Rush of Pleasure

by Rhyannon Byrd

  They all lifted their glasses, clinking them together for good luck, then tossed back the cold champagne. As the flutes were set back on the table, Ian cleared his throat and said, “I, uh, had another dream, as well.”

  “What was this one about?” Aiden drawled, his brawny arms wrapped possessively around his wife’s narrow waist as she sat perched on his lap.

  Ian rubbed a hand across his hard jaw. “I know what name is going to be chosen for the new organization after the votes come in next week from the other units.”

  When Noah and several of the others asked what it was, their deep voices overlapping, Ian took a deep breath and told them what he’d seen in the dream. “We’re going to be collectively referred to as the Specialized Teams for a Unified Defense. Or, if you make it an acronym, S.T.U.D.”

  There were several gasps, a few colorful curses, and all of their eyes went wide with disbelief.

  “Shit,” Noah grunted. “You’re making that up, Buchanan.”

  With a heavy sigh, Ian said, “Trust me, man, I wish I was. But that’s the name.”

  While the others groaned, Kellan threw back his head and howled with laughter, the husky sound echoing loudly through the warm summer night. For a moment Willow worried that the mood of the party had been spoiled, but one by one, the Watchmen’s frowns gave way to wry, lopsided grins. Then one of them gave a gruff bark of laughter, followed by another, and before long they were all laughing as hard as Kellan.

  With Noah’s long arm wrapped around her shoulders, Willow looked around the group and smiled. She knew that life with the Watchmen would often be difficult, not to mention dangerous. At times even deadly. But as she listened to them laugh and rib each other with good-natured humor, she also knew it was going to be a heck of a lot of fun.

  And as Noah suddenly pulled her onto his lap, kissing her as if he’d die without the taste of her lips against his, there was only one way Willow could think of to describe the future…. Breathtakingly, mind-blowingly perfect.

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS

  for the Primal Instinct Series

  The Ancient Clans: Nonhuman races whose existence has been kept secret from the majority of humans for thousands of years; their abilities differing as widely as their physiology. Some only partially alter when in their primal forms, like the Merrick. Others fully transform, able to take the shape of an animal, similar to those who compose the Watchmen.

  These are but a few of the various ancient clans that remain in existence today:

  The Merrick: One of the most powerful of the ancient clans, the Merrick were forced to mate with humans after years of war against the Casus had decimated their numbers. Their bloodlines eventually became dormant, dwelling within their human descendants, until the return of the Casus and the time of their awakening. In order to feed the primal parts of their nature, the newly awakened Merrick must consume blood while having sex. Characteristics: When in Merrick form, the males have fangs, talons, flattened noses and massive, heavily muscled physiques. The females have fangs and talons.

  The Awakenings: Each time a Casus shade returns to this world, it causes the primal blood within one of the Merrick descendants to rise within them, or awaken, so that they might battle against their ancient enemy.

  The Buchanans: One of the strongest Merrick bloodlines, the Buchanans were not only the first of the Merrick to awaken, but they also each possess an unusual power or “gift.” Ian has a strange sense of premonition that comes to him in dreams, Saige can “hear” things from physical objects when she touches them and Riley’s telekinetic powers enable him to control physical objects with his mind.

  The Casus: Meaning violent death, the Casus are an immortal race of preternatural monsters who were imprisoned by the Merrick and the Consortium more than a thousand years ago for their mindless killing sprees. Recently, however, they have begun escaping from their holding ground, returning to this world and taking over the bodies of “human hosts” who have dormant Casus blood running through their veins. The escaped Casus now prey upon the newly awakened Merrick, feeding on their flesh for power, as well as revenge. Characteristics: When in Casus form, they have muzzled faces, wolf-shaped heads, leathery gray skin, ridged backs and long, curved claws. The males have ice-blue eyes, while the females have eyes that are pale green.

  Meridian: The metaphysical holding ground where the Casus were imprisoned for their crimes against the other clans…as well as humanity. Although it was created by the original Consortium, no one knows how to find it until the ancient archives reveal that the Dark Markers are not only the keys that will open the gate to Meridian, but that they will also form a map that leads to the prison’s hidden location.

  Shades: Because of their immortality, the Casus can’t die in Meridian. They have simply wasted away to “shades” of the powerful creatures they once were, which is why they’re forced to take human hosts when they return to this world.

  The Deschanel: Also known as vampires, the Deschanel are one of the most powerful of the ancient clans, rivaling the strength of the Merrick and the shape-shifters. Although duality is a common feature among many of the clans, the trait is especially strong within the Deschanel, whose very natures are a dichotomy of opposites—of both darkness and light—which makes them complex friends…and dangerous enemies. Characteristics: Pale, pure gray eyes that glow after they’ve taken a blood feeding. Despite their power and strength, they move with a smooth, effortless grace that is uncommon among human males of their size. They also have incredibly long life-spans, until such time as they finally take a mate.

  The Burning: The body of an unmated Deschanel male runs cold until he finds his mate. The phenomenon is referred to as being “in heat” or “burning,” since his body begins warming from the moment he finds her.

  The Förmyndares: As the Protectors of the Des chanel, it is the duty of these warriors to destroy any threats to the vampire clans.

  Nesting Grounds: Ancient, sprawling castlelike communities where Deschanel family units, or nests, live for security; they are protected by powerful magic that keeps them hidden from the outside world. The grounds are located throughout Scandinavia and other parts of Europe.

  A Sangra Bond: A bond that can be formed between a human male and a Deschanel female, enabling the male to track her over long distances.

  The Alacea: A powerful, eclectic clan of psychics who have varying degrees of powers. Most can see into the past or the future, with a few having the ability to read another’s thoughts in the present—but usually only one form of sight is given. Characteristics: Dark, sky-blue eyes.

  Aldori Trance: A deep trance state that an Alacea with mature powers can enter, but there are often serious consequences.

  Transsis: Light trance states that the Alacea use when they need to rest, but don’t want to go into a deep sleep.

  The Witches: Although there are many witch clans still in existence, their powers vary greatly from one clan to another. Characteristics: Physical traits vary according to the specific clan of witch.

  The Chastain: One of the most powerful castes of witches who can train to be either spell-makers, healers or warriors.

  The Boudreaux: A carefree clan of witches whose specialty is beauty spells.

  The Mallory: A powerful clan of witches whose diverse powers were bound by a curse. Because of the centuries-old curse, they magnified the emotions of those in their presence to extreme levels—but the curse is now coming to an end.

  The Reavess: A clan of witches who can communicate mentally with those in their families. They access their considerable power through the use of spells, and will bond their true loves to them through sex. They are also able to assume the traits possessed by their mates during “joining.”

  The Saville: A snobbish clan of witches who have little power.

  The Regan: An aggressive clan responsible for hunting several rival clans to near extinction. Characteristics: Long noses, pointed ears and deeply cleft chins.

 
The Kenly: A mountain-dwelling clan nearly hunted to extinction by the Regan. Characteristics: Short statures and large, doelike eyes.

  The Feardacha: One of several ancient clans that reside in Ireland. They are extremely superstitious, believing that the dead should never go unchecked. As a precaution, they tattoo pagan symbols on their hands and arms, believing the symbols will draw to them any evil souls that manage to escape from hell, so that they might kill them once again. Characteristics: Tattoos, mocha-colored skin and pale green eyes.

  The Vassayre: One of the more reclusive clans, they seldom come out of the underground caves where they dwell. Characteristics: Dark markings around their sunken eyes.

  The Deuchar: One of the most violent of the ancient clans, they are the mortal enemy of the Shaevan.

  The Shaevan: One of several ancient clans that reside in France.

  The Shape-shifters: A richly diverse, powerful collection of clans whose members can take either the complete or partial shape of a beast.

  The Prime Predators: Consisting of the most dangerous, predatory animal species, they are the most aggressive breeds of shape-shifters, well-known for their legendary sex drives and their unquestionable devotion to their mates. In order to claim a mate, a Prime must bite the one who holds their heart, marking them with their fangs while taking their blood into their bodies. They are also known for their incomparable skill as warriors and their strong healing abilities. Examples: The tigers, jaguars and lycanthropes.

  The Lycanthropes: Also known as werewolves, they are formidable warriors who can actually change humans to their species with the power of their bite if they are in wolf form. However, in order to mark their mates, they must make a bite with their fangs while still in human form.

  The Raptors: One of the rarest breeds of shifters, the Raptors are known for being ruthless warriors and possessive, utterly devoted lovers. Although they do not completely shift form, they are able to release powerful wings from their backs that enable them to fly, as well as sharp talons from their fingertips for fighting.

  The Charteris: Dragon shape-shifters who possess the ability to control fire, and whose bodies burn with a dangerous heat when making love to a woman who holds their heart. It is believed that no pure-blooded Charteris are still in existence.

  The Archives: The records that belonged to the original Consortium that are believed to hold vital information about the ancient clans. Though the new Consortium spent years searching for them, the archives were eventually found by the Collective Army, then taken by the Watchmen.

  The Death Journal: A journal found with the ancient archives that explains how to kill a variety of clan species, many of which are no longer even in existence. There is a passage in the journal written in an archaic language that the Watchmen can’t decipher, but which they believe will explain how to kill the Death-Walkers who have escaped from hell.

  The Collective Army: A militant organization of human mercenaries devoted to purging the world of all preternatural life. In an ironic twist, the Collective Army now finds itself partnered with the Kraven and the Casus, in exchange for information that they believe will enable them to exterminate the remaining nonhuman species.

  The Consortium: A body of officials comprised of representatives from each of the remaining ancient clans, the Consortium is a sort of preternatural United Nations. Their purpose is to settle disputes and keep peace among the differing species, while working to hide the existence of the remaining clans from the human world. More than a thousand years ago, the original Consortium helped the Merrick imprison the Casus, after the Casuses’ relentless killing of humans threatened to expose the existence of the nonhuman races. The council fashioned the Dark Markers in order to destroy the immortal killers, only to be murdered by the newly created Collective Army before they could complete the task. Years later, the Consortium re-formed, but by then its original archives had been lost…all traces of the Dark Markers supposedly destroyed during the Collective’s merciless raids, which nearly led to the destruction of the clans.

  The Dark Markers: Twelve metal crosses of enormous power that were mysteriously created by the original Consortium, they are the only known weapons capable of killing a Casus, sending its soul directly to hell. They also work as a talisman for those who wear them, offering protection from the Casus. Although the Dark Markers were hidden in order to keep them safe, there is a set of encrypted maps that lead to their locations. The Watchmen and the Buchanans are using these maps to help them find the Markers before they fall into enemy hands.

  “Arm of Fire”: Weapon mode for a Dark Marker. When held against the palm, a Dark Marker holds the power to change one’s arm into an “Arm of Fire.” When the cross is placed against the back of a Casus’s neck, the flame-covered arm will sink into the monster’s body, burning it from the inside out.

  The Encrypted Maps: When Saige Buchanan discovered the first Dark Marker in Italy, she found a set of encrypted maps buried alongside the cross. The maps, which lead to the hidden locations of the Dark Markers, had been wrapped in oilcloth and preserved by some kind of spell.

  The Death-Walkers: The demented souls of clansmen and women who were sent to hell for their sadistic crimes, and who are now managing to return to our world. It is unknown how to kill them, but they can be burned by a combination of holy water and salt. Driven mad by their time in hell, they are a formidable force of evil, seeking to create chaos and war among the remaining clans simply because they want to watch the world bleed. Characteristics: Although they retain certain traits from their original species, each of the Death-Walkers has cadaverously white skin and small horns that protrude from their temples, as well as deadly fangs and claws.

  “The Eve Effect”: A phenomenon that affects various breeds of shape-shifters, causing them to be drawn to certain females who touch the primal hungers of both the man and the beast. If a male falls in love with one of these females and bites her, she will be bonded to him as his mate for the rest of their lives.

  The Infettato: Humans who have been infected by the bite of a Death-Walker. Once turned, they become the “walking dead” and it is impossible for them to regain their humanity. They live only to consume flesh, tracking their prey by scent and blindly obeying the orders of those who made them. As they feed, they become stronger, and they can only be killed when their hearts are removed from their chests and burned. Characteristics: Mottled, yellowish skin, gaunt faces and sunken eyes. Black skin that looks as if it has been burned surrounds their eyes and mouths.

  The Kraven: The descendants of female Deschanel vampires who were raped by Casus males prior to their imprisonment. Treated little better than slaves and considered an embarrassing symbol of weakness, the Kraven have been such a closely guarded secret within the Deschanel clan that the Watchmen have only recently become aware of their existence. Hoping to improve their circumstances and become more powerful, the Kraven are working to facilitate the return of the Casus. Characteristics: They are believed to have long life-spans, and their fangs can be released only at night, causing their eyes to glow a deep, bloodred crimson. They can also easily pass for human, but can only be killed when a wooden stake is driven through their heart.

  The Wasteland: A cold, desolate, dangerous region that was created by powerful magic, where exiled Deschanel “nests,” or family units, are forced to live once the Consortium has passed judgment against them. Protected by spells that make it invisible to humans, this vast region “shares” physical space with the Scandinavian forests surrounding it.

  The Watchmen: An organization of shape-shifters whose job it is to watch over the remaining ancient clans, they are considered the “eyes and ears” of the Consortium. They monitor the various nonhuman species, as well as the bloodlines of those clans that have become dormant. Prior to the recent Merrick awakenings, the most powerful Merrick bloodlines had been under Watchmen supervision. There are Watchmen compounds situated around the world, with each unit consisting of four to six warrior
s. Characteristics: Physical traits vary according to the specific breed of shape-shifter.

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-0896-4

  RUSH OF PLEASURE

  Copyright © 2011 by Tabitha Bird

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