Authors: Savannah Stuart
Power Unleashed
Power Unleashed
Book 3 in the Miami Scorcher series.
Paz has a
big
secret that could harm her new pack and give The Council
ammunition to kill her. When The Council sends their legendary enforcer to hunt a
rogue werewolf, Paz makes a shocking discovery about the one man she’s supposed to
be avoiding. He’s her mate and she’s terrified he’ll uncover her secret.
As enforcer and one of the oldest living werewolves on the planet, Adam never
expected to meet his mate while on the job, but now that he’s found her, he won’t let
her go. Paz denies their connection but can’t escape the sizzling heat between them. No
matter what it takes, Adam plans to uncover the truth and bond her to him forever.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
Power Unleashed
ISBN 9781419927768
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Power Unleashed Copyright 2010 Savannah Stuart
Edited by Jaynie Ritchie
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication July 2010
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in
part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing,
Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales
is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
POWER UNLEASHED
Savannah Stuart
Thank you to Dara and Kari for all your support with this series.
Author Note
Power Unleashed
begins days after
Worth the Risk
ends. It can be read as a standalone
book, but for better reading enjoyment, it is recommended that
Worth the Risk
be read
first.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the
following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Adirondack: Netshops, Inc.
Heineken: Heineken Brouwerijen B.V.
Miami Dolphins: Miami Dolphins Ltd., South Florida Football Corp.
Victoria’s Secret: Victoria’s Secret Stores Brand Management, Inc.
Savannah Stuart
Adam Tucker stared at the palatial guesthouse from the front seat of his rented
SUV. The Lazos pack was one of the few who had done incredibly well for themselves
over the years. Most packs were well-off, but this family lived in luxury. The fact that
they owned a private stretch of beach in Key Biscayne spoke volumes. That was in
addition to their other holdings across the country. Not that any of that would matter to
The Council if they’d gone against their laws.
When the front door opened and Thomas Lazos stepped out, Adam realized he
might have been sitting outside too long. Without pause, he got out and strode over to
one of the alphas of the pack. More distinctly, the next-in-line to be
Alpha
of the Lazos
pack. “It’s been a while, Thomas.”
The dark-haired wolf nodded politely and held out a hand. “I wish it was under
different circumstances, but welcome to our guest home. My Alpha sends his regards,
but—”
Adam grasped his hand and brushed away the apology with a shake of his head.
“Your father called. No apology necessary.”
“Good then. Do you have many bags?”
He shook his head. “I’ll get them later. For now I’d like to get down to business.”
Thomas stepped back and held out his arm toward the open front door. They were
silent as they strode across the tiled floor and entered the kitchen. That was one of the
things he liked about the other wolf. Thomas didn’t reek of fear as so many others did
in his presence.
Adam understood that as The Council’s enforcer, it was only natural that wolves
would be wary around him, but it made for a lonesome existence.
Thomas surprised him by grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. “Want one?”
6
Power Unleashed
It was instinct to say no to any food or drink offered, but he nodded as he took a
seat at the granite top center island. “Sure.”
As he popped open the beers, Thomas glanced over his shoulder. “You can start
firing away if you’re ready.”
Adam waited until Thomas slid the beer across to him and took a seat. “It’s a
formality because the business with the Immortal has already been settled. Asha was on
The Council’s radar for years and it’s officially been ruled that your kill was justified.”
Thomas shrugged and took a sip of his Heineken. “I wasn’t worried.”
Adam hadn’t expected him to be. When a crazed Immortal had tried to kidnap
Thomas’ brother Nick’s mate, Thomas had no choice but to kill the Immortal. As a rule,
they were a lone bunch and Asha’s reputation for abusing human women had been
growing. He wasn’t going to tell Thomas, but The Council was relieved Asha was dead.
Any supernatural beings that couldn’t follow the laws of man and nature put
all
of
them in danger from the humans. “So what have you learned so far about the rogue
werewolf, Preston Morales?”
“He’s in Miami. That much we’re sure of. He contacted my brother Stephan’s new
mate yesterday and told her that if she didn’t turn herself over to him, he was going to
start leaving more presents for her.”
“More?”
“He said Antonio Perez was his first gift to her.”
The body of Perez, the human who’d tried to genetically alter werewolf DNA to
create super-soldiers, had been found bloody and mangled in an abandoned warehouse
a few days ago. It was good he was dead, but there was still a missing human who’d
been injected with some sort of serum and now had super strength. No one knew where
he was. “What about the human?”
Thomas shook his head. “No leads.”
7
Savannah Stuart
“And your brother can’t use his contacts with the DEA?” Stephan, the youngest of
the Lazos brothers worked for the DEA and if it hadn’t been for him, they might not
have found out about Perez’s plans.
“No. Since Perez’s death Stephan’s boss has him and his entire team on indefinite
leave until they figure out if their cover was blown. It’s not as if Stephan can admit he
knows who killed Perez so until then, he’s working with us to bring Morales down.”
Adam nodded. “Good.” Thomas wasn’t lying to him. That much was obvious. No
doubt the Lazos pack wanted this settled as quickly as The Council. “I’d like to speak to
the two she-wolves who were held captive by Perez.”
Thomas’ entire demeanor changed in an instant. His back straightened and his gaze
became shuttered. “Tonight is Nick’s birthday. His new mate is having a party at my
Alpha’s house at six and everyone will be there, including Shea and Paz. It’s your
choice but I thought it might be easier on…everyone if you spoke to them in a relaxed
setting. They’re both still adjusting.”
Adam could imagine they’d be “adjusting” for quite a while after what they’d been
through. The report on Shea Hart and Paz Cabrera was sketchy at best. The two very
different she-wolves came from different parts of the country and were just two of the
wolves who had been kidnapped and sold to Antonio Perez for experimentation. Out of
all the males and females the madman had kept captive, only these two women
survived. “That’s acceptable.”
After draining his beer, Thomas stood. “If there’s anything else you need, you’ve
got all our numbers. The house is yours so feel free to choose any bedroom upstairs. Do
you want a ride to the party tonight?”
He shook his head and glanced at his watch. He only had a couple hours to get
settled in and review his notes on the entire pack. “No. I think I’ll be able to find my
way.”
“All right then. I’ll let myself out.”
8
Power Unleashed
Adam scrubbed a hand over his face once Thomas was gone. Some days he hated
his job more than others. He said a silent prayer that the Lazos pack wasn’t hiding
anything from him. For the most part he kept his distance from all wolves, but this was
one pack he wanted to be above reproach. After all the shit he’d seen over the past few
decades, he was getting tired of dealing with liars.
* * * * *
Paz glanced at her sister Marisol as the sound of male voices grew closer. “I think
we have a visitor,” she murmured.
“Do you want to go rest or something?” Marisol asked, concern etched on her
pretty face.
It was weird having her little sister constantly checking on her. If Paz hadn’t been
missing for a year and presumed dead, she might have been annoyed with Marisol’s
constant concern, but she understood where it was coming from. “I’m not going to fall
apart just because we have unexpected company.”
Marisol rolled her eyes and threw a dishtowel at her. “I know that. I’m just—”
“Worried. I know. And I appreciate it, but I’m fine.” And she was. For the most part
anyway. It had only been a few days since she and Shea had been freed. Not a lot of
time to actually process everything.
“Okay, I swear I’ll stop bugging you…eventually.” Marisol placed the knife next to
the eggplants she’d sliced and reached for a bottle of wine. “Feel like a drink?”
“Yes, please.” Despite saying she was fine, tension prickled the back of her neck. In
a few hours she’d be seeing the entire Lazos pack for the first time. Sure, she’d met a
bunch of them over the past couple days, but she didn’t relish the thought of being in a
crowded room.
“Hey, Paz, Marisol.” Thomas’ voice drew her attention to the archway between the
kitchen and hallway. The tall, dark-haired shifter stood halfway in the room but was