by Cheree Alsop
—Amy May
“What an awesome book! A continual adventure, with surprises on every page. What a gifted author she is. You just can’t put the book down. I read it in two days. Cheree has a way of developing relationships and pulling at your heart. You find yourself identifying with the characters in her book...True life situations make this book come alive for you and gives you increased understanding of your own situation in life. Magnificent story and characters. I’ve read all of Cheree’s books and recommend them all to you...especially if you love adventures.”
—Michael, Amazon Reviewer
“You’ll like this one and want to start part two as soon as you can! If you are in the mood for an adventure book in a faraway kingdom where there are rival kingdoms plotting and scheming to gain more power, you’ll enjoy this novel. The characters are well developed, and of course with Cheree there is always a unique supernatural twist thrown into the story as well as romantic interests to make the pages fly by.”
Karen, Amazon Reviewer
When Death Loved an Angel
“This style of book is quite a change for this author so I wasn’t expecting this, but I found an interesting story of two very different souls who stepped outside of their “accepted roles” to find love and forgiveness, and what is truly of value in life and death.”
—Karen, Amazon Reviewer
“When Death Loved an Angel by Cheree Alsop is a touching paranormal romance that cranks the readers’ thinking mode into high gear.”
—Rachel Andersen, Book Reviewer
“Loved this book. I would recommend this book to everyone. And be sure to check out the rest of her books, too!”
—Malcay, Book Reviewer
The Shadows Series
“. . . This author has talent. I enjoyed her world, her very well developed characters, and an interesting, entertaining concept and story. Her introduction to her world was well done and concise. . . .Her characters were interesting enough that I became attached to several. I would certainly read a follow-up if only to check on the progress and evolution of the society she created. I recommend this for any age other than those overly sensitive to some graphic violence. The romance was heartfelt but pg. A good read.”
—Mari, Amazon Reviewer
“. . . I’ve fallen for the characters and their world. I’ve even gone on to share (this book) with my sister. . .So many moments made me smile as well as several which brought tears from the attachment; not sad tears, I might add. When I started Shadows, I didn’t expect much because I assumed it was like most of the books I’ve read lately. But this book was one of the few books to make me happy I was wrong and find myself so far into the books that I lost track of time, ending up reading to the point that my body said I was too tired to continue reading! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. . . Some of my new favorite quotes will be coming from this lovely novel. Thank you to Cheree Alsop for allowing the budding thoughts to come to life. I am a very hooked reader.”
—Stephanie Roberts, Amazon Reviewer
“This was a heart-warming tale of rags to riches. It was also wonderfully described and the characters were vivid and vibrant; a story that teaches of love defying boundaries and of people finding acceptance.”
—Sara Phillip, Book Reviewer
“This is the best book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. . . It literally has everything, drama, action, fighting, romance, adventure, & suspense. . . Nexa is one of the most incredible female protagonists ever written. . .It literally had me on pins & needles the ENTIRE time. . . I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Please give yourself a wonderful treat & read this book… you will NOT be disappointed!!!”
—Jess- Goodreads Reviewer
“Took my breath away; excitement, adventure and suspense. . . This author has extracted a tender subject and created a supernatural fantasy about seeing beyond the surface of an individual. . . Also the romantic scenes would make a girl swoon. . . The fights between allies and foes and blood lust would attract the male readers. . .The conclusion was so powerful and scary this reader was sitting on the edge of her seat.”
—Susan Mahoney, Book Blogger
“Adventure, incredible amounts of imagination and description go into this world! It is a buy now, don't leave the couch until the last chapter has reached an end kind of read!”
—Malcay- Amazon Reviewer
“The high action tale with the underlying love story that unfolds makes you want to keep reading and not put it down. I can't wait until the next book in the Shadows Series comes out.”
—Karen- Amazon Reviewer
“Really enjoyed this book. A modern fairy tale complete with Kings and Queens, Princesses and Princes, castles and the damsel is not quite in distress. LOVE IT.”
—Braine, Talk Supe- Book Blogger
“. . . It’s refreshing to see a female character portrayed without the girly cliches most writers fall into. She is someone I would like to meet in real life, and it is nice to read the first person POV of a character who is so well-round that she is brave, but still has the softer feminine side that defines her character. A definite must read.”
—S. Teppen- Goodreads Reviewer
“I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. . . This premise is interesting and the world building was intriguing. The author infused the tale with the feeling of suspicion and fear . . . The author does a great job with characterization and you grow to really feel for the characters throughout especially as they change and begin to see Nexa's point of view. . . I did enjoy the book and the originality. I would recommend this for young adult fantasy lovers. It's more of a mild dark fantasy, but it would definitely fall more in the traditional fantasy genre. ”
—Jill- Goodreads Reviewer
To many, many more adventures with
My husband, Michael,
And with my children, Myree, Ashton, and Aiden.
Every day holds a new story;
I look forward to writing it together!
Chapter One
Alex walked up to Officer Dune. “I heard you wanted to talk to me?”
The officer turned at the sound of Alex’s voice. He gave a small smile. Something hit Alex’s chest so hard he stumbled backwards a few steps. The sound of a silenced gun being fired rebounded off the school. Alex looked down. A strange dart protruded from the front of his tuxedo. He glanced up and saw a gun in the officer’s hand.
“Sorry, Alex. Money talks,” Officer Dune said.
The man’s voice was strangely muffled past the ringing that filled Alex’s ears. He stumbled backwards against the rough brick of the school. His chest felt constricted and he had a hard time pulling in a breath. Alex fell to the ground. His last glimpse was of Officer Dune shoving the gun back behind his belt.
The officer lifted a cell phone to his ear. “I’ve got him.”
***
Alex woke up feeling as though someone was standing on his chest. He held perfectly still, trying to remember where he was and why. Disjointed memories of the prom and talking to Officer Dune came to mind. His muscles tightened when he remembered being shot with the dart. Officer Dune had said something about money talking. He wondered who could offer the officer enough money to turn against a friend.
He had to know where he was. Alex pushed down the urge to open his eyes and instead used his other werewolf senses.
The scent of concrete matched the hard press of the floor that sent a chill through his clothes. He smelled blood, thick, gelatinous, and tinged with the overly coppery scent of werewolf that set his teeth on edge. Human smells came to his nose, but only a few were fresh as though wherever he was had been well used until recently.
His ears picked up the slight tapping of fingers on a keyboard, but it was faint as if the sound came from a few rooms away. The hum of several machines whirred in a corner. He could hear footsteps that echoed in a distant hallway. No voices reached his ears.
Ale
x listened harder, searching the space around him for the sound of breathing or a heartbeat. He had to know if there were people present before he opened his eyes.
He was alone. Only his own unsteady heartbeat and labored breathing met his ears. He opened his eyes slowly.
Whatever Officer Dune had shot him with made it hard to even force his eyelids to stay open. He couldn’t move his head to the side; he could only stare up at the neon light on the ceiling that beat down mercilessly with its own persistent hum. From the corner of his eye, Alex made out where glass met at a metal corner. His heart fell. He was in a cage.
Footsteps drew closer. He closed his eyes, willing his breathing to slow. He wasn’t fond of cages. The last one he had been captive in was in Drogan’s helicopter and ended up with them crashing to the ground. Wolves weren’t made to be locked in cages and werewolves even less so.
“We know you’re awake.” The voice was high pitched and nasal. “You might be a bit uncomfortable, but it should pass. Our new formula is a mite more powerful than we expected, but with your abilities, we didn’t want to underestimate.”
Alex kept perfectly still. Part of him had expected Drogan, but there was no smell of his half-brother in the room. Instead, the smell of humans and antiseptic permeated the air. He had no idea what they wanted, but the cage didn’t bode well. Alex had no idea how long he had been out and knew Siale and the others would be worried sick. He had to get back to them somehow.
“Pretend to be asleep all you want,” the woman continued. “We’ll begin our work as soon as your companion shows up.”
A phone rang. A button was pushed. “Dr. Kamala, they’ve arrived.”
“Thank you,” the woman replied.
Their footsteps faded from the room.
Adrenaline rushed through Alex. He concentrated on his fingers, willing them to move. He wondered what companion the woman was talking about. Given the situation, it didn’t bode well for whoever they brought in. Fear for Cassie or Siale filled him. He had to get moving so he could defend who they had managed to catch.
His little finger on his left hand twitched. Alex gritted his teeth, concentrating on the slight movement. He forced every ounce of energy he had to his left hand. His other fingers began to respond. When his left hand closed, his focused on the right. The lethargy faded from it much more quickly.
Through sheer strength of determination, Alex was sitting up when the door opened again. Whatever they had shot him with was stronger than anything he had experienced before. He figured he had enough strength to stand, but barely. He could only hope it would be enough to get him out of the cage.
A smell rushed through the door as the woman entered. Alex’s lips pulled back from his teeth in a silent snarl. He expected Drogan to walk through confident and cocky at having Alex captive. Instead, to Alex’s shock, four guards were carrying the unconscious form of the Extremist leader between them.
Dr. Kamala pulled a strange key from the lanyard around her neck and inserted it in the door. When Alex pushed to his feet, she shook her head.
“Make one move and my guards will shoot you again. With a double dose of our concentrated liquid silver coursing through your body, I’m not sure you’ll actually survive. Do you want to take that risk?” her voice hung in the air, the last word curled up high as though asked by a concerned parrot.
Alex leaned against the glass wall and made no move toward the door when it was pulled open. Drogan’s still form was tossed inside and the guards moved quickly out again. Dr. Kamala put the circular key in the lock and turned it. The mechanics of several locking structures clicked into place behind a sheet of metal. Alex had no doubt by the smell that the lock was coated in silver.
“As soon as he wakes up, we’ll begin,” Dr. Kamala said with a satisfied nod. She turned and stalked away. The staccato click of her heels was a painful counterbalance to the heavy footsteps of the four guards who followed her back down the hall.
Alex dropped to his knees. He eyed Drogan, his chest heaving and heart pounding at the proximity to his enemy. Part of him debated whether he should just kill Drogan while the Extremist was unable to defend himself. The wolf side of him agreed wholeheartedly; his human side argued that it would be completely wrong.
As much as he wanted to tear Drogan’s throat out, he also had no idea where they were or why they had been taken. Perhaps Drogan could be his key in escaping. If they were looking for a werewolf, he could throw the Extremist under the bus. He had to get out of there, and if killing Drogan defeated his chance of escaping, he figured he could practice a little self-control and wait until he knew exactly what they were up against.
Against the protest of his entire wolf side, Alex sat back against the wall as far as he could get from the Extremist and forced himself to use the patience that was the very least of his strengths.
“About time,” Alex muttered when Drogan began to stir.
The Extremist leader lifted a hand and rubbed his eyes. Alex was reminded that Drogan was an Alpha by how quickly he appeared to be recovering from the concentrated silver. It set Alex’s nerves on edge.
Drogan tipped his head to one side. His eyes narrowed when he saw Alex. “What are you doing here?” the Extremist growled.
Alex didn’t move from his seat against the glass. “I could ask you the same thing,” he answered levelly.
Drogan grunted and rolled over. He pushed up to a kneeling position. “I feel like I have a hangover.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” Alex asked.
Drogan shot him a look, his mismatched eyes filled with aggression. “Want to fight it out right now?”
Alex snorted. “Like you’re in a great position for a duel.”
“I could say the same about you,” Drogan replied, looking him over more carefully.
Alex sat up straight, pushing away all appearance of the headache the silver had left him with. “Better than you,” he replied shortly.
Drogan sat against the opposite side of the glass cage. “So why are we here?” At Alex’s silence, the Alpha hit the glass with the side of his fist as though to test it, not break it. “I’ve designed cages just like this. It’s bulletproof. We’re not going to shatter it.”
“Great deduction, Sherlock,” Alex replied dryly.
Drogan was about to respond when footsteps sounded down the hall. Both werewolves watched the door.
Dr. Kamala entered with her cronies close behind.
Drogan’s eyes widened and he looked even angrier than he had upon waking up and finding himself in the same cage as Alex.
“Dr. Kamala, what are you doing here?”
Her eyes narrowed behind her green thin-framed glasses. “What’s wrong, Drogan? Surprised I’m not dead.”
Alex stared from one to the other, amazed that they knew each other. Whatever he had gotten in the middle of, perhaps he wasn’t the focus. He chose to stay silent and watch in the hopes that he would find an out that could possibly still leave Drogan in the unbreakable cage.
Drogan rose, glaring at the doctor from the other side of the glass. “Yes. I thought I killed you and your little squirrely assistant.” He made a show of looking at the skinny man to the doctor’s right. “Still clinging to the good doctor’s coattails, Steve? You’ll be the first I disembowel when I get out of here.”
The man’s face paled and he looked away from Drogan.
Dr. Kamala lifted her lips in what was supposed to be a smile, but came out looking completely wrong on her face. “When my genetic testing revealed that you and Alex were related, it wasn’t a far reach to deduct that you were also a werewolf. I should have expected the Extremist Leader,” she said the title with a sneer, “To turn on his own to protect his hide. I hope you enjoy becoming the product of your own experimentation.”
Drogan lifted his lips in a snarl, looking at that moment more like a wolf than a man. “Let me out of here.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Not a chance. Time to see how it feels to be
on the other side of the glass.”
“Who helped you get me in here?” Drogan demanded.
Dr. Kamala smiled. “It wasn’t hard to find allies ready to help me when I informed them that our beloved leader was in fact one of the beasts we’ve been hunting. Don’t underestimate the power of betrayal.” She turned to her men. “No time to waste,” she said. “Get Alex out and hooked up.”
“For what?” Drogan asked.
It appeared as though Dr. Kamala wouldn’t answer. She toyed with her keys for a moment before sliding the round one into the lock. Before turning it, she gave them both an amused look and straightened her glasses. “I thought you would figure it out on your own. Apparently werewolves aren’t as smart as I assumed.”
Both Alex and Drogan bristled at the statement.
Dr. Kamala raised a hand. “Calm down, gentlemen, or should I say gentle dogs?” She chuckled at her joke. Steve, the skinny assistant, let out a little laugh he quickly smothered at a look from Drogan. The guards near the door acted as though they hadn’t heard anything. Dr. Kamala ran a hand down her chin-length pencil-straight brown hair to smooth it. “You are here because I need the Demon.”
Ice ran through Alex’s blood.
“He’s the Demon.” Drogan pointed to Alex with a touch of relief in his voice. “You’ve got him. Let me go.”
Dr. Kamala gave a cold smile. “If only it was that easy. I need him in Demon form for the procedure to work.”
Alex broke his silence. “What procedure?”
The doctor ignored him and kept her attention on Drogan. “If the procedure kills him, you have similar enough DNA to complete it.”
