Read On the Edge of Destiny (Book 3) (A Vampire SEAL Novel) Online
Authors: S.B. Alexander
I cried against his chest as he carried me back to the car.
“The control room told me they were close to their target jump. That means they had their chutes on. Let’s get home so we can find out more.” He kissed my hair.
I lifted my head. “Does that mean Webb’s alive?”
“I can’t answer that. But as SEALs, we’re trained for all kinds of situations.”
Dad’s words gave me hope. I prayed that all sentinels did escape unharmed. More importantly, I prayed that my dream didn’t come true.
Epilogue
Webb
W
e were close to our target landing. I prayed like hell we would get in and get out. I hated to be this far away from life, civilization, from Jo. Every part of me wanted to cancel this mission and stay with her. I couldn’t. A life was on the line, and we were under a time crunch to get to our target.
These last few days killed me to see her beautiful face twisted in worry. My fangs slid out as I thought about her. How she smelled of lavender and spring. How her lips tasted sweet and moist. How her skin felt, soft and feathery. How her body molded to mine perfectly.
I squirmed in my seat. I couldn’t think about her. I had a fucking mission to complete. There wasn’t any room to screw this up. I needed to save lives, to rescue Quade and Crowe. They deserved our complete focus.
Both had vanished on one of our missions in Argentina. We’d been dispatched to extract Bruno Almeida. He’d been on the vampires’ most wanted list for years for various crimes of drugs, prostitution, and blood smuggling. Normally, the SEALs wouldn’t get involved with hunting down vampire criminals unless the human government raised an eyebrow, and they had more than a raised eyebrow with Bruno’s escapades. All over the globe, dead human bodies surfaced, drained of all their blood.
“Lieutenant.” Olivia slid into the seat next to me. “The terrain will be tough when we hit the ground. I suggest—”
The plane rocked. I hated turbulence. I didn’t have a fear of flying. I did have a fear of dying in a plane, though. There weren’t many ways vampires could die, but dropping from thirty-six thousand feet to the earth below… Well, even vampires weren’t immune to the impact.
“A storm is on the horizon,” Olivia continued when the plane quieted. “Which is why I’m suggesting we look at our alternative route when we land. The Alaskan mountains will be rough even for summertime.”
“We stick to the plan, storm or not.”
She raised her eyebrows. “But—”
“No. We discussed this. We deviate from the plan, and that’s when mistakes happen. That’s when the mission fails.” I studied a map of the terrain.
“With all due respect, Lieutenant. Do you hear what’re saying? You know Bruno was expecting us on that last mission, when Quade and Crowe vanished. Maybe the storm is our salvation. Especially if—”
“Olivia!”
“No, Webb. Hear me out.” Her voice deepened.
My vision went dark for a mere second before my eyes flashed vampire. How dare she argue with me?
“Get pissed. I don’t give a shit. You’re wrong on this one,” she said.
“Then tell me what I’m wrong about.” I bit my tongue to control my anger.
“First, get your head in the game. You’ve been sulking since we left base. I know you’re worried about Jo and the trial. She’s in good hands with Tripp. Besides, do you think Sam will let anything happen to her? That pain in my ass has been with her all her life. So let family take care of her.”
I growled. I wanted to be her family. I wanted to be by her side. I loved the bratty beauty. I fucking loved every inch, muscle, and curve on her.
Regardless, Olivia was right. Still, for some reason, I couldn’t get Jo’s dream out of my head. I didn’t want to believe her dream would come true. That I would die.
Maybe deviating from the plan would change my fate, change the outcome of Jo’s dream.
Or not.
“Go on,” I said through gritted fangs.
“Thank you. Now, command is expecting us to stick to our route.” She pointed to the area on the map that I had outlined in red. “You know we suspect a second mole in our organization. We know it isn’t any one of us on this plane. So, if the mole is talking to our enemies, then they’ll be expecting to cut us off at some point on the planned route.”
Olivia was a great strategist, thinking ten steps ahead of everyone. Her unique ability had nothing to do with her vampire powers. She wasn’t a psychic, nor could she see into the future.
I thought about this for a second as another wave of turbulence rocked us. I trusted her implicitly. Aside from Tripp, she was one of my best friends. They both had been with me from day one as a Navy SEAL. I couldn’t think of a time when she’d ever been wrong.
“How come you didn’t speak up when we were in Argentina?”
“What?” Her head snapped my way.
The plane leveled out, and I let out a breath.
“I did speak up to Commander Mason. He was in charge of that mission. You weren’t.”
“Fifteen minutes to target, Lieutenant,” the pilot said overhead.
“Let’s get the others up to speed on the change in plans.” I didn’t have time to analyze why the commander didn’t talk to me about what Olivia had told him. We usually discussed all ideas as a team.
We gathered quickly, and Olivia explained the new route using the map. Sloan, Kraft, and Kodiak all agreed with Olivia’s strategy.
We readied our gear. We needed more than a parachute at twenty-nine thousand feet. The jump required oxygen and special helmets to sustain the high-altitude drop.
“Five minutes to target,” the pilot called.
All of us checked and rechecked our gear. I held up five fingers. Olivia nodded first, adjusting her helmet. Sloan, Kraft, and Kodiak did the same. As I lowered my hand, one of the engines sputtered. Then the plane dropped sharply.
“What’s going on?” I asked the pilot through my earpiece.
“One engine out. Can’t get it started. I need you to jump now.”
“We’re not on target,” I responded.
The team could hear our conversation. We were all wired to each other.
“I need to get this bird down,” the pilot said.
The door opened, and wind blasted us.
“Engine is on fire! Get the fuck out now!” the pilot shouted.
We didn’t hesitate. Kraft jumped first, followed by Kodiak, Sloan, and Olivia.
I took in a breath, the oxygen cooling my throat.
As soon as I jumped out, the plane burst into flames. Parts, pieces, and large chunks of metal fell behind us. One large section of wing was on a collision course for one of the sentinels. Luckily, the sentinel moved at the last moment, and the debris narrowly missed. I thanked the heaven above.
Then something hit me in the back, sending me tumbling out of control. Once I righted myself to maximize resistance, I immediately pulled on my chute. Nothing. I tried again.
The handle broke off.
Fuck.
My life flashed before me as I sped downward, passing my team. I tugged on my reserve chute as the earth drew closer and closer.
I love you, Jo. I vow if I get out of this, I will always listen to your dreams. Forever.
The chute opened.
My body jerked backward then up, but it was a little too late for a soft landing.
A dense forest rose up quickly, matching the speed of my heart. I plummeted through a cluster of trees, snapping branches along the way. I was several feet from the ground when my chute got tangled on a branch. My body jerked once then twice before I dangled in the air, my heart beating out of control.
I was given a second chance on life—a chance to right all my wrongs.
Most importantly, it was time to step out from under the commander’s scrutiny and show the woman I loved just how much I needed her.
Dear Reader:
I love all of you, and want to thank you for taking the time to read On the Edge of Destiny, and for your interest and support in Jo’s journey.
As with any series there are always tidbits left unanswered, and I promise as the series continues all the questions will get answered. The fourth book is titled On the Edge of Misery, and the story will be in Webb’s POV and Jo’s POV.
If you have moment to spare, I would super appreciate a short review. Your help in sharing your excitement and spreading the word would be greatly appreciated.
Sign up for my NEWSLETTER:
http://author.sbalexander.com/contact/
You can connect with me:
Website:
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/sbalexander.authorpage
Twitter:
Google+:
www.google.com/+SusanAlexanderauthor
Goodreads:
Friend me FB
:
Acknowledgments
Writing a book takes a team effort. It’s not just the writer who pours her life into a story. It’s also the team behind her. Without a fantastic team, none of this would be possible. Red Adept Publishing, wow! What an awesome team of editors. I love you gals. Thank you for keeping me on the straight and narrow.
Katey Coffing, you’ve been a wonderful inspiration and coach through my entire journey when we met two years ago.
Streetlight Graphics, thank you for always producing amazing covers.
Terri Valentine, you are a great teacher and editor.
To the ladies and gents of the Kastle, thank you for being great listeners, for giving me encouragement, for making me laugh when I was sad, and for always having my back. You are all beautiful and I love you.
To all my fans, it’s you who give me the motivation to continue writing. I’m grateful for your interest and support.
Finally, my love goes out to my husband for his unconditional love and encouragement every step of the way.
Other books by S.B. Alexander
If you love New Adult romance check out:
Dare to Kiss – The Maxwell Series
His kiss gave her hope. His touch gave her strength.
Be
sides her family, Lacey Robinson’s only other love is baseball. She’s on top of the world when Arizona State University approaches her to discuss a scholarship. To play for a college boys’ team is beyond what she has ever dreamed. Her fastball is impeccable, her slider equally as good, and her curveball annihilates anyone who dares to step in the batter’s box. But fate has its own way of throwing curveballs. When she looses her mother and sister to a home invasion, baseball and her dreams die with them. Tragedy has a way of seeping deep into her psyche, causing nightmares, panic attacks and blackouts. Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, her psychiatrist recommends a change of scenery and picking up the things that she loved to do, and for Lacey that is baseball.
After a move clear across the country, only two things matter to Lacey—overcome her PTSD and make Kensington High’s baseball team. But trying out for the team comes with complications—the captain, Aaron Seever, doesn’t want a girl on the team.
Adding to her new life, she never counted on meeting someone who wants her as badly as Kade Maxwell. The tall, sexy and drool-worthy bad boy has a magical touch that awakens her feminine side, and a kiss that slowly erases her nightmares. But getting involved with him may be dangerous when Kade’s arch-nemesis returns to town to settle a vendetta.
To complicate matters, her PTSD has taken a turn for the worse. She has to find a way to push away the demons otherwise she may not have a chance at anything in life.
Strong language. Sexual content. Intended for audiences 17 years and older.
Book Trailer
:
http://youtu.be/bUjx-3krlGw
Amazon US
:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MSEVKQY
On the Edge of Humanity – Book 1
How far would you go to save a loved one?
Natural-born vampires are born not made. Some humans, who roam the earth, are not even aware they carry such DNA
Sixteen-year-old Jo Mason is lost in a world where traipsing from one foster home to another is normal. She hates her life, she hates school and on most days, she hates living.
Her normal world shifts when she discovers her twin brother Sam has gone missing between Anger Management class and History Class.
She’s called to the principal’s office to meet Lieutenant Webb London, a Navy SEAL who is part of a secret team of natural-born vampires. His mission is to protect the twins from an evil cartel, but he’s too late. With Jo now under his protection, his team searches for Sam.
However, finding and rescuing Sam from the evil cartel may be the easy part. Jo learns she carries a dormant vampire gene that, if activated, could save him. As her normal world fades even more, pushing her closer to the edge of humanity, Jo must decide if her human life is more important than her twin brother
An Urban Fantasy that will immerse you into a different world of vampires and the paranormal.
Amazing, exciting and intriguing
Intended for Young Adult Audiences
Book Trailer:
http://youtu.be/TUx18YDbvnw
FREE at the following e-book retailer.
Amazon US:
http://www.amazon.com/B00ATVDEHQ
Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ATVDEHQ
ON THE EDGE OF ETERNITY – Book 2
How far would you go for your first kiss?
New vampire Jo Mason had never imagined life with fangs, or drinking blood as her main meal. She has, however, dreamed of her first kiss, her first date and her first high school dance—but for a new vampire, none of those firsts come easy. Humans now tempt her appetite for blood and the Plutariums, a rogue team of vampires, want revenge against her family.
When her human friend Ben Jackson asks her to the May dance, Jo struggles to abide by vampire law. She isn’t sure if she wants to kiss him or taste his blood. She’s even more confused by the mixed messages coming from Vampire SEAL Webb London. The way he looks at her makes her want to jump off the nearest cliff and into his arms at the same time. Her guy problems, however, become the least of her worries when the deadly ones take center stage.
The Plutariums abduct and drug her. She wakes alone with Ben, stranded on an abandoned yacht in the middle of a storm-tossed ocean. Worse, she struggles to keep her bloodlust sated and it will be a battle to see who survives.
Vampires with hearts and souls. Intrigue and action packed.
Amazon US:
http://amzn.com/B00FPA6EW8
Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FPA6EW8