Can't Stop-Maizy

By Claudy Conn

The fifth and last of the Can’t Stop Series is full of romance and adventure and Maizy leads the charge.
Maizy isn’t going to let herself get hurt—so why is she drawn to the perfect, bad boy wolf?
In the meantime, worlds are colliding as a human intent on taking down the paranormal world arrives in New Orleans.
Favorites from Riding the Veil will arrive to help the Dark Lord, Smoke and their team in their effort to save their city and Dublin supernaturals from Crawly’s militia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Claudy Conn
• Release date: Jul 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9780463910054

Claudy Conn

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Claudy Conn is a multi published author who got her start with her bestselling historical/regency romances.She tells us that she fell in love with the fantasy/paranormal genre and created a world of paranormal.She hopes you will read and enjoy and join her on her facebook where she loves to interact with her readers.page.http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claudy-Conn-Paranormal-Romance-Author/135826686471445

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Copyright

Can’t Stop Maizy

By Claudy Conn

http://www.claudyconn.com

Copyright © 2021 by Claudy Conn

Edited by: Alicia Carmical

Cover Artist: Dawn Sullivan

All rights reserved

Published in the United States of America

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

~ Prologue ~

The Dark Lord

––––––––

I AM GRAIL WILDER, THE Dark Lord of New Orleans.

My position in my beloved city not only allows me to keep a watchful eye over our paranormals, but, and most importantly, it keeps them from being exposed to humans.

Humans still have a great deal to learn about tolerance, and, therefore, cannot be trusted to learn of our existence.

As of late, I have been distracted. How could I not be when each day with my mate fills me with joy. I knew from the moment I saw Smoke that life for me would be forever altered. She has my heart, and has infiltrated my soul. Our daughter, now grown and with a mate of her own, is a part of our watchful team, and I suppose I had grown complacent.

That was my first mistake. I mean to make certain it is my last.

Allow me to state that I don’t bother with modesty, it is a waste of time, thus, suffice it to say, I am very good at what I do. Even the most powerful supernaturals come to me when they are in need of assistance. Even so, I was taken aback when I got a call from an old friend...the Greek God, Apollo.

As the Dark Lord, I have a network of supernaturals who keep me informed about any miscreants and or oddities in our community. In that effort, I have a reliable inner circle of intimates who are exceptional warriors.

My friends are many, and spread out across the globe, but even so, it was with some surprise that I heard from Apollo. The Greek God has always been reticent, and has rarely contacted me over the years. Thus, I knew at once, that something had to be seriously amiss.

In fact, I have learned that matters now in my beloved city of New Orleans are dire.

When I returned from Devos earlier today, Smoke knew at once that something was off. I rarely keep anything from her—why should I? Besides that, this problem was going to take a great deal of team effort to solve. It is laughable to believe I could keep Smoke out of the loop...in her way, she is the loop.

I took her into my arms, because she is impossible to resist when she looks up at me like she often does and wiggles her brows. I took a length of her silky blonde hair in my hands and kissed her luscious lips before I got right to the heart of the matter and filled her in.

She eyed me and said, Wait...Greek Gods?

I sighed. A long, long time ago, the Greek Gods were a thing of legend—I have no need to tell you that. You already know a great deal of their individual stories. They are not gods, but humans came to think of them as such, and it stuck. I suppose they liked the notion. The Cumas, for that is what they are, grew weary of humans and spent less and less time in the Human Realm. In the end, they created worlds of their own. However, not all the gods and demi-gods agreed to leave the Human Realm, and so they scattered.

You mean, Zeus...has a different world than Apollo? Smoke asked as she pressed herself into my arms. I love holding her, stroking her back, touching her, and I almost suspended our discussion and carried her to our bed. I controlled myself. She smiled knowingly, and whispered, Oh yeah, baby...as soon as you are done telling me everything.

Damn, I can’t imagine my life without her in it.

Right, I said, and touched her nose. Zeus and Apollo maintain different orbits, but the problem grew because many demi-gods...especially those who had fallen in love with humans, began exposing themselves. Apollo began to send out messages insisting they bring their loved ones and come to Devos or to Zeus’s worlds. Some did, but many refused.

So, you are saying a lot of these demi-gods live here...in our realm—amongst humans? Smoke asked, looking thoughtful. I am astounded that I have never come across one.

"Indeed, they keep well-hidden, my love. In the meantime, Apollo and his followers living peacefully in their magical and hidden island, Devos, lost touch with these demi-gods. The world of Devos and the human world are separated by an aura known as the Veil. Apollo and the other powerful Cumas, which is what they call themselves, are able to maintain that Veil, but a threat has risen up in the human world. That threat comes from one man and his organized militia."

Smoke shook her head, and I stalled her question by kissing her. I’m taking you to bed...now! I told her.

She eyed me in that style all her own and said, Wait, tell me how exactly the humans discovered the existence of Cumas here?

"Some of the demi-gods living in the Human Realm caught the eye of a very powerful and ego filled billionaire. The man apparently, at least according to Apollo, was...is a recluse, but wields a might from his secretive establishment. Apollo told me this man hates all supernaturals, and has set up his own ‘watchdog’ force to find and capture any and all of us."

So, if we need to stop him, we need to find him. Smoke’s eyes opened wide. That shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?

Apparently he captured a powerful supernatural and has forced her—or him, to use magic to his benefit.

Why? Just because he hates us?

No, Apollo is now convinced this man is a twisted human and he has begun experimenting on captured immortals because he wants immortality for himself. He calls himself, ‘The Big Man’.

Smoke snickered and said, And Apollo believes he has expanded his operation to include searching out, discovering, and destroying all supernaturals in New Orleans?

"But he wasn’t counting on our team, now, was he?"

No, my Dark Lord, he wasn’t, my Smoke said, and smiled.

However, I wasn’t as confident as I wanted her to believe! So right then, and there, I scooped her up and transported her to our bed in our home. This so-called ‘Big Man’ could wait a little while longer!

* * * * *

Aurora

RO—COME ON NOW, STOP. I don’t need a man in my life to make me complete, Maizy told me, and wagged a finger. You should know better.

I have come to think of Maizy like the sister I never had because of Deker. He goes into orbit when she is around, but damn if I can make her see that. I know she and Deker would make a perfect match, and as I think of him as a brother, that would suit me just great. Whenever I hint at it to Maizy—she gives me the same generic answer.

So, I told her, "Oh, now you sound like a platitude. Of course, you don’t need one, but my point is, you could use one...have a little fun." I wiggled my eyebrows at her, wondering if she ever would go for a one-night stand. I never did, but I hear from my best friends that it is a whole lot of fun.

You are terrible, and one-night stands—definitely not my thing. Besides, you should talk, from what I hear, it wasn’t yours either before Ti came along, Maizy said, and laughed. She cocked her head at me and added, Though, now and then, I have been tempted. She wiggled her lovely slanted dark brows at me, and we both laughed.

I watched her for a moment before I pulled on one of her long, red locks. Her hair has grown so much since last year. The witch from New York, all style and power. I liked her almost immediately.

She sighed and sipped her coffee before asking, "I hear from the witches that the master coven leader has had a vision. Something big and bad is coming to town. What do you think? Have any bad feelings of your own?"

I pushed my coffee away and looked away from her to stare at the passing humans outside the café. Humans, I said as I allowed myself to think out loud. They are so fragile...until one or two get a bug up their proverbial ass about things they want or think they need.

Does that mean you think something big and bad is coming? she pursued.

Yes, I said.

Maizy’s brows drew together. What the hell? That would have been the right lead to this conversation.

Not sure yet about anything. Dad seems to know about something he hasn’t totally shared with me yet, I told her.

What? she shrieked, then lowered her chin as she lowered her voice. What the hell? If something... she cocked her head in that way she has, "wicked this way comes, we need to know."

Yeah. I agree, but all he would tell me is that we need to be careful and watch. Some powerful human...has discovered the existence of supernaturals, and evidently is determined to wipe us out.

Maizy just stared at