In celebration of Friday the 13th, my paranormal romance, STRICKEN, is FREE on Amazon through the 17th!
Only one immortal can save them, and only one mortal can stand in his way…
It took only four months to bring the angels to their knees… With a virus ravaging the fallen angels on earth, mankind’s symbol of love and hope is at risk of extinction.
Centuries ago, a group of angelic warriors known as The Fallen risked everything to save themselves and carve a future for their kind. Hope slips away as The Fallen and their kin are cut down by an ancient menace, LaMorte Nera—and no one saw it coming. Only one immortal can save them, and only one mortal can stand in his way… When Nephilim warrior Killian St. James sets out on a quest to find a cure, he and his blade-brothers discover nineteen-year-old Aubrey Carter—a human with a past as dark as it is mysterious—cowering in an abandoned house in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee. The corrupted races are chasing her, and Killian is determined to find out why… But neither he nor Aubrey are prepared for their attraction to one another, or for the frightening truths lurking in the shadows. The painful childhood memories Aubrey has buried hold precious answers. Answers that threaten to tear Killian's world apart. With her life hanging in the balance, Killian must choose between the future of The Fallen, and the human girl he's pledged to protect. Demons are rising, and this time they plan to win the war for dominion once and for all.
The hair at the back of his neck began to rise. A rank odor burned at his nose—a combination of rotting flesh, diseased blood, and layers of filth. He heard the familiar, empty echo an instant before the kitten began yowling in Aubrey’s arms, scrambling for freedom.
“What i—?”
“Move,” Killian shouted as the front door burst open.
A vampire barreled into the apartment, aiming straight for Aubrey. Pus and blood oozed from open wounds as he stumbled forward, snarling wordlessly. Saliva dripped from his fangs, mixing with blood from his dry, cracked lips.
Killian dove in front of Aubrey, positioning himself to take the impact of the vampire’s lurching dash toward them. The demon hit him hard, slamming him into the wall. It splintered, shards of plaster and wood gouging at his skin before the pieces snapped in half.
He leapt to his feet as soon as the vampire’s momentum stopped dragging him backward, his knee connecting with the vampire’s stomach as the demon opened his mouth to speak.
Reaching into his sleeves to grab his blades, Killian spun. He plunged one knife into the demon’s neck, turning twisted speech into a bloody gurgle. He knew what the vamp was trying to say, though. Aubrey’s name still echoed in his broken mind.
The vampire jerked sideways, causing Killian to slip. The blade in his other hand stabbed deeply into his palm. The silver burned as it sliced through his flesh, but the wound was the least of Killian’s concerns.
The vampire reached out toward Aubrey. His lips formed her name again.
She yelped as Killian grabbed the hilt of the knife and tore it from his palm before stabbing it into the vamp’s throat alongside his other knife, nearly decapitating the creature. Diseased blood splattered as Killian leaped as far backward as possible, curling his sliced hand into a fist to keep any of the infected blood from entering the gash on his palm.
The vampire twitched once and slid down the wall.
Aubrey’s kitten continued to yowl in terror as blood splashed across Killian’s shirt.
He jerked it off quickly, shredding the fabric in his haste to get it away from his skin.
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered when the shirt tangled.
“Killian!” Aubrey cried out and then jerked him backward.
His already precarious footing gave.
He toppled over as the vamp’s fangs clamped together where his leg had been.
Aubrey grabbed one of the knives still in the demon’s throat and plunged it into the thing’s chest.
The vampire gurgled, blood spurting from the gaping hole in his neck, and then lay still.
Shocked silence followed for a heartbeat before the kitten began yowling again.
Terror stole the color from Aubrey's cheeks as she stared down at the demon, horror flashing in her green eyes. Killian flipped to his feet and dragged her into his arms. Her entire body shook, trembling so hard, she looked like a little tree buffeted by strong winds. But she didn’t cling to him or cry. She burrowed willingly into his embrace and looped her arms around his waist, offering comfort as much as she took it.
The desire to kiss her rose swiftly.
