Imprint: Lycan Wars, #1

By A. M. Ellis

Lycans vs. Nightwalkers. She is the key to winning the war... 

 

Jace Bana has denied his lycan heritage and renounced his claim as Alpha. He's content to live as a human--until he sees a beautiful woman stalked by three mysterious lycans. When he rescues her, one look into her eyes causes him to imprint. Now, he can no longer deny the beast within. 

 

Kira Warner is a seer who doesn't know how to "see." The one man who holds the answers to her power is her father. When he is kidnapped by lycans, Kira sets out to find him, putting her in the middle of a dangerous clan rivalry while rumors of the nightwalker threat become true.

 

If she wants to find her father, she'll have to trust the beast who can't stay away. But are his feelings for her real or a result of biology?

This novella is part of a series and it includes a satisfying cliffhanger. 

By Moon or By Blood Series 

Imprint 
Impulse 
Invade 

Implode 

• Language: English
• Publisher: A. M. Ellis
• Release date: Jan 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781519911742

Book preview

1

IMPRINT

Are they following her?

Jace Bana peered through his rain-streaked windshield. Across the street, three men stalked a petite woman with a mass of curls. Two were tall and the third was short and husky. The husky one walked with a bit of a hunch: a characteristic of lycanthropes who spent more time in their animal form than as a human. All three had their eyes trained on the lovely young woman.

Jace took a deep breath and glanced back at the subject of his investigation. The guy he’d been following for a week was definitely cheating on his wife with his busty blonde secretary. The wife’s instincts had been spot on. Jace snapped a few more pictures of the guy and the secretary kissing in the hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant. After the last click of his shutter lens, Jace refocused on the young woman being followed.

Her midnight hair bounced around her shoulders as she jogged up the steps to the library’s front doors. The three men exchanged glances before once again focusing on the woman. The hairs on the back of Jace’s neck stood straight. In fact, so did the hairs on his arms. He made it a habit not to rely on his animalistic instincts, but it wasn’t normal to see a trio of lycans stalking a human. None of their faces were recognizable and that alarmed him. Who were they and why were they following her?

She slipped a book into the return slot near the library doors. The two tall guys casually ascended the steps but about-faced as soon as she descended. The third posted at the bottom of the staircase. The three men fell into step a few paces behind her and all four walked up Lincoln Avenue.

Jace released a frustrated groan. He was on assignment. Although he’d gotten proof of his target’s indiscretion on film, he didn’t know this girl with the natural hair. Nor did he know her three shadows. Jace preferred it that way. He’d spent years building a life for himself out from under the umbrella of the city’s lycan clan. This is probably another attempt by my uncle to drag me back.

The girl was beautiful.

And she appeared to not notice her tails.

If anything happened to her and he could've stopped it...

Jace jumped out of his car, keeping his eyes on the group. The young woman stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to collapse her umbrella. She ducked into a nearby coffee shop. Her tails loitered outside.

Jace adjusted the hood of his windbreaker and crossed the street to the bank ATM a few doors down from the coffee shop. He sniffed the air. Past the undeniably floral fragrance of the woman was the combined stench of the three lycans. Jace wrinkled his nose. One of them hadn’t showered in at least a week. Probably the hunchback.

Jace feigned checking his bank balance at the machine while distinguishing the voices of the three from the sounds of the rain, the passing cars, and the rush of people’s feet through puddles of water on the sidewalk.

What is she doing in there? The hunchback.

Probably getting coffee. Tall lycan with a gruff voice.

How long do we have to wait out here? Hunchback.

You know what we have to do. Stop asking stupid questions. The other tall lycan’s voice held a touch of command. The leader.

They were so focused on their subject, Jace remained undetected by the trio. He took a chance and moved from the ATM to the edge of the curb. They could smell him from here, if they took a quick sniff. Facing the three, he moved his gaze to look in the shop windows. The young woman was at the counter, paying for her coffee. Jace’s eyes shifted back to the lycans. Their gazes were on the woman.

What are you three doing? Jace mused to himself. If this wasn’t a setup by his uncle, then he had three rogue lycans overtly pursuing a human female for a purpose that wouldn’t be sanctioned by clan leadership. And her smell… Women were sweet, but not this intoxicating. Maybe that’s why they’re losing it.

Jace believed in the separation between beings. Lycans, vampires, and other creatures that possessed powers of the paranormal were better off not disclosing their abilities and lifestyles to humans if they wanted to live. The human race had an insatiable hunger for power and domination. They would naturally wipe out anything they didn’t understand or posed a challenge to their sovereign rule.

The woman exited the coffee shop, her umbrella popped open to shield her from the rain. She walked briskly in Jace’s direction. The off-white glow of the streetlights brightened her lovely caramel skin in the shadowy evening darkness. Jace nonchalantly turned toward the street to keep his face from view. Her nearness heightened his senses. Her scent was the strongest and most potent he’d ever smelled from a human female. He held his breath to avoid getting intoxicated. Her heart beat at a strong pace. She was a confident woman.

The wolves were nearly on top of her and Jace darted across the street to avoid his own scent being detected. Did my uncle give these guys permission to chase her? Roman wouldn't allow any lycan — including members of his pack — to freely chase a human female. Roman regarded the safety of his territory and the pack as his top priorities. This was a violation of protocol, last Jace had checked. Having left the clan a few years before, Jace didn’t keep up with the comings and goings of lycans. I’ll ask Kipper; he may know them.

They were making a grave mistake. It was customary for out-of-towners to ask the territory’s clan leadership for permission to roam free and unescorted. Not meeting with the residential clan was a sign of high disrespect.

The woman turned down a short alley that would eventually curve around to a side street that led straight to an upscale apartment complex. A dangerous path to take at night. Was she naïve? Can’t she smell the hunchback?

The three picked up their pace. Jace’s gut tightened. He lengthened his strides. The three separated. The two tallest ventured forward, flanking her sides, while the husky one lingered behind, creating a ‘V’ shape. They’re going to grab her. She still had at least a quarter mile to go before reaching the safety of the apartment building, if she was headed there. If not…

There’s no way she can outrun three full-blooded lycans.

Jace heard an unmistakable low growl. They’re not seriously thinking of changing here! None of them were in public view. The dark, narrow alley provided shade to hide an attack. The growl grew louder and was accompanied by another. Jace took a deep breath.

Jace couldn’t stand in the shadows and watch the scene play out. He didn’t know if the three were going to grab her, or worse, attack her in the alley. She could end up kidnapped, violated, or dead. He felt his blood heating and his muscles expanding. He wouldn’t shift, but he’d need the extra strength. The three were within feet of her.

Jace sprinted to close the distance.

She looked over her shoulder just as Gruff reached for her, claws extending from his fingers. In a flash, her face contorted from curiosity to deadly fright. A high-pitched scream pierced the air. Her umbrella fell away and rain splashed her face. The coffee cup slipped from her grip, The top caught her fingers and tumbled off, the liquid splashing her jeans as she attempted to run.

Gruff was quick to lay a hand on her before she could gain any momentum. He gripped her shoulder and drew her back. Leader took hold of her other arm and placed a hand over her mouth to silence her cries. Hunchback chuckled until Jace punched the side of his head from behind.

Immediately the heads of the other two turned in his direction. Two pairs of glowing eyes swerved to the unconscious form of their companion slumped against the alley wall.

Let her go, Jace said, his voice an octave lower than normal. Her heartbeat was rapid and erratic, and from beneath the palm covering her mouth, Jace heard soft, fearful whimpers. The sound nearly sent him over the edge of transformation, but he stopped the process after his nails extended a couple of inches from his fingertips.

Come and get her, Gruff replied.

It had been a long time since Jace had faced his own kind in serious combat. Although he worked out daily to stay in shape for his job, he wasn’t quite sure he’d win this fight.

But he was going to try.

Adrenaline surged through his body as the prospect of an all-out brawl strangely excited him. Had he missed fighting? He fisted his hands. Neither man appeared willing to move forward; their hands held fast to their prey. It didn’t matter to Jace. He was always good at attacking.

Gruff's cry turned into a howl and he snatched his hand away from the girl, gripping it. She had bit him, and the momentary distraction allowed her to wiggle from the grasp of Leader. He was back on her in a split second and she fell to the ground with a groan.

Jace lunged at Gruff. His first blow to the face was blocked, but he was the quicker mover and landed a solid punch to the gut, followed by a slice of nails to the man’s face. He sensed the lycan's change was imminent, and the only way to stop it was to knock him out. With the man doubled over, Jace smashed his knee into the man’s jaw, snapping his neck back and sending him to the ground.

Leader growled at Jace, appearing undecided as to whether to join in the fight or keep his paws on the girl. His face elongated, and his nails dug into the flesh of the young woman. She cried out in pain. He watched as Jace kicked the face of Gruff, who had propped himself up on one shaky arm. He was out cold.

Jace breathed heavily, taxed by the effort of willing himself not to shift. For generations now, lycans had developed the strength to resist the pull of the moon. The cloudy night hid his master. Even a sliver of it made