Bane of Tenebris by Blaise Ramsay Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Bane
of Tenebris
Wolfgods
Book 2
by
Blaise Ramsay
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Alexander
Kain has been through hell. For centuries, torture, bloodshed, war
and living in the shadow of a powerful father have haunted his every
dream. Born to die in the place of another due to an ancient pact, he
has resigned himself to isolation to wait for death's sweet embrace.
Everything changes when a young woman - a hybrid; both vampire and
lycan - arrives beaten and left for dead at his doorstep.He couldn't
have known that saving her would lead him down a twisting, winding
road. One filled with old rivals longing to settle a score, former
lovers of a bygone, taboo past or an unlikely alliance with the
monsters he fought during centuries of war. The dark god who tortured
Kain disappears, his methods and plans unsettling. He must come to
grips when his past if he is to survive. However, unlike the
loneliness he once knew, Kain falls in love with the woman he found
naked in the woods.A love that just might be what he needs to put the
ghosts of his past to rest.
Chapter
Three
Tala's
chest hurt from running. Unfamiliar screams filled her ears, shifting
into angry snarls and growls. Something rammed her hard enough to
knock her down, but she quickly recovered and continued to run. Black
shapes surrounded her, lashing out with their claws, leaving painful
bites across her skin. Exhausted,
Tala collapsed. As she lay on the ground, her vision blurred and
faded from the dark images to one of an angelic-faced man with dirty
blonde hair. Tala
opened her eyes, free from the fractured memories, finding she no
longer lay on the ground in the woods. Groaning, she tried to push
herself onto her elbows to take in her surroundings and her
condition. She
looked down to find herself naked, half covered in thick blankets,
and her wounds cleaned and wrapped. Lifting
her eyes to the rest of the room, she saw a round, black wood burning
stove in the corner. In its maw an orange fire glowed. When
the door opened, Tala jerked her attention towards the noise of the
creaking hinges. The same man she thought she only dreamed of walked
in carrying a plate of food and extra bandages. Polished,
sculpted muscles lay scarcely hidden beneath the white undershirt he
wore. The faded, dark blue jeans sat low on his hips. The features of
his face remained soft, yet Tala could see they were worn by time. She
felt her cheeks heat the longer she stared. The only imperfections
were the jagged scars covering the copper skin of his arms. “Oh,
you’re awake. I’m glad. I began to wonder if you would wake at
all,” the strange man said as he set the plate on the table next to
the bedside and grabbed the bandages. Tala
backed away so quickly she underestimated the distance and fell over
the bed’s edge, landing to the floor with a THUD! The
man clenched one eye closed, hissing through his teeth. “I’m
sorry. That looked rather unpleasant.” The
man strode around the other side of the bed and took a knee in front
of her. His gentle eyes met hers. In a tender voice, he said. “I’m
not going to hurt you. My name is Alexander Kain. May I ask your
name?” Kain
held out his hand to help her up. “Tala.
My name is Tala,” Tala replied, taking Kain’s hand. “Where am I
and how did I get here? “You’re
in my home. I found you injured in the woods not far from here.
You’ve been unconscious for almost a week now,” Kain said. He
took the food from the bedside table and setting it down in front of
her. He followed with his own question, “Do you know how you came
to be in the woods?” Tala
rubbed her head, groaning. The images from the dream returned to her,
causing her to tremble. “I…I remember running. There were black
shapes. I don’t remember anything before that.” Kain
helped Tala sit back down on the bed. “These black shapes. Do you
recall something strange about them?” “They
moved fast. I remember the stings of pain each time they got close.” Kain
sat down next to her on the bed. “It’s okay. It may take time for
your memories to return. I’m not sure how long you were out there.
Try to get some food and rest. I will come back later to check on
your injuries.” “Wait.
Where am I? What city?” “Big
Timber. About a mile outside of it to be specific,” Kain replied. “Big
Timber?” Tala’s eyes widened. “I was trying to get here.” “Get
some rest and eat. We can talk more later.” Kain departed the room
without saying another word.
****
Kain
leaned against the wooden railing of his covered porch, his eyes
focused on the line of trees around the perimeter of his cabin. In
the shadows, he made out glowing eyes staring from beyond the gloom.
Snarls could be heard above the silence. The
lights of a black Mustang could be seen driving up the gravel road
towards the cabin. He
soon recognized it, grinning. “Well, well, well. It seems I’m
suddenly very popular.” Kain
waited for the car to stop and the engine turned off before
descending the wooden stairs. Gabriel
stepped out of the driver’s side, running a hand through shoulder
length, curly dark hair. “It’s good to see you, old friend.” He
commented in a thick European voice, embracing Kain. “You
as well. What brings you so far out of your pack’s territory?”
Kain asked, his eyes never leaving the trees. Gabriel
followed Kain’s line of sight. “You see them as well?” “Yes.
As of yet, they have not ventured any closer. I cannot be sure of how
long that will last. Come, we can talk inside.” Kain motioned
Gabriel towards the front door. When
they got inside, Tala sat in the living room in front of the fire
with a cup of water in her hands, wrapped in a borrowed blanket. She
jumped when Kain came in with Gabriel. Gabriel
whistled at seeing how pretty the young woman was. "Who's this?" Kain
shook his head, sighing and reaching the heel of his hand to the side
of his head, eyes turned towards the ceiling. "Honestly,
Gabriel, must you really?" Gabriel
shrugged, holding his hands up as he approached Tala. "I won’t
hurt you. My name is Gabriel Locke. I’m Kain’s friend.” Gabriel
held out his hand. Tala waited for a nod from Kain before she reached
to shake it. “There, see? What's your name?" Tala
told him. "It's
nice to meet you," Gabriel kissed her hand before addressing
Kain. "Kain, I wish I came here to catch up, but I'm afraid that
isn’t the case.” “I
imagined it wouldn’t be. You rarely come to make a social call.
What is it?” Kain sat down in the recliner while Gabriel chose to
sit on the floor. “Ramona
contacted me," Gabriel said. A low rumble in the back of his
throat. "Stoker survived the battle at the Stones and slithered
to the Cardozas in Great Falls. He’s informed Anthony of the events
that happened here. So far, it doesn’t appear to Ramona that
Anthony even cares." Kain
listened to Gabriel go into the details about how Anthony Cardoza,
the Don of Great Falls, began to search for an item of unknown
origin. His escapades caused horrendous damages to the lycan packs
surrounding the city. During
the conversation, Kain's eyes never left Tala. Her actions indicated
signs of familiarity with the situation. "What
is the damage so far, Gabriel?" Kain asked. Tears began
to fall down Tala’s face. Out of the blue, she commented on how the
Don began slaughtering the pack, recalling instances of smells of
smoke and copper. Black shapes ripped and tore flesh from bone amidst
crumbling cinders of houses lycans used to live in peace. Gabriel
pushed his legs underneath himself to stand. “That about sums it
up. Ramona says Desdemona is trying to reign Anthony in, but her
efforts are going unheard. Whatever he’s looking for, he wants it
enough to commit genocide.” Kain
shoved himself up from his chair so strongly, the force sent the legs
skidding across the wood floors. “We will not let this go
unchallenged. Gabriel, give me two days and I will return to the
battlefield. For now, considering our unwanted guests, you should
stay for the night. Return to your pack in the morning. They will
need you.” Gabriel
nodded, retiring to one of the guest rooms Kain often let him use
when he visited.
****
After Gabriel left the room, Tala watched Kain walk into the kitchen. Curious, she got up to follow him and peeked around the doorframe to find Kain staring out of the window above the sink. “You don’t have to hide. Come in,” he said in the same tender voice he used in the room upstairs. Tala walked into the kitchen, sitting in the chair closest to Kain. She stared at his arms, taking in every jagged scar tarnishing his skin. She wanted to ask where he got them but held herself back. “You said your last name is Kain? I'm not sure where, but I’ve heard it before.” Kain pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, his elbows resting on his thighs. “Have you? It's an unusual name around here.” “Yes. I heard stories about someone named Kain from the elders of my pack. They called him Penta-something,” she closed her eyes trying to remember. “Pentacost.” When their eyes met, Tala could see how sad he looked. “I think so. Did you know him?” Kain closed his eyes. A remorseful sigh blew through his nose as he rose from the chair. “It does not matter. Be ready. In two days, I take you to Big Timber.”
****
The
following morning, Gabriel left after having coffee and talking with
Kain over breakfast. He hadn’t been gone long before a rustling and
clanging from outside made Kain focus on the window overlooking the
shed he usually prepared his catches in. “They
have finally come closer.” “They?”
Tala asked. She glanced around, her brows lowered in fear, scooting
closer to Kain. As he
headed to the front door, Kain spoke of the black shapes Tala
mentioned, labeling them as werewolves and being sure they followed
the commands of someone. He
put on his jacket and went outside to confront the monsters tearing
his supply shed apart. Kain
stayed close to the side of the cabin and snuck around the perimeter
until his shed came into view. Werewolves
ripped and tore at the wooden walls of the shed, tearing meat from
drying racks and fighting over meat they took from the overturned
freezer. A
slight rustle in the tree line behind him brought Kain’s attention
to the new visitor. The large wolf form identified him as a lycan,
not a werewolf. Whites
overtook Kain’s eyes at the realization of the familiar black fur.
No,
it cannot be. The
lycan grinned, his fangs dripping with saliva over dark gums.
Triangular ears stiffened towards the sky, deep orange eyes the color
of a burning sunset thinned with satisfaction. Something about him
seemed distorted; defiled as though he were bathed in Barghast's
shadow.
In
a flash of fur and shadows, the lycan vanished into the trees.
A
moment in his past flashed in his mind. The howling of a lycan in
pain, the taste of blood, an angry promise of vengeance. Rage filled
gales of wind and rain whipped, stinging with the icy knives of
winter. Those
eyes.
I
remember those eyes.
****
Tala
jumped as Kain burst through the door, slamming it shut. He ran up
the stairs only to return with what appeared to be a camper’s bag.
He ordered Tala to be prepared to go, his words laced with urgency. “What’s
going on?” “There's
no time. We need to go.” Kain rustled through a drawer, grabbing
the keys to his car. Handing Tala some clothes to borrow, Kain told
her to wait for him to call to her. Tala
wanted to argue but resigned to getting dressed and waiting until she
heard Kain call to her from outside before following him. Kain
stood next to the open driver’s side door, focusing his eyes on the
surrounding area. He waved his hand, beckoning her towards the car. Tala
ran down the stairs, brushing her hair away from her face to keep it
from hindering her sight. She
got into the car as the first werewolf jumped towards her, snarling.
Tala raised her arms to her face, prepared to be struck with its
claws. When no attack came, she opened her eyes to see Kain
restraining the flailing monster, his strong arms around its ribs. Kain
growled as he tightened his forearm around the thrashing monster’s
neck. A sickening snap made the monster fall limp, its tongue lulling
out of its mouth. Kain
threw the body aside before he got into the driver’s side of the
car, closing and locking the door. His breath heaved. “It’s
been a while since I’ve done that,” He smirked. Shifting the car
into reverse, Kain slammed his foot on the accelerator making the
tires shriek in protest. When
they reached the main road, Tala saw the werewolves running alongside
the car in the trees. “What do they want?” Kain
didn't answer. The arrival of the lycan made him second guess his
original theory as to why the werewolves stalked his cabin. A
werewolf slammed its body against the driver's side door of the car,
jarring it. In
response, Kain used the body of the vehicle and the guardrails of the
highway to pin the werewolf between them. It whimpered and howled in
pain as its flesh was severed from its side, in a storm of sparks and
grinding metal. Another
werewolf took a flying leap into the windshield from the middle of
the road, claws outstretched, fangs bared. The impact cracked the
glass. It grasped at the hood with its claws, sending sparks where
steel met bone. “Hang
on!” Kain said, slamming on the brakes, sending the creature flying
down the pavement. There
were too many of them to outmaneuver, especially when Kain couldn’t
change and had Tala to contend with. He began to wonder if he could
get either of them out of this encounter alive. A
howl above the wind made the werewolves freeze. “What
is that?” Tala asked. Kain
smirked, stopping the car. Just beyond the tree line, he saw Gabriel
skidding down the side of the hill. Lune
followed behind him while an obsidian wolf, Kain recognized as
Jillian sprinted ahead of them. Scott and Nathaniel followed close on
her flanks. The
werewolves remained still. Another howl, like the shriek of a
banshee, forced them to retreat into the woods. Kain
got out of the car to greet his friends. Gabriel
walked to the head of the pack, shaking his head side to side,
snuffing. “It's
good to see you. How did you know?” Kain asked. Gabriel
turned his head. Kain followed his gaze to see a pure white wolf with
black markings on his paws, chest, ear tips and tail walking towards
them. Kain
grinned, offering a slight bow of his head. Damien broke into a
canter until he reached Kain, whimpering. He lowered his ears,
nuzzling his friend’s stomach. Tala
got out of the car, her eyes locked on the white wolf Kain petted.
“Lycans.” Kain
rose up to look at her. “My
mother is a lycan. She’s the one who told me to come here,” Tala
replied, remembering the voice of her mother begging her to run. Damien
looked at Kain, tilting his head, whimpering. “I
will tell you more when we get to your house.” Kain turned on his
heel to walk back to his car.
Blessing
of Luna
Wolfgods
Book 1
Jillian
I've
been searching for you for centuries.
You
disappeared, leaving me alone
Then
I found you yet you didn't remember me.
Do
I dare to drag back into this world of darkness?
Do
I dare risk losing you again?
I
can't ignore what I'm feeling
My
strong primal pull
Forgive
me but I don't want to let you go
Damien
Time
seemed to freeze the moment I saw you
The
world around me disappeared
Your
hair, black as night shone like raven feather in the sun
Your
frozen green eyes tore my breath away
I
had to get to know you
Something
about you seemed so inhuman
I
let you drag me into your darkness
Yet
I know, I didn't want to let you go
For
fans of Underworld, Resident Evil and strong female characters who
love hot romantic scenes, sexy wolf shifters and a plot twist
guaranteed to leave you asking "What the fang?"
Kain
led Damien to his tent. “Forgive my intrusion on your time with
Jillian. I wanted to tell you one last thing before the fight. Holt
nearly mentioned it in the meeting but I stopped him because it
wasn’t the time or the place.” “What
is it?” Damien replied, curious. “The
dark secret of the vampire noble. As it is with us, the vampire
nobles and high class have the ability to change into more powerful
forms. Unlike lycans however, they only have a single transformation.
I have only seen it once in my many years but it is very formidable.” Kain
pulled a box out from under a pile of old books and blankets. It was
covered in dust as though Kain had been trying to bury the memory. Laying
it down before Damien, he opened it, revealing what looked like a
talon. “Kain,
what is this?” Damien took it in his hands, carefully examining the
detail. “It
was pulled out of my father’s side. When he returned, his body was
dripping blood, his side ripped open,” Kain lowered his head.
“Damien, he was in his full lycan form. Whatever left this has
power. I want you to be very, very careful. Lilith most likely has
the power to become the monster much like the one that left this
talon.” Damien’s
breath stalled in his lungs. From what he learned about their
history, Pentacost Kain was one of strongest lycan soldiers in the
war. To
hear he was torn apart so badly in full lycan form by something that
Lilith could possibly become sucked any hope Damien had of having a
chance against her out of him. “Kain,
I can’t fight her. What if I’m not strong enough.” Damien raced
in his chest as fear fought to take hold of him. Kain
took the talon, placing it back in the box. “Damien, you are more
than strong enough. Lilith is inexperienced and most likely whatever
it was that took down my father was much more powerful. I just wanted
you to be aware of her ability. I will be by your side against her.
Gabriel and I have already talked about it. Holt, Yuna, Galeck and
Lune agree it’s the best course of action. Just be ready.” Damien
nodded, his words freezing in his throat. “Good.
The moon rises. I must hunt with Gabriel and Lune. Damien, if you
need to, you may stay here tonight. I know Jillian does not yet
understand how strong your bond with the gods is. It may help to be
in the company of someone that does. For now, though, I believe I
interrupted something between the two of you. Hell hath no fury and
all that.” Kain walked out chuckling.
FyreSyde
Publishing owner and founder Blaise Ramsay worked over fifteen years
in the graphic design industry, with some experience in indie
gaming. Recently she shifted her attention to the world of
literature with her debut paranormal romance series, Wolf gods. The
debut title, Blessing of Luna is released in 2018 and Bane of
Tenebris released in August 2019 . She currently lives in North Texas
with her two children, her husband and pets. A UTD graduate with a
Bachelor's in History with an intention on teaching, Blaise
decided that the world of teaching just wasn't for her. A stay at
home mother of two, business owner and self-publisher, Blaise
loves to meet new people and encourage others to follow their dreams
through weekly posts to her instagram, twitter, facebook and blog.
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