Title: ReAwakened
Series: Book #2 of Angel Creek Series
Author: Ada Adams
Genre: YA (Paranormal: Vampires & Werewolves)
Synopsis. Becoming a vampire guardian was Dawn Fairchild’s ticket out of the Scarlet House. Fresh off a successful mission, life in Angel Creek should have been great. But when her sort-of-maybe-boyfriend, Sebastian, disappears on a quest to help a beautiful vampire from his past, Dawn finds herself amidst a web of danger, lies, and deceit.
Joining forces with Razor, an enigmatic rebel lacking both a verbal and a physical filter, and her band of Misfits—Brooke, Sophie, Hunter, and Seth—Dawn is thrust into a race against the clock to solve the mystery surrounding brutal Born kidnappings and come to terms with the sudden discovery of her own unique powers.
Dawn has only one chance to face her demons and overcome all obstacles standing in her way as she embarks on the biggest mission of her life—one that threatens a deadly outcome for all involved.
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Excerpt #1
My two-story fall was cushioned by a sturdy, muscular torso. The owner of the muscles—a vampire, I realized—groaned as I landed on top of him, forcing him into the muddy ground. I reached for my dagger, but he was quicker. He slipped out from underneath me, flipping me over in the process so that he was quickly astride me. His firm body pressed tightly against mine as his hands pinned my wrists to either side of my head. As a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, I was greeted by a mischievous smirk dancing across perfectly-shaped full lips.
“Quite feisty, aren’t you?” he chuckled, bending forward to examine me. Deep, charcoal eyes overflowed with amusement.
He was actually enjoying this.
“I don’t wanna hurt you,” he whispered in a deep, throaty voice. “I’m gonna release you now. Don’t do anything stupid.”
He lifted his arm, removing his right hand from my left wrist. The moment I felt some freedom, I leaped forward, attempting a left hook at his jaw. He blocked my hand, once again pushing it toward the ground.
“I said I wasn’t going to hurt you!” he growled, pinning me even further into the soft, wet earth.
“But I never said that I wouldn’t hurt you!” I snapped.
He brought his face toward mine. “I’d like to see you try,” he whispered.
Challenge accepted.
Now I just had to find a way out of the vampire’s tight grasp. I raised my head—the only part of me that wasn’t restrained by his body—inching my lips closer to his. He tensed for a moment, his eyes searching mine, as if surprised by my sudden change in behavior. Drops of rainwater slid down his chiseled jaw, pausing briefly on his lips before they plummeted down to mine. Then, a slow, smug smile spread across his face. I felt his body relax and he leaned even closer. His breath caressed my skin as his lips drew near.
It was exactly what I needed. Summoning all my strength, I twisted my hips to the side, shooting them up and out, then launching my legs off the ground. Thrown off-balance, my captor groaned and released one of my arms to brace for the fall, giving me the chance to free my dagger. In one smooth move I was quickly behind him, securing him in a headlock with the blade of my weapon aimed directly at his heart.
“Who are you?” I demanded when I was certain he couldn’t escape my grip.
“I’m a twenty-four-year-old Taurus who enjoys long walks on the beach.” Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could feel his arrogant grin.
“You have ten seconds to explain yourself,” I ordered. “Or I’m really going to hurt you.”
“Oh, come on! Can’t we get back to the kissing? You can’t tease a guy like that.”
“Ten, nine…” I pressed the dagger deeper into him, nicking the leather of his jacket.
“Hey! Watch it!”
“Eight…”
“Oh, alright. You’re no fun,” he sighed. “My name is Razor.”
“What kind of a name is that?”
“It’s a nickname.”
“What kind of a nickname is that?”
“Spike, Blade, Fang—all the good, deadly objects were already taken. It was the best I could do.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I‘m simply an innocent gentleman trying to survive an attack by a crazy girl,” he teased, grinning.
“I’m going to start counting down again,” I warned.
“Okay, okay. I’ll tell you everything. But first, can you call off your pet dagger, please? I’ll be good, I promise.”
I scoffed. “Why should I trust you?”
“Because…I’m irresistibly charming?” He turned his head back to look at me. “Pretty please?” he asked, giving me another one of his teasing smirks—a trademark move that no girl refused, I figured, vowing to never be one of those girls.
“Oh, alright,” I conceded. “But if you try something, I swear I’ll use my pet dagger to cut off—”
“I said I’d behave! Though, you’re making it kinda hard to be good with all that talk of wanting to have your way with me.”
I released my grip on his neck and smacked the top of his head.
“Let’s go inside,” I ordered.
Excerpt #2
Sebastian was the first to break our soundless stalemate. He moved in front of me. “Don’t you get it?” he asked, towering over me. “I can’t not worry, Dawn.” His eyes pierced through me. “You planted yourself inside my head and now I can’t get you out.”
“You should.”
“I’ve tried, believe me.”
“Well, you should try harder,” I mumbled, my fury slowly fizzling away.
He shook his head. “I’m not sure that I want to. I like how you feel inside my head.” He ran a hand through his wet hair, then rested it against the open door behind me. The gesture caused him to lean forward, bringing him even closer.
Suddenly, all I could think about was the hard curve of his full, enticing lips.
If I just tilted my head slightly…
Snap out of it! my subconscious warned as I bit down on my lip.
“Those feelings you have are a lie!” I blurted out, pulling back. “It’s all because I gave you my blood and accidentally ingested yours. It’s like some kind of a Born-Made blood curse,” I said, though, this—whatever it was—felt nothing at all like a curse.
“Are you telling me that I must ignore every single thought that’s going through my mind right now?” he asked, moving closer.
I took a tiny step back. “Yes. Definitely.”
“What about my feelings?”
“Uh-huh. Those too.”
“Every one of them?” His voice was low and husky.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Fine.” He was saying one thing, but doing another, I realized, as he inched even closer.
“Good.” I retreated further into the partially open door.
The cool sensation of the wood soothed my burning skin. My back pressed against the door, forcing it to slam shut. Sebastian’s arm buckled under the sudden shift, sending him tumbling into me. He caught himself with his other hand mere inches before colliding with me, swiftly placing it on the other side of my head.
There was nowhere to run.
And even if I could escape, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to. My head spun as I soaked in the aromatic fragrance of his body. Soap and bare skin and something more severe. Icy. Dangerous. His breath held a hint of cool mint, and I was suddenly overcome with the desire to taste him. Trying to expel the thought, I bit down on my bottom lip, desperately pleading with my heart to still.
He’s the last person you should be thinking about kissing right now! the rational part of my mind screamed. The less rational part craved his lips and thirsted for his touch.
“Do your wounds hurt?” I asked in a frantic attempt to change the subject. I looked down at the light pink marks across his chest and arms.
“No. Do yours?” He cradled the back of my neck with his hand, gently trailing the two tiny fading scars with his thumb.
I shook my head and closed my eyes, losing myself in the sensation of his touch.
“Good,” he whispered.
An astounding wave of pleasure surged through my body as he pressed his mouth to the wound, igniting the memory of his fangs against my skin. He trailed tender kisses along the side of my neck, down to my clavicle, then back up toward my jaw. His lips grew more fierce and his kisses deepened as his mouth finally found mine. I parted my lips, pulling him tighter into me, forgetting all about my intention to fight him.
About the Author
| "Many people sing in the shower. I write scenes in my head and act them out." In her career as a writer and an actress, Ada spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning, and has attained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Masters of Science in Education. Ada strives to bring a fresh voice and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years, and is an editor of a global fashion/literary magazine called VEUX. She lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo. |
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With love,
Margaret
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