Red Dawn

By Ann Gimpel

A deliciously different dark, shifter fantasy.

Llyr is a whale shifter with a whale-sized problem. The seas are dying, poisoned by heavy metal contamination and barrels of trash. In a bold and desperate move, he and his mate Galatea, the Sea Witch, hatch up magic to allow him to spend as long as he needs to on land.

Llyr masquerades as a marine biologist and signs on with a firm whose mission is to save the oceans, but his boss has been possessed by ancient evil that wants the whales dead. Desperate, Llyr returns to the sea for answers, but only finds more problems. Staring into the maw of his own destruction brands him, changes him irrevocably, and takes his choices away, but he can’t give up.

Riding a fine edge between redemption and ruin, Llyr discovers his greatest fear may well save his people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann Gimpel Books, LLC
• Release date: Mar 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781943091287

Ann Gimpel

Ann Gimpel is a national bestselling author. She's also a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent. Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Her longer books run the gamut from urban fantasy to paranormal romance. She’s published over 20 books to date, with several more contracted for 2015 and beyond.A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.

Book preview

Red Dawn

Dark Shifter Fantasy

By

Ann Gimpel

Copyright Page

All rights reserved.

Copyright © October 2014, Ann Gimpel

Cover Art, Copyright, © March 2015, Fiona Jayde

Dream Shadow Press, Mammoth Lakes, CA

ISBN: 978-1-943091-28-7

Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, e-mail, or web posting without written permission from the author.

Publishing History

In the anthology, Paranormally Yours, December 2014

Published as a standalone, March 2015

Table of Contents

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Red Dawn

Book Description:

A deliciously different dark shifter fantasy.

Llyr is a whale shifter with a whale-sized problem. The seas are dying, poisoned by heavy metal contamination and barrels of trash. In a bold and desperate move, he and his mate Galatea, the Sea Witch, hatch up magic to allow him to spend as long as he needs to on land.

Llyr masquerades as a marine biologist and signs on with a firm whose mission is to save the oceans, but his boss has been possessed by ancient evil that wants the whales dead. Desperate, Llyr returns to the sea for answers, but only finds more problems. Staring into the maw of his own destruction brands him, changes him irrevocably, and takes his choices away, but he can’t give up.

Riding a fine edge between redemption and ruin, Llyr discovers his greatest fear may well save his people.

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Reviewer praise for Red Dawn:

I love a great steamy book with plenty of action and suspense, and this book fulfilled my fix for a thrilling, sexy story, plus some! It had a completely unique world that had me enthralled from the very first paragraph to the very last sentence. Whale shifters! I've never read anything like it, and I am craving more from this world, can't wait to see if this fun story will continue. Ann has an astounding imagination and I was thankful to experience it through this story and can't wait to pick up more of her books—she's made a fan outta me!

Llyr is a sexy and caring not-quite-alpha hero, who is assertive and supportive without being overbearing. He usually defers to his mate Galatea on decisions, though always voices his opinion. Galatea is a strong female lead, who has the best interests of her people at heart. Together they steam up the pages, and besides the super-hot sexy times you can really feel their love and devotion to one another.

Chapter 1

The Sea Witch, Galatea, gazed fondly at a group of young whale shifters. They swam outside a crystalline palace, its windows glowing softly in pale golden tones, deep in the farthest reaches of the ocean. Turquoise and lavender anemones floated nearby, and schools of small fish wove their way through them.

Time to shift so we can move to the last part of today’s lesson, Galatea told her class. She could’ve taught in whale form, but then the entire lesson would have occurred in the whales’ lyrical speech. Her charges needed practice with English, so she waited patiently while the half dozen younglings found their human forms. Once everyone managed the transition, some more elegantly than others, she led them inside, wrapped a multi-hued sarong about herself and sent them after clothes.

We don’t have to wear stupid pants and shirts when we’re whales, a young boy protested. Bubbles marked his speech where it displaced water.

If you ever spend time in the world of men, you will, Galatea assured him. Best practice now, even if you never need it later. With a small grunt of dismay, the boy raced after his classmates. It didn’t take them long to return.

After her charges milled around her chattering excitedly, Galatea led them through grand rooms lined with precious treasures. Fist-sized gemstones from mines beneath the ocean glittered green, golden, violet, and smoke-gray. Ivory chests inlaid with gold opened to display fine textiles, loomed from material produced by special silkworms that lived in the sea. Carved wood, ivory, and crystal figurines lined cunningly constructed wall hangings.

She opened the door to her favorite classroom that looked out on a terraced kelp garden, waited for the youngsters to settle, and began the final segment of the day’s lesson.

In the beginning, she smiled warmly, whales co-existed with sea dragons on the planet Ver’hoeven, but sea dragons plotted to rid the Ver’hoevean oceans of all but themselves.

A collective ooooh surged through the children, and they bent closer. Galatea smiled and went on. The dragons nearly succeeded too. Had it not been for Poseidon, reaching across space and time, whales would’ve been annihilated tens of thousands of years ago—

I love this next part, six-year-old Gem piped up, bouncing on his unfamiliar human legs. Bright red hair floated around his head, and his turquoise eyes sparkled. His awkwardness was cute and endearing, but Galatea made a mental note to tell his parents he needed to spend more hours in his human form, preferably on land if they had time to escort him there. She planned to talk with the other parents too; none of the youngsters spoke English very well because they had so little chance to practice.

Galatea motioned to the boy and asked, How about if you tell the rest of us?

Gem screwed his face into a grimace and curved his hands into mock claws. It happened like this, he said, making a hissing sound. Poseidon snarled his rage and imprisoned the sea dragons on Ver’hoeven. Since they wanted the planet so badly, our god told them they could dwell there forever.

Very good. Galatea clapped her hands together. You’re absolutely correct. With the help of Poseidon’s magic, our people, badly shaken by their brush with genocide, were shepherded to the oceans of a new planet called Earth.

What’s genocide? one of the female children asked.

It means we would’ve been wiped out, Gem informed her in a mildly patronizing tone. She tried to slug him, but he ducked out of her way.

The classroom door creaked open. Galatea glanced toward it in time to see her mate, Llyr, step through. Blond hair trimmed to shoulder length showcased a classically handsome face with defined cheekbones and a strong jawline. He was naked from the waist up, and muscles rippled along his shoulders and arms as he moved. A hard, flat stomach disappeared into his sealskin breeches. The young whale shifters surged toward him, and he hunkered so he was close to eye level with them.

What tall tales has my mate been feeding you this morning? he asked with a sly grin.

The Ver’hoeven beginning story, Gem answered. I helped.

Did you now? Llyr ruffled the boy’s fluffy hair.

Galatea snorted. It looks like you’ve broken their concentration. Thanks!

Llyr glanced up, his blue eyes shining with mischievous intent. Maybe you can pick up the thread tomorrow. The Nereids will be here soon.

A flash of heat threaded from her belly to between