Rage/Killian
Bayou Heat Novellas
By Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright
1001 Dark Nights
Rage/Killian
Bayou Heat Novellas
By Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright
1001 Dark Nights
Copyright 2015 Debbie Raleigh & Laura Wright
ISBN: 978-1-940887-64-7
Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose
Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.
Book Description
RAGE
Rage might be an aggressive Hunter by nature, but the gorgeous male has never had a problem charming the females. All except Lucie Gaudet. Of course, the lovely Geek is a born troublemaker, and it was no surprise to Rage when she was kicked out of the Wildlands.
But now the Pantera need a first-class hacker to stop the potential destruction of their people. And it’s up to Rage to convince Lucie to help. Can the two forget the past—and their sizzling attraction—to save the Pantera?
KILLIAN
Gorgeous, brutal, aggressive, and human, Killian O’Roarke wants only two things: to get rid of the Pantera DNA he’s been infected with, and get back to the field. But the decorated Army Ranger never bargained on meeting the woman—the female—of his dreams on his mission to the Wildlands.
Rosalie lost her mate to a human, and now the Hunter despises them all. In fact, she thinks they’re good for only one thing: barbeque. But this one she’s guarding is testing her beliefs. He is proud and kind, and also knows the pain of loss. But in a time of war between their species, isn’t any chance of love destined for destruction?
About the Authors
Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity, as well as the Sentinels, Dragons of Eternity and ARES series. After majoring in theatre she decided she prefers to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She lives in Missouri with her family. Visit her website at alexandraivy.com.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Laura Wright is passionate about romantic fiction. Though she has spent most of her life immersed in acting, singing and competitive ballroom dancing, when she found the world of writing and books and endless cups of coffee she knew she was home. Laura is the author of the bestselling Mark of the Vampire series and the USA Today bestselling series, Bayou Heat, which she co-authors with Alexandra Ivy.
Laura lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two young children and three loveable dogs.
Also From Alexandra Ivy
Click to purchase
GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY
When Darkness Ends
Darkness Eternal
Hunt the Darkness
Embrace the Darkness
When Darkness Comes
MASTERS OF SEDUCTION
Volume One
Masters Of Seduction Two
Reckless: House Of Furia
ARES SERIES
Kill Without Mercy
BAYOU HEAT SERIES
Bayou Heat Collection One
Bayou Heat Collection Two
Angel/Hiss
Michel/Striker
BRANDED PACK
Stolen and Forgiven
Abandoned and Unseen
DRAGONS OF ETERNITY
Burned by Darkness
SENTINELS
On The Hunt
Also From Laura Wright
Click to purchase
MARK OF THE VAMPIRE
Eternal Hunger
Eternal Kiss
Eternal Blood (Especial)
Eternal Captive
Eternal Beauty (Especial)
Eternal Demon
Eternal Sin
BAYOU HEAT SERIES
Raphael & Parish
Bayon & Jean-Baptiste
Talon & Xavier
Sebastian & Aristide
Lian & Roch
Hakan & Severin
Angel & Hiss
Michel & Striker
Rage & Killian
WICKED INK CHRONICLES (New Adult Series- 17+)
First Ink
Shattered Ink
Rebel Ink
CAVANAUGH BROTHERS
Branded
Broken
Brash
Bonded
MASTERS OF SEDUCTION
Volume One
Masters Of Seduction Two
INCUBUS TALES
SPURS, STRIPES and SNOW Series
Sinful in Spurs
Acknowledgments From the Authors
To Our Readers, Current and New: We love you! Enjoy your Pantera. Grrrrowl.
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Table of Contents
Book Description
About Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright
Also by Alexandra Ivy
Also by Laura Wright
Acknowledgments from Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright
Foreword
Legend of the Pantera
Rage
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Epilogue
Killian
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Also From 1001 Dark Nights
An excerpt from Kill Without Mercy by Alexandra Ivy
An excerpt from Bonded by Laura Wright
Special Thanks
One Thousand and One Dark Nights
Once upon a time, in the future…
I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.
I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and
the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast
library at my father’s home and collected thousands
of volumes of fantastic tales.
I learned all about ancient races and bygone
times. About myths and legends and dreams of all
people through the millennium. And the more I read
the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered
that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually
become part of them.
I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher
and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I
would not be telling you this tale now.
But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off
with bravery.
One afternoon, curious about the myth of the
Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to
see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar
(Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then
sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written
and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,
the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand
women.
Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived
in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged
places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had
never occurred before and that still to this day, I
cannot explain.
Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have
taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can
protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to
protect herself and stay alive.
Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.
And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a
point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.
And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that
he might hear the rest of my dark tale.
As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new
one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before
you now.
Legend of the Pantera
To most people the Pantera, a mystical race of puma-shifters who live in the depths of the Louisiana swamps, have become little more than a legend.
It was rumored that in the ancient past, twin sisters, born of magic, had created a sacred land and claimed it as their own. From that land was born creatures who were neither human or animal, but a mixture of the two.
They became faster and stronger than normal humans. Their senses were hyper acute. And when surrounded by the magic of the Wildlands in the bayous of Southern Louisiana, they were capable of shifting into pumas.
As the years passed, however, the sightings of the Pantera became so rare that the rumors faded to myths.
Most believed the entire species had become extinct.
Then months ago, they’d been forced to come out of the shadows when it was uncovered that a secret sect of humans have been experimenting with Pantera blood and DNA.
It’s a battle for the future of the puma-shifters.
One they dare not lose.
No matter what the cost.
Rage
Chapter 1
The Wildlands were exactly what most people would expect for a pack of puma-shifters. Thick foliage, towering cypress trees, narrow water channels clogged with water lilies and banks of sweet-smelling azaleas.
A glorious, untamed bayou that stretched for miles.
But it was much more than a vast swamp. Behind the magical barriers were hundreds of comfortable homes, a state-of-the-art medical clinic, a village green where the Pantera shared meals, and a large, Colonial-style structure with black shutters that looked like it’d been plucked out of Gone With the Wind.
The building was currently being shared by the heads of the various factions. Suits, who were the diplomats of the Pantera. The Geeks, who took care of everything high-tech. The Healers, who could usually be found at the clinic. And the Hunters, who were the protectors.
Inside, the HQ was buzzing with activity. No big surprise. Over the past few months they’d endured a crazy-ass goddess, a traitor, and now a human corporation, Benson Enterprises, who’d been secretly kidnapping Pantera and using them as lab rats.
Which was why Rage should have suspected that something was up when Parish led him to a back room that offered them a temporary privacy.
The two male Hunters looked similar at a glance. Both had deeply bronzed skin and dark hair, although Rage kept his cut short. And both had broad shoulders and sculpted muscles that were covered by worn jeans and T-shirts, despite the chill in the air.
But while the older Parish looked like a lethal killer with scars that bisected the side of his angular face, Rage was blessed with the features of an angel. Even more fascinating, his eyes were a stunning violet that was flecked with gold.
Women had been sighing in pleasure since Rage hit puberty.
It took a closer look to see the predatory cat that lurked just below the surface.
At the moment, he looked every inch the deadly Hunter. His eyes glowed with power and if he’d been in his cat form, his tail would have been twitching as he paced from one end of the room to the other.
“No,” he growled. “No, no, no.”
“I’m sorry.” Parish folded his arms over his chest, the air prickling with the force of his authority. The older male wasn’t the leader of the Hunters because of his sparkling personality. “Did you think that was a request? Because it wasn’t.”
Rage grimaced, deliberately leashing his instinctive aggression. He’d discovered at an early age he could use his natural charm to…encourage people to see things his way. It was only when his cat was provoked to violence that it was obvious why his faction was Hunter instead of Diplomat.
“Please, Parish,” he soothed. “Send someone else.”
“There is no one else.” Parish narrowed his golden eyes. “In case you missed the memo we’ve been having a few disasters lately.”
“Exactly. I should be out searching for the mysterious Christopher,” Rage said, referring to the head of Benson Enterprises, the shadowy corporation that was responsible for stealing Pantera, as well as vulnerable humans. “Or at least hunting down the Frankenstein labs. We still can’t be sure we’ve burned them all.” He pointed toward the window that overlooked the manicured grass of the communal area. Below them a few Pantera mothers were sharing a late lunch while their cubs tumbled across the spongy ground. It was winter in the Wildlands, but the Pantera embraced the brisk air. “Hell, I’ll even spy on the military. Someone needs to discover who can and can’t be trusted in the human government.”
Parish looked far from impressed by his logic. “Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?”
“Christ, no. It’s just…”
Parish frowned. “What?”
Rage hesitated. This was the first time he’d ever questioned a direct order, but there was no way in hell he wanted to deal with Lucie Gaudet.
The female Geek had been a few years younger than Rage, and growing up he’d initially felt sorry for the half-feral creature who’d lived in the outer parts of the swamp. She’d slunk around the edges of town with her hair matted and tangled, and her face covered in dirt. Almost like a fabled wood sprite who flitted among the trees, spreading mist and magic
But as they’d matured, his pity had changed to annoyance.
Instead of growing out of her odd preference for the shadows, she’d continued to lurk at a distance, and worse, she’d used her cunning intelligence to torment others. Including himself.
A born troublemaker.
“I’m a Hunter, not a Geek,” he finally muttered. “Why doesn’t Xavier send one of his own people to track down the female?”
Parish’s lips twisted. “Because, like you, they’re terrified of Lucie.”
Rage scowled. “I’m not scared of her.”
“No?”
The two predators glared at one another before Rage, at last, heaved a resigned sigh.
“Okay, I’m scared of her,” he admitted. “She’s a psycho bitch.”
“She’s not psycho. She’s just…” Parish struggled for the word. “Misunderstood.”
“Being misunderstood is shaving your head and drinking so much elderberry wine you puke purple for three days,” he muttered, ignoring Parish’s snort of amusement. Okay, it was possible that Rage had done both of those things. “Lucie burned down her grandfather’s cottage.”
Parish shrugged. “No one was inside it.”
“She stole my diary so she could decrypt my private thoughts and posted them in the community center.” Something tha
t still aggravated the hell out of Rage. He’d written highly sensitive information about the various females he’d been dating at the time. All of them had refused to talk to him for weeks.
“You shouldn’t have been such a hound dog,” Parish said with blatant lack of sympathy.
“I wasn’t a hound dog,” Rage protested. “I just adore women.”
Parish rolled his eyes. “A lot of women.”
“Not as many as most people think,” Rage retorted. It was true he spent a large majority of his time with females, but it wasn’t about sex. Or at least, not everything was about sex. More than a few of his dates had been nothing more than two friends enjoying an evening together. “But I’m not ashamed of my appreciation for the opposite sex,” he continued. “I love their scent. Their feel. Just having them near.”
“Then why were you so upset?”
Because she made him look like an idiot.
He didn’t share the sense of mortification he’d never forgotten. Instead, he folded his arms over his chest.
“What about the fact that she hacked into the Pentagon?”
Parish met him glare for glare. Predictably, he refused to back down.
“Xavier took care of her lack of judgment.”
“By denying her access to computers?” Rage shook his head. It was a wonder she hadn’t gotten every Pantera tossed in the brig. “All that did was give her a reason to leave the Wildlands so she didn’t have to follow the rules.”
Parish leaned against the edge of the heavy walnut desk, the wood creaking beneath his considerable weight. Pantera had denser bones and muscle than humans.
“None of us liked following the rules. I remember you breaking them more than once.”