Hunting Danger: Dangerous Ties Book 2 - Paranormal Romance Read online

  HUNTING DANGER

  DANGEROUS TIES BOOK TWO

  E.A. SHANNIAK

  Hunting Danger: Dangerous Ties Book Two by E.A. Shanniak

  Copyright © 2021 E.A. Shanniak

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Design: Harvest Moon Cover Designs

  Developmental Editing: Brittany G.

  Line/Copy Editing: Tiffany P.

  Proofreading: Michelle F.

  Formatting: Keyminor Publishing

  Published by Eagle Creek Books LLC of Coldwater, Kansas

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical by photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without permission of the author is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized printed or electronic editions and do not participate or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

  www.eashanniak.eaglecreekbooks.com

  Always stand up for what is right, no matter the consequences.

  "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; that is your oath to suffice… Remember that."

  Godfrey Of Ibelin

  Movie: Kingdom of Heaven

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  WARNING: This book contains scenes and foul language that some readers may find disturbing and/or triggering. Read at your own personal risk and don’t blame me. You were warned in the blurb and now here.

  This has the romance you've been waiting for with several bedroom scenes to make you wet, and possibly make your partner very happy if you decide to jump their bones. This book is packed with adventure, barrel loads of damn snark (thanks to mother nature’s shark week) and fearlessness along with a great deal of stupidity. I hope you enjoy this book. Please like me now haha!

  MORE BY-E.A. SHANNIAK

  Fantasy Romance – A Castre World Novel Standalones

  Jordie In Charge

  Avalee’s Voice

  Calida’s Forge

  Irie’s Strength

  The Protector

  Devan’s Tenacity

  The Search

  Shifting Aramoren – short story

  Anchoring Nola – short story

  Storming Area 51— A Bayonet Books Anthology

  Stalking Death - short story

  Clean & Sweet Western Romance – Whitman Series Romances

  To Find A Whitman

  To Love A Thief

  To Save A Life

  To Lift A Darkness

  To Veil A Fondness

  To Bind A Heart

  To Hide A Treasure

  To Want A Change

  To Form A Romance

  Paranormal Romance-Dangerous Ties Series

  Opening Danger

  Hunting Danger

  Burning Danger - coming soon

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  ZURI

  I ran faster than I thought my body could ever possibly run. The backpack slapped against my spine and shoulders. Screeching resounded behind me. The rushing whoosh of air swept over me, and I ducked my head.

  Evander fired shots from his rifle at kludde and goblins, which echoed in the suffocating stillness of the early morning. The growling wail of a creature getting struck down brought some relief to my on-edge nerves and rapidly beating heart. The perimeter of the forest came into view with promising concealing foliage offering some security. Somehow, even with relative safety within mere yards, it hardly brought much comfort. In my mind, we were still fucked.

  “GO!” Evander yelled. “Move your tiny legs!”

  “I’m running as fast as I can!” I shot back, over my shoulder.

  Evander sped ahead of me, pausing on the outskirts of the forest to turn and shoot at an enemy behind me. Show off, I thought glowering at the fact his lycan blood afforded him supernatural abilities, whereas my human blood made me… well, fucked.

  “Is the key safe?” he asked.

  “It’s in my bra,” I huffed.

  Catching up to Evander, I brought the rifle around that was slapping me from a strap across my chest and deftly loaded a bullet chamber. Taking a stance beside Evander, I lifted the gun to my shoulder. I knocked down the broken scope with the heel of my hand enough to aim down the iron sights and fired a shot at an oncoming green bulbous goblin. Orange eyes met mine. The overly large arms stopped swinging forward. The head of the creature imploded from the bullet like a rotting pumpkin.

  Six kludde circled from above, letting the goblins do their dirty work. Kludde came straight from nightmares. They were large creatures resembling a horribly deformed upper half of a wolf and bottom of a human with large ebony bat wings that protruded in a broken and, what I suspected, painful way from their backs; bear-like claws, and an eagle beak, with teeth, added to the perverseness of these demonic creatures. Green glistening dragon scales covered the kludde’s entire body in between broken patches of fur. A chain wrapped itself around a left ankle, rattling as one of the kludde stalked forward. Dark maroon eyes stared into mine and I just about pissed myself, for the second time this week.

  Eight more goblins were gaining ground on us; orange eyes scowling at us as their green arms propelled them forward and under-bitten jaws with pointed teeth gnashed together. I put another well placed bullet in the mid-cavity of a goblin, watching in awestruck horror as the beast imploded on itself.

  “Creepy,” Evander commented, firing another round.

  I fired off three more shots, hitting my targets each time. “Reloading,” I said, frantically grabbing ammo from the shoulder strap.

  “You weren't ever in the military,” Evander commented.

  “Uncle Syrus,” I replied, believing it a sufficient enough answer at the moment as I racked the lever-action and shoved another bullet into the chamber of the 30-30.

  I slammed the rifle to my shoulder, firing off a shot at a goblin mere yards from me. I spun on my heel, taking aim at the last goblin close to Evander while he dealt with his rifle jamming. The goblin imploded, it’s head sucking into its body. It was abominably disturbing to
watch because it was so unexpected. I thought it would explode or just drop the creature all together with a hole through the cranial bones, but no, it had to be creepy like the creatures themselves.

  Kludde circling overhead descended on us now that the goblins were taken care of. I fired off a round, striking the closest creature in the left shoulder. The beast screeched, whirling to the ground and tumbling over itself, wings tearing in its tumble with the ground. Evander grabbed my arm, pulling me deeper into the forest.

  Maple tree and birch branches, along with giant rhododendron bushes practically punched my face and arms, ripping at my body and the backpack. I gripped the rifle close, waiting for an aerial attack from the kludde should the seven of them try to penetrate the branches.

  “This way,” Evander hollered over his shoulder. “We need to head west.”

  “I agree. And to the Vidis Forest,” I answered affirmingly.

  Evander paused and I ran headlong into him. He didn’t even budge. “Why there?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” I replied huffily, picking myself up off the ground. “I just have a feeling Elohi is there.”

  Lightning crackled across the sky, lighting up the small dense wooded area we found ourselves in. It made my skin crawl as thunder boomed shortly after.

  “Vidis Forest then, yeah?”

  I nodded. “If it sounds alright with you.”

  Evander grabbed my left hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “Fine with me. There are two wolf packs we can stop at along the way. The next one would be just outside of Maluhia.”

  “Would they help us?”

  He dropped my hand and nodded. His emerald eyes took in the scene around us. The seven kludde hovered overhead, trying to figure out how to get their bulky bodies inside the compact forest. An exploding crash from behind signaled a kludde who dared to enter the wooded area and risk ripping its wings.

  I spun on my heel, placing a bullet in the middle of the hulking creature. Unphased it’d been shot, the kludde snapped it’s wolf jaws, gnashing it’s crooked teeth. The kludde’s maroon eyes met mine and it howled, a low hair-raising sound. The others in the air dive-bombed in, breaking branches and tearing their wings to shreds to get to us; falling in behind the kludde I shot.

  “Run Zuri!” Evander called.

  I couldn’t. My feet were glued to the moss and moldy leaves covering the ground. Lifting the butt of the rifle to my shoulder, I fired blind. The bullet connected with the shoulder of the same kludde, staggering it backward twenty feet from me. It howled, taking several steps forward and swiping its massive pawed claws at me, hitting air as I dodged out of the way. I stepped back, firing another shot.

  The six remaining kludde surrounded me, all focused on me and not the wolf stalking in between the bushes. I kept my eyes on the two kludde in front of me, not wanting them to know something else was closing in for a kill.

  Holding the butt of the rifle snug against my shoulder, I sent off another bullet, smacking the same creature in the right shoulder. I had no idea how many bullets it would take to drop this horrendous creation made by hell itself, but I would fight until I died.

  I fired another shot at the kludde, killing it with a head shot. Evander, in his magnificent wolf form, lunged at a kludde beside the one I shot, tearing into its neck. I watched Evander out of the corner of my eye, ripping back and forth, tearing a huge chunk out of the monstrosity. Blood spurted from open veins in its neck, gargling. The kludde dropped to the ground - dead.

  Four still surrounded us. One of the hell-beasts howled into the air. I lifted the rifle to my shoulder, staring down the iron sight and pulled the trigger.

  “Fuck,” I yelped as it clicked empty.

  The kludde screamed. My eyes enlarged, dropping to the ground to get the bullets from the shoulder strap of my backpack. I glanced at Evander who had one kludde by the thigh. He whipped his head back and forth to tear into the creature. The kludde seeing their fellow in distress, afforded me a quick reprieve to get what I needed. I quickly grabbed the bullets on the shoulder strap, loading them into the rifle. Chambering a bullet I got to my feet, staring down the iron sights and putting a bullet in one’s head.

  Out of the corner of my eye, a kludde charged at me, knocking me to the ground and pinning me down with its massive claws on my chest. His claws sank into my clothes, tearing at the flesh beneath the fabric. The kludde lowered its head, jaws snapping to take my face off. Bringing the rifle up, I used it to block the space between its biting jaws and my body.

  “Evander!” I squeaked out.

  Evander’s dark gray-black fur lunged at the kludde attacking me. The demon from hell didn't even budge at the weighty power of Evander. I fought to turn the rifle barrel up at the creature’s chest. The kludde’s claws dug further into my skin and I screamed. Evander lunged again, grabbing hold of the kludde’s shoulders, though Evander did not drop the kludde to the ground. The distraction Evander provided afforded me the opportunity I needed.

  I quickly pivoted the gun to my shoulder and racked a bullet. I fired. The creature wailed, falling backward, dead on top of me. The warmth of the blood mingling in with the rotting pungent stench of the creature itself made me gag. Evander snarled. The noise of flesh ripping from fur resonated in my ears. I glanced around trying to see him, but couldn’t.

  “Evander,” I hollered.

  Not being able to see what was happening made my body tense and tingle with anxious nerves. I wriggled; trying to free myself of the weight of the beast on me. My chest tightened. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I set my rifle to the side so I could pull myself out. I fought to get out from underneath the beast, grabbing onto an exposed tree root and wriggled out.

  Getting free of the dead monster, I staggered to my feet. Leaning down, I picked my rifle up and racked another bullet. Evander faced off with the final monster. Putting the butt of the gun to my shoulder, I took a moment to aim precisely. Firing off a shot, I got the creature in the head; entering through the left temple and exiting right.

  “Fuck,” Evander said, shifting, his eyes wide. “I almost lunged for its face and then you pop one off.”

  I made a worried face like the emoji with the awkward teeth-showing smile. “Sorry,” I squeaked.

  “Nice shot though. You hurt?”

  I let out a breath, letting the rifle drop to be supported by the sling and shook out my arms free of nerves. “I’m ok,” I breathed. “A kludde’s claws got me but I’m fine.”

  “You’re not bitten or scratched?”

  I scowled, looking at my scratched left shoulder and chest and shrugged. Blood stained a bit of my chest. I peeked inside my dress, looking at the half dozen small, pen cap sized puncture holes the kludde created. My shoulder felt and looked more like a bad road rash and the puncture marks had an achy hurt but it wasn’t terribly painful. Since my hands were dirty, I dared not touch it. “Scratched and got punctured with claws, but not bitten.”

  Evander nodded, running a hand over his face and pulled at the skin on his neck. He came over, pulling my dress shirt down and exposed one puncture on my chest. I pursed my lips, not sure what to think about him seeing my chest.

  Evander gazed at me worried. “It looks like it hurts. Let’s get you somewhere and get it taken care of,” he said, taking a step back and blowing his lips. “I was worried about you.”

  “I was worried about you too.”

  Evander ran his hands through his hair and breathed. “Fuck.”

  I glanced around at all the dead bodies of our enemies. Not once did it occur to me that I was going to die. And I believed it to be, in part, Evander being there. I counted on him and I hoped he did the same for me. I spied a dead kludde, my lip curling at the rapid and pungent odor it gave off.

  My eyes met Evander’s, spying the relief in his emerald orbs and I smiled. He was alive and so was I. A fear I didn’t know I had swirled inside of me. Even though for most of our relationship we had been at odds, I feared losing him.
But here he was whole and sound in front of me.

  I strode up to him, standing toe to toe and wrapped my arms around his waist. Resting my head against his chest, his heartbeat soothed my remaining nervousness. I didn’t want to let go. I snuggled up closer to him, relishing the silent strength of his arms encompassing me. And this time, compared to when he saved me from the fae, he embraced me back.

  Glancing up, I stared at the bottom of his jaw and the stubble. Hesitantly, I reached up, putting my left hand along the bottom of his jaw. Evander closed his eyes, breathing out. His hot breath tingled my nose. I pulled him toward me and kissed his lips. I held him there with my hand on his jaw. His soft lips parted. Being bold, I inserted my tongue, making it dance with his. He returned the same hunger for me, grabbing my body and lifting me onto his waist, holding me under my butt like my weight was nothing even with the backpack on my shoulders and the rifle in between us. I wrapped my legs and arms around him, lacing my fingers together behind his head. I leaned my forehead against his, kissing his lips and relishing the power of his hands on my body and the starvation of his kiss.

  Evander smoothly set me down, his fingers weaving in through my hair and pulling me toward him. His tongue roved mine for a hot moment, then he pulled away to sensually bite my lower lip. His hot kisses trailed my cheek, making his way over to my ear lobe. He licked and sucked the lobe and I couldn't help but melt into him. My body tingled, loving the sensation and wanting something more that involved no clothing and a few hours of solitude.