by Bryce Evans
The Trinity
The Ashland Pack Series
Book One
Author: Bryce Evans
Editor: Rose Colton
Artwork by JK Publishing, Inc.
Published by JK Publishing, Inc.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then, please return to Smashwords.com, and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.
(c) Copyright January 2013 JK Publishing, Inc.
All cover art and logo (c) Copyright 2013 by JK Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
Dedication
This book would not have been possible had one unique woman not opened the door for me. Jana Leigh opened the door to a passion, which I had been hiding inside myself. Thanks Jana, for the chance to pull the stories out and place the pen to paper.
I would also like to acknowledge my mom who passed away a few years ago, she told me to follow my dreams and never allow anyone to tell me I couldn’t achieve it.
Thanks to the love of my life, John, for making me a place to write and even took up the slack when I was writing. You helped to make my dream come true. It may be a small table in the corner, but it’s my corner of make believe, where dreams do come true.
Bryce Evans
Would love to hear from you:
[email protected]
Prologue
She ran as fast as she could until her lungs felt as if they were going to explode. She could feel him gaining on her, the others surrounding her, cutting her off from being able to escape. She knew what happened next and she refused to give in if she didn’t have to. The ground was uneven as she tripped. She reached out a hand, pushed herself upright, and kept moving. She felt a tingle of fear running through her as she thought about her options. They had planned this, she thought, planned this torture.
Why couldn’t she get away? She tried so hard to make it to safety but they were so much faster than she was. It was as if she were running in place. Her legs felt heavy and sluggish. She should have at least felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins, pushing her to get to safety, but she felt trapped in her useless body.
Eli yelled, “I’m coming for you, Adrianna.”
She felt him close behind her. If she could just get one more step—then she felt Eli reach out and grab her. She could feel the ground coming up to meet her as they tumbled into a heap on the hard, cold ground. She had no voice to scream; could only suck in precious air and pray it would be over soon.
Eli laughed as the others held her down and ripped her clothes off. He yelled at the others that he would be first. She started yelling for help as the first punch landed on her face. She continued to struggle and the punches continued to land on her face and body.
She was going to lose her youth. Eli kept saying over and over he was going to remember being her first as he came down on top of her, as if to rape her. Help was coming, she could hear them in the distance, but she didn’t know if they would get there in time. Eli would never let her live to tell. She began to fight again and he hit her over and over, even punching her in the stomach and side. The pain was too much to bear. She slipped into darkness.
Adrianna woke up screaming, crying, and yelling for help. Selena was standing over her, calming her, telling her to wake up; she was safe. She could feel the calming spell as she stopped moving and only felt the peace of Selena’s soft touches on her face. She could only see Eli and his brothers.
“It’s just a bad dream, Luv.”
When she opened her eyes, the past drifted away.
“It was only a dream,” Selena whispered.
Adrianna realized she was safe and in her bedroom with Selena. She wiped her tears away. Then the hardness settled in as the nightmare went away. Selena watched Adrianna as she pushed the covers away and sat on the edge of the bed.
Selena moved to the window and said absently, “Your wolf came out this time and you were levitating above the bed when I came in. You will need new sheets again.”
“I am sorry, Selena,” Adrianna whispered.
Adrianna wondered what she was going to do if she couldn’t get this under control. Having these nightmares was beginning to run her life; she refused to allow them to take that from her too.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Luv. It was a bad dream,” Selena consoled her.
“More like a nightmare,” Adrianna whispered.
“The conference begins tomorrow. Your brother, all the Alphas, and the Vampire Council will be there. You need to prepare and speak with all the Protectors. Security will be a top priority.”
Adrianna knew Selena cared deeply for her like a mother cared for a child. Selena McPherson was her best friend.
Selena was a very powerful witch and vampire. She saved Adrianna’s life ten years ago when she gave Adrianna some of her blood, changing Adrianna forever. Selena was a member of the Twister’s Council and Afton Mackenzie’s mate. She had been teaching Adrianna how to use her magic for ten years. Selena was considered, in the paranormal world, as an authority of sorts when it came to different paranormal groups. No one knew her family or the extent of her powers.
Adrianna sighed. “I will be prepared, Selena, and the Protectors will be ready,” Adrianna said firmly, with more confidence than she felt right then.
Gathering up the strength from inside herself, she pulled herself out of bed and began to get ready for the meeting she was dreading.
Chapter One
Selena was sitting in the lobby of the Supreme Alpha’s office, waiting to speak to him. Afton Mackenzie would need to know Adrianna had another nightmare and the prophecy was coming true. Even though he had never married, Afton was in love and mated to Selena McPherson. They’d been mates for eleven years, but Afton also had a secret, which would be told during the Conference and change their world. Sitting in the waiting room, she smiled to herself, she was waiting just as any normal wolf would to see the Supreme Alpha, and she knew that some wouldn’t understand their relationship. Selena accepted a long time ago, that it was—what it was.
Afton Mackenzie was the most powerful werewolf in the world. He ruled the werewolf packs. He was the Supreme Alpha and had been for over twenty years. He was a handsome man with brown hair and hazel eyes. His word was final when it came to the laws that governed the packs. He worked side by side with the Vampire Council and the Twister’s Council. He also worked with the Fairies in the Nether World. Afton ran the billion-dollar empire for the packs. He was considered a financial wizard in the human world.
Finally, Selena was given the go-ahead to go into the office and sitting behind the large desk was where she found the Alpha. Not wanting to waste time on frivolous conversation, Selena started to speak but he beat her to it.
“Selena, what’s wrong? I felt the magic this morning. I felt Adrianna’s pain and sadness,” the Alpha said with a frown.
“She had another nightmare. Her wolf came out shredding the sheets,” Selena replied.
&nbs
p; “Is she alright?” Afton asked.
“Yes,” she answered, “but Adrianna was levitating above her bed.”
Afton grimaced. “Then the prophecy is true. Adrianna is the one. She is the witch, vampire, and wolf who will bring peace to all the packs, clans, and covens.”
“Did you honestly think she wasn’t?” Selena asked, exasperated.
“I knew, but I didn’t want her to suffer anymore,” he said slowly.
Selena looked at Afton. “Adrianna is strong; it’s time for her to find someone who can love her as she is. Somebody who isn’t afraid of the power she possesses.”
“I love her, Selena. I want—I won’t lose her again!” Afton growled, he didn’t love her in a romantic sense, and soon everyone would understand their relationship.
“You want! She has the power, the gift, more than we thought. She is strong; Afton, and we are running out of time. We have to trust Adrianna will get through this. The visions are coming more and more. Time is not on our side. Adrianna will need to be prepared. As will all of us. She will need our help and others to stand with her when they come,” Selena argued.
“Is there a man who is strong enough to win her heart and soul? A mate who can love her and lead with her when the time comes? Someone who can help her get through the past and the battles coming in the near future?” Afton asked waving his hand in frustration. He knew what the future held and so far, he was not convinced there was a wolf strong enough to mate with Adrianna.
Selena got up and walked to the window. She looked out thinking before she said the words aloud. He was not going to want to hear this, “Who said only one mate?”
Chapter Two
Mace and Cade met up at the Old Station Restaurant. They had been best friends since they were pups, just like their fathers. Mace grabbed Cade from behind and picked him up.
“Will you stop already? Put me down, you ass.” Cade laughed in surprise.
Mace laughed and said, “I think you have grown taller than me.”
“I have. I grew two more inches,” Cade said, laughing.
“How tall are you now?” Mace questioned, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m six foot five,” Cade said, puffing his chest up.
Since they were children, Cade had been the jokester, the funny one. Whereas Mace was the one who was more serious. They were trying to keep things light. They hadn’t seen each other in a while. However, things were about to change.
“Oh, my God, you’re a fuckin’ monster,” Mace teased and then hit his friend on the shoulder.
“Yes, but I will always take it easy on you, shrimp,” Cade said, standing straight.
“Let’s not find out, jackass, because I would hate to embarrass you in front of your Second,” Mace said and they both laughed.
Two Alphas meeting in the open was almost unheard of anymore. It was too dangerous. However, the Alphas were confident them and their men wouldn’t be attacked. When Cade told his Second, Declan, about the meeting, he immediately had things arranged.
Declan had Protectors surround the restaurant. Whether his Alpha knew it or not, he would soon be an important person in the shifter world. Declan hated to keep secrets from his Alpha but he had been asked specifically by the other Second to help him. It was why, right now, he looked in the direction of Damen, Mace’s Second, and nodded.
Declan Lahey knew Mace and looked toward the restaurant while the Alphas greeted each other. Damen nodded, letting him know for the moment, he had the two Alphas in sight.
Declan walked in the restaurant first, scenting the area, looking for any sign of trouble. He observed Damen McDonald coming from the back door, checking the area. Damen McDonald was Mace McDonald’s cousin and Second in command. Damen picked a table for the Alphas, which had an easy exit if trouble came in either door.
Once they were seated, both Protectors waited and watched as the two friends spoke. Both had their back to the Alphas, but listening nonetheless, from separate tables flanking the pair.
Mace McDonald was an extremely powerful Alpha. His wolf was very strong and he possessed magic he didn’t know he had. He was a kind and fair Alpha to his pack. He was also very popular with the ladies of his and Cade’s packs. The ladies talked quite often about Mace’s green eyes and dark brown hair, so like his sister’s features. He was a tall man at six foot-four. The members of the Ashland Pack depended on Mace to make the best decisions for them.
The pack had flourished since he took over after his father and mother were killed. Being the older brother of Adrianna McDonald had its perks. One was to find out information before anyone else. Mace knew something was going on that concerned his sister, but he didn’t know why he felt that way. He hoped the trip to Oakland Hills Resort would give him the answers to what plagued his sleep.
“Mace, have you spoken with anyone about the meeting tomorrow?” Cade questioned.
“I spoke with Adrianna, but she didn’t go into any detail about the nature of the meeting,” Mace said and shrugged his shoulders.
“Speaking of which, how is your little sister?” Cade asked smoothly.
“I don’t know. We talk on the computer every day, but I think she is lonely. I miss her and I can’t wait to see her,” Mace replied.
“Why won’t she come to see you in Ashland?” Cade asked slowly, afraid he already knew the answer.
Mace sighed and Cade regretted he’d asked. His friend had called him that night. He’d wanted to come and help, but Mace had told him there was nothing to be done. He would make sure the perpetrators paid. For a few minutes, Cade had wondered whether his friend would kill the men who dared to hurt his sister, but Mace had reined himself in. Cade and the rest of the Pack had been impressed by his restraint and the fact he’d allowed the Governing Council to deal with the bad guys.
Mace took a deep breath. “Well, you know what the hell happened to her. I can’t blame her for not wanting to come home. Nobody was there to protect her. I wasn’t there to protect my baby sister. She almost freakin’ died, Cade.”
“I’m sorry, Mace. You can’t blame yourself anymore; you were in the Army. Hell—you were in a different country when it happened. They attacked your father and mother when most of the Protectors were in training,” Cade said sternly to his friend.
“I know—but I remember how little she was. She had beautiful, long, brown hair and the biggest, green eyes. She was so innocent. They took that from her,” Mace said angrily and hit his hand on the table.
Many of the patrons looked over at them curiously, but Mace didn’t seem to care.
Damen McDonald sat at the next table listening to the Alpha’s discussion about Mace’s family. Adrianna McDonald was now feared by all the packs. All Protector training went through her now. Adrianna was part wolf, vampire, and witch. Only a few had this information. Not even her brother knew the truth. However, that was about to change.
She would be introduced to the Alphas and Vampire Council at the meeting tomorrow. She would be introduced as the Trinity. She was the one about whom the prophecy had foretold. Mace would be ticked off when he found out. He would also be mad at Damen for not telling him, but he had been sworn to keep this secret ten years ago.
The Supreme Alpha, Afton Mackenzie, and Selena instructed Damen to watch over Mace and Cade. He was told to keep the secret until the time was right. Mace and Cade would become very important to Adrianna.
Adrianna was beautiful. She had all the curves a woman needed. She was sharp and didn’t miss anything. She was downright scary if you angered her, a Protector with the grace of a queen. Gone was the innocent child and now stood a Goddess, a warrior, and the Trinity. She was so beautiful. There were Protectors who tried to flirt with her, but Adrianna would never give any of them an inch.
Adrianna had spent the last ten years at the Oakland Hills Resort training with the Supreme Alpha and Selena McPherson. She was efficient at being a Protector; the training for new Protectors had been turned over to her. She had an abi
lity to gauge the talents of new Protectors knowing what their strengths and weakness were. Her ability was, without a doubt, unmatched. As a wolf, vampire, and witch it gave her the capability to defeat anyone who came against her.
Older Protectors came back to Adrianna to learn the new tricks of the trade. The Supreme Alpha was now letting Adrianna train the Vampires selected to guard the members of the Vampire Council. She was the most powerful Protector who ever lived.
Her beauty was breathtaking. She had an allure of pure dynamics, which drew you to her. Adrianna was a great cousin, but Mace was right—she was lonely. She needed to be with Mace and she needed a strong Alpha mate.
As Mace’s Second and Lead Protector, it was Damen McDonald’s responsibility to provide security for the Ashland Pack and protect their Alpha. He became Mace’s Second ten years ago when Mace asked him to take on the position. This was after Eli Cord, the evil bastard, killed Mace’s parents.
Eli Cord killed Mace and Adrianna’s parents, Cale and Olivia McDonald. Eli also almost raped Adrianna. They tried to kill her, too, but the Supreme Alpha and Selena arrived in time to save her.
Selena had given Adrianna her blood, which helped in healing her. It also turned Adrianna into a hybrid—part wolf and part vampire.
Mace didn’t know his father, Cale McDonald, was not Adrianna’s biological father. The Supreme Alpha, Afton Mackenzie, was her father.
Olivia McDonald was put under a lust spell from Eli Cord’s mother, Dalley Cord. She wanted to destroy Olivia and Cale McDonald’s life so Eli could take over as Alpha of the Ashland Pack. Olivia McDonald was very beautiful and kind-hearted. Olivia was not only mother to Mace and Adrianna McDonald; she was also a very powerful witch. She had powers she never used. She was a member of the Twister’s Council, too.
