by: Kelly Meding
Series: Stray
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
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Para-Marshal Shiloh Harrison has always been a great number two for the East Coast unit. But after her boss is found dead (having betrayed the paranormals he was sworn to protect), she’s suddenly thrust into a leadership role she isn’t prepared for. And it doesn’t help that she traded away memories of one of her most important team members to save another’s life during her last mission.
Too, she’s in charge of a unit that is mired in bureaucratic red tape, meaning she’s essentially under house arrest. But a West Coast Para-Marshal has astral-projected a warning: werewolves are going missing, and she needs Shiloh’s help. Last time it was vampires. This time it’s werewolves. Half-djinn herself, she knows she can’t just sit around and do nothing while paranormals are getting snatched. Her old boss may have broken his oath, but Shiloh will do anything to serve and protect.
Tennyson’s gaze never left mine, and his eyes flashed bit bits of blue. I groaned out loud, because this was the part of our deal I hated. He wasn’t helping out of the goodness in his heart, or because he gave a crap about the werewolves.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“What do you mean, what does he want?” Jaxon replied. “Shiloh, what kind of deal do you have with this guy?”
“Favors in exchange for his help, okay? And if he located Danu, then he’s being helpful.”
Jaxon scowled. “What kind of favors?”
“The favors are between myself and Shiloh,” Tennyson said. “This was our agreement.”
“Don’t worry,” I said to both Jaxon and Novak. “Tennyson isn’t out to hurt me, and anything sexual is one-hundred-percent off the table.” That didn’t really mollify my fuming teammates, but whatever. To Tennyson, I asked, “What’s the favor?”
“A single drop of your blood.”
Surprise jolted down my spine, but before I could react, Jaxon was in Tennyson’s face with a gun pointed at his temple. “What the fuck do you want her blood for, vampire?” he snarled.
Whoa.
Tennyson merely smiled at him, his eyes swirling depths of crimson. He was fast enough to snap Jaxon’s neck, though, so I grabbed the butt of my own gun, which was full of silver nitrate bullets. I trusted Tennyson, but only so far.
“The young djinn has tasted my blood more than once,” Tennyson said. “I think it’s only fair I be allowed a taste of my own.”
“Yeah?” Jaxon replied. “And what if you can’t stop after just one drop? What if you decide you want to turn her?”
“I have never in my five hundred years turned an unwilling human, and shan’t begin snow. Shiloh is too rare of a find to alter her thusly.”
Rare a find? Am I an antique now?
“Jaxon, back off,” I said. I squeezed his shoulder hard enough for him to flinched, then lower the gun from Tennyson’s head. “Thank you for caring, but I can handle this.”
Jaxon holstered his gun and turned to face me. His blue eyes gleamed with anger and fear, and deep inside them, I spotted a hint of the mighty stag waiting inside to free itself and protect me. “I agree you’re a rare find, Shi,” he said with a hitch in his voice. “I can’t lose you.”
My heart absolutely did not pitter-pat over that statement. Nope.
“I’m a tough girl,” I said. “It took multiple direct blows to the head, a concussion, a fractured skull, and melon-baller to the lung to take me down last time.”
“And my blood is the only reason she is alive now,” Tennyson said. “Shiloh, do you agree to the price of my assistance in locating Danu?”
I held Jaxon’s gaze another beat, telegraphing as much confidence as I could. “The risk is worth speaking to Danu. Maybe a goddess can get us a direct line to the missing wolves and we can end this.”
His scowl only deepened before he nodded his assent.
“Thank you.” To Tennyson, I said, “Yes, I agree. A pinprick on my finger somewhere in private.”
“Agreed,” Tennyson replied so smugly I kind of wanted to punch him.
Blessed vampires.
“She’s a few hours north of here,” Tennyson continued. “I will drive as the sun has set and take Marshall Harrison.”
“Oh no,” Novak said. “You two aren’t road-tripping to see another goddess and leave us behind to worry the vampire hasn’t taken Shiloh and run when we can’t speak to you for eight hours. Fuck that.”
“I will accompany them,” Rosalind said. She stood on the periphery of our group and the stony look on her face meant no argument would sway her against it.
“I’m going too,” Jaxon said.
“No, you cannot,” Chandra replied. “From what little I know of Danu, she despises other shifters not her creation. She will not react well to you. I will go. Shiloh and I still need to reach out to her contact in Colorado, and we can do that on the drive.”
“Fine.”
“Save your warnings, skinwalker,” Tennyson said. “I will not betray Shiloh’s trust. You have my word.”
Jaxon still looked pissed. The over-protectiveness was both charming and annoying. I get he had feelings for me and wanted to protect me, but I could handle myself and had since I was a teenager. And if we had dated, that was probably one of the big reasons why we broke up. Hard to work side-by-side with a lover when you’re both getting shot at, or attacked by an angry pixie cloud.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“What do you mean, what does he want?” Jaxon replied. “Shiloh, what kind of deal do you have with this guy?”
“Favors in exchange for his help, okay? And if he located Danu, then he’s being helpful.”
Jaxon scowled. “What kind of favors?”
“The favors are between myself and Shiloh,” Tennyson said. “This was our agreement.”
“Don’t worry,” I said to both Jaxon and Novak. “Tennyson isn’t out to hurt me, and anything sexual is one-hundred-percent off the table.” That didn’t really mollify my fuming teammates, but whatever. To Tennyson, I asked, “What’s the favor?”
“A single drop of your blood.”
Surprise jolted down my spine, but before I could react, Jaxon was in Tennyson’s face with a gun pointed at his temple. “What the fuck do you want her blood for, vampire?” he snarled.
Whoa.
Tennyson merely smiled at him, his eyes swirling depths of crimson. He was fast enough to snap Jaxon’s neck, though, so I grabbed the butt of my own gun, which was full of silver nitrate bullets. I trusted Tennyson, but only so far.
“The young djinn has tasted my blood more than once,” Tennyson said. “I think it’s only fair I be allowed a taste of my own.”
“Yeah?” Jaxon replied. “And what if you can’t stop after just one drop? What if you decide you want to turn her?”
“I have never in my five hundred years turned an unwilling human, and shan’t begin snow. Shiloh is too rare of a find to alter her thusly.”
Rare a find? Am I an antique now?
“Jaxon, back off,” I said. I squeezed his shoulder hard enough for him to flinched, then lower the gun from Tennyson’s head. “Thank you for caring, but I can handle this.”
Jaxon holstered his gun and turned to face me. His blue eyes gleamed with anger and fear, and deep inside them, I spotted a hint of the mighty stag waiting inside to free itself and protect me. “I agree you’re a rare find, Shi,” he said with a hitch in his voice. “I can’t lose you.”
My heart absolutely did not pitter-pat over that statement. Nope.
“I’m a tough girl,” I said. “It took multiple direct blows to the head, a concussion, a fractured skull, and melon-baller to the lung to take me down last time.”
“And my blood is the only reason she is alive now,” Tennyson said. “Shiloh, do you agree to the price of my assistance in locating Danu?”
I held Jaxon’s gaze another beat, telegraphing as much confidence as I could. “The risk is worth speaking to Danu. Maybe a goddess can get us a direct line to the missing wolves and we can end this.”
His scowl only deepened before he nodded his assent.
“Thank you.” To Tennyson, I said, “Yes, I agree. A pinprick on my finger somewhere in private.”
“Agreed,” Tennyson replied so smugly I kind of wanted to punch him.
Blessed vampires.
“She’s a few hours north of here,” Tennyson continued. “I will drive as the sun has set and take Marshall Harrison.”
“Oh no,” Novak said. “You two aren’t road-tripping to see another goddess and leave us behind to worry the vampire hasn’t taken Shiloh and run when we can’t speak to you for eight hours. Fuck that.”
“I will accompany them,” Rosalind said. She stood on the periphery of our group and the stony look on her face meant no argument would sway her against it.
“I’m going too,” Jaxon said.
“No, you cannot,” Chandra replied. “From what little I know of Danu, she despises other shifters not her creation. She will not react well to you. I will go. Shiloh and I still need to reach out to her contact in Colorado, and we can do that on the drive.”
“Fine.”
“Save your warnings, skinwalker,” Tennyson said. “I will not betray Shiloh’s trust. You have my word.”
Jaxon still looked pissed. The over-protectiveness was both charming and annoying. I get he had feelings for me and wanted to protect me, but I could handle myself and had since I was a teenager. And if we had dated, that was probably one of the big reasons why we broke up. Hard to work side-by-side with a lover when you’re both getting shot at, or attacked by an angry pixie cloud.
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