by Honor James
Beyond the Veil 3
Briar’s Saviors
Her future was shaky after an attack left her broken, inside and out. But with the help of those around her, Briar Sapphire is determined to be stronger, better, and deserving of the mates she is blessed to have. But the universe is a fickle thing, and she will be tested yet again when danger comes calling right to her front door.
Byrne and Danel have given their mate space, space she needed to heal and to see they would never be a threat to her. But a man can only stand on the sidelines for so long. And time for their little mate has just run out. This Luhpyne and Ahnjel are going to claim the woman they love.
Love conquers all, but it may not be enough to stop the threat coming for Briar. This time though, she’s taking a stand and won’t allow her life, fresh and new, to be torn apart ever again.
Genre: Futuristic, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 84,685 words
BRIAR'S SAVIORS
Beyond the Veil 3
Honor James
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
BRIAR'S SAVIORS
Copyright © 2014 by Honor James
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-758-7
First E-book Publication: July 2014
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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www.SirenPublishing.com
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DEDICATION
For all the guardian angels who step in where they didn't have to, for always going above and beyond…
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
About the Author
BRIAR'S SAVIORS
Beyond the Veil 3
HONOR JAMES
Copyright © 2014
Prologue
March 2, 2014
“Ladies and gentlemen, we here at the news center cannot reiterate strongly enough the importance of remaining indoors.” Jonathan and Casey were back behind the desk. Not the spit and polished one from the previous newscasts, but one that appeared to be in a bunker. Both wore fatigues from the military with helmets at their sides and military personnel in the background.
“That’s right, Jonathan.” Casey flashed a smile, steadier but not as bright as it once had been. Harder, many would call it. “Anyone on the streets is being classified as a combatant. Whether you are bearing arms or not. The American military has asked you to stay indoors, keeping your doors and windows shut. Draw your curtains and please remember to use power sparingly. If you are in your home, ensure you place the sticker you would have received from one of the care centers or envoys above the doorknob. This alerts the military to your presence there, that the home is indeed occupied. If you have been residing in apartments or condominiums, the stickers should be placed on a window. Please ensure that you can see the street clearly from the spot you’ve chosen, otherwise the military and their liaisons can’t spot it either.”
“The military has also advised to ensure you fill up jugs, pots, and even your bathtub with water. While they don’t foresee a disruption in your utilities at this time, we are at war and unforeseen circumstances may arise. If you have already lost one or more of your utilities, we will be running a number at the bottom of your screens shortly you can contact. Please note, this number is strictly if you have lost a utility or multiple utilities. This number is not for information on loved ones or for information of any kind. This is merely a center for all the utility boards. If you do not get through immediately, please continue to try at intervals. They are expecting a flood of calls many of which will be from people not listening to our warnings.” Jonathan took a deep breath.
“Correct, Jonathan,” Casey picked up the slack. “That number is now at the bottom of your screen and will run at varying intervals during our broadcast. As well, we’d like to stick up a few other numbers now. Please read them carefully, as if you call the wrong number you will be disconnected, period. We are sorry for this rudeness, but in a time of war these men and women are concerned about their assigned tasks. When calling any of these numbers please have all your information ready depending on the nature of your call. The first number up is the Red Cross, who will be gathering your name, address, phone number, and who you may be looking for. They cannot, at this time, assist you with any sort of list of names. They are merely gathering information on the phone lines, quickly and efficiently. If they find the person or persons you are looking for, you will receive a call
or text back as long as the phone circuits allow. So please, stay off your phones unless it is an emergency so that all emergency personnel can continue to communicate with one another and you.”
“That’s right, Casey, we cannot stress this enough. Use your utilities and phones sparingly, as we don’t know how long this will last, but prepare for the worst,” Jonathan added. “The next number up is the number for the CDC. This number is for reporting any unusual diseases, symptoms, or sightings of people with possible diseases. Nothing more, folks. The third number is for the utilities, the same number going along the bottom of your screens now. This is only to report a loss of one or more utilities. Please have your name, address, number, and utility or utilities ready to report. They will not be answering questions. They are merely taking your calls and information. As soon as someone is able to assist you, you will get a call back.”
“Sorry to interrupt, Jonathan, but we have breaking news.” Casey’s smile was gone, and she looked pale and shaky. “The President of the United States, the Vice President, and several of the members of Congress have been detained and taken as prisoners of war. As well, we have yet unconfirmed reports that the Prime Minister of Canada, the Prime Minister of England, and several heads of states that may include France, Spain, Germany, and Italy, have also been detained and declared prisoners of war.”
“What is going on?” Jonathan whispered, totally breaking their stride. Shaking it off, he looked into the camera. “As soon as we have more news on this, on anything, we will come back to you live. Please keep your televisions tuned to this station. During the interim our station coordinator has the approval to play a few movies to help fill the void.”
Chapter One
February 14, 2035
Shaking his head as he walked through the offices, he had to press a hand to his nose to stifle the allergic reaction to so many flowers. Human traditions were bloody weird. Males killing flowers to show their love to their females, giving them sugary confections to fatten them up, and basically spending a fortune when it was necessary. Human males were idiots, plain and simple.
Nothing said I love you like killing bushes and making your woman fat. Then there was the subsequent whining about the money they’d spent, the fact they were never appreciated, and all the other guilt they laid at the feet of their females. He just couldn’t figure out why more men were not permanently neutered given their attitudes toward women. Hell, maybe he should get a sideline business going, do it free of charge if the story was good enough.
Chuckling under his breath at the thought, he stopped by the captain’s office. “He in?” he asked the man’s assistant.
“Sorry, no, he’s in meetings with various people that make him grind his teeth and pop antacids, for the balance of the day.”
Snorting out a laugh at that, he cocked a brow at the older woman. “Do you tell those that call in that same line?” It was a good line actually.
She grinned and shook her head. “Hardly, but that’s what he told me to put on his books for the appointments, so I couldn’t resist using it at least once. And I figured you’d get it, Byrne.” She wrinkled her nose and snickered.
“Since I’ve seen him do it before, I do indeed get it. He said he had a case file or ten for me to review. Did he leave them with you by chance?” he asked.
“He did.” She bent out of sight. When she sat back up, there were several thick files in her hands. Standing, she held them out, dropping the considerable weight in his hands. “Those are the cold cases he wants you to review.” She sat back down with a huff of air.
Setting the pile on the edge of her desk, he looked at the labels and dates on each. “Holy hell, he wasn’t kidding.” His boss had said that there were some cases with odd clues left at each. He was almost sure it was one from the other side of the Veil doing the kills, but since no two victims had been killed the same he couldn’t label it a serial. He thought it was, thought the trophies taken and the odd clues left behind were the killer’s signature, but no one else saw it that way, so they were all single kills and cold cases.
“He said that Briar would be able to coordinate with you on any questions. She’s in court this morning but will be back for the rest of the afternoon if you had questions by then. Oh, and he asked me to give you this, too.” She dug around her desk. Finally she came up with another folder, a blue one, and handed it to him. “It’s some of his own notes on each of the cases, outside of what’s in the files. His personal opinions and stuff that couldn’t go in the official files for, well, obvious reasons.”
“This will be very helpful, thanks.” He added the blue file to his stack and lifted the entire pile. “When he gets back in, have him call me. I’ll have questions by then, a lot from the looks of this.”
She made a note and pressed it to her monitor where it stuck. “Done and done. You’d better get busy.” She grinned.
“Thanks, you are just so damned helpful.” Grinning at her, he left her office. Heading for his, he dropped the files on his desk and then snatched up his mug. While coffee wasn’t something available on his side of the Veil, he’d definitely gotten used to it since he’d taken up residence on Earth. Shit was great, strong, kicking you in the gut and jolting the system. He likely shouldn’t drink so much, but hell, he was only going to live once.
Four hours later he had more questions than answers. Some of which coincided with the captain’s personal notes on each of the cases. Byrne knew the investigators on each, had worked with them all at one point or another, and knew they’d given each case everything they could. But, in the end, they’d hit a brick wall.
Looking up when his regular partner wandered in, he lifted a brow. “Did you get into a fight with a cat?” he asked with a grin.
Danel shot him a dirty look as he fell into the chair behind his desk. “Shut up.”
Leaning forward, Byrne took in the messy hair, the torn clothing, and the scratches on nearly every piece of skin. “Seriously.” He grinned. “What the hell happened to you?” He couldn’t help but chuckle. The guy was immaculate even on the worst of days. To see him this ratty looking was a bit on the shocking side. Grabbing his camera, he got it set and then brought it up for a quick shot and another. The third likely wouldn’t turn out, not any more than the finger he got for his effort.
Tossing it into his drawer, Byrne locked it and leaned back. “So?” he drawled, spinning back and forth slowly. “What happened?”
“Fucking witness had a lynx for a pet. The damned thing took one look at me and went fucking ballistic.”
Byrne winced at the swearing. Danel rarely ever swore. When he did, it just sounded so wrong coming out in that purer-than-pure tone of his. Damned Ahnjels had voices straight from the heavens. Not that they were actually heavenly beings, not like the one’s written about in the Bible. They might look it, but they most definitely were not angelic. Fuckers were actually a bit twisted, gave the term “bad boy” a whole new face for the campaign really.
“So, you’re telling me—” He rubbed a hand over his mouth. He was trying to hide the smirk going there. “That a little kitty cat took you down. How is this even possible?”
“That was no little kitty cat, you moron. It was a wild animal that wanted my blood.” Danel lifted an arm to eye the scrapes in his normally perfectly smooth flesh. “Fucking little shit got it. Lucky I didn’t put a round or ten in his skull. His owner was freaking, said I’d provoked the attack or some shit. Are you fucking kidding me? I was on the other side of the screen door asking her questions when that fur ball came tearing through the house and right at me.”
He couldn’t help it, he was absolutely howling at the description. Tears streamed down his face as he tried, hard, to ask a question. But the annoyed look on Danel’s scratched-up face just wasn’t helping his cause and sent him into more gales of laughter. “I can’t wait to read your write up on this,” he squeaked out, falling into another fit of laughter at the curses now thrown his way.
&n
bsp; Five minutes later he got himself, sort of, under control. “Come on, dude. You need medical attention and at least a tetanus shot. The Gods only know what the hell that thing had disease wise. Yes we’re immune to many things, but you still need the scratches cleaned and looked at just in case.”
“I fucking hate you,” Danel muttered, getting out of his chair.
Chuckling, Byrne grabbed his list of questions and corresponding material. He could kill two birds with one stone. Get Danel looked over and ask Briar some questions about the cold cases at the same time. Maybe she wouldn’t feel the need to gut him if Danel was there. “Let’s go and see the doctor of death then.”
“Briar,” he whined. “Dude, that just isn’t fair,” he muttered.
“Come on, you can’t tell me having our mate tending you won’t soothe out the rest of those ragged edges. If you can, you’re lying your ass off. Now move.” He shoved his partner toward the elevators. Following on his grumpy heels, Byrne whistled softly under his breath the entire trip to the morgue.
“Briar, I got a live one for you. And he’s grumpy and snarly. You may want to tranq him before you try working on him,” he informed her, knocking on her office door and jerking his thumb over his shoulder. Then he moved so she could see Danel, which might explain the huge grin on his own face and the laughter in his voice. “A wee little puddy tat had its wicked way with him.”
“It was a lynx, not a puddy tat, you idiot,” Danel bitched. “Hi, Briar,” he grumbled.
