by Kym Grosso
IMMORTALS OF
NEW ORLEANS
Box Set
(Books 1-4)
Kade’s Dark Embrace
Luca’s Magic Embrace
Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves
Logan’s Acadian Wolves
By
Kym Grosso
IMMORTALS OF NEW ORLEANS Box Set
Copyright © 2015 by Kym Grosso
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
MT Carvin Publishing, LLC
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Edited by Julie Roberts
Formatting by Polgarus Studio
Cover design by Cora Graphics
Photographer: Golden Czermak
Cover Model: Caylan Hughes
Kade's Dark Embrace
Copyright © 2012 by Kym Grosso
Luca's Magic Embrace
Copyright © 2012 Kym Grosso
Tristan's Lyceum Wolves
Copyright © 2013 Kym Grosso
Logan's Acadian Wolves
Copyright © 2013 Kym Grosso
DISCLAIMER
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locations and events portrayed in this book are a work of fiction or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
NOTICE
This is an adult erotic paranormal romance book with love scenes and mature situations. It is only intended for adult readers over the age of 18.
Table of Contents
KADE’S DARK EMBRACE Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
LUCA’S MAGIC EMBRACE Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue
TRISTAN’S LYCEUM WOLVES Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
LOGAN’S ACADIAN WOLVES Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Epilogue
Romance by Kym Grosso
About the Author
KADE’S
DARK EMBRACE
Immortals of New Orleans, Book 1
Kym Grosso
Acknowledgments
I am very thankful to those who helped me create this book:
~My husband, for encouraging me to write and supporting me in everything I do.
~Julie Roberts, for proofreading and editing.
~My beta readers, Barb & Sandra, for volunteering to read my first novel and provide me with valuable feedback.
~Cora Graphics, for designing Kade’s sexy cover.
~Romance Novel Covers/Jimmy Thomas, for shooting the custom image for Kade’s new cover.
~Polgarus Studio, for formatting Kade’s Dark Embrace.
~Gayle Latreille, my admin, who is one of my biggest supporters and helps to run my street team. I’m so thankful for all of your help!
~My awesome street team, for helping spread the word about the Immortals of New Orleans series. I appreciate your support more than you could know! You guys rock!
Chapter One
The sultry, summer night bustled with mortals seeking entertainment in the heart of the city. Listening to the sounds in the distance, Kade recognized a familiar jazz song being played by street performers. After the long flight to Philadelphia, he needed to stretch and gather his thoughts. Unable to resist the lure of the waterfront, he leaned against the cool railing, watching the lights of the boats passing by and flickering in the rushing water. Sensing great evil on the horizon, he breathed deeply, letting the sight of the water soothe him.
His cell phone buzzed; glancing at the text, he swore. A dead body had been found near the airport. Goddammit. He was too late. Kade waved to the waiting limo driver, gesturing that he needed to leave. Pivoting, he noticed an attractive woman sitting alone at the end of the dock, far away from the crowd. She appeared confident yet alone, as she sat in the darkness, her long blonde hair shimmering in the moonlight. What the hell is a woman doing down on the docks alone this time at night?
Glancing at the enchanting stranger, Kade struggled to push sex from his thoughts. It had been far too long since he’d felt the touch of a woman. Aroused by the possibility of an encounter with her, he swore once again. Not now. He needed to concentrate on the real reason he was here in the city. Tristan, an old friend and Alpha of the regional wolf pack, had called him in New Orleans nearly a week before, requesting his assistance. He had planned on seeing Tristan later that
night at his club; there he’d find a donor willing to play. Right now, this woman was just a lovely, human distraction. One who was naive to be sitting alone in the dark by the waterfront. Yet he could not seem to tear his eyes off of her. The thought crossed his mind that maybe he should just have a sip of her sweet, young blood before work. Her delicious scent registered in his brain, and his fangs began to elongate.
Over the centuries, he’d been with plenty of women, but none held his heart. As for his thirst, there were many willing women who offered themselves to vampires these days. What was it about this alluring stranger that he found so intriguing? Perhaps it was the chase? Like a fox spotting a rabbit in the woods, he could not resist the temptation of the hunt. Slowly approaching her, he admired her long curly blonde hair, wishing he could run his fingers through it. She was of average height, around five-four, if he had to guess, with a strong, athletic build. As she stretched her toned arms up over her head, he admired her full breasts which strained against her tight white t-shirt. Her black spandex miniskirt accentuated her lithe tanned legs. He watched with curiosity as she glanced at her watch and folded her arms impatiently. Is she waiting for someone? A date?
She lifted her gaze, scanning the docks. Kade darted into the shadows and attempted to cloak his presence, yet she stared straight at him. Bloody hell. Can she see me? Interesting…is she supernatural as well? His cell phone went off again, reminding him that he needed to get to the site. With a parting glance, he memorized her face, hoping he’d see her again. Silently he returned to the car, reluctant to leave the woman, but anxious to wrap up this case and mete out justice to the murderer.
Down by the river, Sydney waited for her friend. God, it was a beautiful night in the city. She always enjoyed coming down to the waterfront. She worked such long hours; she rarely had evenings available for pleasure. She loved her job as a cop, busting criminals in one of the toughest cities in America. Even on a good day, working in Philly could be rough, but she enjoyed the city’s history and rich culture. Tonight, though, instead of cracking heads, she’d made plans to meet a girlfriend. All work and no play made Syd a dull girl, and she was looking forward to playing hard tonight. She needed a stiff drink and good conversation. Where the hell is Ada? That girl was always late. They had reservations at Vincent’s at nine, and she didn’t intend to miss out on dinner. She hoped like hell Adalee hadn’t got called back into the office.
A cold breeze came off the water, sending a chill up her spine. She truly wished it was the sudden rush of air that put her on alert, but she’d been around the block long enough to recognize danger when she felt it. Inspecting her surroundings, she spotted an innocent pair of lovers strolling past the tall ships. Still, she felt eyes on her. In the distance, Sydney spotted a large, very male silhouette in the shadows. Criminal? No, someone else, something else, a supernatural? Human or otherwise, someone was out there. It wasn’t that she was naive about supernaturals, it was just that she generally didn’t arrest them. Damn. I so don’t need this tonight.
Reaching up under her skirt, Sydney checked the silver knife holstered to her thigh; it was secure. She nonchalantly slid her hand into her purse, unlocking the safety on her trusty Sig Sauer. Then she casually pulled out and applied her favorite pink lip gloss and pretended not to see him. Her body tensed ready to spring into action. She smiled and tossed it back into her bag. A girl has always got to look her best when she kills. She glanced away for a second to the couple on the dock, who remained infatuated with each other. Within a split second, her eyes darted back to the shadow in the night. He was gone. Where the hell did he just go?
As the sounds of the jazz band filled the air, she willed herself to relax. Maybe he was a lost tourist? Whatever, he was gone, just another predator in the city. The music in the distance reminded her of the last time she was in New Orleans. Damn if she didn’t love everything about that town, from its delicious beignets to its unique architecture. Sydney shook her head, disappointed that she didn’t have a vacation planned this summer. Shit, I am so stuck in Philly, she thought as she took note of another wasted loser being cuffed by the local beat. Okay, sure, there were drunks in New Orleans, but this was Philly. Inebriated fools here wouldn’t think twice about booing Santa. They got in more trouble than a dog with an Easter basket, and like the dog, they usually ended up either sick or dead. Ah yes, another lovely eve in the big city.
“What now? I'm supposed to be having fun tonight,” she snapped as her cell phone went off. The Freaks Come Out at Night blared from her purse. She could tell from the ring tone that Tony, her partner, was calling.
“Hey, Tone, what’s up?”
“Gotta floater out of the Delaware down near the airport. Captain said it looks messy, and I was kinda hoping you could join me for the party.”
“Okay, but you owe me. I'm at Penn’s Landing right now waiting for Ada. Guess our girls’ night isn’t happening.”
“Uh, Syd…One more tiny detail…”
“Seriously?”
“P-CAP is meeting us there.”
“Hell no, I don’t feel like dealing with their shit tonight.” P-CAP: Paranormal City Alternative Police. Sydney wasn’t a fan of working paranormal cases. For the most part, she stuck to the cut and dry, run-of-the-mill human murders. She didn’t have to work with supes, nor did she want to. She wasn’t exactly prejudiced without reason. Two years before, when working a supposedly simple hit and run, an unknown were-bitch had shifted into tiger mode and killed two cops. It turned out the perp was related to the hit and run driver, and the tiger had thought she could fix the problem by killing the humans. Too bad for her, Sydney always carried a silver knife. Sure, she came out with a few scratches, and almost died in the I.C.U., but Sydney came out of the skirmish alive. The tiger didn’t.
Sydney sighed. “Okay, Tony, but I swear if there are any kitty cats workin’ this case I'll be taking them directly to the vet to be fixed and declawed. I’m not dealing with shifters tonight.”
“Yeah, yeah, one close call with a pussy cat and now you’re allergic to all of P-CAP?” he jokingly asked.
“It’s all fun and games until their claws come out, and the next thing you know the knives are flying. Good thing I've been practicing my aim. See you in ten.” Okay, so it was probably more like twenty, given the city traffic on a Friday night, but at least she was going. She was annoyed that her one night off was screwed thanks to a floater. It was probably just another fool who had thought it would be a great idea to take a swim in the Delaware on a muggy August night.
By the time Sydney showed up on the scene, there must have been at least ten black and whites, not to mention the crowd of spectators who had decided to show up to see if they could catch a glimpse of a dead body. What the hell is wrong with people? She knew damn well the answer to that question was 'everything'. It wasn’t as if she hated the general population, but she tended to see the worst in people, human or not: drug users, rapists, murderers, and perhaps the worst of the bunch, child abusers and pedophiles. The sick bastards never ceased to amaze her. She shuddered, thinking about what might be waiting for her beyond the yellow tape tonight.
Walking down the gravel sidewalk, she ended up in trampled, soggy weeds that formed a makeshift path. The scene teemed with CSI and fellow officers. She felt a chill in her bones and swiveled her head around, searching for its source. It was ninety degrees outside. Something was off, really off. Unable to find an immediate cause, she continued to make her way to the body. She tried to remain steady on her feet as she gently eased down the slope of the slippery grass.
“Sydney! Over here!” she heard Tony call.
As she approached the body, the smell hit her first.
“Oh God, what the fuck is that smell? Dead body mixed with algae? Shit, that is just terrible,” she complained.
“Nice mouth, Syd. Soon you're going to have to carry that cuss jar around with you in the car,” Tony teased.
“Yeah, well, fucking sue me. I’
ve given up on the damn cuss jar. I’ll just write your favorite charity a check. That should cover me for the year.” She winked.
“Okay then, I’ll be waiting on it. Yeah, I know the smell is pretty bad, huh? I guess I failed to mention that the gal who discovered the body passed out from it. Buck up, Syd. I’ll buy you roses afterward,” he chuckled.
Tony thought he was so damn funny. He was a tough cop, born and raised in South Philly. Six-three, Italian goodness wrapped in a hot, witty package, he had no difficulty getting dates. He had dark olive skin and cropped raven hair. Muscular, he looked like he could bench press a bus. To top it off, he knew the city like the back of his hand, and there was no one Sydney would rather trust to have at her back.
She loved him…as well as she could love anyone. He was a good friend. Sometimes she thought of him as a very good friend and was often tempted to turn things into a 'more than friends' arrangement, but she had worked hard to get where she was in the department. Sydney would be damned if she gave in to her primal urges to screw her partner and then end up an office joke as the 'cop who liked to be on top'. Still, she couldn’t help but admire his physique, which reminded her that she needed to get out tonight and find someone to play with. A meaningless quickie would give her the release she desired, one she very much needed to prevent her from breaking her own 'no-dating-on-the-job' rule.
Thoughts of sex were pushed to the back of her mind as the body came into view. It was that of a young woman. Her skin was nearly translucent after being in the water for so long. She was dressed in a long white gown, which shimmered in the harsh lights. She resembled the porcelain dolls Sydney’s mother used to collect, beautiful to look at but no touching allowed. Yes, this girl looked innocent, fragile. How old could she have been? Maybe twenty-one?