by Tigris Eden
Awakened In Shadows
By
Tigris Eden
Praise for the Shadow Unit Series
“The Shadow Unit Series is an edge of your seat thrill ride full of steamy romance, conspiracy and best of all, hot shifters. A great series for any lover of the genre.” – Author S. Cu’Anam Policar.
“This was one of the best 2nd in a series books I think I have ever read. I have been waiting to see what happened with Jes and Draven, the hotness that is Royce and Ronin. Great Follow up. Great writing, can’t wait till the others come out!” – Tka3nme.
“Just when you think happily ever after there is another twist in the story that keeps you turning the page.” – 1safelady.
“The Shadow Unit Series is intense, gritty and HOT HOT HOT!!!” – Viki Sloboda.
“Intrigue, love and action make an irresistible read.” – Vondetta Carter
“Once you start reading them you can’t put them down until you’re finished. Then you are anxiously waiting for the next.” – Barb A.
“Shadow Unit Series is an emotional, raw, sexy, action packed paranormal fabulousness that sucks you in from page one. You will cry, laugh, and blush throughout the series and burn for more.” – Indy Book Fairy
“Hunky men, steamy scenes, romance and a touch of the paranormal. What more can you ask for? It’s all here in the Shadow Unit.” – Jennifer Ballam.
“The Shadow Unit series is an edge of your seat mix of adventure and romance that will leave the readers wanting more!” – Ty Langston, Author of Decadent Dreams
Publisher: Kats Kreative Ideas
Copyright © 2015 by Tigris Eden
Cover: Jennifer Howard, Gun Powder Designs
Editor: Literally Addicted to Detail, Chelle Olson & Author Services by Cu, Sheryl Policar
All Rights Reserved.
In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), For permission requests, write to the publisher, with (Attention: Permissions Coordinator) in the subject line to [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the work of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
The publisher is not responsible for websites, or their content that are not owned by the publisher.
ISBN: 978-162517797-1
Contents
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Note from the Author
Glossary of Terms
About the Author
Acknowledgments
I would like to take the time to say a huge thank you to my beta readers! You all gave great feedback! A special thank you to Jodie (JoJo) West for her last minute suggestions where Dietrich was concerned. Thank you!
I’d also like to give a huge shout out to my Foxes over at Eden’s Den! You women are amazing and great supporters! Thank you for understanding my crazy!
Last, but not least… Dietrich Omari Johnson, you are by far the hardest S.O.B to write! I struggled daily with you, but in the end it was worth it. I hope I didn’t destroy your street credit too bad.
Dedication:
To all the readers, I write because you read.
To LL: Thank you for putting up with all my craziness, for hanging out with me and discussing my story with me, even when there were times your face was blank. I love you babe.
Chapter 1
“We doing this shit or what?”
Women are slow as hell, Dietrich thought as he sat on the sofa in the common room of the Unit’s family floor. The rest of the males were talking about shit that didn’t concern him. It was like everyone in this piece, save for him and a few others, had caught the love bug. They could miss him with that shit. It sure as fuck wasn’t meant for him.
He knew what love was. Felt it, nurtured it, and tried to never let it down. In the end, he’d also been used by it. He was still being used by love. Something he lived with every day. He was also seeing to it that once he was free, he would stay free.
“Calm down,” Gabe broke in. “With Belinda due in a few days, it’s taking longer.” The Angel of Death—or ex-Angel of Death—pulled Xee into a hug, kissing the top of her head. She was wearing a tank top, showcasing her new sleeve tattoo. It was a Japanese cherry blossom in full bloom. In her cut-off jean shorts and shitkickers, she resembled the furthest thing from a librarian possible. Stuffy, she was not.
She’d been brought back to life to help them find an ancient relic called the Sahidic. It probably helped that her mate, Gabriel, had some pull with Michael, too. And Dietrich was sure her being wrongfully killed by Dravaggio had played a role in Michael’s decision to give his brother back the woman he loved.
Dravaggio was the leader of the Shadow Unit, and he’d gone on a walkabout or some shit after he’d killed Gabriel’s now-not-so-dead woman, Xee. The whole scene was pretty fucked up, but who was Dietrich to tell the man he had to stay. If the brother wanted to go…well, then, he’d go. Which is exactly what he’d done.
Belinda walked into the family rec room wearing a long dress that was stretched tightly over her very pregnant belly. As if they had time for this shit. She looked like a woman ready to drop a full-grown man.
“You should stay your ass home,” Dietrich advised, pointing at her belly. The Phoenix was more than ready to deliver her twins. How she still managed to walk on two feet—hell, two swollen feet—was a miracle.
“Shut up, D,” Belinda huffed. Her breath came short as she placed one hand on her belly and the other on her lower back. She stuck her tongue out at him and walked into Ronin’s outstretched arms. The male kissed her lips before kneeling to kiss her swollen belly. He whispered to the unborn fetuses, stood, and turned his attention to Dietrich.
“If my Deva wants to go out, she can go. Royce and I got her covered. She’s our girl.”
“You’re still sexy, Belinda. Pregnancy looks good on you,” Xee commented, smiling.
Gabe growled, but playfully slapped Xee on her ass.
Idiots. Every single one of them. Half the time, he stayed at his own spot instead of here at the Unit’s building. It was turning into a damn otherworldly commune. Pretty soon, there would be chants and rituals. Someone would come up with the brilliant idea of free love,
and then it would turn into a love-fest. No, correction, fuck-fest of epic proportions. Dietrich shook the thought from his head. No way was he catching a case of whatever they all had. He was not down for the love bug. Not even a little bit.
They were meeting their contact at BARE—a club that catered to immortals and humans. Whoever this guy was, he was supposed to be able to help with their search for the Sahidic.
“Your source had better be legit.”
“Oh, he is, D. Trust me,” Xee claimed.
“Yeah, girl. Whatever. I’m not looking forward to going clubbing with one woman who’s knocked up, her two bat-shit crazy men, Angel boy, and you. When I go to clubs, I go for one thing, and that’s to get ass. No one here has promised to feed my dick, so as far as I’m concerned, this is a wasted trip.”
“Grab some ass while we’re out. No one cares, man. Just don’t be a asshole in the process,” Xee replied, blowing him a kiss.
Royce clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
“Let’s get this party started right,” the Feral yelled while throwing a fist pump in the air.
There had been a time, when Dietrich respected the man a bit. Now, not so much. He was a fool. They all were. But it wasn’t his job to inform them, or shit on their love parade.
Draven and Jesminda were staying behind with Hawke, Sam, and Adam. He’d noticed that Draven’s mate wasn’t particularly fond of being around her best friend for longer than a few moments at a time anymore. He suspected it had everything to do with her losing her baby a few months back to Cyrian and Jes’s crazy ass ancestor, Odessa, who had taken the unborn baby from Jes in the worst kind of way. Jesminda did mete out a just punishment, but she still suffered from her actions. She was still seeing Ann, the Unit’s resident shrink, but their talks didn’t seem to be working, she’d already been seeing her twice a week. Now, it was twice a week, but two, two hour sessions each day. He would have offered to help out with that, like he had with Draven and Jesminda’s daughter, Faith and her nightmares, but if no one asked; well, he wasn’t going to offer. It was better that way.
“I’ll pull the SUV around,” Ronin grunted, pulling Belinda with him.
“I’m taking my bike,” Dietrich grumbled. There was no way he was getting into a car with the lovebirds.
Xee smiled at him. She loved his bike. Always tried to take his keys and ride. That shit was never going to happen. She could ride bitch, but never drive.
Gabe could see the look on his mate’s face. Dietrich knew the other man had plans for Xee, which was a good thing. He planned on filling the back of his bike with available ass. Not taken ass.
“No, Blossom. Tonight we’re flying.”
Xee’s squeal of excitement was loud as fuck. Flying in the arms of the Angel of Death was, apparently, the shit.
“Glad everyone is in agreement on seating arrangements. Let’s roll out. My dick’s hungry.”
If there was one thing Dietrich wasn’t going to do, it was let his own self down. When he was tired, he slept, when he was hungry, he ate, and when it came time to let one loose, he fucked. Multiple times in one night, if he could manage it.
The entrance to BARE was in an alley. A long line of people waited to get inside. They were wrapped around the corner and spilled onto the street. The others were already at the door, waiting for him to park his bike. Dietrich backed into a spot and shut off the engine. On the plaque over the entrance, were two symbols; the Eye of Ra, an ankh sign, and right below were the letters, T.I.M. What the fuck did Tim mean?
“You took long enough,” Royce yelled, as D made his way over to the others.
“So what, punk. I’m here.”
“All right you two, let’s go inside.” Xee ushered them forward. Yeah, Royce and his twin didn’t really care too much for him. Especially after realizing that Belinda used to be his girl. Hope they enjoyed his leftovers. Harsh? Maybe, but the moment he started to care, would be the moment he let his guard down, and that wasn’t going to happen. Ever.
They all turned to the bouncer at the door.
“Ya’ll are from the Unit.” It wasn’t a question. The male knew who they were.
“We’re here to see—”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been instructed to seat you in the V.I.P section.”
The bouncer was a foot taller than Dietrich, and sported an Eye of Ra tattoo on his neck and two large tribal bands around his biceps, which were made visible by his sleeveless shirt. His skin was a dark brown, and at closer inspection, D could see his veins clearly. They weren’t red or blue, but green. When the bouncer opened the door, music came blaring out. Swedish House Mafia’s Greyhound, pounded through his veins. He could feel the bass of the music in his chest. Could the music be any louder? Shit, that was saying something, especially for him. He always played his music loud. Maybe he was finally getting old. As if being almost four hundred was considered that. Compared to the twins, he was a baby. The sound of the music attacked him from all angles.
Dietrich made his way closer to the group. Xee and Belinda were already sitting near a stage he assumed was the V.I.P section. Damn, the females moved fast. Gabe and the twins were following close behind. D stopped at the bar and eyed a few potential bed partners before making his way over to the rest of the group. He scanned the throng of bodies bumping and grinding to the beat. Humans dancing with immortals, immortals sizing up the humans. Not one mortal was wise to what was right in front of them. Two women were going home with him tonight, and from the looks of it, he’d have his pick from the cream of the crop.
~ ~ ~
Dietrich sat down at the table with a grunt. The night was still young, and Xee watched her teammates carefully. There were times she still couldn’t believe she was part of a family. Belinda was rubbing her belly while bobbing her head to the beat. The twins were laser focused on the area around them, patrolling for possible threats, and Gabe, her Angel, was absently rubbing the back of her neck. Life was good. Well, as good as it could be, considering the shit they were diving into. During her time with Michael, she’d been able to gain a wealth of knowledge on a lot of useful topics. She’d made some otherworldly contacts, and the Immortal Database had proven more than helpful once she knew what she was searching for. Now it was a matter of putting the pieces together.
Xee noticed D’s attention was on two women tangled up in each other’s arms on the dance floor. The one thing she didn’t like about her new post-death self was, she couldn’t tell the humans from the immortals now. Didn’t even get a tingle of feeling regarding what was what. She really was human. A human with the possibility of an infinite life span, but still human. She was tied to Gabriel as long as he didn’t break any of the rules his asshole jailers had set for him. Don’t try and run. Don’t kill anyone. And be available at all times. That last one had proven to be a bit of a problem, and Xee had a feeling that Castiel was a voyeur. The last time she’d seen him was during a very heated shower between her and Gabe. She, of course, had been the one screaming as Gabriel pounded into her from behind. That was precisely when the Seraph had decided to make himself known. Fucking bastard. He’d totally ruined her mojo.
“Stop scanning. Work first. Play after,” Xee scolded D.
“Don’t need to scan, baby girl. They’ll come to me. Unless you want dibs on the hook?”
Xee’s face lit up in a shit-eating grin. She was totally on board with hooking someone for D’s nightly pleasure. She may be bound to the Harbinger of Death, and have housed a demon for most of her life, but she wasn’t dead. Beautiful was beautiful. No matter the sex. Like Dietrich, she was honest when she played the game. She would promise them an evening of pleasure, but in the morning, her friend had one long-standing rule. Breakfast in bed was an option, but he was the type of fellow who ate and ran. He’d eat their pussy and then he’d run them home. At least he did that. Some men didn’t even provide a car service or call you a cab. But Dietrich was at least decent in that sense.
“Angel boy,�
�� Xee whined, looking her man clear in the eyes. He knew what she was asking.
“It’s fine, Blossom. I enjoy watching you turn them loose on D. I’m good.”
She kissed him hard and zeroed in on her first victim. Dietrich folded his hands behind his head and sat back.
“Spoiled ass,” Royce cursed.
“Don’t be pissed at me ‘cause your girl can’t hook bait,” D gloated.
“Dude, seriously, hook bait for who?”
Xee watched as D shrugged.
“Don’t care what you say. Either way, I’m dining on ass and tits tonight. All is right in my world.”
Everyone watched as Xee rose from the table and headed into the crowd of dancing bodies.
~ ~ ~
Xee found the woman she was looking for. This one wasn’t for Dietrich, though. Jorunn McLellan was a shy coffee shop owner, who just happened to be a little bit more. She was quiet, sweet and everyone at BARE respected her. Not just because her adoptive father was Phineas, a first generation Demon, but also because her quiet strength encouraged it. Jo was currently talking to her foster brothers, Khalid and Beats. Michael had introduced them when she was brought back into the world of the living. Like them, she was a survivor. Jorunn and Khalid had both been found on the streets by Phineas. Beats had been an addition to their family when his father kicked him out because of his preference for males. But that wasn’t the only thing that his father considered different. Beats was a Reg, as well. He’d left just a few weeks’ shy of his maturation cycle. If Phineas hadn’t found him, he would have died. Khalid was an Angel, making him a Nephil. Had his mother been a human and his father an Angel, he would have been Nephilim. No one knew what Jorunn was. Phineas had taken them in, given them shelter, and taught them to survive.
Michael thought they’d be able to help the Unit. Xee still wasn’t totally sure, but they were a great bunch to hang out with. She’d been coming to BARE and Jo’s Cafe long before she was recruited by the Unit. She’d just never guessed they were part of a bigger plan.
