The Meridian: A Thrilling Vampire & Wolf Shifter Romance (Seismic Shift Book Four): Seismic Shift, #4

By Lara Norman

In the exciting conclusion, Farryn and Ash must endure the threat looming over their future.

 

With The Board of the Chosen hunting them down, the pack and the coven must put aside their differences to save the fate of the supernatural—or face assimilation. As they cling to any small hope for survival, preparing for the battle ahead becomes their only focus.

 

Can the coven and the pack come together in time to save their world? 

 

This is book four in a *serial*. This means that all of the books follow a story arc and cannot be read alone or out of order without confusion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LPN Publishing
• Release date: Sep 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393559030

Lara Norman

Lara used to scribble her fictional characters down on legal pads in high school, and then not show them to anyone. In recent years, she started posting her work in public forums for feedback, which gave her the courage to publish professionally.  She needs copious amounts of coffee and chocolate to survive. She enjoys eavesdropping on the character conversations in her head, which she has been assured doesn’t make her crazy. She always gets the best ideas while in the shower, driving, or about to fall asleep. Though she’s a Florida girl at heart, Lara currently resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband of twenty years and their three children, where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age fifteen.

Book preview

It's said she's made of storm cells

and a wild wolf's hungry heart,

that she's learned the lightning's secret

to ripping darkened skies apart.

The power of her presence

can bring the mountains to their knees.

Her song is one of chaos

as she stirs the angry seas.

But if you've met, you're none the wiser,

since she is also born of light.

Another face amongst the crowd;

the hidden hiding in plain sight.

Great power doesn't always come

inside the forms that you'd assume,

but you would never doubt her strength

when she is howling at the moon.

~Anonymous

Chapter One

Farryn

The commotion in the other room confused me. I'd just been in there listening to Ash pretending he and Nix weren't discussing Christmas gifts. However, this was different. This was hushed speaking and low, pained tones. Kane was involved, and now I heard more people gathering. My hearing was nowhere near as impressive as a vampire's, but it was enhanced.

The spatula I'd been holding fell out of my hand and I stood frozen, terrified of what I might find. Ash hurt on the floor while Nix lamented her inability to save him. Kane bent over the both of them as he struggled with feelings of overwhelming grief and heartache. Something was happening just on the other side of that wall, and it was clearly monumental. It was enough to irrevocably change all our lives. What could have infiltrated this house so swiftly and so unbidden?

I pressed my palms to the cool, smooth wall separating me from absolute pain. I didn't want to go around the end. No, I wanted to stay in the warm kitchen with Ivy, to pretend for just a little while longer that nothing was wrong.

Farryn? Ivy's touch to my back made me jump. It was meant as a gesture of comfort, but merely reiterated how bad it was about to become.

Something's wrong, I whispered, resting my forehead on the wall in an attempt to cool the flush overwhelming me.

What? She sounded very confused.

I pointed to the wall. In there.

Finally, I moved, forcing one foot in front of the other. I passed the barrier into the living room, spotting something similar to what I'd feared; Ash bent over Nix, who kneeled on the floor with her head in her hands. She rocked back and forth as Kane rubbed her shoulders, Malachi and Luca crouched defensively behind Kane. Hazel hovered near Ash, with Aura just behind her. It looked like a scene with which they had plenty of practice.

Reuben stood in front of the sectional sofa looking perplexed. Someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on here? he snapped, his gaze darting between Ivy and me.

Ash? I mumbled. Ivy kept her hand on my back as we moved slowly forward. More than anything, her show of support made me want to cry.

Ash looked up at me briefly, and his face was the epitome of helplessness.

It's too much, too fast, Nix panted. "Death, destruction, and so much pain." Now she moaned. I'd never seen a vampire in pain before; I knew it was next to impossible. Mental more than physical, and all the harder to overcome.

Stop focusing on it, Nix, Kane ordered.

Nix, focus on me, Luca said in a soothing voice, and nothing else. It's almost Christmas, and you love Christmas. What are you planning for Kane?

I bought him a vintage guitar, she answered shakily. It seemed she had to force the words out. Sorry to ruin the surprise. She laughed, but it sounded fake.

That's good, Nix. What did you get Hazel? Luca’s voice was nearly hypnotizing in its smoothness.

I made her a new shawl to match the dress Aura bought her. Her words were a little stronger, with less of the breathiness.

Hazel smiled, though it wobbled. I'm sure I'll love it.

Slowly, Nix uncurled herself and stood, her expression and small stature giving her the appearance of a frightened child. It was awful, she cried. Her face was pinched, but the others relaxed their tense stances.

It was all of them, Ash continued.

Including the full guard, Nix added.

Wait, I'm completely confused, I interjected. If the crisis is over, can we sit down and talk about it?

Oh, but the crisis isn't over, that's the problem, Nix told me. I'm just trying to distract myself from the horrific images.

Great, I muttered, moving to the couch and sinking down on it. Reuben and Ivy joined me. Ash came to stand in front of us, then sat on the coffee table to face me, talking my hands in his.

Unfortunately, your dream about The Board of the Chosen was accurate. Nix had a vision of them coming, but more than that, she saw how they planned to annihilate us all.

Jesus Christ, don't sugarcoat it or anything. What he described was horrific.

The thing is, we have the power to change the outcome because we have warning. What she saw was their version of events based on their decision to come here. What we do with that information will affect everything. Ash was apparently trying to reassure me now, but it didn't exactly feel like it. What the hell could we do against a legion of powerful vampires?

So, we were right all along. We need to go back to the Amazon, Reuben said, wringing his hands together and darting glances past me. Ivy just sat beside me, shaking. And this time, we'll bring Farryn with us.

Let's not be hasty, Luca implored. Ivy and Farryn are powerful; who knows how powerful they are when they work together? We are familiar with the gifts each member of The Chosen’s guard possesses. We need a plan to disarm them, so to speak.

Luca made some sense, but it seemed he was the only one on board with that idea.

Oh, hell no, Aura scoffed. You seriously want to mollify Count Chocula and those fruity pebbles? We'll all die, and if we run, Sal will find us.

Luca held up a placating hand. We're getting ahead of ourselves. We don't know why they're even coming. Ver was a friend of mine many years ago, I'm certain we can have a civil discourse instead of a war.

"That is not what we saw," Ash interrupted.

Nix shook her head. Ash is right. It was Dominic manipulating emotions, Dara blinding us with pain, and Marion with her hypnosis. Whatever friendship status you used to share with Ver, he isn't your BFF anymore. I'm not letting Marion and Gio delude me into thinking I'm happy with being in the guard so they can use me as their puppet.

I'm not letting them turn Nix into their fortune teller! Malachi huffed. They'd have to go through me first! He punched one fist into his other hand, his muscles flexing and showing off his intimidating size.

So the alternative is to fight? Hazel said. I don't want to fight.

Nobody is fighting, Luca assured her, sounding on the verge of losing his patience, but the others were having none of it.

You don't know that, Kane argued. I have the experience, I can teach you organized fighting, but it won't do any good if their guard is as talented as the legends say.

But we have preparedness and fighters of our own. I think Kane has the right idea, Ash insisted.

We don't even know why they're coming. What made them decide to come to New York? Hazel's brows pulled together, her marble forehead now wrinkled. Who on earth would have sent them in our direction?

We should get in touch with Tyson and ask if the wolves will fight with us, I suggested.

Kane nodded in agreement. That would give us higher numbers and slightly better odds. Each wolf can take on more than one vampire.

We don't know what's going to happen when they come! Luca shouted, finally losing his cool.

Aura rolled her eyes. "Well, they aren't coming for high tea, we can be positive of that. I know you're an eternal optimist—I snorted at her emphasis on the word eternal—but it's probably time to face reality. They're