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  Romancing the Paranormal

  A Paranormal Anthology

  Romancing the Paranormal Synopses

  Shadows of Darkness (Order of the Blade) - Stephanie Rowe

  Fashionably Hotter Than Hell - Robyn Peterman

  Wolf Lover: Konochur - Victoria Danann

  Lost Embrace - Kym Grosso

  What Not to Were - Dakota Cassidy

  Harley—Awakening - Claudy Conn

  Forbidden Hunger - Teresa Gabelman

  Gertie's Paranormal Plantation - Melanie James

  Sonnet Vale: Paranormal Hunter - Gena D. Lutz

  Fang Chronicles: Tyboll - D'Elen McClain

  Her Dragon's Heart - Julia Mills

  Seductive Solutions - Brandy L. Rivers

  From Hell to Breakfast - Cynthia St. Aubin

  Romancing the Paranormal © 2015

  The included works are copyrighted by their respective authors.

  All Rights Reserved

  Except for the use in reviews, the reproduction or utilization of these works in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, or by any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission from the copyright holders and doing so constitutes copyright infringement.

  This anthology is comprised of works of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writers’ imaginations or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Interior book design by Bob Houston eBook Formatting

  Book cover design by Rebecca Poole, Dreams2media

  Romancing the Paranormal Synopses

  Shadows of Darkness (Order of the Blade)

  Haunted by a tormented past that has come to reclaim him, a former assassin must choose between saving the world, or protecting the one woman who can touch his heart and redeem his soul.

  Fashionably Hotter Than Hell

  What does a Vampyre do when the woman he’s chased for two hundred years is still trying to get away? He plays dirty.

  Welcome to my own personal Hell.

  Where life is steamy and the sex is sizzling.

  Damn it, I thought the chase was difficult…keeping the girl alive might prove to be my undoing.

  Wolf Lover: Konochur

  In the middle of a war with dragon shifters, a human widow of a werewolf may get another chance at love, but feelings of guilt threaten a blossoming attraction to the one wolf everyone thought was untamable.

  Lost Embrace

  Dominant vampire leader, Kade Issacson, is devastated when his fiancée, Sydney Willows, is nearly killed by a demon and her transition into the supernatural tests the limits of their bond. Deep in the heart of New Orleans, they struggle to keep her alive while searching for an escaped killer who promises to end Sydney’s life once and for all.

  What Not to Were

  Werewolf Calla Allen’s ready to take her relationship with hot warlock Nash Ryder to the next level—the one where, after months of dating, they finally make the long anticipated woot-woot. (Yay!) It’s been a long road getting to where she is in her life, and Calla finally feels comfortable enough to share that with the man she’s fallen wildly in love with. And gorgeous Nash is more than ready to commit—until he wakes up after an incredible night of passion and finds all memory of Calla on the missing list. (Boo!) Now she has to make him remember or lose him forever. And the proverbial clock is ticking…(EEK!)

  Harley—Awakening

  Harley is a Hybrid that doesn't want to serve revenge up cold. She wants to serve it up now and she wants to serve it up HOT.

  Forbidden Hunger

  A shifter without a pack, Janna Lawson goes in search of the man who her mother died trying to protect. What she finds is Garrett Foster, a man who has the power to decide her fate and causes a hunger inside her that is forbidden to them both.

  Gertie's Paranormal Plantation

  When you run a shelter for paranormal creatures, you can’t afford to let your guard down. When carefree—and quite naïve—witch Gertie O’Leary welcomes an enchanting new guest to the plantation, she finds herself caught up in an ancient struggle. Marie Laveau and the gang will have to pull together once again to save Gertie’s love life. Love, lust and laughs await on the Paranormal Plantation.

  Sonnet Vale: Paranormal Hunter

  Paranormal hunter, Sonnet Vale, has the unique ability to hunt and kill vampires. But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger is about to change everything, teaching Sonnet what it's like to be hunted and possessed.

  Fang Chronicles: Tyboll

  A grumpy bear shifter, a stubborn she-bear shifter, and more growls than a bear clan can possibly handle. Will the two kill each other or discover they make the perfect mated pair?

  Her Dragon's Heart

  What do you get when you combine one head-strong dragon shifter with a young woman whose past won’t stay hidden, add a coven of demon-raising wizards and a Fate that will not be denied? The perfect recipe for sizzling romance, spine-tingling intrigue, sword swinging action and swoon-worthy love. Enter the world of the Dragon Guard…Forever be changed.

  Seductive Solutions

  When Toryn’s trusted friend begins failing, he’ll search for a way to free him of the destructive bond. Isa might have a solution for Scotty’s problem, if Toryn can help her find the courage.

  From Hell to Breakfast

  He's a supernatural bounty hunter with a broken heart and a loose zipper. She's a succubus with a smart mouth and a long rap sheet. When her crimes become his problem, they're in for one hell of a ride.

  SHADOWS OF DARKNESS

  An Order of the Blade novella

  By

  Stephanie Rowe

  SHADOWS OF DARKNESS (Order of the Blade #10)

  Copyright © 2015 by Stephanie Rowe.

  Cover design © 2015 by MJC Imageworks.

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-940968-07-0

  ISBN 10: 1940968070

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form or by any means or for any use, including recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author and/or the artist. The only exception is short excerpts or the cover image in reviews.

  Please be a leading force in respecting the right of authors and artists to protect their work. This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel or on the cover are either products of the author's or artist's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or the artist.

  For further information, please contact [email protected]

  Dedication:

  This book is dedicated to the twelve amazing women who are the power and passion behind this boxed set. It was a great joy and pleasure to work with you all, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Hugs to Melanie James, Robyn Peterman, Victoria Danaan, Kym Grosso, Dakota Cassidy, Claudy Conn, Teresa Gabelman, Gena D. Lutz, D'Elen McClain, Julia Mills, Brandy L. Rivers, and Cynthia St. Aubin.

  Acknowledgements:

  Special thanks to my beta readers, who always work incredibly hard under tight deadlines to get my books read. I appreciate so much your will
ingness to tell me when something doesn't work! I treasure your help, and I couldn't do this without you. Hugs to you all!

  There are so many to thank by name, more than I could count, but here are those who I want to called out specially for all they did to help this book come to life: Leslie Barnes, Kayla Bartley, Alencia Bates Salters, Alyssa Bird, Jean Bowden, Shell Bryce, Kelley Daley Curry, Holly Collins, Ashley Cuesta, Denise Fluhr, Sandi Foss, Valerie Glass, Christina Hernandez, Heidi Hoffman, Jeanne Stone, Rebecca Johnson, Dottie Jones, Janet Juengling-Snell, Deb Julienne, Bridget Koan, Felicia Low, Phyllis Marshall, Suzanne Mayer, Erin McRae, Jodi Moore, Ashlee Murphy, Judi Pflughoeft, Carol Pretorius, Kasey Richardson, Karen Roma, Caryn Santee, Summer Steelman, Regina Thomas, and Linda Watson.

  And lastly, special thanks to Pete Davis at Los Zombios for all his hard work on the technical side, including a fantastic website to showcase my books, and to Michael James Canalas at MJC Imageworks for a wonderful cover. Mom, you're the best. It means so much that you believe in me. I love you. Special thanks also to my amazing, beautiful, special daughter, who I love more than words could ever express. You are my world, sweet girl, in all ways.

  Chapter 1

  Levi Hart froze, his senses shocked into hyper-awareness when he caught the unmistakable scent of a woman. It plunged past his shields, invading his being with a force so strong he had no chance to protect himself from the sheer intensity of her presence. He swore and went utterly still. His mind went into hyper-focus as he fought to regain control, his body barely swaying on the ancient meat hook he'd been chained to for over a century.

  But with each breath he took, the fragile, delicate scent of pure femininity wrapped itself tighter around him. Hot. Sensual. Tempting. And utterly dangerous to a Calydon warrior who was driven by a dark, powerful need for a woman.

  His ancient instincts rose fast and hard, a driving lust that he hadn't succumbed to in centuries. Swearing under his breath, he closed his eyes, summoning what was left of his once formidable discipline to regain control of his body and his senses. It took precious seconds to shut down the lust burning through him. He had to engage strength he couldn't afford to waste in order to crush the almost insurmountable need to find her right then, but he did it.

  The relief was instant, but a residue of emptiness resonated through him, as if his very being was stumbling in the absence of that sexual hunger. Without the distraction, however, a sharp-edged focus settled over him. He narrowed his eyes and called upon his preternatural senses, sending waves of psychic energy out into the surrounding tunnels, searching for the physical presence of the woman he had scented.

  He found nothing.

  A dark fury raged through him, anger that he couldn't find her. Urgency mounted, and he sent out another wave of energy, but this time, he opened his mind, sending the tentacles of his consciousness out into the air, searching with ruthless speed. Within seconds, he picked up her feminine energy again. This time, he kept his physical response contained, and he allowed his mind to hurtle toward her at a mind-numbing pace, racing through tunnels and around corners, faster and faster, gaining speed with each millisecond, her scent becoming stronger and stronger until—

  He found her.

  The moment his mind touched hers, she sucked in her breath, and her mind snapped to his, injecting warmth and passion into his cold, isolated being. His entire body clenched in response, and tension radiated through his muscles as he fought to concentrate. She smelled of spring and outdoors, of grass, of nature, and of a lazy sensuality, things he hadn't experienced in over a hundred years. But since he'd opened his mind to her, it wasn't simply her physical being he accessed. Her emotions assaulted him, a dizzying onslaught of fear, courage, and desperation, all of it ruthlessly contained by her single-minded focus and determination. His name reverberated through her mind, and it was layered through her entire being.

  All her attention was centered on him.

  His body responded to the knowledge, a tightening of his cock that he couldn't control no matter how hard he fought it. To have his name and his existence so intricately woven into the fabric of her being was so visceral that he could almost feel her presence, as if she was right in front of him. He couldn't keep his physical response contained, and his lust spilled over their connection into her. Instantly, desire flooded her, and he felt her body respond to his.

  The connection between them was electric and intense, igniting his cells like fire licking its way through his body. He was a cold-blooded assassin who'd spent a lifetime honing his utter lack of emotion and eradicating his need for physical connection with a woman, and yet, in mere seconds, she'd stripped away every last defense and created a need in him so powerful he knew he'd be sprinting through the tunnels in search of her if he weren't locked down.

  Who the hell was she? And why was she there? No one had set foot in any of the caverns surrounding his prison since he'd been chained up, and he didn't believe it was a coincidence that she was so close, thousands of feet below the surface of the earth in tunnels that no human being would ever stumble across, thinking about him. Who are you? He pressed the question at her, instinctively erecting a telepathic bridge between their minds.

  She froze in response, and for a split second, he felt her confusion that he was speaking in her mind. Then fear rippled through her, and she slammed up her mental shields, severing their link. Emptiness assaulted him at the lack of connection, and he swore, struggling to regain his equilibrium. She'd cut him off, but he knew she'd heard him.

  She'd heard him. After more than a century of complete isolation, she'd heard him. The sudden shock of having his existence recognized by another living creature hit him with an almost violent crash of emotion. His entire being suddenly burned with a need to be acknowledged, to be recognized, to be seen.

  He shoved aside the emotions before they had a chance to claim him. He'd lived his whole life alone. He'd been a shadow in the night, a phantom who was everyone's worst nightmare. His solitary existence had never bothered him, not even for an instant, and he wasn't going to let it start grating on him now just because he'd been strung up like a carcass for a century and had scented a woman so enticing it could drive him mad if he let it consume him.

  Her essence became stronger, and he realized she was headed right for him, on a direct path through the tunnels. She was seeking him out. Anticipation burned through him, an escalating need to see her, to hear her voice, to drag her against him and taste her mouth against his.

  He swore and closed his eyes, raising his own shields to block her scent so he could recalibrate. What the hell? Why was he reacting like that to her? Was it just because he'd been isolated for so long? Or maybe she was some sort of seductress? Not that it mattered. He didn't want to make out with her. He wanted to escape.

  This might be his chance.

  He took a deep breath, summoning the combat-focus that had once been as instinctual as breathing and staying alive. Decades of no food, no water, and no external stimulation had weakened him, and his mind fought against his commands to concentrate so intently.

  With a snarl of fury, he forced his mind to respond, channeling what was left of his strength into his mind until it coalesced into the razor-sharp clarity that had once defined him.

  Straining to see in the darkness, he scanned the cave that had been his prison for so long. It had taken years for his eyes to adjust to the rampant darkness enough for him to be able to see anything, and even now, he could make out only the faintest dark shapes that indicated tunnel openings, escape routes that were only yards away, and yet completely out of reach.

  She was in one of those tunnels, getting closer with each step.

  Manipulating his body weight with the effortless grace of a man who'd spent countless hours figuring out how to stay fit and strong even while he was suspended by his wrists in a frigid, underground cave, Levi spun in a circle. He systematically inspected every inch of his cave, searching for indications that would tell him whi
ch direction she was approaching from.

  Unable to resist the temptation, he inhaled again, and her scent wrapped around him, diffusing through his cells like a tendril of sunshine in a body that had long been dead. Energy pulsed through him, a sense of vitality he hadn't felt in decades. He reached out to her again, this time searching the space around her for more information on who she was. With his attention no longer only on her, he noticed the presence of two powerful males flanking her.

  His hands clenched, and his muscles went taut. She was with two Calydon warriors. Possessiveness surged through him, a sudden fear for her safety. Was she their prisoner? Were they going to lock her up the way he'd been strung up? Suddenly, it was no longer about sex. It was no longer about his need to be acknowledged. It became only about protecting her. Are you in danger? He pressed the question ruthlessly at her mind, shattering her mental shields.

  Again, she flinched, clearly hearing him, but once again, she didn't answer. Instead, she thrust him out of her mind as efficiently as he'd penetrated it.

  He had to admit, he was impressed with her defenses, but at the same time, it was annoying as hell. He had no idea what the situation was. Did he need to protect her? Was she in danger?

  No. No. No.

  His job wasn't to protect anyone. He had one last mission to accomplish, and he couldn't afford to get distracted by a woman. He had to escape, hunt down the man who had nearly destroyed Levi's soul…and then kill him. He could allow the approaching threesome to mean only one thing to him: a chance to gain his freedom.

  He steeled himself against the distraction of the woman, instead focusing on the men accompanying her. They moved with the lethal dangerousness he recognized as the trademark of the members of the Order of the Blade. The Order was an elite team of Calydon warriors whose mission was to defend innocents from rogue Calydons who had succumbed to their demon heritage and turned into mindless, slaughtering rogues. The Order members were ruthless in their quest, dripping with honor, trapped by their need to save strangers no matter what the cost to themselves.