Animal Instincts (Kindred Souls Book 1)

  ANIMAL INSTINCTS

  Kindred Souls Book 1

  Patricia Rosemoor

  NYT & USA TODAY Bestselling Author

  Copyright © 2017 © 2020 Patricia Pinianski

  Cover Design © 2017 Deranged Doctor Design

  Dangerous Love Publishing

  This is a work of fiction, a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental. This novel may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author.

  Kindred Souls

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Animal Attraction Excerpt

  About the Author

  Other digital novels by Patricia Rosemoor

  Kindred Souls

  Animal Instincts

  Animal lover and rescuer, Skye Cross has always been able to communicate with them. She’s horrified that rescuing dogs from an illegal fight actually involves shifters. This leads her to Luc Lazare, a man whose powers both unsettle and intrigue her. Half-human, half-Kindred, Luc falls for Skye, who might have the power to destroy his shapeshifting family. Skye soon finds herself caught in a supernatural underground she never knew existed, relying on a man who heats her blood...but one she can't trust.

  Animal Attraction

  Spurred by a shifter kill, Detective Ethan Grainger seeks out Nuala Lazare, daughter of the supernatural underground’s Kindred leader and pregnant by Ethan’s late partner Shade. Because Nuala blames him for Shade’s death, he’s avoided her until now. The chemistry between them comes to a head the night she has her baby. Ethan swears to protect them, so when they are kidnapped by a powerful Kindred, he seeks help to gain the supernatural abilities he needs to rescue the woman and newborn girl who now have his heart.

  Animal Magnetism

  Detective Isabeau DeClercq moved to Chicago to get justice for her parents’ murders. She found Kindred Nik Lazare’s invitation to The Ark casino—the heart of Chicago’s supernatural underground—near their bodies. Nik’s dark reputation precedes him. Half-Kindred, Half-Powers, Isabeau wants to prove him guilty the human way, to honor her parents. Nik just wants to stay away from Isabeau when Pop orders him to work with her on a Kindred kill at the zoo. But soon a meeting of souls that defies logic consumes Isabeau and Nik.

  ANIMAL INSTINCTS

  Chapter One

  “Only one minute left to place a bet.”

  The amplified warning sent a shudder through her. As Skye Cross watched the officers of the Animal Crimes Unit make their move solely by moonlight, she left the unmarked police cars at the edge of the lot that was an intended construction site. Animal Care and Control stood ready to take care of the animals once arrests were made. The heavens rumbled as if in disapproval, and dry lightning struck the area before her. For a moment, the horror of the dogfight arena stood out against the night like an old-time film negative.

  A hand on her elbow made her jump. She whipped around and faced her brother.

  “You shouldn’t be here, Skye,” Shade said, his voice low.

  “Neither should you. You’re homicide, not organized crime.” This wasn’t her brother’s case, not unless there was a dead body involved. “What’s going on?”

  Shade didn’t answer. Around them, ACU officers silently got in position close to the crowd surrounded by wooden street horses and snow fencing. Shade scanned the crowd through the darkness as if looking for someone.

  Where the hell is he?

  Reading his thoughts, she asked, “Who?”

  “No one.”

  Great. Well, she would get it out of him later.

  Shade stepped in front of her and snagged something over her head. “Don’t take this off, and stay here until I tell you it’s safe.” With that, he moved in with some of the other men.

  She looked to see what he’d thrown around her neck. From a length of cord hung what looked like a piece of sea glass. Some kind of good luck charm? It twinkled at her as if it were lit from the inside. She’d never seen it before, but the cops she knew were a superstitious lot. Undoubtedly, her brother’s way of ensuring her safety.

  Still frustrated by his command to stay—Shade could be more than a little bossy with her—Skye looked around. She was here as a volunteer observer only to make certain the animals were treated well and to determine how many were fit to be taken on at the shelter when cleared.

  A lot of people were gathered in the arena. What made her stomach roil was seeing kids with their parents, children being taught there was no value to life. One little boy was jumping up and down with excitement and his father was grinning with satisfaction.

  Everyone was focused on the fight about to start, so they didn’t notice the ACU silently descending on them.

  Despite another coil of lightning zeroing in on the crime scene, the night air was hot and still as if it were holding its breath. Tension coiled her for action, but not being able to do anything made her anxiety escalate. Then a bell clanged and the night exploded with growls and barks and screams.

  Immediately, ACU officers tightened the net.

  “Everyone here is under arrest!” their leader shouted as others cut their way into the middle of the arena to stop the fight. “Stay put!”

  Weapons drawn, uniformed men blocked the exits, while others moved in to arrest and handcuff the felons—the organizers, owners, and transporters. And, thanks to a change in the law, the spectators could be arrested for felony crimes as well.

  Beneath the cacophony, she swore she could hear whispers—voices that set her skin tingling—and an unearthly laughter skittered down her spine. Before she could tune in, she was rushing forward, determined to see that the animals were properly taken care of.

  Skye spotted Shade in a struggle with a big guy who was fighting mad. With a knee in the guy’s spine, Shade cuffed the man’s hands behind his back. She wondered why his partner, Ethan, was nowhere around.

  The vet was blocking her line of sight. Skye looked down beyond her. A wounded animal lay on the ground. Not a dog, but what looked like a scrawny coyote, its side open and soaked with blood. What was a wild animal doing here? Where had it come from? Going around the camera equipment, she was able to sense its heartbeat. Wanting to know if it was aware, she tuned in to it and got the weirdest
sensation... help me... please... almost as if she could hear what it was thinking rather than seeing images as she normally did. Animals never communicated with her like that.

  hurt... can’t move... hide...

  A little spooked, she rubbed her arms. We’re going to help you... won’t let you die. Then she looked to the vet.

  “Um, in case you didn’t realize it, the coyote’s alive and needs your help.”

  “It’s still alive?” The vet zeroed in on the animal. “Don’t get too close.” And glanced up at her. “Oh, it’s you.”

  “Skye Cross,” she reminded her.

  The vet knew her face like Skye knew hers. She had a habit of showing up when animals were in trouble, so many of the ACC vets and officers recognized her on sight.

  “Hurry, before it bleeds out. I can hang on to the dog while you patch up the coyote,” she offered.

  “You know I can’t let you do that.”

  Seeing the blood ooze out of the coyote’s side, she tried to reassure it. She’s going to help you. Hold on. As if the coyote could hear her.

  The vet tied the muzzled dog’s leash to a wooden horse, then quickly brought her bag over to the coyote and stanched the blood. She gave it a last worried look before focusing on the dog. It was gangly with patchwork fur and had a dark face that reminded her of pictures she’d seen of wild dogs in Africa. A wild predator. What the hell? With the vet’s attention focused elsewhere, she moved closer.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.” Growling, it backed up. Skye got down on her knees and crawled closer, slowly slipped her arms around the bloodied animal, whispering, “It’s okay now. You won’t have to do this anymore.”

  Get away!

  Skye took a quick look around to see who’d said that, but couldn’t pin the owner of the voice. She rocked the strange-looking dog gently until it stopped resisting her.

  Get away she heard the warning again, less stringent this time.

  Where was that strange voice coming from?

  She touched foreheads with the dog.

  Caged... what looked like an animal habitat spread out before her... wild animals pacing... ahead, darkness... lit skyscrapers and the planetarium glowing against the night sky...

  Confused by the images, she broadcast calm.

  “Please, get away from the dog.”

  The vision ended abruptly, and Skye turned to see the vet glaring at her.

  Sighing, she did as ordered. “Sorry, boy.”

  “Either keep your distance, or I’ll have someone escort you out.”

  Knowing the vet must be overwhelmed, Skye looked past her. “Hey, what happened to the coyote?”

  The vet looked around. “I don’t know how, but it must have gotten up and wandered away. That coyote could be a danger to the people here.”

  “I’ll find him.”

  Skye scanned the area until her gaze lit on the arena wall. A blood smear told her which way the coyote had gone. Another flicker of dry electric heat zapped the area. Swallowing a healthy dose of fear, she jumped the makeshift wall and walked outside the cordoned-off area into the dark. Whistling as she passed a couple of construction trailers, she broadcast soft thoughts to reach out and curl around the frightened animal.

  There was a low growl to her left. She followed the sound, putting distance between her and the fight site. No lights here. In the distance, yes, but with the moon under the cover of clouds, the night blanketed her. Glancing back, she realized no one knew she was out here.

  And maybe this was a mistake.

  Her breath catching in her throat, Skye turned to go back when she heard another growl, this one louder, from behind her. And a snarl to the right. A spine-tingling roar to the left. The flesh below her throat sizzled and she put her hand to the sea glass pendant Shade had given her. It felt alive against her fingers and seemed to give her courage. Part of her wanted to run, but the other part—the part that connected with animals—told her to hold her ground.

  So, pulse threading unevenly, she stopped. Waited. The sounds grew louder, more insistent. She realized she could be in danger and started backing up very slowly.

  The cloud cover inched off the moon. The area around her glowed blue and she could see them. A lion. A wolf. A hyena.

  More wild animals.

  Predators, all.

  Her mouth went dry and her heart threatened to pound out of her chest, as she inched away from them, skipping her gaze from one to the other.

  “Hey, did someone raid the zoo?” she choked out, but no one answered, and it occurred to her they could be the product of illegal wildlife trade.

  The clouds lifted completely, giving her a better look at the predators that stared back at her with molten eyes. The breath caught in her throat. There was something truly unnatural about them. What was she facing here?

  She fought the knot growing in her gut, attempted to tune in to the animals, to convince them she offered no threat. As had happened earlier, whispers and laughter and an odd tickle of heat brushed along her spine and through her skin.

  Afraid?

  She ought to be.

  Looks like she might make a nice snack.

  Hearing the animals’ thoughts further confounded her. She communicated with animals through images, not words. So how was she hearing what they were saying to one another? And why did they sound like humans talking?

  The predators moved in on her. Trying not to show the anxiety that threatened to consume her, she curled her hands into fists and continued to edge backward. They continued to advance on her. Her heart was pounding, her blood racing. Knowing they could sense her fear, she tried to control it. Futile. No escape.

  The hyena broke from the pack and rushed her. If she turned her back on it, she was dead for sure. She kept putting one foot behind the other and the wolf and the lion picked up their pursuit.

  The hyena’s muscles bunched and it flew through the air at her. Though she threw up her hands to protect herself, it never reached her.

  Instead, it was as if an invisible wall stopped it cold. It shrieked and fell to the ground in a heap.

  What do you think you’re doing? Go!

  The predators stopped and she sensed their sudden fear.

  Now! the voice in her head thundered.

  The animals fled and quickly disappeared into the night.

  Skye flipped around. At first, she didn’t see him. Then she caught a movement to her right and nailed him where he stood.

  Dark hair whipped around features so rugged they could have been cut from granite. High cheekbones. Broad forehead. Square chin. His eyes appeared silver in the moonlight, and they glowed at her, tightening her stomach and making it hard to breathe.

  Trembling, she gasped. “What just happened?”

  “You got into something that doesn’t concern you.” Forget about it.

  She started. He hadn’t said the last bit out loud. There was something about him so powerful she almost agreed.

  She fought the desire to give in. “I’m not forgetting about anything. Who are you?”

  She felt as if he were trying to push the command into her mind.

  Glaring at him, Skye pushed back.

  “What are you?” he asked.

  “Someone who protects animals.”

  His silence told her that wasn’t exactly the explanation he was looking for. Her pulse threaded as he stepped closer. She sensed both threat and something less tangible, something that made her stomach knot and her throat tighten. She’d always had a psychic connection not only with animals, but with her brother. No one else. Not until now. And this guy being able to mess with her mind went beyond any previous experience she’d had.

  “Did you have something to do with the fight?” she gasped. “Where did those predators come from? What kind of power do you have over them?” It had to be something supernatural.

  He stepped closer, and she sucked in a breath as his power cut through her, speeding her pulse, drying her mouth.
>
  “You need to forget about them, Skye.”

  This time he said it aloud. And he used her name.

  “How do you know who I am?” she demanded, her heart beating so fast she could feel it bump up against her ribs. “What were you doing here? Who are you?”

  Rather than answering her questions, he reached out and slid a palm along her cheek. The touch seared her, reminding her of the time she’d inadvertently touched a live wire. Wanting to move, wanting to run, she stood frozen instead. He was so close she imagined she could feel the heat of his body as he splayed fingers around the side of her head. Her insides trembled and her breasts felt full and tight.

  What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she move? Or speak?

  You never saw me. You’ll forget about me the moment I disappear.

  Every fiber of her being longed to do what he wanted. But something in her, the thing that made her do what she did, was stronger.

  “Disappear to where?” she demanded through a parched throat. “I have an excellent memory.”

  Appearing frustrated she’d been able to hear the silent command, he dropped his hand. “What are you?” he asked again.

  The tension in her body eased and she frowned at him. “I don’t understand.”

  Skye heard footsteps behind her. He peered over her shoulder.

  She turned to look as Shade yelled, “Hey, what are you doing out here?” His gaze shifted over her shoulder and his expression went dark. “And what the hell are you doing with him?”

  The stranger was staring at her brother with an equally dark scowl. Their mutual dislike cut through her.

  The stranger shifted his focus. Are you his?

  Without thinking, she responded to the unspoken question. “Shade is my brother.”

  “And my sister is off-limits!” Shade yelled.

  The stranger turned to him with a pointed expression when he said, “As sisters should be.”

  “What’s going on?” She whipped back to Shade. “You know him?”

  Rather than answering, he said, “I told you to wait where you were.”

  The air around her shifted and flickered lightning-white for a second, and the tension that held her diminished. When she looked for the stranger, he was gone.