Alphas Unwrapped: 21 New Steamy Paranormal Tales of Shifters, Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More

by Michele Bardsley

  “Love?” I snapped back. “You don’t really know what that is. If you did, you wouldn’t force me here against my will.”

  “You left me no choice,” he said, and his brows drew together.

  Stall, I told myself. Stall, keep him talking. “So, now what? Do you mean to rape me? Do you think you can?” I heard the contempt in my voice.

  “Rape?” He sounded surprised. “I have no need to rape you or any other woman. I mean to keep you, cherish you, love you, and in the end, you will return my love with … affection at first, and then with adoration and admiration.”

  “You’re dreaming,” I scoffed. Come on, Mom. Find me. “You do know I can shift out of here, right? I am a Fallen and, like the Fae, can shift.”

  “Do you think I don’t know what you are capable of accomplishing?” he asked in an amiable tone. “Did you think I wouldn’t be prepared? This room has been warded. You can’t leave, and no one save myself can enter.” He produced an orb from a cabinet. “This is Uile, and it is a Fae Hallow capable of many things.”

  He moved towards me. I stepped back.

  Suddenly he looked angry, and he reached for me and grabbed my wrist, bending me towards him as his other arm encircled me.

  With a thought I sent him flying across the room and said, “It isn’t nice to play rough with a Fallen Angel.” I tried shifting out, but he was right. The room had a barrier up, down, and all around. I would be able to break through, but I would need to study the pulse and find a spatial exit.

  He took an angry step towards me, and I called for Ebony. She was in my hand and pointing at him. “Do you know what a Fallen Angel and a Morelake immortal create?”

  He stopped and stared at me. “I have an idea … and you, with all that power, will rule beside me.”

  “They create a hybrid. As for now, I seem to be the only one of my kind, so no one knows what powers were united and live in me. Would you like to find out?” My Ebony was still pointed at him, and though I knew now I didn’t need to use her, I liked the feel of her in my hand. After all, I was half Morelake.

  “What you need is time—” Dreede started to say.

  “What you need is to live … right? Well, if I were you, I would remove the wards before I do, or before you find yourself facing—”

  Something crashed through the wards.

  Crashed? Let’s say violently exploded with a force that shook the entire room.

  Flames shot straight up to the ceiling, scorching it in fierce, black lines.

  Out of the flames, a prince emerged, tattooed runes around his biceps shooting out sparks at Warren. Beside my prince stood the King of Nether Blue and my mother.

  I felt a rush of emotion. They had all come for me.

  Joyous laughter mixed with a sob escaped my lips as I ran to Brodie and threw myself into his arms.

  After a brief hug, he set me aside and stepped up to Warren. “Are ye wanting to die this day, then? For if so, I will gladly accommodate ye.”

  The King of the Fallen took a step forward as well and added, “And after he is done with you, I’ll personally feed what’s left to the buzzards.”

  My mother put her arms around me and covered my face in kisses.

  Warren decided to go for bravado. It was a mistake.

  As he stepped forward and raised his evil wand, my Brodie sent the wand flying and then apparently decided he needed hands-on, not magic.

  He gave Warren a head butt that landed him on his ass. He then picked him by his neck—by his neck, holy good gosh—and beat him into a bloody mess.

  I stopped him by holding his forearm and calling his name. He eyed me and dropped Warren into a heap.

  My grandfather said, “Is he still alive? If so, I would be happy to give him his death blow. No one touches my granddaughter without my leave.” He looked at Brodie and added, “And even you don’t have my leave yet.”

  I looked up at my grandfather and smiled. “But he has mine, Grandfather, so give him yours.”

  “Grandfather,” he whispered, evidently pleased with the word. “Well, brat, we shall see.”

  Brodie turned back to me and took me into his arms.

  Epilogue

  DETAILS. I’M WRITING into my journal all the details of my first—though from what I can see of my future, not my last—adventure in the world of Nether Blue and Morelake.

  Brodie wanted to finish Warren. My grandfather agreed, but I and then my mother asked that he be spared with the promise of death if he ever tried to bother me again.

  I found and took the orb he had been using, and we began looking for a way to return it to Queen Aaibhe of the Seelie Fae.

  Jebidiah and Aunt Deba were able to clear Brodie of the awful charge of murdering his father, but while Blakely and Tanna were implicated in trying to frame him, there was no proof linking the men who had beaten him in the cell to Blakely or Tanna. They couldn’t be questioned, and their bodies were never found, but a great deal of blood was found at each of their homes.

  My grandfather accused and brought Tide to trial for the murder of his wife. He will be executed for the heinous crime.

  Blakely escaped before Francis could have him brought to trial for the same crime, and Blakely is out there—somewhere—and Brodie says we will not give up until we find him and make him pay for the murder of his father and my grandmother. I’m good with that.

  Francis denounced and divorced Tanna, and although he was still in love with her, he is a strong man, stronger I think than Brodie had believed. He will do … eventually.

  Brodie and I are on our honeymoon in Ireland.

  I love this country with its rolling green hills, its pubs, its history, its castle ruins. Brodie took me to a faery mound today, and I held out Uile the orb and called to Queen Aaibhe.

  I was sure she would hear me, but after twenty minutes with no response, we started to leave; but then a voice said, “Who is it that calls our queen?”

  I turned and saw a tall, absolutely gorgeous dark blond Fae with a twinkle in his eyes. He was wearing a leather vest over a muscular and naked chest, dark brown leather pants, and sandals. The gold torque at his neck indicated he was a prince.

  Brodie stood tall and said in a voice of authority that nearly made me giggle, “Prince Brodie of Morelake and his mate, Princess Calico. Who are you?”

  “Prince Breslyn,” he said, stepping forward to smile at me.

  His smile made my cheeks hot. He was hot. I held Uile out towards him. “I believe Uile belongs to your queen.”

  “Ah, Uile … haven’t seen you in an age,” he said and took the Hallow in hand.

  We heard Uile purr. It actually purred, and Prince Breslyn said with an inclination of his head, “Thank you. Let me know if ever you need anything.”

  With that he was gone, and I turned back to my prince, who had a brow raised. “You thought he was hot,” he said.

  “So did you, but you don’t want him.” I laughed.

  He chuckled. “Aye, I’ll give ye that, but only that. I don’t like ye looking at other men.”

  “Well, as to that, I wasn’t really looking. He was just like, there, taking up all the space, so there was nowhere else to look.”

  He gave me a rueful look and said, “Even so …”

  “Kiss me, even so, kiss me,” I told him and went into his arms.

  And he did …

  About Claudy Conn

  Claudy Conn, a native New Yorker, now lives with her husband, Bob; their wolf, Cherokee; and Cherokee’s son, Rocky Man, who weighs in presently at 190 pounds.

  She loves horses and riding and raised her ten-year-old gelding Southern Pride from the moment he was born. She also loves gardening, swimming, skiing, hiking, and travel—and of course, reading, writing, but no, she says, no arithmetic!

  To get her monthly news, reviews and excerpts for all her new paranormal and regency romances, visit her at her website: http://www.claudyconn.com

  To see pictures of Cherokee—and her sheph
erd-wolf son!—have a look at her Facebook page:

  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Claudy-Conn-Paranormal-Romance-Author/135826686471445

  And sign up for her newsletter at http://claudyconn.com/contact-the-author.html

  Read more about Claudy Conn’s books

  Legend Series

  Spellbound—Legend

  Maxie is a reluctant heroine who travels to Scotland to find and save herself. Julian is a Druid priest in a modern age, and he is full of guilt. Can Maxie turn to him? Or will she turn to Prince Breslyn, a Royal Fae hunk offering her everything?

  Shee Willow—Legend

  Half-human, half-Fae Willow Lang has never felt she truly fit in either world, but she’s doing her best to ignore her Fae nature. But when she finds herself in the middle of a conflict between the Seelie Fae and the evil Dark Fae, she must embrace her Fae powers in order to protect the Human Realm.

  Prince in the Mist (Novella)

  Fact one: By tradition and treaty, Fae do not interfere with the human world—it is against the rules. Fact two: For a Royal Fae prince who suffers from the ennui of immortality, watching and interacting with humans—especially lovely, spirited human females—can be entertaining. Fact three: When entertainment changes to affection, and affection becomes love, rules will be broken.

  Prince Prelude—Legend

  In this stand-alone tale and the backstory for the Legend series, we find ourselves in 1814. Gais and the prince come head to head over a woman. We will see Lamia DuLaine when she first sees Julian Talbot, and we will meet the first Maxie Reigate. Come along and see their world unfold …

  Aaibhe—Shee Queen (Novelette)

  This is a love story but it is fringed with envy, jealousy, and bitterness—oh and more. It is laced with the havoc those devastating emotions can bring. It is about the seeds of hate born of love, and what chaos that hate can wantonly roar over even immortals. This is a story of Aaibhe, Queen of the Seelie Fae, because she deserves that it be told.

  Trapped—Legend

  Magical powers, a castle, and a charming prince sound like the ingredients for a fairy-tale life, but for BJ Mulroy reality turns out to be a whole lot more complicated. The war between the Seelie and the Unseelie is heating up, BJ has been drawn into the fray … and there’s the matter of the seventeenth-century hunk in the painting.

  Free Falling—Legend

  They call her Z, and she is a handful ready to explode. She has entered the war against Gais and the Dark Fae and means to take him on all by herself. She is driven. Aaibhe, Queen of the Seelie Fae, has other plans, and she sends in Prince Danté to execute and preserve her wishes. When Z and the prince meet, hackles go up on both sides.

  Catch & Hold—Legend

  Half-human/half-Daoine Fae Radzia MacDaun—Z to her friends—finds herself in the Dark Realm, where she’ll have to fight Gaiscioch on his own turf. Danté, Prince of the Tuatha Dé and Z’s lover, is not about to let her face this danger alone, however, and the two of them are thrust on a ride that takes them to the edge of life as we know it …

  Through Time Series

  Through Time—Pursuit

  Revenge is the driver. Will love be the equalizer in Through Time—Pursuit? Milesian immortal Chance LeBlanc and Fae Princess Royce are about to find out in this contemporary fantasy romance that picks up where Catch & Hold—Legend left off.

  Through Time—Whiplash

  Prince Trevor has one goal: bring the Dark Princes to justice—preferably at the end of his Death Sword—before they can march out of the Dark Realm with an army of monsters at their backs. But complication arise when Trevor is thrown two centuries into the past along with Jazmine Decker, a Fios (a human unaffected by Fae concealment spells) who has more power than either realizes.

  Through Time—Slamming

  In book 3 of the Through Time series, Jazmine and Trevor’s relationship develops while danger to both human and Fae worlds grows. As the Dark Princes use all the powers at their disposal to create an unstoppable army to destroy the human realm, Queen Aaibhe faces treachery from a traitor in the Council, Frankie discovers who her Fae father is, and Prince Breslyn is hit with news that will change his life forever.

  Through Time—Frankie

  Frankie is all grown up and ready to spread her wings, and she knows the man she wants by her side. But first she needs to convince her Dark Prince—and her family—that he is the one for her. And it will take all of them working together to deal with the Dark Prince’s brothers, who are once again plotting to take over the world.

  Through Time—Compulsion

  Through Time—Compulsion finds a new demon on the loose, and this one thinks he’s a god. He isn’t, but he is powerful enough to use time itself to get what he wants—and what he wants is Frankie by his side as he takes over first the Human and then the Fae Realms.

  Awakening Series

  Harley—Awakening

  Harley has everything a vampire-white witch hybrid could want: wonderful parents, a hunky sort-of boyfriend, and a clan of loving friends. When that life is taken away from her, Harley doesn’t want to serve revenge up cold. She wants to serve it up now, and she wants to serve it up HOT.

  Awakening—Bray

  A war between the vampires and the werewolves is on the horizon. Its outcome will affect all the world as it plays out in the wilds of the Rockies in Canada. Wendy has been in love with Bray all her life. Now that she is a woman, will he look her way? She is mortal; he is an immortal Royal Fae. Can he love her?

  Shadow Series

  ShadowLove—Stalkers

  Shawna Rawley has no choice but to run when Pentim Rawley, one of the most evil vampires who have ever lived, discovers she is his daughter. Chad MacFare has an offer for Shawna he thinks she can’t afford to refuse: he’ll protect her from Pentim and his minions. But Shawna doesn’t trust the sexy immortal. She knows he has his own agenda—he wants to kill her father, and he wants to set her up as bait …

  ShadowHeart—Slayer

  Damon Drummond and Nikki Walker are on opposite sides. He is a potent vampire; she is a skilled and powerful vampire slayer. Problem right there … but when they look at each other, sparks of all kinds fly. Too much stands between them: He will live forever. She will not. And yet …

  ShadowLife—Hybrid

  WB and his clan have moved in, and section by section Dublin is going dark. When the team needs help, they turn to a shapeshifter, Roxie MacBran.

  Hungry Moon Series

  Hungry Moon: Quicksilver

  Ravena is running from who and what she is, but the more she runs away, the further she falls.

  Hungry Moon: Destiny

  Luke says Kelsey isn’t his type, and Kelsey is sure Luke is a heart-breaker, but the hybrid and the wolf shifter must find a way to work together to fight a threat of unthinkable proportions.

  Hungry Moon: Jodi

  Jodi is a witch with formidable powers fighting a battle against an insidious dark force. She meets Shane MacGrath and needs him in so many ways, but she doesn’t know if she can trust him. Can she trust him, and will she survive this battle?

  Risqué Regencies

  Myriah Fire

  Myriah meets Kit under the worst circumstances and their meeting was an explosion of wills, and actions, and it was what finally set Myriah on fire …

  Oh, Cherry Ripe

  Cheryl Elton has been in London for three seasons and refuses to be courted. When her mother takes matters into her own hands, Cherry runs!

  Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

  What happens when an eligible marquis pretends to be a rake and a gambler, and the woman he is supposed to be courting disguises herself as a masked French card dealer? Find out in this spicy, risqué Regency romance.

  Taffeta and Hotspur

  Hotspur wants Taffeta—how far will he go to make her his? Taffeta has a secret—will it land her in trouble?

  Wildfire Kiss

  Lady Babs is a rule-breaker, but has she met her match
in Lord Wildfire?

  After the Storm

  Jenny insisted she would never fall in love again, but she found herself drawn to the handsome Earl of Danfield. She also knew about his wild reputation, but it didn’t matter. His proposal would give her what she wanted. Peace.

  Runaway Heart

  Chelsea takes London by storm, but the only man she wants thinks she is no more than a child.

  Lady Bess

  Lady Bess has fallen hard for the Earl of Dunkirk, but she has also fallen into a bevy of secrets. Evil hovers. Although Bess doesn’t look for it, she finds it—and Bess is not your average, simpering female. She takes on danger and mayhem like she does everything else: full throttle. Adventure ensues as we travel with Bess through romance and the battle of her life.

  Lady Star

  Sir Edward meets his match when he meets Star, but is there too much keeping them apart?

  Serena

  Lord Daniel Pendleton has met his match in Serena. A game of twists and misunderstandings ensues, and a lively romance begins.

  Mandy

  Mandy’s brother, Ned, is in trouble, accused of murdering the woman who had been clearly trying to seduce him. Their guardian, the Duke of Margate, is summoned to help. Mandy had always assumed he was an old man, but the duke is far from old. But first things first—they have to prove Ned innocent.

  Disorderly Lady

  A chance encounter with the Earl of Magdalen, a confirmed bachelor whose female acquaintances run to women of dubious reputation, results in Arabella Cullingham appearing to be a light-skirts. Bella, for her own reasons, decides to play along, never thinking that the game might cost her the man she truly loves.