AN UNLUCKY MOON
A DANTE'S CIRCLE NOVEL
BY
CARRIE ANN RYAN
Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to
believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within
their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans
to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something
changes?
He's spent the last few years in
hell fighting in the demon games and doing things that would haunt even the
fiercest of men's nightmares.But now Hunter Brooks is back in the human realm,
ready to take on the Pack that left him behind...and take the mate he's just
met.
Becca Quinn is one of the seven
lightning-struck women—a human who isn't so human and only needs to find her
true half to unlock all thatshe could be. Hunter, the dangerous, sexy wolf, has
saved her life twice, and yet
she knows nothing about him—only that she wants to know everything she can.
Between the Pack's council and
strangers who could take everything away from them, Becca and Hunter have more
to fight and everything to fight for. Hunter's dark past takes over their
courtship,and just when he thinks all his lost, he’ll find that Becca’s more
than he—or she—ever thought.
Warning: Contains a sexy wolf who
broods with the best of them, a woman who defines the term unlucky, and a
chemistry that's sure to make the wolf howl in all of us.
EXCERPT
Hunter had been back in the human realm for a
full month, yet change took time. After Ambrose, Jamie, and Balin—and of
course the young demon, Fawkes—had rescued him from the depths of hell,
he’d returned to the realm he’d grown up in.
Unlike most supernaturals, wolf shifters and some other types of shifters lived within the human realm but were hidden deep within the forests. Their own magic kept the humans away and their secrets buried. Other supernaturals lived in other realms that were accessible through only the human realm. It was as if the humans themselves were the glue that held everyone together.
Fitting considering the humans weren’t really humans at all but merely diluted down versions of supernaturals themselves. They didn’t know the things that went bump in the night were real and had no idea that, within themselves, they held the ability to change into another being…if something were to alter their course, that is.
Hunter had grown up with the humans around him and his Pack at his side. They might be dark and depraved in the best of times, but he’d loved them like his own.
He’d thought he’d return to the Pack he’d known, but that had not been the case.
Four years was a long time to be gone.
Everything had changed and not for the better. Though one thing might offer the light on his horizon.
He’d left her alone so he could find his place and be better for her. Now it was time.
He’d find her soon. His Becca.
“You must be thinking about a woman,” Alec teased as they made their way back to Liam’s home. “You’re smiling.”
Hunter grunted then walked inside the place with Liam and Alec following. He turned on the lights and stretched his arms over his head. He was damned tired after that run even though he still felt a bit on edge since he hadn’t hunted big game.
“I don’t smile,” Hunter growled.
Alec just shook his head and stole a beer from Liam’s fridge. Liam scowled and slapped the back of Alec’s head.
“You never ask to take my shit,” Liam snapped.
Alec frowned. “I didn’t think I had to, Murray,” he drawled.
Hunter blinked at the two of them, their tension different than it had been before he’d been gone. While before the two had always bickered and annoyed each other, this felt different. Before they’d always smile and get over it, the tension dissipating after a few moments. Now, though, there seemed to be an underlying current between the two that Hunter couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“Guys? It’s beer. Get over it.”
The two men swiveled their heads at him and glared. They might have looked nothing alike, Liam with his dark looks and blue eyes, Alec with his brown hair and green eyes, but right then, they had the same expression.
Hunger, anger, and confusion all rolled into one.
What the hell?
Looking at Liam, Alec twisted off the beer cap then took a long swig. Liam’s jaw clenched as he ground his teeth together, and then he handed Hunter a bottle.
Hunter looked between the two men but put his questions aside. He had enough to deal with without delving into whatever drama they had.
“Tell me about what I missed,” he said after a minute of awkward silence.
“Everything, Hunter,” Liam said.
“No shit,” Hunter snapped. “Give me specifics.”
“When you left—” Alec began then cut himself off. The other man clenched his jaw then took a deep breath. “No, when you were taken, things went to shit. We still don’t know how you were taken to the demons, Hunter. You have to believe that.”
Hunter nodded and meant that. He knew the two men in this room wouldn’t have sold him to the demons. That was all he knew though. He had his ideas of what had happened, but no proof.
Finding out how he’d been sold as a slave to the highest demon bidder was high on his list of priorities.
Liam cleared his throat then put his hand on Alec’s shoulder before sitting down on the couch. Alec shot him a look, and Liam pulled his arm away.
“When you left, Masterson, Lloyd, and Jacobs thought they found an opening for their plan,” Liam continued. “They’ve never hidden from those who’ve looked as though they want to take over the Pack.
They want to bring the wolves into the twenty-first century, as they put it, and force a democracy.”
Hunter cursed. “We’re wolves. That cannot happen. None of the other Packs who have tried that have survived. We’re not humans. We have wolves wrapped around us, deep within the very aspects of our souls and beings. Denying an Alpha should hurt.”
Liam nodded. “You’re not telling us anything Alec and I haven’t said before. The amount of pain, though, depends on the Alpha.”
Hunter held back a grimace. “Josiah is getting older, but we don’t age like humans. His power should only increase with age.”
Alec shook his head. “Not without a Beta who can support him or without the magics that got him the position anyway. An Alpha can’t survive without a Beta. Josiah holds all the magic and strength of the entire Pack on his shoulders, but he can’t rule and be himself without another to lean on.”
Hunter nodded. “He would have been fine if he hadn’t lost Clara.”
Liam ran a hand through his hair. “She’s been gone for a decade, Hunter. Josiah is stronger than he gives himself credit for, but he can’t do it alone. He shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
“And Samuel, may he rest in peace, wasn’t strong enough to protect him,” Alec whispered.
Hunter didn’t wince or move at the mention of his late brother’s failures. No, that wasn’t quite right. He couldn’t call his brother’s decision a failure since the boy had done all in his power to protect the Pack. It just hadn’t been good enough. There had never been any question that Samuel hadn’t been strong enough for the position, but the kid should never have been put in harm’s way to begin with. If Hunter had been there, Samuel would be alive.
That above all else would be something that would haunt Hunter until the day he died.
“Have you found his killer?” Hunter asked, his voice low, deadly.
Alec shook his head. “No, but we can make guesses.”
“The three bastards who think they can take over the Pack.” Hunter clenched his fists, his fury riding him hard.
“You’re here now and named Beta in truth,” Liam said. “We couldn’t do it alone, not and keep our families alive and the Pack fluid, but we’ll be by your side, Hunter.”
Hunter nodded but stayed silent.
“The struggle has only just started, Hunter,” Alec put in. “We don’t know what the others have in store, and we don’t know exactly what they’ve done in the past. All we know is that we’ll protect Josiah and you with our lives.”
Hunter inclined his head at the two men who had been his best friends since they were pups. The three of them had always been thick as thieves, and when they’d grown into adult wolves, they’d taken their positions as council members and Beta in stride.
Alone they were strong.
Together they were stronger.
“This will cause a war if we’re not careful,” Liam murmured.
“We’re already in a war,” Hunter said flatly. “We just need to make sure it’s contained.”
The last thing he wanted was to bring their conflict into the other realms and hurt the humans.
Especially one particular human. She’d already been hurt once from a supernatural battle, and he’d be damned if he’d let another touch her.
He’d walked away from her once to ensure her safety.
He wouldn’t do it again.
Unlike most supernaturals, wolf shifters and some other types of shifters lived within the human realm but were hidden deep within the forests. Their own magic kept the humans away and their secrets buried. Other supernaturals lived in other realms that were accessible through only the human realm. It was as if the humans themselves were the glue that held everyone together.
Fitting considering the humans weren’t really humans at all but merely diluted down versions of supernaturals themselves. They didn’t know the things that went bump in the night were real and had no idea that, within themselves, they held the ability to change into another being…if something were to alter their course, that is.
Hunter had grown up with the humans around him and his Pack at his side. They might be dark and depraved in the best of times, but he’d loved them like his own.
He’d thought he’d return to the Pack he’d known, but that had not been the case.
Four years was a long time to be gone.
Everything had changed and not for the better. Though one thing might offer the light on his horizon.
He’d left her alone so he could find his place and be better for her. Now it was time.
He’d find her soon. His Becca.
“You must be thinking about a woman,” Alec teased as they made their way back to Liam’s home. “You’re smiling.”
Hunter grunted then walked inside the place with Liam and Alec following. He turned on the lights and stretched his arms over his head. He was damned tired after that run even though he still felt a bit on edge since he hadn’t hunted big game.
“I don’t smile,” Hunter growled.
Alec just shook his head and stole a beer from Liam’s fridge. Liam scowled and slapped the back of Alec’s head.
“You never ask to take my shit,” Liam snapped.
Alec frowned. “I didn’t think I had to, Murray,” he drawled.
Hunter blinked at the two of them, their tension different than it had been before he’d been gone. While before the two had always bickered and annoyed each other, this felt different. Before they’d always smile and get over it, the tension dissipating after a few moments. Now, though, there seemed to be an underlying current between the two that Hunter couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“Guys? It’s beer. Get over it.”
The two men swiveled their heads at him and glared. They might have looked nothing alike, Liam with his dark looks and blue eyes, Alec with his brown hair and green eyes, but right then, they had the same expression.
Hunger, anger, and confusion all rolled into one.
What the hell?
Looking at Liam, Alec twisted off the beer cap then took a long swig. Liam’s jaw clenched as he ground his teeth together, and then he handed Hunter a bottle.
Hunter looked between the two men but put his questions aside. He had enough to deal with without delving into whatever drama they had.
“Tell me about what I missed,” he said after a minute of awkward silence.
“Everything, Hunter,” Liam said.
“No shit,” Hunter snapped. “Give me specifics.”
“When you left—” Alec began then cut himself off. The other man clenched his jaw then took a deep breath. “No, when you were taken, things went to shit. We still don’t know how you were taken to the demons, Hunter. You have to believe that.”
Hunter nodded and meant that. He knew the two men in this room wouldn’t have sold him to the demons. That was all he knew though. He had his ideas of what had happened, but no proof.
Finding out how he’d been sold as a slave to the highest demon bidder was high on his list of priorities.
Liam cleared his throat then put his hand on Alec’s shoulder before sitting down on the couch. Alec shot him a look, and Liam pulled his arm away.
“When you left, Masterson, Lloyd, and Jacobs thought they found an opening for their plan,” Liam continued. “They’ve never hidden from those who’ve looked as though they want to take over the Pack.
They want to bring the wolves into the twenty-first century, as they put it, and force a democracy.”
Hunter cursed. “We’re wolves. That cannot happen. None of the other Packs who have tried that have survived. We’re not humans. We have wolves wrapped around us, deep within the very aspects of our souls and beings. Denying an Alpha should hurt.”
Liam nodded. “You’re not telling us anything Alec and I haven’t said before. The amount of pain, though, depends on the Alpha.”
Hunter held back a grimace. “Josiah is getting older, but we don’t age like humans. His power should only increase with age.”
Alec shook his head. “Not without a Beta who can support him or without the magics that got him the position anyway. An Alpha can’t survive without a Beta. Josiah holds all the magic and strength of the entire Pack on his shoulders, but he can’t rule and be himself without another to lean on.”
Hunter nodded. “He would have been fine if he hadn’t lost Clara.”
Liam ran a hand through his hair. “She’s been gone for a decade, Hunter. Josiah is stronger than he gives himself credit for, but he can’t do it alone. He shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
“And Samuel, may he rest in peace, wasn’t strong enough to protect him,” Alec whispered.
Hunter didn’t wince or move at the mention of his late brother’s failures. No, that wasn’t quite right. He couldn’t call his brother’s decision a failure since the boy had done all in his power to protect the Pack. It just hadn’t been good enough. There had never been any question that Samuel hadn’t been strong enough for the position, but the kid should never have been put in harm’s way to begin with. If Hunter had been there, Samuel would be alive.
That above all else would be something that would haunt Hunter until the day he died.
“Have you found his killer?” Hunter asked, his voice low, deadly.
Alec shook his head. “No, but we can make guesses.”
“The three bastards who think they can take over the Pack.” Hunter clenched his fists, his fury riding him hard.
“You’re here now and named Beta in truth,” Liam said. “We couldn’t do it alone, not and keep our families alive and the Pack fluid, but we’ll be by your side, Hunter.”
Hunter nodded but stayed silent.
“The struggle has only just started, Hunter,” Alec put in. “We don’t know what the others have in store, and we don’t know exactly what they’ve done in the past. All we know is that we’ll protect Josiah and you with our lives.”
Hunter inclined his head at the two men who had been his best friends since they were pups. The three of them had always been thick as thieves, and when they’d grown into adult wolves, they’d taken their positions as council members and Beta in stride.
Alone they were strong.
Together they were stronger.
“This will cause a war if we’re not careful,” Liam murmured.
“We’re already in a war,” Hunter said flatly. “We just need to make sure it’s contained.”
The last thing he wanted was to bring their conflict into the other realms and hurt the humans.
Especially one particular human. She’d already been hurt once from a supernatural battle, and he’d be damned if he’d let another touch her.
He’d walked away from her once to ensure her safety.
He wouldn’t do it again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carrie
Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author.
After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the
romance world and find her werewolf mate - even if it’s just in her books.
Happy endings are always near - even if you have to get over the challenges of
falling in love first.
Carrie
Ann’s Redwood Pack series is a bestselling series that has made the shifter
world even more real to her and has allowed the Dante’s Circle and Holiday,
Montana series to be born. She's also an avid reader and lover of romance and
fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds.
Any recommendations you have are appreciated.
Carrie Ann lives in New
England with her husband and two kittens.
Website | Blog | Facebook Author Page | Facebook Friend | Goodreads | Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan | Pinterest |
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