Salvation
By
Cara Carnes
Blurb:
A blood debt shrouded in secrecy…
From birth, Camryn has been groomed for sacrifice. She’ll do anything to fulfill her last mission—protecting the Paraspecies king. Recent betrayals have left everyone on edge, especially the king’s second in command. He has no intention of standing down. She must either earn the trust of the mate she can never have or destroy him.
He won’t fail his king again…
Trent will eradicate the treachery within the Paraspecies that nearly killed him and the king. No one is above suspicion—especially the female succuba mage who rescued the king and saved them both from certain death months later. Why would she help the enemy? The elusive female is a hindrance he’s determined to break.
Buy Links:
Amazon US | http://amzn.to/1WScXvC
Amazon UK | http://bit.ly/SalvUK
All Romance | http://bit.ly/SalvaRe
Barnes & Noble | http://bit.ly/SalvBN
Kobo | http://bit.ly/SalvKOBO
iTunes| http://bit.ly/SalvationIT
Author Bio:
Born in small-town Texas, Cara Carnes was a princess, a pirate, fashion model, actress, rock star and Jon Bon Jovi’s wife all before the age of 13.
In reality, her fascination for enthralling worlds took seed somewhere amidst a somewhat dull day job and a wonderful life filled with family and friends. When she’s not cemented to her chair, Cara loves travelling, photography and reading. More information about Cara can be found at www.caracarnes.com.
Excerpt:
Exhaustion plagued Camryn as she sat on a large boulder in the western yard outside the facility and waited. The wolves had scented the location three times so far. Sunlight ceded to pale moonlight. She inhaled small, shallow puffs. Too much darkness hung in the air.
Death. Fear. Pain.
“Come with me,” Trent ordered.
She followed obediently; hand on her weapon, as he guided her away from the facility and down a winding trail through the overgrown surroundings. He paused at a running stream.
“Get in.”
“Excuse me?” She recoiled, hands on weapons.
“Get. In.” His gaze swept across her, slowly. Like a gentle stroke. “You’re filthy and injured. The healer Hedge brought in says you need to bathe, lower the chance of infection.”
“Excuse me?” He hadn’t just told her she stunk. No. You’re filthy. She bristled beneath the insult as he approached. “Don’t touch me. No healer other than Doc or Nessie is getting near me.”
Trent sighed and looked across the stream. “What’s your problem?”
“What’s my problem? You dragged me away from an important mission and informed me I needed a bath.” Hand on his hip, he turned a molten gaze on her. “I’ve been a bit busy, you know.”
“Camryn, get in the water, or so help me I’ll put you there.”
“You and what army?” She laughed. “You aren’t exactly glistening, you know.”
Amusement flickered on his face. He reached for the weapons belt and unbuckled it. Her stomach fluttered, her skin heated. The loud thunk against the impacted earth along the brook’s edge made her jump slightly. He toed off his boots and drew his shirt overhead.
“W-what the hell are you doing?”
“I’m going in with you.” She turned when he reached for his zipper.
Heat suffused her cheeks. “We’ve got things to do, Trent. This is crazy. I’ll bathe when we get back to the warehouse.”
“In front of a couple hundred of your closest rescued prisoners? Sure you will.” A splash echoed in her ears. Her heart thundered wildly in her chest. “Come in or I’ll drag you, Camryn. You don’t want me doing that.”
The husky whisper slid through her. She couldn’t do this. The small walk removed them from the crushing stress, the physical reminders of every failure and every problem festering in her like an untended wound.
She grimaced. He was right. The thigh injury stung, but he’d staunched the blood flow. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her back. All she knew is it burned.
Bad.
Her hands trembled slightly. She’d never stripped in front of anyone. Up until the other day, when he’d shoved his lips against hers so harshly she’d never been kissed. She swallowed and shoved the memories aside. She wasn’t naïve or innocent. She knew all about what men did with women.
Dread slithered through her as she glanced over her shoulder. Trent splashed water on his bulging muscles, seemingly disinterested in her predicament. The man behind her wasn’t…
Don’t go there.
She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, shoving the fear out. The terrified part of her gave way to the curious female locked deep—the side no one would ever see. Dragging her shirt overhead, she kicked off her boots and made quick work of losing the pants. Pain spread through her limbs with the lumbered movements. Damn.
She should feed. She kept her panties and bra on and made her way into the water, gaze focused on the gently lapping waves rather than Trent. The coolness calmed the flaring heat pulsating in her veins. She growled when the thigh wound sank beneath the chilled liquid.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” she said through clenched teeth.
Warmth seeped into her when he grasped her waist and dragged her forward. Her gaze landed on his expansive chest. She tensed.
“Relax; wrap your good leg around my waist. I’ll hold you up.”
No. Bad, bad idea. Awareness arced between them as she complied, drawn by an invisible force to please the man, the dragon.
Mine.
Shock stilled her. “Are you naked?”
“I’m a shifter, Camryn. Nudity isn’t a problem.”
Uh huh. Right. She ignored the fiery heat rolling off him and tried to drag water across her skin. He squeezed her waist.
“Let me tend your wounds first, and then I’ll let you go.” She nodded, not trusting her voice. Pleasure rippled through her, vibrant waves of sensation trickling past her shields and sinking into her beast’s pain soul.
He gently cleaned the wound on the thigh she lifted from the water. His thumb glided along her flesh. His gaze heated, a molten chocolate flaked with fiery embers which singed her insides. Was this the connection the newly mated women sensed all the time? The warmth and comfort. The completeness.
No. Trent was a good man, an excellent warrior. He was merely tending her wounds. Making sure she was at peak operating efficiency. She punched back the need scratching her insides raw. The acidic regret burned, a welcomed punishment for inciting hope and feeding impossible what-ifs.
You’ll always be alone. You’ll never mate. Never love. Never have anyone. You exist because you have one purpose—save the Paraspecies king. Save your sister’s mate. You have no life beyond your objective. You never will.
She’d heard the harsh truth a million times. It’d been battered into her until the beast wept, a constant mourning ended only by her death.
“Turn around,” he whispered as he settled her foot to the murky riverbed.
Basking in the molten heat, she complied. His hands gently swept across her shoulders. He massaged the tension from her muscles. “You aren’t alone. Whatever you’re facing, we’ll help.”
ation
By
Cara Carnes
Salvation Blurb:
A blood debt shrouded in secrecy…
From birth, Camryn has been groomed for sacrifice. She’ll do anything to fulfill her last mission—protecting the Paraspecies king. Recent betrayals have left everyone on edge, especially the king’s second in command. He has no intention of standing down. She must either earn the trust of the mate she can never have or destroy him.
He won’t fail his king again…
Trent will eradicate the treachery within the Paraspecies that nearly killed him and the king. No one is above suspicion—especially the female succuba mage who rescued the king and saved them both from certain death months later. Why would she help the enemy? The elusive female is a hindrance he’s determined to break.
Buy Links:
Amazon US | http://amzn.to/1WScXvC
Amazon UK | http://bit.ly/SalvUK
All Romance | http://bit.ly/SalvaRe
Barnes & Noble | http://bit.ly/SalvBN
Kobo | http://bit.ly/SalvKOBO
iTunes| http://bit.ly/SalvationIT
Author Bio:
Born in small-town Texas, Cara Carnes was a princess, a pirate, fashion model, actress, rock star and Jon Bon Jovi’s wife all before the age of 13.
In reality, her fascination for enthralling worlds took seed somewhere amidst a somewhat dull day job and a wonderful life filled with family and friends. When she’s not cemented to her chair, Cara loves travelling, photography and reading. More information about Cara can be found at www.caracarnes.com.
(Please use whichever excerpt fits best with your blog. One is ~400 words. The other is ~950 words.)
Excerpt 1:
Trent.
“What are you doing here?”
“You’re good with them.”
She bristled beneath the statement. He never complimented, at least not her. Silence ensued as she waited for why he’d come.
“Caleb and Kandon took a risk today, put their necks out for the two mages. They all believe you can train them. I hope to hell you can.” He leaned in. Hot breath fanned her cheek. She inhaled his sweet scent and basked in the warmth his nearness offered. “You need to let me know if you get in over your head. Whatever your reason for being here, you need to let me in when things spin out of control. Whatever it is, I’ll help.”
Camryn was sick of hearing the offers. Blade. Doc. The fledglings. Now Trent. No one could help her. Not with the real reason she was here.
Then again, she’d trusted Doc and the fledglings with the whole Hellfire problem and they’d kept the secret. The ancient dragon promised to keep a closer eye on the king. Blade had returned to Hell’s Playground for more intel. He shook the wolves Adrik sent to follow him. Neither Ren nor Felicity took it well, but the procurer was a damn good warrior. Sooner or later Blade would find the people who’d worked there.
“I can handle myself.”
His lips upturned into a sexy grin which singed clear to her toes. Her pulse rattled to life. Her skin pebbled when he grazed her cheek with his knuckles. “Everyone needs someone at some point. I’m just making sure you know I intend to be there when you get backed into a corner.”
“Why?” The question tumbled from her without hesitation. “You hate me.”
His molten chocolate gaze studied her a moment. “I don’t know what the hell I feel about you, succuba. I do want to know one thing, though.”
“What?” She’d answer anything if he went away. His scent threaded into her lungs, an intoxicating intimacy she couldn’t chance.
“Why do I wake screaming your name? Why are you the last thought when I surrender to sleep?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You’re a hell of a warrior and a shit liar.” He yanked her braid until a started gasp escaped her lips. Hot breath fanned her earlobe. “Don’t worry. I like a challenge and I just realized exactly how much fun it’ll be uncovering the real Camryn.”
Excerpt 2:
Exhaustion plagued Camryn as she sat on a large boulder in the western yard outside the facility and waited. The wolves had scented the location three times so far. Sunlight ceded to pale moonlight. She inhaled small, shallow puffs. Too much darkness hung in the air.
Death. Fear. Pain.
“Come with me,” Trent ordered.
She followed obediently; hand on her weapon, as he guided her away from the facility and down a winding trail through the overgrown surroundings. He paused at a running stream.
“Get in.”
“Excuse me?” She recoiled, hands on weapons.
“Get. In.” His gaze swept across her, slowly. Like a gentle stroke. “You’re filthy and injured. The healer Hedge brought in says you need to bathe, lower the chance of infection.”
“Excuse me?” He hadn’t just told her she stunk. No. You’re filthy. She bristled beneath the insult as he approached. “Don’t touch me. No healer other than Doc or Nessie is getting near me.”
Trent sighed and looked across the stream. “What’s your problem?”
“What’s my problem? You dragged me away from an important mission and informed me I needed a bath.” Hand on his hip, he turned a molten gaze on her. “I’ve been a bit busy, you know.”
“Camryn, get in the water, or so help me I’ll put you there.”
“You and what army?” She laughed. “You aren’t exactly glistening, you know.”
Amusement flickered on his face. He reached for the weapons belt and unbuckled it. Her stomach fluttered, her skin heated. The loud thunk against the impacted earth along the brook’s edge made her jump slightly. He toed off his boots and drew his shirt overhead.
“W-what the hell are you doing?”
“I’m going in with you.” She turned when he reached for his zipper.
Heat suffused her cheeks. “We’ve got things to do, Trent. This is crazy. I’ll bathe when we get back to the warehouse.”
“In front of a couple hundred of your closest rescued prisoners? Sure you will.” A splash echoed in her ears. Her heart thundered wildly in her chest. “Come in or I’ll drag you, Camryn. You don’t want me doing that.”
The husky whisper slid through her. She couldn’t do this. The small walk removed them from the crushing stress, the physical reminders of every failure and every problem festering in her like an untended wound.
She grimaced. He was right. The thigh injury stung, but he’d staunched the blood flow. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her back. All she knew is it burned.
Bad.
Her hands trembled slightly. She’d never stripped in front of anyone. Up until the other day, when he’d shoved his lips against hers so harshly she’d never been kissed. She swallowed and shoved the memories aside. She wasn’t naïve or innocent. She knew all about what men did with women.
Dread slithered through her as she glanced over her shoulder. Trent splashed water on his bulging muscles, seemingly disinterested in her predicament. The man behind her wasn’t…
Don’t go there.
She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, shoving the fear out. The terrified part of her gave way to the curious female locked deep—the side no one would ever see. Dragging her shirt overhead, she kicked off her boots and made quick work of losing the pants. Pain spread through her limbs with the lumbered movements. Damn.
She should feed. She kept her panties and bra on and made her way into the water, gaze focused on the gently lapping waves rather than Trent. The coolness calmed the flaring heat pulsating in her veins. She growled when the thigh wound sank beneath the chilled liquid.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” she said through clenched teeth.
Warmth seeped into her when he grasped her waist and dragged her forward. Her gaze landed on his expansive chest. She tensed.
“Relax; wrap your good leg around my waist. I’ll hold you up.”
No. Bad, bad idea. Awareness arced between them as she complied, drawn by an invisible force to please the man, the dragon.
Mine.
Shock stilled her. “Are you naked?”
“I’m a shifter, Camryn. Nudity isn’t a problem.”
Uh huh. Right. She ignored the fiery heat rolling off him and tried to drag water across her skin. He squeezed her waist.
“Let me tend your wounds first, and then I’ll let you go.” She nodded, not trusting her voice. Pleasure rippled through her, vibrant waves of sensation trickling past her shields and sinking into her beast’s pain soul.
He gently cleaned the wound on the thigh she lifted from the water. His thumb glided along her flesh. His gaze heated, a molten chocolate flaked with fiery embers which singed her insides. Was this the connection the newly mated women sensed all the time? The warmth and comfort. The completeness.
No. Trent was a good man, an excellent warrior. He was merely tending her wounds. Making sure she was at peak operating efficiency. She punched back the need scratching her insides raw. The acidic regret burned, a welcomed punishment for inciting hope and feeding impossible what-ifs.
You’ll always be alone. You’ll never mate. Never love. Never have anyone. You exist because you have one purpose—save the Paraspecies king. Save your sister’s mate. You have no life beyond your objective. You never will.
She’d heard the harsh truth a million times. It’d been battered into her until the beast wept, a constant mourning ended only by her death.
“Turn around,” he whispered as he settled her foot to the murky riverbed.
Basking in the molten heat, she complied. His hands gently swept across her shoulders. He massaged the tension from her muscles. “You aren’t alone. Whatever you’re facing, we’ll help.”
