Alabaster Nights
(A Josie Hawk Companion Novella)
A Vampire with a soul. A Huntress with a knife.
In Nashville, Blood equals Power. Will one taste of Josie Hawk cost Keller everything?
Coming January 2014
Add Alabaster Nights to your Goodreads list!
_________________________
Interested in reading how the tale of Josie and Keller began? Then check Crimson Beat, a novella within the A Celtic Tapestry anthology!
EXCERPT
Keller shoved off
the bar and strode toward the stage, an invisible bond tethering his chest to
the singer. Her voice swirled around him, wrapping him in a cocoon made of
hunger, desire, and need. A waitress walked by, her drink tray held high over
the crowd. Keller reached up and deposited his untouched beverage. Fake blood
would never soothe his cravings. For that matter, no blood, human or animal,
had ever taken the edge off. He had little doubt that all of that was about to
change.
Eyes that had been
full of happiness, as if singing was the only thing that kept her alive,
narrowed to slits so thin he could no longer make out their color.
She knew.
He’d thought she
was human. Perhaps not. A human would never be able to tell he was a night
creature. This new development had Keller even more intrigued.
“Hey, buddy, Watch
out.”
Keller kept his
fangs hidden, briefly looked away from the singer, and reminded himself not to
kill the man wearing a ridiculously oversized hat and an even larger belt
buckle who was currently blocking his path.
Reaching out,
Keller gripped the man’s shoulder, careful not to squeeze hard enough to break
his bones. “Move.” One word, infused with the power of persuasion.
The man blinked
and rushed off the dance floor. Keller refocused his attention back to his… His
what? He hesitated to use the word mate, but everything inside him screamed
that’s exactly who this woman was.
“Big brother. You
made it.”
Keller clenched
his jaw and fought the tension in his body that wanted nothing more than to
pounce on the singer and make her his. Once he felt even a modicum of control,
he turned and offered Sage a genuine smile. His sister. Biological or not did
not matter.
“Of course I made it.” He said. “You know I
can’t deny you anything.” He pulled on Sage’s braid. “Pink?”
Sage hugged him
tight. The singer continued to sing. He squelched the urge to turn and watch.
“This week,
anyway. Eventually my hair will probably fall out from all this dying.” Sage
shrugged. “That’s what wigs are for. Just ask Dolly Parton.”
“Dolly who?”
“Never mind,” Sage
said, laughing.
Sage grabbed his
hand and guided him back to the bar.
Keller positioned
himself so he could see the stage as well as Sage. Sage looked good. Almost
peaceful. Almost. A vampire could never truly find peace. Not until the end
came, and Keller wondered if far worse awaited on the other side. That depended
on which myth one chose to believe.
“So?”
“So, what?” His
sister was up to something. Her eyes sparkled. He couldn’t remember the last
time he had seen her this happy. Maybe never.
“Do you like her?”
Every muscle in
his body stiffened. No. He couldn’t be so transparent that Sage had picked up
on his fixation. “Do I like who?” His words were stilted. He cleared his throat.
She swept her arm
in a circle. “This place? I’m going to buy it,” she said, bouncing on the balls
of her feet.
Keller angled his
head. Buying meant staying, didn’t it? “You’re going to buy a pub?”
Sage shoved him
playfully. “You’re not in Ireland, Keller. This is Nashville and this pub is called a honkytonk.”
“I’ll try to
remember that.”
“But, yes,” she
said with a smile. “To answer your question, I am going to buy it. Isn’t it
great? We’re going to call it Wolfie’s”
The song ended and
the singer stepped down from the stage. Keller tracked her movements as every
nerve in his body strained, begging him to act.
Keller cracked his
neck. The motion did little to ease his headache. “We? Will I approve of this
partner?” He pictured someone taking advantage of Sage’s soft heart. Keller
held his words, but he would not allow Sage to buy this place until Keller met
her partner and agreed with the terms. Sage was family and her safety trumped
her happiness.
The singer marched
through the crowd. Her heart beat in time with her footsteps as her boots
pounded against the wood floor. Something, probably a knife, glinted under the
hem of her skirt. Why the weapon? Her gaze never left his. Keller wore a lazy
smile and waited.
Sage jabbed him in
the ribs with her elbow. “I hope so, bro. She’s awesome.”
He hadn’t
considered that Sage’s partner could be a woman. A thought crept in. Keller
eased off the bar and straightened his suit jacket. “I look forward to meeting
her.”
Deep red hair
bounced as the singer planted her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. She
smiled at Sage before she turned to him. The smile disappeared as her lips
flattened into a thin line.
Keller breathed
deeply—something he rarely did—and his heart, along with another vital organ,
jerked to attention.
“Perfect timing,”
Sage said. “Keller, I’d like you to meet my partner, and best friend, Josephine
Hawk. Josie, this is my brother, Keller.”
The redhead licked
her lips and swept her gaze from his head to his feet and back up.
Keller could not hear over the roar in his ears. Yes.
Josephine Hawk was indeed the one he had
been waiting for.
Elle J Rossi grew up in rural Indiana surrounded by great people, a huge family and more animals than she could count. But the sites and sounds of the world beckoned, so she left her small town to escape into a creative world full of music. As a full time singer she was able to lose herself in a thousand different songs in a hundred different places. After meeting the love of her life and settling down, she yearned to find a new and fulfilling creative outlet. Overly fond of the happily ever after, she wondered what it would be like to have her own characters lead her down dark and twisted paths. The very first word on the very first page sealed her fate. She’d found a new love. She’d found her escape. Now along with weaving haunting tales about the journey to love, she’s creating cover art for authors around the world and loving every second of it. For fun, she cranks country music to take her back to her roots, and sings karaoke anytime she gets a chance. Her husband, two children, and a cat that rules the roost keep her company along the way and guarantee she doesn’t get lost in the enchanted forest. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
Elle J Rossi
Elle J Rossi grew up in rural Indiana surrounded by great people, a huge family and more animals than she could count. But the sites and sounds of the world beckoned, so she left her small town to escape into a creative world full of music. As a full time singer she was able to lose herself in a thousand different songs in a hundred different places. After meeting the love of her life and settling down, she yearned to find a new and fulfilling creative outlet. Overly fond of the happily ever after, she wondered what it would be like to have her own characters lead her down dark and twisted paths. The very first word on the very first page sealed her fate. She’d found a new love. She’d found her escape. Now along with weaving haunting tales about the journey to love, she’s creating cover art for authors around the world and loving every second of it. For fun, she cranks country music to take her back to her roots, and sings karaoke anytime she gets a chance. Her husband, two children, and a cat that rules the roost keep her company along the way and guarantee she doesn’t get lost in the enchanted forest. She wouldn’t have it any other way.Website – Twitter – Facebook
CONTEST
