again transports us into this wilderness where we want to decide if we are a Wolf, or a Ram. Where we hope we’
re not Clanless, but now being Nameless has a sense of pride and hope accompanied with it. The action adventure that goes on within this book is enough to make you wish you were fighting alongside Gryphon, Gabe, and Zo. The relationships that get bonded make you wish you were on the receiving end of the love that gets shared. Yet, Jenkins makes you feel as though you are. She lets you in, and secretly makes the characters love you as you love them.
” - Bri,
Once Upon A Twilight

“Last year, Jennifer Jenkins’
Nameless
utterly enchanted me with its solid characters, swoony romance and riveting world building. With the way the book ended, I was more than excited to get to
Clanless
. There’s always a little part of me that’s worried that a sequel won’t live up to its predecessor, but this was a second book that was superior to the exceptional
Nameless
in so many ways. Jennifer Jenkins has a real gem with this series and with
Clanless
in particular, she proves just how clever, romantic and addictive her writing and stories are.” - Nick,
Nick & Nereyda’s Infinite Booklist

“
Clanless
by Jennifer Jenkins is everything I expected and more! It’s filled with so much action, I could hardly catch my breath! I was completely lost in the pages. The romance will leave you with tons of butterflies in your stomach. Loved it!” - Damaris,
Good Choice Reading

“What an awesome sequel! NAMELESS was a book I couldn’t devour fast enough, and CLANLESS left me wanting more! This is an action packed fantasy ripe with betrayal, romance, danger and action. Nothing is as it seems. Jenkins had me on the edge of my seat with her twist and turns, and surprising ending! I need more.” - Katie,
Mundie Moms

For Casey, Liberty, and Boston.

No matter where life takes you, you’ll always be my clan.

Gryphon never thought he’d die at the hands of the Ram. Of course, he never thought he’d become a traitor to his clan, either.

He awaited a likely public execution, sitting in a patch of mud outside the walls of Ram’s Gate, his clan’s stronghold, as rain filtered through the trees overhead. Bristled ropes rubbed raw his bound ankles. Iron manacles secured his wrists behind his back. Gryphon clutched the hidden key to his restraints inside a bloody fist and glared at a man he never thought he’d call an enemy.

Zander, Gryphon’s captain, stood at attention as the rain rolled off his brown hair and banked along the harsh angles of his cheekbones and jaw. He held a seven-foot spear like a walking stick, the blunt end buried in the mud at his feet. His short sword was sheathed at his hip, his round shield slung across his back. The perfect Ram warrior, and one of the best swordsmen Gryphon had ever known.

The fifteen members of his mess sat like stones in a field, unmoving but hard and very present. Most of Gryphon’s former mess, including his best friend, Ajax, kept their backs to him, as if his treason were contagious. Some slept under thick wool blankets that repelled the rain while others stewed with the restlessness that plagued so many warriors.

No one bothered to light a fire. Whether they were too impatient to find something dry enough to burn or felt they deserved the cold, Gryphon didn’t know. Ram were experts at self-
discipline
—not to be confused with self-control.

Inside Ram’s Gate, Gryphon grew up training every day until his body ached. On days he struggled to do everything his leaders asked of him, he would sentence himself to mountain sprints until he literally passed out from exhaustion. Like every other Ram boy, he willingly walked into scheduled yearly beatings that were meant to train his body to block pain, making him nearly invincible on the battlefield.

A little rain was nothing.

Sitting cross-legged in the mud with his hands chained behind his back, Gryphon let the rain muffle the sound of his struggle to insert the small key into the unseen lock of his manacles. Each metallic scrape wound his nerves that much tighter. His wrists burned from bending at an awkward angle and his shoulders strained as he struggled to keep his face a mask of indifference.

Zander watched him, barely blinking. Gryphon needed to distract him—to break his intent focus.

“Why do you think they haven’t let down the rope ladder?” Gryphon asked, speaking as though his impending execution meant little to him.

Zander’s lip raised in a snarl. “Barnabas has the Raven invasion to prepare for, the gate to repair. He will deal with you in his own time.”

Gryphon adjusted his grip on the key to approach the lock from a different angle.

“It seems Barnabas is content to let you sit out in the cold for the night. Do you think you’ll lose your command over this?” Gryphon raised his chin and smiled.

Zander drew a knife so fast Gryphon fumbled with the key.

“Barnabas ordered you brought back alive, but I don’t think he’d mind if I took out your tongue.”

Gryphon had been trained to use the emotions of his enemies against them. People made mistakes when they weren’t stable. Plus the conversation muffled the sound of the key scraping futilely against the metal lock behind his back.

A few of the heads in the wet camp turned to watch the exchange.

Zander leaned back, battling with his composure. “I might lose my command, but I’ll return to my bunk with our brothers of the mess and rest well after seeing your body hang from a noose.” He shook his head. “I knew you had a strange fascination with that slave—that
Wolf
. I just didn’t realize your treason extended to all the Nameless inside the Gate.”

Just yesterday, Gryphon had inadvertently helped hundreds of Nameless slaves flee the massive walls of Ram’s Gate. To slow the Ram pursuit, he disabled the only exit—a gate so large it required forty Nameless to open it. Even though only a fraction of the Nameless slaves escaped, it would be days before the chain connecting the gate to the counterweight could be repaired.

The key finally slipped into the lock. Gryphon let his head fall back, just a fraction, and closed his eyes in relief. Zander’s hate-filled gaze greeted him as he opened his eyes, but that didn’t stop him from turning the key. The lock clicked open, the sound lost in the rain.