CARNAL, The Beast Who Loved Me
Exiled
Book One
Victoria Danann
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: 7th House
Date of Publication: February 15, 2016
Number of pages: 366
Word Count: 91k
Cover Artist: Victoria Danann
Book Description:
The angel, Kellareal, stopped the genocide of generations of hybrids, who had been bred for research and spent their entire lives imprisoned. Against orders, he spirited them away to a dimension where they would have freedom and purpose.
In a vindictive fit, Rosie Storm asked Kellareal for a place to hide out. He knew just the place for her to grow up, learn emotional control, and other things.
Excerpt:
The angel
motioned her over.
“Rosie, this is
Free. He’s the leader of the Exiled here at Newland.” Kellareal turned to Free.
“This is my adopted niece, Rosie.”
Rosie jerked her
attention to the angel. She’d never heard him suggest a title for their
relationship before, adopted or otherwise.
“With your
permission, I need a couple of minutes with Rosie to say goodbye. I’ll be back
in a couple of weeks to check on things.”
“Always good to
see you,” Free said to Kellareal, in a voice so gravelly it almost startled
Rosie.
The angel took
her by the elbow and walked her toward the edge of the settlement, near the
wall.
“So here are the
rules.”
“Rules?” She
almost sounded alarmed.
“Yes. Rules,” he
clipped, sounding serious enough to get her full attention. “Extraordinary
measures have made these people stronger and smarter than humans. Given the
right circumstances, they’re also more dangerous. As far as they know, you’re a
human girl, who needs a place to hide out for a bit. I don’t want them to
suspect differently. Do you get me?”
She pulled back,
looking affronted. “Yes! I get you! You don’t want me to do anything a…” She
made quotation marks with her fingers. “…’human girl’ wouldn’t do.”
“Exactly. And
lose the adolescent attitude.” She rolled her eyes. “Rosie, please don’t make
me look bad.”
She sighed.
“Okay. I appreciate this.”
“Well, I hope
you still feel that way in a couple of weeks of working here.”
“Working?” She
seemed surprised.
“Yes. Working.
It’s not all kittens and rainbows here. Pull your socks up.”
Rosie was
narrowing her eyes and gearing up for a reply when Kellareal vanished leaving
her wondering what ‘pull your socks up’ means. She turned toward the Exiled leader,
whom Kellareal had called the Extant, and began walking in his direction. When
a gust of wind ruffled her hair, she looked toward the east, where the human
city could be seen below and in the distance.
Free looked down
at her and smiled when she reached him. “Let’s get you situated. I see you
didn’t bring belongings?”
She looked
around like she’d misplaced them. “No. I guess I didn’t think about it.”
“No matter.
We’ll sort it out. You can stay at my house with my family. We can always use
help at the Commons. The unmated males spend a lot of time there. Drinking.
Eating. Since they’re not mated.” He added, smiling as if that explained the
whole of the universe. “If anybody gives you any trouble or unwanted attention,
just come to me. I’ll take care of it.”
For a scant
instant she wondered what it might be like to be a young woman who had to worry
about men trying to press their physical advantage and thanked the gods she’d
never have to find out how vulnerable that would make someone feel.
“Thank you,” she
smiled in return. “I don’t have any experience working at… um, working.”
Free looked at
her sideways. “You seem capable. You’ll learn.”
By the time they
reached Free’s house, it was almost dark and evident that Newland had no power
for lighting. The house, like the other buildings, was made of roughhewn logs,
with a small but cheerful light coming from the front windows. It appeared to
be three stories and larger than most of the other buildings.
Free opened the
door and entered before Rosie. The room wasn’t plush or luxurious, but was
definitely inviting. The upholstered furniture was worn, but friendly-looking.
The fire was small, but welcoming.
“Serene!” His
growly voice rumbled. Rosie couldn’t tell if he was displeased or if his voice
always sounded like that.
A woman, roughly
the same age as Free, appeared from the back of the house wiping her hands. She
cocked her head at Rosie. “Hello,” she said. Her voice was also raspy, but not
as deep as Free’s.
“Hello,” Rosie
replied. “I’m…”
“She’s Kellareal’s
ward,” Free interrupted. “She needs a place to stay for a while.”
Serene smiled.
“Of course. You’re welcome.”
The door crashed
open behind Rosie. “Hey, I…”
Rosie turned to
see an extremely good-looking boy staring at her.
“Rosie. This is
our youngest son, Charming.”
She looked from
Free to Serene for a hint that he was joking, but saw none. Turning back to the
new arrival she said, “Nice to meet you, Charming.”
She fully
expected him to break into a fit of laughter and tell her that wasn’t really his
name. Instead, he said, “Hi. Rosie.”
“She’s going to
be staying with us for a while. Show her to Carnal’s room.”
“But…” Charming
started.
“Show her to
Carnal’s room.” Free repeated with a bit more insistence in his tone. “Then
come back down for dinner.”
“Okaaaay.”
Rosie estimated
Charming’s age at eighteen or so. He had honey colored hair, streaked with
blonde, just like his mother. And yellow-green eyes. Also just like his mother.
He was as tall as Free with a powerful, athletic build that suggested it would
become even more impressive in a couple of years.
He gave Rosie a
smile that was, well, charming and motioned for her to follow up the stairs.
“This way.” He stopped at the second story landing and said, “Carnal’s room is
there.” He pointed down the hall to the right. “My room is up there.” He
pointed to a narrower staircase that led upward. “The attic room. It has a
great view. I can see just about everything that happens in Newland,” he said
proudly.
Rosie smiled and
turned toward the room Charming had pointed out, noting that there was another
room down the hall.
“Am I, um,
displacing someone?”
“Displacing?” He
opened the door to a decidedly masculine space. It was minimalist to the
extreme. A wood platform bed with four thick square legs, but no headboard. A
double shelf unit with a few books, rocks, and feathers on one side and folded
clothes on the other side. There was a paraffin lamp on a small square stand by
the bed and another on the shelf unit. There wasn’t much there, but what was there
was neat as a military barracks. Bed perfectly made. Nothing out of place. “No.
Not at all. This is my oldest brother’s room, but he doesn’t come home often.”
“Oh.”
“Do you need
help with your stuff?”
“No. I, ah,
didn’t bring anything. I’ll get my, ah, stuff in the next couple of days.”
Charming nodded.
“Well, then, let’s have supper.”
When Rosie told
Kellareal she needed a hideout, the last thing she had in mind was becoming an
exchange student. She didn’t want to get to know and be part of a family, but
not eating would raise suspicion. After all her cover was human and humans must
eat. So she said, “Okay,” and followed Charming back downstairs.
“Is Carnal away
at school?”
Charming paused
mid step to laugh. “Nothing like that. No. He’s on patrol right now.” He
resumed descent, but stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Smell that? We’re
having elk stew with parsnips and onions. You’ll love it.”
Rosie had to
admit that it did smell good. The kitchen was square with a table and chairs in
the middle of the room, but the first thing that attracted her eye was the wood
stove and the precision cut stack of firewood next to it. The front panel had
been left standing open to heat the room with coals left smoldering from
cooking. She’d seen such stoves in books, but never in person.
Charming’s
parents had already filled their bowls and were waiting patiently.
She sat down
across from Charming and pulled in her chair just as he reached out and tore
off a large chunk of brown bread from the dome-shaped loaf in the middle of the
table. Next to it sat a pot of stew.
“Go on. Help
yourself,” said Charming with his mouth full.
So she stood and
ladled a generous portion into her bowl, while Free carried on quiet
conversation about livestock.
After a few
minutes, Charming said, “Why aren’t you eating?”
Everyone stopped
and looked at Rosie.
“Well, it looks
so good and smells even better,” she said, looking from one to the other.
Serene smiled in response. “But to be honest, I’m worried about the sauce.” It
was tomato-based. “These are the only clothes I have at the moment.”
They all looked
at her thin white boyfriend shirt, which caused a blush.
Serene rose from
the table and retrieved an apron. She flicked it in front of Rosie and tied the
top close to her neck.
“There,” she
said. “Tomorrow we’ll see about scrounging up some other clothes.” She looked
at Free. “What was Kellareal thinking?”
Rosie was
grateful enough to warm to the idea of getting to know the family.
Free shrugged.
“Got a lot on his mind. Always.”
“Thank you,”
Rosie told Serene as she dug into the stew. “Oh my gods. This is incredible!”
she said before quite finishing the first bite.
Serene beamed
and Free did not miss the signs of her pleasure, which in turn pleased him. He
turned to Rosie.
“The large building
next door is the Commons. Tomorrow morning, Charming will take you over there
and introduce you to the woman in charge. She’ll lay it out for you and get you
started right.”
“Okay. And thank
you for having me.”
Serene
interjected. “We’re very sincere when we say you’re welcome here for as long as
you’d like to stay. Kellareal must think very highly of you. If you’re special
to him, you’re special to us.”
Rosie nodded and
returned her smile, not wanting to spout off about what a pain he could be. She
thought better of being the one to tarnish the rosy esteem in which he was
held.
“No reason to
wait till tomorrow morning. I’m headed over there right now.” Charming was talking to Rosie. “Come and go
with me. I’ll be the envy of Newland, arriving with a beautiful woman.”
Free glanced at
me. “Do you want to go, Rosie?”
She hesitated.
Charming pled with his eyes in such a cute way she had a hard time saying no.
“Maybe for just a little while.”
Free then turned
to Charming. “Make it clear that she’s a special guest of mine,” he warned.
“Sure, Pop.”
“Charming, this
is not a joke. Can you be trusted to take care of Rosie?”
Charming grew
instantly serious, transforming his looks so that he appeared older. “Yes.”
Free nodded.
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of eleven romances. Victoria's Knights of Black Swan series won BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES TWO YEARS IN A ROW. Reviewers Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.
Her paranormal romances come with uniquely fresh perspectives on "imaginary" creatures, characters, and themes. She adds a dash of scifi, a flourish of fantasy, enough humor to make you laugh out loud, and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. Her heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, past life therapists. Her heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners. **Usually.
Victoria lives in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.
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1 comment:
Loved the excerpt.
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