2007, ISBN: 9780708819654

Dell. Good. 4.16 x 1.06 x 6.71 inches. Mass Market Paperback. 2007. 416 pages. Cover worn <br>In a world of sorcery and seduction, th e nights bring out the beautiful, the damned, a… mais…

Dell. Good. 4.16 x 1.06 x 6.71 inches. Mass Market Paperback. 2007. 416 pages. Cover worn <br>In a world of sorcery and seduction, th e nights bring out the beautiful, the damned, and the desired. He re, Riley Jenson is on her own-half werewolf, half vampire, worki ng for an organization created to police the supernatural races. Trusting her superiors and lovers barely more than she trusts her worst enemies, Riley plays by her own set of rules. Her latest m ission: to enter the heavily guarded pleasure palace of a crimina l named Deshon Starr-a madman-scientist who's been messing around in the gene pool for decades. With two sexy men-a cool, seduct ive vampire and an irresistibly hot wolf-vying for her attention, Riley must keep focused. Because saving the world from Deshon St arr will mean saving herself-from the trap that's closing in arou nd her. . . . Editorial Reviews About the Author Keri Arthur fi rst started writing when she was twelve years old, and to date, s he's finished fifteen novels. Her books have received many nomina tions and prizes, including making the final five in the Random H ouse Australia George Turner Prize. She has also been nominated i n the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards, received a 'perfect 10' from Romance Re views Today, as well as being nominated for Best Shapeshifter in PNR's PEARL Awards. She's a dessert and function cook by trade, a nd married to a wonderful man who not only supports her writing, but who also does the majority of the housework. They have one da ughter, and live in Melbourne, Australia. Excerpt. ® Reprinted b y permission. All rights reserved. Chapter One Training sucked. Especially when the main aim of that training was to make me som ething I'd once vowed never to become-a guardian for the Director ate of Other Races. Becoming a guardian might have been inevitab le, and I might have accepted it on some levels, but that didn't mean I had to be happy about the whole process. Guardians were f ar more than just the specialized cops most humans thought them t o be-they were judge, jury, and executioners. None of this legal crap the human cops were forced to put up with. Of course, the pe ople in front of a guardian's metaphoric bullet were generally ou t-of-control psychos who totally deserved to die, but stalking th e night with the aim of ending their undead lives still wasn't so mething that had reached my to-do list. Even if my wolf soul so metimes hungered to hunt more than I might wish to acknowledge. But if there was one thing worse than going through all the train ing that was involved in becoming a guardian, then it was trainin g with my brother. I couldn't con him. Couldn't flirt or flash a bit of flesh to make him forget his train of thought. Couldn't mo an that I'd had enough and that I couldn't go on, because he wasn 't just my brother, but my twin. He knew exactly what I could an d couldn't do, because he could feel it. We mightn't share the te lepathy of twins, but we knew when the other was hurting or in tr ouble. And right now, Rhoan was fully aware of the fact that I w as trying to pike. And he knew why. I had a hot date with an eve n hotter werewolf. In precisely one hour. If I left now, I coul d get home and clean up before Kellen-the hot date in question-ca me by to pick me up. Any later, and he'd see me as the beaten-up scruff I usually was these days. Isn't Liander cooking you a roa st this evening? I said, casually waving the wooden baton I'd bee n given but had yet to use. Mainly because I didn't want to hit m y brother. He, however, didn't have the same problem, and the br uises littering my body proved it. But then, he didn't really wa nt me to be doing this. Didn't want me on the mission drawing ine xorably closer. Yes. He continued to circle me, his pace as casu al as his expression. I wasn't fooled. Couldn't be, when I could feel the tension in his body almost as well as I could feel it in mine. But he has no intention of putting it on until I phone and tell him I'm on my way to his place. It's his birthday. You sho uld be there to celebrate it with him rather than putting me thro ugh the wringer. He shifted suddenly, stepping forward, the bato n a pale blur as he lashed out at me. I ignored the step and the blow, holding still as the breeze of the baton's passing caressed the fingers of my left hand. He was only playing, and we both kn ew it. I wouldn't even see his real move. He grinned. I'll be t here as soon as this is over. And he did invite you along, rememb er. And spoil the private party you have planned? My voice was d ry. I don't think so. Besides, I'd rather party with Kellen. Mea ning Quinn is still out of the picture? Not entirely. I shifted a little, keeping him in sight as he continued to circle. The pad ded green mats that covered the Directorate's sublevel training a rena squeaked in protest under my bare feet. Your sweat is causi ng that, he commented. But there's not nearly enough of it. Jesu s, Rhoan, have a heart. I haven't seen Kellen for nearly a week. I want to play with him, not you. He raised an eyebrow, a devili sh glint in his silver eyes. You get me on the mat, and I'll let you go. It's not you I want on the mat! If you don't fight me, they'll make you fight Gautier. And I don't think either of us wa nts that. And if I do fight you, and do manage to bring you down , they're going to make me fight him, anyway. Which pretty much s ucked. I wasn't overly fond of vampires at the best of times, but some of them-like Quinn, who was in Sydney tending to his airlin e business, and Jack, my boss, and the man in charge of the whole guardian division-were decent people. Gautier was just a murderi ng freak. He might be a guardian, and he might not have done anyt hing wrong just yet, but he was one of the bad guys. He was also a clone made for one specific purpose-to take over the Directorat e. He hadn't made his move yet, but I had an odd premonition that he would, and soon. Rhoan made another feint. This time the bat on skimmed my knuckles, stinging but not breaking skin. I resiste d the urge to shake the pain away and shifted my stance a little, readying for the real attack. So, what's happening between you and Quinn? Nothing had happened, and that was the whole problem. After making such a song and dance about me upholding my end of the deal we'd made, he'd basically played absent lover for the la st few months. I blew out a frustrated breath, lifting the sweaty strands of hair from my forehead. Can't we have this discussion after I play with Kellen? No, he said, and blurred so fast that he literally disappeared from normal sight. And while I could hav e tracked his heat signature with the infrared of my vampire visi on, I didn't actually need to, because my hearing and nose were w olf-sharp. Not only could I hear his light steps on the vinyl mat s as he circled around me, but I could track the breeze of his sp icy, leathery scent. Both were now approaching from behind. I d ove out of the way, twisting around even as I hit the mat, and la shed out with a foot. The blow connected hard and low against the back of his leg, and he grunted, his form reappearing as he stum bled and fought to remain standing. I scrambled upright, and lun ged toward him. I wasn't fast enough by half. He scooted well out of reach and shook his head. You're not taking this seriously, R iley. Yes, I am. Just not as seriously as he'd like me to. Not t his evening, anyway. Are you that desperate to fight Gautier? N o, but I am that desperate to see Kellen. Sexual frustration wasn 't a good thing for anyone, but it was particularly bad for a wer ewolf. Sex was an ingrained part of our culture-we needed it as m uch as a vampire needed blood. And this goddamn training had been taking up so much of my free time that I hadn't even been able t o get down to the Blue Moon for some action. I blew out another breath, and tried to think calm thoughts. As much as I didn't wa nt to hurt my brother, if that was the only way out of here, then I might have to try. But if I did succeed in beating him, then Jack might take that as a sign I was ready for the big one. And p art of me feared that-feared that no matter what Jack said, my br other was right when he said that I shouldn't be doing this. That I was never going to be ready for it, no matter how much trainin g I got. That I'd screw it all up, and put everyone's life in da nger. Not that Rhoan had actually said that last one. But as the time to infiltrate Deshon Starr's crime cartel drew nearer, it w as in my thoughts more and more. It's a stupid rule, and you kno w it, I said eventually. Fighting Gautier doesn't prove anything. He is the best at what he does. Fighting him makes guardians re ady for what they may face out there. Difference is, I don't wan t to become a full-time guardian. You have no choice now, Riley. I knew that, but that didn't mean I still couldn't rail against the prospect, even if my protests were only empty words. Hell, i f Jack came up to me today and offered me the chance to walk away from becoming a guardian, I wouldn't, because there was no way i n hell I'd walk away from the chance of making Deshon Starr pay. Not only because of what he'd done to me, but what he'd done to M isha, and to Kade's partner, and all those countless men and wome n still locked in breeding cells somewhere. Not to mention all t he things given life in his labs-abominations nature would never have created, creatures born for two purposes only. To kill as or dered, and to die as ordered. A chill ran across my skin. I'd on ly come across a few of those creatures, but I had a bad, bad fee ling that before this month was out, I'd see a whole lot more tha n I ever wanted to. I licked my lips, and tried to concentrate o n Rhoan. If I had to get him down on the mat to get out of here, then I would. I wanted, needed, to grab a little bit more of a no rmal life before the crap set in again. Because it was coming. I could feel it. A shadow flickered across one of the windows li ning the wall to the right of Rhoan. Given it was nearly six, it was probably just a guardian getting himself ready for the evenin g's hunt. This arena was on sublevel 5, right next to the guardia n sleeping quarters. Which, amusingly, did contain coffins. Some vamps just loved living up to human expectations, even if they we ren't actually necessary. Not that any humans ever came down he re. That would be like leading a lamb into the midst of a hungry den of lions. To say it would get ugly very quickly would be an u nderstatement. Guardians might be paid to protect humans, but the y sure as hell weren't above snacking on the occasional one, eith er. The shadow slipped past another window, and this time, Rhoan 's gaze flickered in that direction. Only briefly, but that half- second gave me an idea. I twisted, spinning and lashing out with one bare foot. My heel skimmed his stomach, forcing him backward . His baton arced around, his blow barely avoiding my shin, then he followed the impetus of the movement so that he was spinning a nd kicking in one smooth motion. His heel whistled mere inches fr om my nose, and probably would have connected if I hadn't leaned back. He nodded approvingly. Now, that's a little more like it. I grunted, shifting my stance and throwing the baton from one ha nd to the other. The slap of wood against flesh echoed in the sil ence surrounding us, and tension ran across his shoulders. I held his gaze, then caught the baton left-handed and started to hit o ut. Only to pull the blow up short and let my gaze go beyond him. Hi, Jack. Rhoan turned around, and, in that moment, I dropped and kicked his legs out from underneath him. He hit the mat with a loud splat, his surprised expression dissolving quickly into a bark of laughter. The oldest trick in the book, and I fell for i t. I grinned. Old tricks sometimes have their uses. And I guess this means you're free to go. He held up a hand. Help me up. I' m not that stupid, brother. Amusement twinkled in his silvery ey es as he climbed to his feet. Worth a try, I guess. So I can go? That was the deal. He rose and walked across to the side of the arena to grab the towel he'd draped over the railing earlier. Bu t you're back here tomorrow morning at six sharp. I groaned. Tha t's just plain mean. He ran the towel across his spiky red hair, and even though I couldn't see his expression, I knew he was gri nning. Sometimes my brother could be a real pain in the ass. May be next time you'll reconsider the option of cheating. It's not cheating if it works. Though his smile still lingered, little of that amusement reached his eyes. He was worried, truly worried, about my part in the mission we'd soon embark on. He didn't want me to do this any more than I'd wanted him to become a guardian. But as he'd said to me all those years ago, some directions in li fe just had to be accepted. You're here to learn defense and off ense, he said. Inane tricks won't save your life. If they only s ave it once, then they're worth trying. He shook his head. I can see I'm not going to talk any sense into you until after the sex fest. Glad you finally caught the gist of my whole conversation for the last hour. I grinned. And hey, look on the bright side: L iander's going to be mighty pleased to see you at a normal hour f or a change. He grunted. Well, if he wasn't so damn clingy, he m ight see me early more often. I raised my eyebrows at the annoya nce in his tone. He gives you free rein to be with who you want. I hardly call that clingy. I know, but- He stopped and shrugged. I don't know if I can give him what he wants. I don't know if I' ll ever be able to. Which was almost exactly what I'd said to Qu inn two months ago. It was amazing how our love lives seemed to b e following similar lines-although my reasons for saying those wo rds to Quinn were entirely different than my brother's statement. Rhoan actually loved Liander. I couldn't say the same about Quin n. Hell, we barely even knew each other beyond the realms of sex. And at least Liander had stuck with Rhoan, through good times a nd bad. Quinn had done a runner yet again, despite his declared i ntention of not letting me go until we'd fully explored this thin g between us. How he, Dell, 2007, 2.5, Futura Publications, 1981. New Edition. vg++. WW2 1st Futura 1981 edition paperback vg++ condition. In stock shipped from our UK warehouse, Futura Publications, 1981, 3<

1981, ISBN: 9780708819654

Futura Publications, 1981. New Edition. vg++. WW2 1st Futura 1981 edition paperback vg++ condition. In stock shipped from our UK warehouse, Futura Publications, 1981, 3

1981, ISBN: 9780708819654

Paperback, Vg++, [PU: Futura Publications]