Mortal Ties

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Authors: Eileen Wilks

Tags: #Romance, #General, #Paranormal, #Fiction

BOOK: Mortal Ties
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“Eileen Wilks writes what I like to read.”

—Linda Howard,
New York Times
bestselling author

PRAISE FOR EILEEN WILKS’S NOVELS OF THE LUPI

BLOOD CHALLENGE

“Action packed…[An] exciting, twisting thriller.”


Genre Go Round Reviews

“Full of intrigue, danger, and romance…The Lupi series is one of the best Were series
I have ever read.”


Fresh Fiction

BLOOD MAGIC

“An intense and suspenseful tale. For anyone who enjoys werewolves and romance,
Blood Magic
is a must-read…Eileen Wilks is a truly gifted writer. Her newest novel is truly a
work of art as her words paint a picture of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.”


Romance Junkies

“A tantalizing glimpse into the past of one of the series’ most enigmatic characters,
Lily’s shape-shifting grandmother. Wilks’s storytelling style is so densely layered
with plot complexities and well-defined characters that it quickly immerses readers
in this fascinating world. There is no better way to escape reality than with a Wilks
adventure!”


RT Book Reviews

“Another great addition to the Lupi series, Eileen Wilks’s
Blood Magic
is an engaging paranormal tale full of action and adventure that should not be missed!”


Romance Reviews Today

“Terrific.”


Midwest Book Review

MORTAL SINS

“Filled with drama and action…This story is number five in the World of the Lupi series
and is just as good as the first.”


Fresh Fiction

“Held me enthralled and kept me glued to my seat…The characters and world are intriguing,
and the solution to the murders is unusual and thought provoking…Ms. Wilks has a skill
with description and narrative that truly brings a world and its characters alive.”


Errant Dreams Reviews

“Fabulous…The plot just sucked me in and didn’t let me go until the end…Another great
addition to the World of Lupi series.”


Literary Escapism

“[Lily and Rule are] a crackling couple…[Wilks manages] to translate that indefinable
tension, that absolute and utter chemistry that happens between real couples…onto
paper.”


Romance Novel TV

NIGHT SEASON

“A captivating world.”


The Romance Reader

“Filled with action and plenty of twists.”


Midwest Book Review

BLOOD LINES

“Another winner from Eileen Wilks.”


Romance Reviews Today

“The magic seems plausible, the demons real, and the return of enigmatic Cynna, along
with the sorcerer, hooks fans journeying the fantasy realm of Eileen Wilks.”


The Best Reviews

“Intriguing…Surprises abound in
Blood Lines
…A masterful pen and sharp wit hone this third book in the Moon Children series into
a work of art. Enjoy!”


A Romance Review

“Savor
Blood Lines
to the very last page.”


BookLoons

“Quite enjoyable and sure to entertain…A fast-paced story with plenty of danger and
intrigue.”


The Green Man Review

MORTAL DANGER

“Grabs you on the first page and never lets go. Strong characters, believable world-building,
and terrific storytelling…I really, really loved this book.”

—Patricia Briggs, #1
New York Times
bestselling author

“As intense as it is sophisticated, a wonderful novel of strange magic, fantastic
realms, and murderous vengeance that blend together to test the limits of fate-bound
lovers.”

—Lynn Viehl,
New York Times
bestselling author
of the Darkyn series

“[A] complex, intriguing, paranormal world…Fans of the paranormal genre will love
this one!”


Love Romances

FURTHER PRAISE FOR EILEEN WILKS AND HER NOVELS

“I remember Eileen Wilks’s characters long after the last page is turned.”

—Kay Hooper,
New York Times
bestselling author

“If you enjoy beautifully written, character-rich paranormals set in a satisfyingly
intricate and imaginative world, then add your name to Eileen Wilks’s growing fan
list.”


BookLoons

“Exciting, fascinating paranormal suspense the will have you on the edge of your seat.
With a mesmerizing tale of an imaginative world and characters that will keep you
spellbound as you read each page, Ms. Wilks proves once again what a wonderful writer
she is with one great imagination for her characters and the world they live in.”


The Romance Readers Connection

“Destined to become a big, big name in romance fiction.”


RT Book Reviews

“Fantastic…Fabulous pairing…Ms. Wilks takes a chance and readers are the winners.”


The Best Reviews

“Fun [and] very entertaining!”


The Romance Reader

“Should appeal to fans of Nora Roberts.”


Booklist

“Eileen Wilks [has] remarkable skill. With a deft touch she combines romance and danger.”


Midwest Book Review

Books by Eileen Wilks

TEMPTING DANGER

MORTAL DANGER

BLOOD LINES

NIGHT SEASON

MORTAL SINS

BLOOD MAGIC

BLOOD CHALLENGE

DEATH MAGIC

MORTAL TIES

Anthologies

CHARMED

(with Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle, Julie Beard, and Lori Foster)

LOVER BEWARE

(with Christine Feehan, Katherine Sutcliffe, and Fiona Brand)

CRAVINGS

(with Laurell K. Hamilton, MaryJanice Davidson, and Rebecca York)

ON THE PROWL

(with Patricia Briggs, Karen Chance, and Sunny)

INKED

(with Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, and Yasmine Galenorn)

MORTAL
TIES

E
ILEEN
W
ILKS

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3,
Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London
WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
(a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road,
Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
• Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—
110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New
Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.)
Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume
any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

MORTAL TIES

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / October 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Eileen Wilks.

Excerpt from
Ritual Magic
by Eileen Wilks copyright © 2012 by Eileen Wilks.

Cover art by Tony Mauro.

Cover design by George Long.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy
of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized
editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-101-61150-0

BERKLEY SENSATION®

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY SENSATION® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is
stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither
the
author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

ALWAYS LEARNING

PEARSON

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks go to M. David Lugo, cemetary manager at Mount Hope, who helped me
get some of the details right.

I also want to send a shout-out to my Watercooler sisters (you know who you are).
Thanks for the hand-holding, commiseration, and for celebrating with me when it was
time to break out the confetti.

Table of Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Thirty-Seven

Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Nine

Forty

Forty-One

Forty-Two

Forty-Three

Forty-Four

Epilogue

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