From the Ashes (Force of Nature Book 1) (38 page)

I looked out the window of the private jet sent for us by the king himself and wondered. I wondered what would happen when I saw Merc again—what would become of our bond. Then I wondered what would become of my budding relationship with Knox. How could the two of them possibly coexist under one roof? What had appeared to be the solution to the wolves' housing dilemma quickly turned into a conundrum I couldn't solve. One that left me questioning my sanity when I’d agreed to the offer made by Jase.

But it didn't matter now. All that mattered was restoring the balance within the supernatural community. Without it, lives would be lost. It might not be tomorrow, or the day after, but eventually those I knew and loved would start to fall victim to the anarchy. And that was a fate unacceptable to me.

Then there was Jagger, whose past was about to revisit him the second he set foot in New York. A past that had sent him running all the way to Alaska to escape it. Whatever he had done—whoever was after him—had to be addressed. I had made a promise to him that I would keep him safe, and I intended to keep it. But to ensure that, I needed to get control of whatever magic coursed through my veins. Whatever earthly power I had access to.

And when it came to those powers, it seemed like all bets were off.

Historically speaking, nobody had ever wanted to mentor me—teach me about my magical abilities. But now I couldn't help but wonder if that would still be the case. There was one out there, providing he was still alive, that might be tempted to join forces with an outcast like me. One that could potentially teach me the ways of the magic I held.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the amulet that I had broken during the battle, turning the heavy gold pendant over in my hand. The first thing I planned to do upon our arrival in New York was not to deal with the fallout of my relationships or the insidious warring of the supernaturals. Instead, I would endeavor to make a new ally.

The warlocks had always been strong in both power and magic.

And with Reinhardt's help, I would soon be too.

What to read now...

After the death of her parents, Ruby awakens from a lifetime of shadows and finds herself alone, thrust into a world of lies, deceit, betrayal and the supernatural.
As her quest for truth continues to come up short, she realizes that maybe some questions really are best left unanswered.
When her true identity is finally unveiled, she is forced to choose between two of the mysterious men who continually seem to crop up in her life.
She chooses poorly.
Now abandoned, Ruby must learn to call on the darkness within to survive, or spend a hellish eternity imprisoned because of it.

Born into mystery. Shackled to darkness…

Khara has spent centuries discovering everything about the Underworld―except her place in it. But when she’s ripped from her home, solving the riddle of her origins becomes more important than ever. With evil stalking her through the dark alleys of Detroit, she finds salvation from an unlikely source: a group of immortal warriors sworn to protect the city. Khara needs their help to unravel the tangled secrets of who and what she is—secrets many seem willing to kill for. But time is running out, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer necessity binds her to an arrogant fallen angel.

Can their shaky alliance withstand that which threatens her, or will her soul fall victim to the unholy forces that hunt her―those that seek the Unborn?

Acknowledgments

Books don’t write themselves. Sometimes it takes a team to do it.

On that note, I’d like to say thank you to my beta readers: Shannon Morton, Simone Nicole, Jena Gregoire, Courtney DeLollis, Kristy Bronner, Janet Wallace, Becky Mutter, Bree Wilder, Jessica Watterson, and Virginia Nicholas. You guys really helped me hone this novel into something I love and am immensely proud of. To my stellar husband, Bryan, thank you for your patience, your tech skills, and your willingness to believe me when I tell you that I’m just going to the bathroom, even though I have my laptop in hand. I know the jig is up, but you pretend not to notice, and I love you for that. And to my amazing cover designer, Regina Wamba, you’re never allowed to break up with me.

STAY IN TOUCH!.

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