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Surrender to the Chase Under Realm Assassins Book 2
Written by: Amanda J.Greene
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: 5/26/15
ASIN: B00Y9JE3DS
Number of pages: 117
Word Count: 33,500
Cover Artist: Kim Killion
Book Description:
A
year after the tragic death of his close friend and fellow assassin,
Ethan Halstead is ready to take up his sniper rifle once more. But his
first assignment is nothing he ever expected. Ethan must hunt and
retrieve a beautiful, spirited, alluring werewolf.
Knowing
no other way to escape an arranged marriage, Fraya flees from her pack.
As she contemplates slipping across the border and heading to South
America, she is captured by a dangerously seductive vampire who plans on
escorting her back to her family. Even as Fraya vows to make Ethan's
mission as difficult as possible, she can't resist the riotous desire he
sparks within her.
But
Ethan isn't the only predator that peruses Fraya. A powerful rival
pack's alpha wants to make her his mate. Will Ethan be able to keep
Fraya safe and return her to her pack? Or will he surrender to
temptation and claim Fraya as his own?
Excerpt:
Lightning
splintered the sky. Thunder shook the earth beneath his feet. Damp heat
thickened the air. Any moment, the winds would kick up and the red hued
clouds would release a torrent of rain.
Ethan
loved summer storms and treasured Arizona for its monsoon season. It
was only during the madness of the storm that he found peace. In those
rare, precious moments, the world reflected the chaos that roiled inside
him and he felt… as if he belonged.
Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and savored the soothing
scent of the desert. To his disappointment, he would not be able to
appreciate the beauty of nature’s fury. Clearing his mind, Ethan
unleashed his senses. His mark was close. He could feel her. Crossing
the street, he headed for the quaint coffee shop he frequently sped
past. She was here, which meant he could call an end to this pointless
job.
Ethan was an assassin,
not a damn babysitter. He was an expert tracker and sniper, yet the
Under Realm Syndicate had him chasing after a spoiled little she-wolf.
He had been tasked with fetching the runaway and returning her to her
pack – a complete waste of his time and talents. He couldn’t believe he
had let Cole talk him into this. The fact was this case should’ve never
made the list. Why the Syndicate decided to get involved was beyond his
understanding. This wasn’t a kidnapping or a hostage situation. The
female wasn’t a criminal. She wasn’t a threat to the human world or
Under Realm society.
His
annoyed growl blended with the booming thunder. Cole had insisted Ethan
accept this assignment, “You should be grateful the Syndicate is willing
to give you a second chance. You’ve been out of practice.”
Who
could argue with that logic? Ethan had been off the map for a year.
Most within the Syndicate believed he had been killed on his last
mission.
I should have
been. Shaking his head, he dispelled the thought. He refused to take
sober trips down memory lane. He needed to focus on his task.
The
aroma of freshly ground coffee was overwhelming. Ethan reigned in his
supernatural senses as he stepped inside the shop. The door closed and
the torrential rain began to fall. He did a quick, nonchalant sweep of
the café, careful not to meet anyone’s gaze. Eye contact encouraged
conversation, and he was here on business not pleasure. He would grab
the werewolf, take her back home, and detain her until he could make
arrangements with her father. Simple.
Ethan
walked to the counter. After the blonde and brunette baristas finished
arguing over who would help him, he ordered and received a black coffee.
The cup had both girl’s names and numbers written on it. He thanked
them with a smile. They batted their lashes and insisted he stop by a
college party later that night.
Ethan’s shoulders shook with a light laugh. Naïve mortals.
Turning,
he headed up the winding iron staircase that led to the second floor
loft area. The walls were made almost entirely of glass, providing a
glorious view of the storm. Students sat at the tables working on their
laptops while groups lounged on the sofas discussing the world of social
media.
The delicate scent
of wildflowers drifted through the air, drawing his sharp gaze to the
far corner. There was nothing remarkable about her presence. She
appeared to fit in perfectly with the scene, as if she were just another
co-ed. She wore a pair of skinny jeans and a crimson sweatshirt. She
sat with her feet tucked under her crisscrossed. Leaning over the table,
her long dark brown hair tumbled forward, blocking his view of her
face. Ethan noted the worn, tattered condition of the book she read. Her
frame was small. She seemed fragile, but he knew better. She was
strong, fast, and intelligent. His mark appeared to be ‘normal’ by human
standards, but she was the wolf he was looking for.
Hoping
everything would go smoothly, he advanced. This was a delicate
situation. The female could freak out on him. She could cause a scene,
and he loathed drama just as much as he loathed this particular job. It
was not a search and rescue mission. No, it was a
track-down-a-spoiled-brat-and-take-her-home mission. A simpleton could
do it. Why it had to be done was beyond him. At twenty-four, she was an
adult. She had a degree in biology and was a werewolf; she was more than
capable of taking care of herself.
Who cares? Grab the girl and go.
Ethan
quickly reminded himself of the two basic rules: never become
personally involved with your mark and strike first, ask questions later
– if you cared about asking question at all.
As
he approached the woman, he felt a slight tremor in the air. A warning?
A threat? Someone was watching them. He set his senses loose once more,
scanning the café for the source of the violent energy, but it had
vanished just as quickly as it had arrived.
The
girl must have felt the glimmer of danger. Her gaze snapped up and met
his. Her warm, honey colored eyes were round with surprise. Her tempting
red lips parted with a silent gasp. Ethan froze. She was… more than
beautiful.
She blinked up
at him. Her gaze innocently seductive, her mouth violently tempting, and
her wild flower scent was overwhelming. His body reacted instantly. It
had been years since he’d felt such a strong, instant attraction. He
watched her lick her lips; lust shot through him like a lightning
strike. Oh, yes. The wolf was alluring and, to his surprise, he was
disappointed that she was his mark.
“Hi,”
she said with a nervous lilt to her voice. Ethan mentally shook himself
and crossed over to stand at the chair opposite her.
“Hi,” he replied.
Thunder
rumbled; the force shook the glass walls. The girl flinched and her
gaze fell from his. For a soundless moment, she sat with her hands
clasped in her lap, her head tilted down. The mortals gasped and laughed
as another boom shook the windows.
“You may sit,” she said, her voice low, barely audible.
Ethan
could smell the fear that sparked within her. Was she frightened of the
storm, or what possibly lurked outside? An overwhelming sense of
protectiveness settled over him and he frowned. He didn’t like it. He
wasn’t the protective type.He was a killer not a savior.
Focus and get this over with.
“Not a fan of thunderstorms?” he asked as he claimed the chair.
She
straightened and fixed her gaze on him once more. Her expression was
bland, her cute stubborn chin titled up, her shoulders back. She looked
regal and refined. Every bit the aristocrat she was.
“I’m accustomed to snow storms.”
“Really? Where are you from?”
“Minnesota,” she answered with a hint of hesitation.
He smiled and was shocked he didn’t have to fake it. “You’re a long way from home.”
She shrugged and returned her attention to her book.
Ethan
took a sip of the surprisingly good coffee and relaxed in his seat. He
picked up a golf magazine, which rested on the table beside them, and
began flipping through the pages. He wasn’t at all interested in golf.
Being a vampire, he preferred keeping out of the sun. Although, contrary
to popular lore, he wouldn’t burst into flame or turn to ash. He could
work on his tan, he just preferred not to.
He
casually glanced over at the werewolf and inwardly groaned. She was
reading a list of the top ten hot spots in Chile. It appeared she was
interested in sunbathing and he couldn’t stop the image of her in a
bikini from cropping up in his mind even if he’d wanted to. And he
certainly did not want to erase the image.
She
sighed, closed the book, and tucked it away in her backpack, which hung
off the back of her chair. She took up her latte and settled her gaze
on him. Her lips turned up with a sweet smile.
“You don’t strike me as the golfing type.”
He raised a brow and tossed the magazine down on the table between them. “No?”
She
shook her head, her long dark curls waving around her shoulders. “Not
at all. You look like you’d rather go to a shooting range than work on
your golf swing.”
Ethan couldn’t argue with that. He’d had his basement converted into an indoor gun range.
“Very observant,” he said. “What about you? What’s your hobby?”
She
bit her bottom lip as she contemplated. Ethan wanted to bite it for
her. “Traveling. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. You know, see
the world, and experience different cultures.”
“Is that what your trip to Arizona is all about?” he asked.
“More or less,” she answered with a shrug.
“Well,
South America is beautiful.” Her eyes grew wide. She leaned forward,
placing her hands on the table. Excitement laced her voice, “You’ve
been?”
Ethan shifted closer
and reached for her hand. The air trembled with another flicker of
danger just before the lights went out. Darkness flooded the café.
His
mark shoved away from the table, snatched her backpack, and darted
toward the stairs. Ethan was right behind her. The mortals grumbled
complaints, some laughed, while others stumbled through the dark. She
was about to reach the exit when the door flew open, crashing against
the wall. Humans screamed and shouted in alarm. The girl froze, and
Ethan cursed. Clearly, he hadn’t been the only one searching for her. He
could sense the alpha’s presence and, judging by his target’s reaction,
so could she.
Ethan
grabbed her wrist. She swung around. Her fist raised, her honey colored
eyes glowed, and her fangs bared. Shadows of a wolf’s fierce visage
flickered over the fine features of her face. Her fierce growl vibrated
her entire body. Ethan ignored the warning and tugged on her arm,
pulling her toward the emergency exit at the back of the coffee shop.
He pushed the door open. His mark tried to twist free of his hold, but he held her firm.
“Let go of me,” she demanded, her voice roughened by her partial transformation.
“Not a chance, sweetheart.” She growled and fought harder.
He
wasn’t surprised by her strength and knew she was still holding back.So
was he. Pushing her now soaked and tangled hair from her face, she
snarled, “What’s going on?”
“I thought it was obvious,” he said.
“That you’re attempting to kidnap me?”
Ethan shook his head. “No. That you have an alpha hunting your ass.”
Her
stare was one of confusion, awe, and horror. She stopped, and he
paused. Literally dragging her across the street would draw unwanted
attention. He reluctantly released her wrist. She was soft and warm
while he was hard and cold. A frown creased his brow when the sharp
sense of loss pricked his long dead heart. On some level, he’d enjoyed
the feel of her.
She blinked up at him. Her large, honey eyes sparkled with fear. “W-what did you say?”
His chest rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “I’ll explain. For now, come with me.”
She shook her head.
Ethan glanced over his shoulder, scanning the parking lot for any sign of the alpha. He could sense the wolf was close.
“We
don’t have much time. We need to go.” The woman fell back a step and
Ethan’s body tensed. His instincts flared. She retreated another step.
Would she run? A part of him wished she would. He loved the chase. The
hunt. His heart began to pound, his pupils dilated, and his fangs began
to sharpen, all in anticipation.
“Don’t!"
This is the second book in the Under Realm Assassins
series. Having said that, I thought the book did well as a stand-a-lone
book. The pace was a fast track, but that was okay with it's strong
characters without a lot of fluff to cloud things up. I like that it has
a straight forward plot line with some intrigue and suspense.
Even
though there is a werewolf and vampire; it didn't feel like it was a
cookie cutter story that has been done over and over. There was a few
risque scenes between the vampire: Ethan and the female lead &
werewolf, Fraya as they try to deal with Fraya's father and an alpha
werewolf that stalks Fraya.
It
would probably have a PG-15 rating for those who might not give it to a
young adult reader. There is a bit of violence in the fight scene but
not too graphic. Both the sex and fight scene don't cause a huge blimp
on the map as in comparison to some other books & TV that I have
across for young adults.
I really liked the book and I am going to give it 4 out of 5 stars.
The
sneak peek that I got from the provided ARC has me (in exchange for my
humble but honest opinion) looking to see if my library has this
series. If not, I'm going to request that they would consider
purchasing it so I can share with other paranormal readers in my area.
It
is time to show you the other stops on the tour where you can find
interviews, guest blogs and so much more. So be sure to stop by and say
"Hello".
July 6 Spotlight
I Love Books
July 6 Spotlight
Indy Book Fairy
July 6 Review
Books and Authors
July 7 Guest blog
Urban Fantasy Investigations
July 7 Spotlight
Vampires, Werewolves, & Fairies, Oh My
July 7 Spotlight
Jodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog
July 8 Spotlight
The Bookish and The Romantic
July 8 Review
I Smell Sheep
July 8 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
July 9 Guest blog
Butterfly-o-Meter Books
July 9 Spotlight
Susan’s Books I Like
July 10 Interview
Sophia Tallon
July 10 Review
Tipsy Ink
July 13 Review
Ramblings of a Quilter (This is Me)
July 13 Review
Books Books and More Books
July 13 Spotlight
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, and Sissy, Too!
Amanda
J. Greene is a paranormal romance author. When she is not writing, she
can be found playing the role of a university student who also works
full time. She lives in Southern California with her very supportive
husband and their two dogs. Doing all the above and being a military
wife is not easy, but rewarding! Of course, she accomplishes everything
with a strong cup of coffee in her hand.
Amanda is also an associate reviewer on The Book Nympho blog.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandajgreene1
Of course there is another give-a-way along with this book tour. And such a great prize indeed!! Yes this time around we have:
2 e-book copies of the Under Realm Assassin series
So that wraps up another edition for my BBT postings this week. Until next time...
Toodles,
Tricia
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