Hunter's Blood Special Edition (Cursed by Blood Saga) (15 page)
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Authors: marianne morea
“The jogger filed a complaint later
that day about being attacked by a wild dog while running in the park. The
location and time all match up with the body the police found the next morning.
The NYPD treated it as two separate incidents, but we know better.”
Edward fixed the husky young hunter
with a stare. “You don’t know all the facts, young man. How can you, when
Leighton keeps you shackled to fatuous internet searches.”
At the look on Marcus’s face, Sean
exploded. “Enough! You’re responsible for bringing this drunkard into the heart
of our holiday festivities. You interrupt the opening dance and cast aspersions
once again on a woman who has done nothing but help us. For Christ’s sake,
there are children in the room, man!” He paused for a calming breath. “I think
you should leave, Edward, and take Mr. Flanders with you. Now.”
Parr shot Sean a withering look. “I’ll
leave, but only after we take a consensus vote. Your postponement of the
inevitable ends day after tomorrow, and I would remind everyone here tonight,
that facts are facts, and our tradition and laws remain steadfast.
“This man lost his son, killed in cold
blood by her hand. A human against a Were. What say you, people? Do we accept a
woman capable of such crimes into our world or do we close ranks? A show of
backs in a public shunning will be sufficient for me. Do you agree, Alpha
Council of the Brethren?”
Sean’s lips pressed together in a grim
line. He had no choice. If he disagreed, he would look altogether partisan and
strengthen whatever argument Parr had waiting for him.
“Sean…” Lily touched his arm, shaking
her head gently. “You don’t have to do this. Don’t make this an issue over me.
If I’m not wanted here, I’ll go. I’ll just disappear,” she offered.
His gaze was soft, but edged with
resolute determination. “It’s not about whether you’re wanted or not, love.
It’s gone way beyond that. And if you left, I’d find you,” he said, giving her
hand a squeeze.
He let go of her hand and turned to
face the crowd. “With a show of backs, who would turn on the woman who has
vowed to help us? Hasn’t there been enough sickness and death, enough fear?
Haven’t we moved beyond rumor and innuendo, beyond suspicion? Show yourselves
and your choices, now.”
A low hum murmured and grew steadily louder,
as arguments erupted in the crowd. Lily watched in dismay. The scene was
complete déjà vu from the night the Blood Rites Ritual.
Mitch waved, letting Sean know he was
taking Rissa and Stephanie to safety in case the room exploded into chaos, but
before they got to the door, Parr called for quiet and a consensus.
One by one, two hundred people picked
sides, and in the end half had turned their backs on Sean and Lily. The lines
were drawn.
Parr flashed his Cheshire cat smile.
“In two days’ time, our deliberations will resume, but it’s clear I am not
alone in my interpretation of the law and what’s best for the Weres.” With a
nod to Sean, he made a mock bow to Lily, mouthing the words, ‘until then,’ and
swept out of the hall.
The ball was ruined, and people were
resorted to either go home or gather in small clusters, their whispers and
furtive glances causing the hunter’s to stand in protective formation around
Sean and Lily.
With an aggravated sigh, Lily pulled
the bobby pins from her hair. She shook out her curls, running her fingers
through the dark mass until it fell softly to her shoulders. “Sean this has
gone too far. I didn’t sign up for this when I fell in love with you. I know
it’s supposed to be for better or worse, but not when the worse affects so many
people’s lives,” Lily’s eyes searched his, and then dropped to stare at the
tips of her black velvet shoes.
Slipping his finger beneath her chin,
he lifted her face so their eyes could meet. “Parr wants something. I haven’t
figured out what it is yet, but I will. I haven’t given up hope on the
intelligence and determination of the Weres I’ve come to know and love. I have
to trust in that. They know what’s right, and what bullshit is, but Parr’s
rhetoric keeps getting in the way. I can beat him at his own game, Lily. I just
have to bide my time and let diplomacy do its work, but I promise you now, if
forced, I will restore the power of the Alpha and the absolute rule that goes
with it to protect you. You’re my life, and nothing and no one will stop me
from having you at my side.”
Lily chewed on her bottom lip.
He chuckled, even though his eyes were
severe. “Whenever you start nibbling on your lip, it’s never a good thing. Are
you with me?”
Lily slipped her arms around his
waist, crushing the soft crimson velvet of her gown against his chest. “For
better or for worse.”
Acknowledgements
When an author publishes their first
book, it’s nothing less than a defining moment in their life. Since I began
this writer’s journey, I’ve run the gamut in terms of emotion, from ‘no excuses
do the work’ to ‘what was I thinking?’ to ‘be careful what you ask for ‘cause
you just might get it!’.
Now that it’s happened, I still have
to pinch myself. So many people had encouraged me along the way, even when the
writing dragon had me spewing fire and belching smoke at every turn.
My unbelievably patient husband, Bill,
for putting up with the insanity and verbal barrage that goes hand in hand with
hours spent glued to my laptop.
Our three kids for knowing enough to
leave Mommy alone when she’s writing and that Cheerios and milk actually are a
legitimate dinner option.
I need to thank my father and mother
and my wonderful mother-in-law for their counsel, and my siblings for their
support. To my friends, especially Karen Marsh, Ginger Hardman, Gloria Lakritz,
and Ginny Ryan, as well as authors, Shannon Bailey and Anna Hackett. Thank you
all for beta reading, critiquing, and for being the best cheerleaders anyone
could want.
My thanks to my original publisher,
kNight Romance Publishing, for taking a chance on a new author, as well as my
original editor, Bruce Cohen.
Last,
but not least, I want to thank God for all his blessings. The longer I live,
the more I learn to appreciate what could easily be taken for granted. God
bless. I hope you enjoy the book
About
the Author
Marianne
Morea was born and raised in New York. Inspired by the dichotomies that define
‘the city that never sleeps’, she began her career after college as a budding
journalist. Later, earning a MFA, from The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan,
she moved on to the graphic arts. But it was her lifelong love affair with
words, and the fantasies and ‘what ifs’ they stir, that finally brought her
back to writing.
Visit
her website: http://www.mariannemorea.com
Saga….
“WOW! To say that
Hunter's Blood
is fast-paced is an understatement.
Marianne Morea
's first published book, as well as the opening salvo in her
Cursed by Blood
series, takes off like a bullet on page one and stays on target all the
way to the final page, where the ending will take you by utter surprise. This
book is jam packed with perilous action, fascinating characters, and gripping
tension. And the sexual attraction between Lily and Sean is so immediate and
strong, it practically leaps off the pages and down your throat! If
Ms. Morea
improves with her second book [Twice Cursed], all I can say is – I can't wait!
~
MerryLee
Lanehart
,
TwoLips
Reviews
, LLC
"The author has woven a successful, suspenseful romantic
paranormal. She gives life to characters that could be boring but they are not
at all. Hunter's Blood (Cursed by Blood Saga) will keep you enthralled..."
~
Arianne, Night Owl Reviews.
“Hunter's Blood (Cursed by Blood Saga) is not only a wonderful
supernatural read but it is also a wonderful story that holds an underlining
issue of how far someone will go in the name of grief…”
~The Phantom Paragrapher @ Blogspot.com—New Zealand
“Ms. Morea, has separated herself from the crowd,
and has executed an enchanting story of the paranormal with ghosts, werewolves,
and vampires The story line is fast paced, realistic, fraught with danger,
sexual tension, and scientific realism for the Sci-fi buffs. This well written
Novella sets us up for the next book in the Cursed by Blood Saga,
Twice
Cursed
, which should not disappoint….”
~
Gloria
Lakritz, Senior Reviewer
,
Paranormal Romance Guild
Enjoyed
Hunter’s Blood?
Take a sneak peek
at the first four chapters
of the exciting sequel…
Twice Cursed
(available now!)
Chapter One
***
NEW
YORK CITY
February
9
th
, Four a.m.
“Fuck! It’s cold,” Detective Ryan
Martinez muttered, blowing on his hands. He stepped lightly, picking his way
through the shattered glass and wood covering the street. Even to an untrained
eye, it looked as if the bar had exploded from the inside out.
He shook his head, his lips pressed
together in a grim line, watching as CSI began their initial investigation
inside what was left of the bar. Most of the victims had their throats ripped
open, and there was so much blood and debris, it looked like a gangland war
zone.
Outside, three victims lay prone on
the sidewalk, their bodies bent and unnatural in the dirty snow. The red glare
of flashing patrol lights gave the grisly scene a surreal appearance. Nobody in
their right mind wanted to be out tonight, least of all for a mess like this.
Patrol had already cordoned off the
area, but the ghastly scene attracted rubberneckers even at this ungodly hour.
God
bless the city that never sleeps,
he thought grimly, while uniformed
personnel busied themselves with crowd control.