Plagued by enemies from above and below ground, a group of Vârcolac warriors fight a desperate battle to keep their secret town safe from invasion
A different place to find her dreams…
The night Marissa Bonaventure is saved from vicious kidnappers by special operative, Dev Nichita, her life is changed in ways she never could have imagined. Brought to the safety of an underground “research institute,” she’s offered a hefty sum of money to stay on and work for a year, money that will allow her to fulfill her lifelong dream of owning a restaurant. But the surreal events that unfold in the strange community of Ţărână soon make her wonder if all is what it seems. When the shocking truth about Dev is exposed, Marissa faces an impossible decision. She loves Dev deeply, but committing to a Vârcolac is a forever proposition, and the only way she can be with Dev will require her to throw away her one chance to redeem a miserable past.
The man he wants to be…
The night Dev Nichita rescues Marissa from the claws of the Om Rău demon race, he knows she’s meant to be his mate. Lying to her about his true nature feels wrong, but he needs time to make her fall in love with him before he reveals that he’s a different breed of human being. When that secret finally comes out, their relationship is shattered in ways Dev hadn’t predicted. A 100-year-old betrayal rises up to threaten their future together—devastating every member of his family—and Dev’s own angry withdrawal becomes a nearly insurmountable obstacle. Then the Topside Om Rău enemy threatens a catastrophic breach of the hidden community, and Dev must call upon all his power as he races against the clock to save the most important people in his life.
** Contains profanity and adult situations.
Inhaling a deep sigh, Marissa leaned over Dev, reaching for his wine glass with a languorous movement that brushed her breast against his arm.
He stiffened as if she’d just shoved an icy thermometer up his ass.
She turned her head toward him, her lips next to his ear, caressing him with her breath as she said, “I made Osso Bucco for—”
He crashed to his feet.
She yelped as his hard shoulder knocked the wine bottle out of her hand. It flew and flipped, then hit the floor on its side and spun, spraying red wine around her room sprinkler-style.
“Damn it, Devid!” She balled her hands into fists and glared at him through a sudden sheen of tears. “What’s your problem?!”
“Nothing. I…” He jerked away from the table. “I just think maybe we should go to Garwald’s for a—”
“Oh, I know, you forgot to take your vitamins this morning, didn’t you?” Swallowing back her tears, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts and heated her glare to boiling.
He released a fractured breath. “I’m…not sure what…?”
“Or maybe you put on the wrong pair of underwear.”
His eyebrows crashed together. “What are you talking about?”
She flung out an arm. “I’m just trying to figure out what excuse you’re going to use tonight not to sleep with me.”
“E-excuse?” His Adam’s apple moved up and down. “Why would I do that, Marissa? I’ve just been, you know…”
“Oh, gimme a break,” she snapped back. “From that original groin injury, you’ve gone from ‘I feel like I’m catching a cold’ to ‘I’m kind of tired tonight’ and ‘I have to get up early tomorrow,’ onto incredibly drool-brain stuff like ‘I think we should get to know each other better first’—ha!—and ‘I want you to be sure that I respect you.’ Respect!” she spat the word. “Gee, thanks, Dev, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to have my knees pinned back to my ears and my ankles swinging while you pound me into the headboard rather than your non-orgasm-inspiring respect!” Which wasn’t entirely true, but she’d had it.
His mouth fell open with a silent clang.
She marched over to her bed and pointed a rigid finger at it. “You get in this bed right now and have sex with me, Devid, or we’re through with this date. I mean it. The only excuse I’ll accept this time is that you don’t have a penis.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Do you have a penis?”
His face turned the shade of a Red Delicious apple.
“Do you!?”
“Yes, Jesus. Of course, I have a…a…” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I just don’t want to.”
“Don’t want to, what?” Wait. “Have sex?” she qualified in shock.
His face, if possible, stained even redder. “Yeah.”
Humiliation rose up to burn in her throat. Tight-lipped, she asked, “Are my boobs too small, is that it?”
“What?” Dumbfounded, he transferred his gaze to the offending mammaries.
Her voice came out small and hurt, she couldn’t help it. “Why don’t you want me?” God, this was like standing in front of him in her back brace.
His attention shot up to her face, then his shoulders sagged. “Ah, shit,” he moaned, pressing his eyelids with thumb and forefinger. “I do, Riss. So much, you have no idea.”
“You just said you didn’t.”
“No. No. I meant… Hell.” His stared at the floor. “I just can’t.”
The realization hit her, bottoming out her stomach. Why hadn’t she figured this out before? He didn’t have a penis, metaphorically speaking, at least. “Oh, crap,” she said in an undertone. “You’re impotent.”
Anger flared across his expression. “No, damn it,” he growled. “Don’t say that word. I hate that fucking word. I’m not…that, not in the way you think. I can get it up, I just need certain conditions to be met first.”
She paused, blinking. Then she exhaled a chafing breath. Oh, this was so much worse. He was a pervert. “You need me to…to…? Pee on you or something?”
His eyes seemed to bug. “Wh-what?”
He stiffened as if she’d just shoved an icy thermometer up his ass.
She turned her head toward him, her lips next to his ear, caressing him with her breath as she said, “I made Osso Bucco for—”
He crashed to his feet.
She yelped as his hard shoulder knocked the wine bottle out of her hand. It flew and flipped, then hit the floor on its side and spun, spraying red wine around her room sprinkler-style.
“Damn it, Devid!” She balled her hands into fists and glared at him through a sudden sheen of tears. “What’s your problem?!”
“Nothing. I…” He jerked away from the table. “I just think maybe we should go to Garwald’s for a—”
“Oh, I know, you forgot to take your vitamins this morning, didn’t you?” Swallowing back her tears, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts and heated her glare to boiling.
He released a fractured breath. “I’m…not sure what…?”
“Or maybe you put on the wrong pair of underwear.”
His eyebrows crashed together. “What are you talking about?”
She flung out an arm. “I’m just trying to figure out what excuse you’re going to use tonight not to sleep with me.”
“E-excuse?” His Adam’s apple moved up and down. “Why would I do that, Marissa? I’ve just been, you know…”
“Oh, gimme a break,” she snapped back. “From that original groin injury, you’ve gone from ‘I feel like I’m catching a cold’ to ‘I’m kind of tired tonight’ and ‘I have to get up early tomorrow,’ onto incredibly drool-brain stuff like ‘I think we should get to know each other better first’—ha!—and ‘I want you to be sure that I respect you.’ Respect!” she spat the word. “Gee, thanks, Dev, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to have my knees pinned back to my ears and my ankles swinging while you pound me into the headboard rather than your non-orgasm-inspiring respect!” Which wasn’t entirely true, but she’d had it.
His mouth fell open with a silent clang.
She marched over to her bed and pointed a rigid finger at it. “You get in this bed right now and have sex with me, Devid, or we’re through with this date. I mean it. The only excuse I’ll accept this time is that you don’t have a penis.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Do you have a penis?”
His face turned the shade of a Red Delicious apple.
“Do you!?”
“Yes, Jesus. Of course, I have a…a…” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I just don’t want to.”
“Don’t want to, what?” Wait. “Have sex?” she qualified in shock.
His face, if possible, stained even redder. “Yeah.”
Humiliation rose up to burn in her throat. Tight-lipped, she asked, “Are my boobs too small, is that it?”
“What?” Dumbfounded, he transferred his gaze to the offending mammaries.
Her voice came out small and hurt, she couldn’t help it. “Why don’t you want me?” God, this was like standing in front of him in her back brace.
His attention shot up to her face, then his shoulders sagged. “Ah, shit,” he moaned, pressing his eyelids with thumb and forefinger. “I do, Riss. So much, you have no idea.”
“You just said you didn’t.”
“No. No. I meant… Hell.” His stared at the floor. “I just can’t.”
The realization hit her, bottoming out her stomach. Why hadn’t she figured this out before? He didn’t have a penis, metaphorically speaking, at least. “Oh, crap,” she said in an undertone. “You’re impotent.”
Anger flared across his expression. “No, damn it,” he growled. “Don’t say that word. I hate that fucking word. I’m not…that, not in the way you think. I can get it up, I just need certain conditions to be met first.”
She paused, blinking. Then she exhaled a chafing breath. Oh, this was so much worse. He was a pervert. “You need me to…to…? Pee on you or something?”
His eyes seemed to bug. “Wh-what?”
I can't wait for the next book!!!
This is the second book in the series, and the way this one ended, there will definitely be a third (HOORAY!!!)
Tracy's books are kind of like a 2-for-1 deal: she doesn't just introduce a supporting character and then never
mention it again. She gives the reader an in-depth look at the supporting character(s), almost like a novella inside of the novel. This really had me invested in the collective characters and eager to read more about them, hopefully in subsequent books. She also involved the main characters from book 1 in book 2 and even continued their story. It was like catching up with old friends, and I was SO happy!
I absolutely LOVED everything that transpired between Marissa and Dev, especially their first meeting (it was pretty funny. I think you'll laugh when you read it!). His unwavering devotion to her is so endearing, and the dialogue between them truly made me FEEL.
Even though Dev is a big, tough warrior, life seems to throw him a few unexpected curve balls that shatters his world around him. I really felt for him, and if Marissa didn't comfort him, I would have jumped into that book and done it myself!
Similarly, Marissa is forced to deal with some unfortunate issues, which makes them a perfect couple.
Not many love scenes in the book, but it really didn't need them. The actual LOVE between the characters was engaging enough to read.
The story kept developing twists that kept me guessing until the end. Heck, even the last sentence of the book has me guessing about the NEXT book!
I love this series because all of the males are to-the-death devoted to their mates. Once he know who she is, he never wavers in his commitment: he doesn't ever WANT to. I love reading stories like that; where he finds his "one and only" and never lets anything come between them.
This series definitely keeps getting better. I am looking forward to at least one more in the series, but I'm also very interested in reading Tracy's other upcoming books in other romance-genres, not just paranormal!
***A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review***
This is the second book in the series, and the way this one ended, there will definitely be a third (HOORAY!!!)
Tracy's books are kind of like a 2-for-1 deal: she doesn't just introduce a supporting character and then never
mention it again. She gives the reader an in-depth look at the supporting character(s), almost like a novella inside of the novel. This really had me invested in the collective characters and eager to read more about them, hopefully in subsequent books. She also involved the main characters from book 1 in book 2 and even continued their story. It was like catching up with old friends, and I was SO happy!
I absolutely LOVED everything that transpired between Marissa and Dev, especially their first meeting (it was pretty funny. I think you'll laugh when you read it!). His unwavering devotion to her is so endearing, and the dialogue between them truly made me FEEL.
Even though Dev is a big, tough warrior, life seems to throw him a few unexpected curve balls that shatters his world around him. I really felt for him, and if Marissa didn't comfort him, I would have jumped into that book and done it myself!
Similarly, Marissa is forced to deal with some unfortunate issues, which makes them a perfect couple.
Not many love scenes in the book, but it really didn't need them. The actual LOVE between the characters was engaging enough to read.
The story kept developing twists that kept me guessing until the end. Heck, even the last sentence of the book has me guessing about the NEXT book!
I love this series because all of the males are to-the-death devoted to their mates. Once he know who she is, he never wavers in his commitment: he doesn't ever WANT to. I love reading stories like that; where he finds his "one and only" and never lets anything come between them.
This series definitely keeps getting better. I am looking forward to at least one more in the series, but I'm also very interested in reading Tracy's other upcoming books in other romance-genres, not just paranormal!
***A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review***
♥ Click on the cover for more info ♥
Tracy Tappan earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Diego State University and a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling (MFCC) at the University of San Diego. She enjoyed several years of doing clinical work before devoting herself to writing full time, and now exercises her vivid imagination by writing gritty romance novels, spanning paranormal, historical, and military suspense genres. After traveling the globe with her Naval aviator husband, tours which included Rome and Madrid, she settled back in sunny San Diego. She and her hero of a husband have two children, two Labrador Retrievers, one she’s training to be a Guide Dog for the Blind, and a The Character Couch -- Tracy Tappanvery neurotic cat. She’s a foodie and wine enthusiast, and when she’s not writing, she’s an avid dancer and tennis player.
Tracy is also the founder and creator of THE CHARACTER COUCH, a reader-focused website designed to help fans keep in touch with their favorite fictional characters. Each month a different reader-selected couple from a broad range of genres is brought into a therapy session to discuss a life challenge…and to reaffirm their love for each other!
To visit THE CHARACTER COUCH, please click here: www.CharacterCouch.com
