Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series) (47 page)

Savannah
looked up from examining her fingernails and sighed.  "Finished?"

"Why’s your... Celestia requesting a meeting and when?"  Rebecca asked trying to move this meeting along. 

"The when is tomorrow, two hours before the counsel meeting.  The why, you’ll have to wait and see."

"I thought you were the official liaison."  Rebecca countered; irritation clear in her voice.

"I am."  She tilted her head to the side and examined Rebecca with new eyes, cold eyes.  

"So why can't you tell me the purpose of this meeting?"

"Because I choose not to."  She started towards the door and Gabriel stood in her way preventing her from exiting.  "Are you asking for another kiss?"

"Give her an acceptable answer."  His arms firmly crossed his chest, creating a barrier that would be difficult to pass.

"Or what, you’ll keep me here against my will?  Use me to get my sister's attention?"  She faked a yawn.  “That was already done, remember?”  

Rebecca didn't have to see her face to know
Savannah was lashing out because she was in pain.  She heard it in Savvy’s voice and saw it in Gabriel's demeanor.  Her words cut into him, too, but not enough to make him shirk his duty.  

Savvy sighed heavily, again.  It was something she would never do as the human sister Rebecca grew up with.
 "Okay, she wants to prepare you for the information she’ll be revealing at the counsel meeting tomorrow night.  You know where to find us.  May I go now?"

It was actually an absurd question.
 In truth, vampires had a natural defense against werewolves just as wolves had a natural defense against them.  The only upper hand they had was that the wolves’ human state was weaker than their human state, but not by much, and because Rebecca was an alpha and Gabriel was her enforcer they both had the ability to change to wolves in seconds at anytime of the month.  Betas, on the other hand, were not so lucky.

"We’ll be there
, sister.  Have a good day."   

Thank you for reading this book.  Book two is scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2014.

Be sure to like Jami Brumfield’s author page and the Lone Wolf Rising book page on Facebook for updates and other great news.

Harvest from Indie Author Michele E. Gwynn creates Sci-Fi suspense in a short read that will leave you disturbed!

“
Human greed and gluttony can exist only so long before consequences catch up to actions. For Dave Forrester, the actions of every human living were about to be addressed in his home town of Farley, Oklahoma. A haunting memory from the past is about to become a nightmare. The people of Farley have disappeared without a trace. It's up to Dave to figure out why, and how to save the few that survive....the harvest.

Amazon.com Reader Reviews for Harvest:

From S. Warfield, an Amazon.com Top 1000 Reviewer – “
This is a very well-written sci-fi story that has a creep factor that is off the chart. It is frightening and the story also has a moral lesson to it. I really enjoyed reading it and it is definitely a page-turner. A very creative short story from this author.”

From Independent Filmmaker Emanuel Bermudez – “A
must read!
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely a page turner for anyone who likes a good sci-fi book. In fact I would be bold enough to say that if you've never read Sci-fi, this is a great start.”

From Indie Author Rebecca Alizadeh
– “
Hooks you and keeps you reading start to finish!
 
What a great sci-fi short story! For fans (or even not-so-great fans) of sci-fi will be completely hooked from the beginning. The story is well written, suspenseful and keeps you guessing until the end.

Harvest

By Michele E. Gwynn

C
hapter 1

June, 2010

Traveling home after a night out was not unusual for Dave Forrester.  It was a Saturday night like any other.  He’d hung out with his buddies at the local watering hole, and after a few games of pool and a round or two of darts interspersed with beer and shots of Wild Turkey, he had clapped his buds on their arms, shaken hands, and promised to meet up again next week.  So far, the only thing out of the ordinary had been the cute redhead seated at the far end of the bar all night.  He kept sneaking looks at her, but Dave never quite got up the courage to approach her.  She was prettier than he was used to, and he struggled with a slight inferiority complex.

So when last call came around, he finished off his Corona, told his best buddy, Red, he’d see him tomorrow sometime, glanced briefly at the pretty lady, (offering the customary tipping of his hat in her direction) before heading out the door to his Chevy truck.  Yep, nothing was new tonight but the same old-same old, and going home alone.  Dave sighed heavily, feeling incredibly lonely.  It had been a long time since he last was in a relationship; so long that he had forgotten how nice it felt to have a woman’s arms around his waist at night or how sweet the sound of feminine laughter could be.  He might not remember those things but he knew he missed them. 

It had been three years since Sherry had dumped him after cheating on him with a married man twice her age.  He still didn’t understand how the hell that had happened, but the only thing Dave could figure out was the fellow was rich, and had more to offer financially than he did.  Sherry always did like gifts, and the stuffed bears, wildflowers and infrequent dinners out to the steakhouse with the all you can eat salad bar hadn’t satisfied her.  God knows he had tried.  Dave felt one lone tear begin in his left eye and he took a deep breath, sucking it up, refusing to allow any more tears to fall for that gal.  Damnit, men just don’t cry.  Sherry was just plain materialistic, and love notes, hand holding, and telling her he loved her hadn’t put designer clothes on her wonderfully sculpted body, hadn’t slid onto her fingers like diamond rings, and could never fly her to Monaco first class like all the other guy’s money had done.  Sherry had no heart and didn’t deserve his. 

With that last thought Dave tried to concentrate on the road ahead of him as he headed off down the country lane that would lead to his old-fashioned farm house on three acres of land.  The house and land had come to him through his grandparents.  When his granddad died five years back, his grandma, Effie, had been all alone in the house, unable to handle the planting and harvesting of the wheat and hay.  Dave’s mom, Lynda, had subtly put the idea into her son’s head to move in with his grandmother, and help take care of things.  Grandma Effie hadn’t wanted to lose the home she’d shared with her husband, Ernest, for over thirty years.  Dave knew he’d end up with no choice in the matter, not that he minded much helping grandma out.  The only setback had been in giving up his bachelor pad apartment which helped put a crimp in his love life with Sherry.  She complained a lot whenever she and Dave had to go to her place to have sex, said a grown man ought to have his own place.  She never understood that sometimes a grown man also had obligations to others as well.  But that was in the past.  Grandma Effie had declined in her health nonetheless after Ernest Hardy’s death.  She just couldn’t seem to find a way to live her life without him, even with her grandson’s help.  She passed on a year and half later, leaving the house and all the land to Dave.  He’d been there ever since, making a go of farming.  It wasn’t much, but he found he loved the simple labor.  It was hard work, but he worked for himself, and what he made off the sale of the wheat and hay paid the bills.  For the most part, Dave was content.

There were no lights out this far along the roadside and one had to really pay attention to what was coming in order not to hit any wild animals running across the road.  It was dark, quiet, and mighty peaceful with the warm July wind whipping through the rolled down, driver’s side window.    Dave drifted off into thought as he cruised along the 30mph stretch.  Another mile and he’d be home, alone with his television and empty bed. 

Behind him, a light streaked across the starless sky like a small comet.  Dave noticed the flash in his rearview mirror.  It grew larger and seemed like it was headed right at the back of his truck.  The light continued to grow until it blinded Dave.  He tried to look in the mirror to see what the hell was going on.  For a split second, he thought a carload of kids had driven up behind him and had their high beams on.  But another split second later, the Chevy truck was fully enclosed in a blinding white light and Dave barely got the chance to mutter “What the..” before a shuddering explosion of sound, or was it an implosion, like millions of conversations at once robbed him of consciousness. 

The truck slowed and rolled to a stop in a small ditch off the side of the lane, just a few hundred yards from Dave’s front lawn.  The light dimmed, and then was gone.  Wisps of frost radiated off the truck and melted into the warm summer night.  All sound seemed to stop.  The air was still, and Dave, unaware and unconscious, fell sideways in his seat belt, hanging suspended above the bench seat.  The car radio spit and sputtered to life, softly playing Hank Williams’ “I’m so lonesome I could die”….