by Justin Sloan
Troy and Davies shared a sheepish glance, and this time it was Davies’ turn to step forward.
“You’re right, we’ve been dicks,” he said. “I mean, we wouldn’t have any way of knowing but—”
“No, we were dicks in more ways than one,” Troy said. “Don’t make excuses.”
Triston laughed and nudged his brother playfully. “At least you got that right.”
“Just because I’m apologizing doesn’t mean I don’t expect an explanation out of you,” Troy said, glancing around. “Something tells me you had a large role to play here, and I’d love to hear how you transformed.”
This time, Triston wrapped an arm around his little brother and they started talking, but Katherine was distracted by Merriam clearing her throat.
“Come on,” Merriam said, nodding to Katherine. “We have a lot of cleaning up to do, and you need to get these people organized.”
“Organized?” Katherine asked. “What do you mean?”
“You’re their new Alpha, and they’re your new army. You have to control them and see that they’re put to good use.”
Katherine held up her hands, backing away. “Me, no. I’m no leader.”
The others were moving in, bending their knees. Rumos took the lead, kneeling before her, and said, “You are now. You saved us, you’ve demonstrated power and wisdom. What better leader could there be?”
She scratched her head and looked out at them all, wondering what she was getting herself into.
“Okay, everyone, let’s get rid of this mess before someone comes investigating the sounds. Can you do that for me?”
They all said, “Yes Ma’am,” and went to it. She was about to start helping out, when Daniel said, “Guys, over here.”
He was standing at a large green case, with vials of amber liquid inside. “Looks like this is ours now,” Katherine said with a glance back over her shoulder at all the people who had yet to transform. “We have to give it to them, don’t we? Keep them from losing it on the full moon.”
“That or keep tabs on them, lock up the bad ones.”
“I think we should figure out a system for that regardless,” she said.
“And the soldiers?” Rivera had an Army major by the collar, her own pistol pointed at his head. “Want me to dump them in the bay?”
Katherine shook her head. “I think we can use them. We have to find out who’s in power and where he or she is, and eradicate this disease.” She turned to Merriam. “He wasn’t the last of the vampires, and there are plenty more werewolves out there. Can we rely on your help on this going forward?”
“As far as I’m concerned,” Merriam said, sharing an agreeable look with Gabe, “you’re one of us now. We’ll set you up here with a doorway to reach us and the training grounds, ensure you have all you need to get your army ready for the war.”
“A door? Where?”
“Why here, of course.” Merriam gestured around them. “In case you didn’t notice, they picked this spot well. Largely deserted due to waste issues, but you’re werewolves and a half-vampire, you’ll heal or fend off any potential problems. There are houses nearby that we can help prepare for living in, and the island’s connected to San Francisco on one side, the East Bay on the other. I think you’re set.”
Mauro nodded, then motioned for Merriam and Gabe. “Come, let’s get this planned out, let Katherine have a moment to catch her breath. She’s been through a lot.”
“We all have, Dad,” she said, throwing sarcasm on the last part. The smile he gave her at that was totally unexpected. Could he be the father figure she had always wanted? She smiled back and watched them walk off while others cleaned up.
Then she noticed the shield on the floor. She walked over, picked it up, and turned to see Allie sheathing her sword, which had stopped flaming.
“That was some teamwork,” Katherine said, walking up and holding out the shield. “I don’t know what to say, but thank you.”
“You’ve got some major work ahead of you,” Allie said, accepting the shield. “My fight is just beginning, so I should get back to it, but I’m sure we’ll work together again soon.”
“Count on it,” Katherine said. The two shook hands, then Katherine pulled the younger girl in for a hug. “Stay safe.”
“You too,” Allie said, then motioned to Daniel and Troy. “Come on guys, I’m gonna need you on this one.”
“See you soon,” Daniel said to Katherine, and Troy gave his brother a fist-bump before running off to join Allie.
When they were gone, Katherine put her arm around Triston’s waist and lay her head on his chest.
“Ready to call it a day?” he asked.
“We gotta help out here,” she said. “But when it’s done and I’ve situated everyone, I’m going to take the longest bath in the history of baths, and you’re going to join me.”
He looked down at her and she lifted her head to kiss him. It felt great, as if nothing else mattered in the world but that kiss. And later that night, when they had finished their bath and lay together, breathing in each other’s clean scents, her hand on his chest as it rose and fell rapidly, she thought she could stay like that forever.
But the next day, she would be up again, ready to hunt down more werewolves, stop more evil vampires, and do whatever the hell else she needed to keep this world safe.
It was her job now, she knew, because she was one of them. She had a place she belonged, one where no one was going to tell her what to do or how to.
She was with the Guardians, had fought right alongside the one they called the Eleventh Worthy, a Bringer of Light. But she wasn’t one of them. She was her own woman, her own force to be reckoned with.
She would start a new chapter in this fight against evil with her new army.
The Hounds of Light.
THE END
About the Author
Justin Sloan writes vampires and shifters, often in the genres of post-apocalyptic, urban fantasy, epic military fantasy, and supernatural thriller. He is a video game writer (Game of Thrones; Walking Dead; Michonne, Minecraft: Story Mode), novelist (Justice is Calling, Hounds of God, Falls of Redemption, etc.), podcaster, and screenwriter.
He has written on taking writing from hobby to career in his book Creative Writing Career and its sequel, and how veterans can pursue their passions in Military Veterans in Creative Careers. Justin studied writing at the Johns Hopkins University and UCLA after five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and now works as a writer and editor for Military.com.
Favorite properties: Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, Tomb Raider
A Kurtherian Gambit Author
For more information on Justin’s writing, follow him at:
@JustinMSloan
www.JustinSloanAuthor.com
www.CreativeWritingCareer.com
AUTHOR NOTE
As you’ve now seen, this book is one of my books that starts pulling everything together. I had a lot of fun keeping this fairly secret until now, and then introducing Allie Strom here (from Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon and the Bringer of Light trilogy) was a lot of fun! I also mentioned Altemus—did you catch that one?
There will be more in my other books, as a lot of them are in a shared world.
So you know: The original Allie Strom books are for a younger audience, and take place when she’s thirteen. You can even go farther back and read Back by Sunrise, the story of Allie’s mom when she was a little girl. Crazy, right?
What’s been really fun though is watching how involved and excited my fans are. This was in part because I published book one just after my first book with Michael Anderle (Justice is Calling). How hilarious that I’m going to come out with that book four pretty soon, but I’m only on book two with this series! Well, not hilarious, I guess. It shows how good he is at motivating me.
Now it’s your turn—motivate me, and I’ll rush on book three. Regardless, it will happen! I love the series, and you all!
&n
bsp; This is also going to be a great experiment, as we will be able to see how many of our fans from the Reclaiming Honor series come over to this one. Since this book is coming out five days after a Bookbub ad ran for Justice is Calling and there are three books out in that series, along with two audiobooks, and the first audiobook in this series (Cursed Night) is launching around the same time, it could be a humongous week, and then month. You might be reading this much later, and it will be very interesting to look back and see where they went.
If this book doesn’t launch well, I’ll definitely finish up with a third, but have stuff in mind in case it is successful, so I can just keep it going and going and going.
If you enjoyed the book and want to see the series succeed, please consider leaving a review and telling all of your friends about the series.
We will also have fun seeing the ratio of Kindle Unlimited (KU) reads versus sales. Right now I would say that it’s about 70-30 in favor of sales, because I have not figured out how to attract KU readers. What are your thoughts there? Do I need longer books, more books in the series? Or is it really about marketing?
Maybe this book will launch and switch those numbers around. Who knows?
Regardless of how this book launches, we have some excitement in store for you. Like I mentioned, the Hounds of God book is being made into Audiobook and performed by Alicia Bade, who is amazing. You will love her performance.
The Reclaiming Honor series is going strong, strong enough that I might be able to start devoting a LOT more time to writing, which doesn’t only mean more books—it means more quality to my books. I have to admit that, with a job and two young children, the majority of my writing time is spent when I’m barely able to keep my eyes open. All the weird moments, or typos my plethora of editors might have failed to catch (I hope not!), those can be blamed on my sleepy writing. So if I’m devoting all or most of my time to it, that means more sleep at night! I can’t imagine, haha.
This has been an awesome year, and getting to know you fans and fellow coauthors has been a true blessing. I love every moment of it, and can’t wait to share the next stage of this journey with you!
Also, book 1 Audiobook should be out shortly!
Get the books:
Allie Strom: The Bringer of Light Trilogy
Justice is Calling
Want more Vampires and Werewolves?
Books 1 and 2 in the Reclaiming Honor series are now live on Amazon!
The History of the World wasn't what Valerie was taught.
The daughter of a vampire and sister of a devil walking, Valerie finds out she has something neither her brother nor her father possess:
She has Honor.
Now, she needs to flee a brother who leaves her for dead. Because, if there is one thing Valerie understands?
It's that Justice Doesn't Turn the Other Cheek.
150 years after a near apocalypse, the world is rebuilding. Survival has become the only rule, and justice is in short supply. Now, Justice has come calling.
SAMPLE: DEATH MARKED
If you enjoy Supernatural Suspense, you’ll love Death Marked! Check out this sample chapter, for your enjoyment.
Chapter 1: The Ural Mountains
When Rohan’s fiancée died, he’d had no idea it would lead him to the snow-covered slopes of the Ural Mountains, searching for a way to speak with her one last time.
Closure, he told himself as he trudged through the snow—that’s all he wanted. Unless, as he’d hoped, there was a slight chance he could bring her back.
A gust of wind sent snow swirling around him, its chill reaching through his layers of long underwear, sweater, and parka. Ice crystals clung to his cheeks like small needles, biting him with their cold every time the wind blew. Yet, somehow, sweat slicked his back. None of it was anything compared to the burning in his chest, however, at the thought of seeing Senna again. To hear her voice, press his lips against hers…. There wasn’t anything that could dampen his excitement, not even this cold.
Howling gusts of wind brought a flurry of snow before Rohan. He tucked his head into the folds of his parka and focused on pushing forward, one step at a time. Suddenly, the wind changed direction and the wall collapsed, revealing craggy slopes that slanted upward into the white sky. Rohan stumbled as the ground shook.
Footsteps crunched behind him in warning before a hand gripped his shoulder. Altemus. Rohan nodded, wondering if he looked as haggard as this old man, his gray whiskers held together in clumps of ice. Heavy purple bags sagged from his eyes, barely visible under the skullcap that he wore beneath his parka hood. He still hadn’t explained the rifle slung over his shoulder.
“We’re almost there,” Altemus said, his voice thick with confidence.
“I hope you’re right,” Rohan said, rubbing his hands. They’d gone numb, and he couldn’t feel them through his gloves.
“We can stop if you like,” Altemus said, but his eyes had already moved to the gray mountain slopes, almost invisible in the darkness.
Every part of Rohan’s body begged him to say yes, but he resented the suggestion. Altemus did this kind of psychiatrist crap all the time—he’d say one thing when he meant the opposite. It might have worked on his patients, but Rohan wasn’t going to let the old man manipulate him. Clearly, the old man didn’t understand the extremes that Rohan was willing to go, the months spent in bed, staring at pictures of him and Senna, once happy. When she had left him, it was like she’d torn out part of his soul—he could never be whole without her. So he wouldn’t rest until they were together again.
Rohan shook his head and said, “Nothing can stop me now.”
“Excellent,” Altemus said, picking up the pace.
“I still say we should’ve left you behind,” said another voice with a Russian accent. A tall, muscular man marched past Rohan on the other side, pausing to give Rohan a glare. “You talk big, but I don’t think you’ve got it in you.”
Rohan’s teeth chattered too much for him to reply, so instead he marched after Altemus.
He hadn’t trusted the Russian since he’d met him at the hotel in Moscow. The first thing Lev had said when Altemus introduced Rohan was, “When you said you were bringing help, you didn’t say you were bringing a boy.” From that point, he knew they weren’t going to get along. Thirty-five was hardly a boy, especially after everything he’d been through.
While Rohan detested Lev, he had to admit that, if it weren’t for him, they would’ve had no chance of navigating the Russian landscape. Lev knew how to get around, and his language skills kept them out of trouble.
They began a steep ascent. Soon, their walking sticks became a necessity, and Rohan found himself wondering if he had been wrong in coming here. It wasn’t the first time since beginning the climb that he had questioned himself. But he’d made a promise to his fiancé Senna, and he meant to see it through. Even if it meant traveling to the farthest corner of the world. Nothing, perhaps not even death, would stop him from speaking with her one last time.
She had been taken from him before her time—both physically and mentally. In the end, she had killed herself, but he’d never let himself accept her gradual insanity. When the doctors had told him she was gone, he didn’t believe it. He refused. To this day, he still felt her there with him, in his heart. Their love had filled his world. Their love was the only thing he knew in this that was right. If bringing her back didn’t work, there’d be no point in carrying on.
When they’d first met, he’d fallen for her instantly. He had been drawn to her dark caramel skin, her short, cropped hair, and the fearless stud in her nose.
Three years later, she was dead, chained to a bed in the psych ward, her eyes recessed into their sockets and her skin as pale as the sheets that covered her.
It had eaten him alive, that memory.
And what came after it would change everything.
The funeral had passed like a hazy dream, but even after the rest of the mourners had departed, he had
lingered. Rain pounded on the casket and the flowers hung limply in his hand. His moist eyes simply stared at her casket, unable to accept that it was really there, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. A voice told him it was going to be all right.
When he had turned to see Altemus, he felt a mixture of relief and trepidation. The man was Senna’s doctor, but something about the look in his eyes had always been off-putting to Rohan.
“When you’re ready,” the old man had said, handing Rohan a business card with nothing more than an address and phone number on it. “Your time with her doesn’t have to end here.”
For a long while, Rohan had simply stared at that business card, trying to process what Altemus had just said. How dare he? With each piece of the business card that he tossed to the wet grass, he cursed the man for even suggesting such a false hope as having Senna back.
But sadness consumed Rohan in the days that followed, and he returned to the cemetery, digging pieces of the business card out of the dirt. When he called Altemus for the first time, he asked if the old man could really reunite him with Senna.
“Only if you’re willing to do anything,” Altemus had said.
“Anything it takes,” Rohan had said. “No matter what.”
And now he was here.
Just like he couldn’t let her go back then, he couldn’t now. Not without closure. So he pushed on.
Whispers between Altemus and Lev carried on the wind, something about the temple being close. Altemus stopped just ahead on a rocky outcrop. The old man cupped his hands to his eyes and stared into a bowl-shaped valley. Rohan stepped up beside him and squinted, trying to see what lay ahead.
