Inked Fury

by Sarah Makela

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Table of Contents

  Acclaim for Sarah Mäkelä

  Look for these titles from Sarah Mäkelä

  Title Page

  Copyright Warning

  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

  About the Author

  Also by Sarah Mäkelä

  More Paranormal Romance from Etopia Press

  ~ Acclaim for Sarah Mäkelä ~

  For Skin Deep

  “The book started off with a bang, jumping right into the action and keeping you wanting to know more.”

  —BK, Immortylcafe.com

  “The plot had animal aggression, secrets, action, romance, and a psycho ex to top it all off.”

  —Crazy Four Books

  “Captivating story that was filled with twists that had me wondering how it would end... Perfect beginning for a new series.”

  —Emily, Musings from an Addicted Reader

  “The author did an excellent job of making her series stand out in a very crowded genre by twisting together just the right combination of mythology... Hopefully, this entertaining and sexy series will see many future installments.”

  —Heather, Books Books and More Books

  ~ Look for these titles from Sarah Mäkelä ~

  Now Available

  The Feral Ink Series

  Skin Deep (Book One)

  Inked Fury (Book Two)

  Inked Fury

  Feral Ink Book Two

  Sarah Mäkelä

  Etopia Press

  Copyright Warning

  EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Etopia Press

  1643 Warwick Ave., #124

  Warwick, RI 02889

  http://www.etopia-press.net

  Inked Fury

  Copyright © 2014 by Sarah Mäkelä

  ISBN: 978-1-941692-08-0

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: May 2014

  Chapter One

  Angelique Trinette stretched her arm over to Connor’s side of the bed, but he was gone. She sat, rubbing her hands over her arms, chilled by the blowing air conditioner. From the clear indention on his pillow, he couldn’t have been up for long.

  A low rumble drifted up from the side of the bed. Kira stared at her with shiny golden eyes. Behind her black panther familiar, the bathroom door stood wide open with bits of snowy white toilet paper littering the floor.

  “Kira! What did I tell you? You can’t do this again. No trashing my place.” Angelique dropped back on the bed, instantly regretting that move as pain burned in her side. Frustration rose to the surface like an internal thermometer stretching toward its breaking point. But the tap of dress shoes drew her attention to the bedroom’s doorway.

  Connor O’Reilly, her sexy werewolf boyfriend, adjusted the cuffs on his pristine white dress shirt. With a cocked eyebrow, he smiled. “What’s wrong?” He slid his gaze to the open bathroom door, and the smile faded around the edges. “If I had more time, I’d help you clean up, but I have to be at work early and—”

  “I know. It takes a while to get to the office from here.” Angelique had moved further away after breaking up with him almost a year ago. For his protection…and hers. She was different from the average girl, but then again, he wasn’t a human guy either. They each had powers one shouldn’t mention in public.

  Connor crossed the room to stand beside the bed. He brushed her hair out of her face then placed a kiss against her lips. The barest of caresses. What a way to start the morning. He slid his tongue over her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to him, needing more.

  She ran her palm over his crotch. His cock hardened beneath his suit pants. She unbuckled his belt, then went for the zipper, but he held her wrist just hard enough to keep her from what she wanted. If only she’d woken up earlier.

  He pulled back, lightly panting from the intimate exchange. “I want to. I really do, but this client—”

  With a fingertip over his lips, she silenced him. “Don’t worry. We can continue this later when you come over this evening.” She shoved her legs off the bed, then pushed past him. Disappointment settled in her chest, but his work was important. Truth be told, she’d brought this on herself by moving so far away.

  She walked to the bathroom, but he stopped her in the doorway with his large hands on her hips, pulling her into his arms.

  “I’ll be here. You can count on that.” He hooked his index finger under her chin. He tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him. “Take it easy today. We can clean up the mess in the bathroom later. It’s not important.” He trailed his knuckles over her cheek. “Get some rest.”

  Pain pinched her nerves as he brushed over a sore spot. Bruises from the incident with Mahon last week still marred her complexion. If only Connor had killed the druid when he had the chance, then she wouldn’t be living under the threat of him still out there.

  “I’ll try.”

  She wrapped her arms around his muscular torso and rested her head against his chest, enjoying the musky scent of his cologne. Having him here relieved the fear of another imminent attack.

  Tomorrow was her first day back at the office. Coming up with an explanation suitable for her coworkers had been challenging, but she’d managed with his help. The werewolf doctor had written an excuse note allowing her to rest up without worrying about her workplace for a few days.

  Her heart raced at the thought of people staring at the marks on her skin. Things might get awkward at work, but she’d deal with it. While it was a first, she couldn’t let it affect her ability to support herself and Kira.

  “Please do more than try.” He ran his hand over her back in soothing circles.

  “I promise.” She looked into his green eyes and brushed her fingers over the silky button-down dress shirt covering his hard, muscular chest. While she cared more about a person’s personality than their physique, she couldn’t deny that his solid build calmed her. He’d proven his muscles weren’t all for show.

  If he hadn’t arrived when he did that night, she would’ve died and Kira would’ve become Mahon’s slave. Pain tightened her chest at the memory, but she needed to move on. It was over. But they both knew the druid might try again, but with Connor protecting her, she had hope.

  The beep of his cell phon
e broke the intimate moment. He pulled away a little to check his phone with a sigh. “I have to go.” He stole a kiss from her lips, but this time he didn’t linger. “I’ll see you later, Angel. Call me if you need anything. You’re more important so I could reschedule the meeting if I had to, okay?” At her nod, he glanced behind her, and a smirk curved his lips. “Don’t give her too much grief, Kira.”

  Her familiar let out a low rumbling growl. While Connor and Kira were slowly getting used to each other, she wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving them alone in the same room for any length of time. She leveled her gaze at Kira, who instantly calmed down. The black panther knew she wasn’t in the best of moods after the shenanigans in the bathroom.

  “I love you, Angel.” He retreated from the bedroom, the soles of his dress shoes clacking across the hardwood floor.

  “I love you too,” she called out.

  The front door opened then closed behind him, and his keys rattled in the lock before it clicked securely.

  She glanced back at the bed. The cozy warmth called to her. Should she take advantage of the moment while it lasted? Besides, she wasn’t typically awake this early even when she had work so catching a few more winks of sleep might be nice.

  The slam of a car door drew her to the window, and she peeked through the blinds.

  He had straightened his tie before he started the ignition, his sports car roaring to life. With their relationship being new again, she would’ve liked time to ease back into a comfortable life together, not the crazy mess they went through last week.

  After finding out about him being a werewolf, she hadn’t expected life to be easy. In fact, she didn’t feel so alone and different now. He possessed supernatural abilities too. Although, she wore her beast on her skin, his lurked beneath the surface.

  Her paranoia levels were heightened since the attacks, but she couldn’t let what happened throw her life so far off balance when she’d finally begun to find happiness. Normalcy was out of the picture.

  Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about one person. Monica. Connor’s Alpha had banished his ex-girlfriend to Alaska for assisting Mahon in trying to kill Angelique.

  Shaking those thoughts away, she walked back toward the bed, deciding to get more sleep as Connor had suggested. She didn’t have to be awake right now. Not having him beside her must’ve woken her. The fact he had that much power when they were so newly back into their relationship scared her. What if something happened to him? Would she ever be the same again?

  She didn’t want to rely on him being there forever because life seemed fleeting now. Before danger had kept her from doing anything irrational, but now a threat hid in the shadows, ready to pounce when she least expected it.

  No, she wouldn’t have that kind of attitude. She’d never believed it before, and she wouldn’t now. She’d given him hell with having to find her. If things got out of control, she could broach the subject of moving. Maybe he would go with her. Their relationship wouldn’t have to suffer this time because of her fear and the desire she had to protect them from harm.

  She slipped under the covers. Any warmth from their bodies had drained away. She sighed. Her side still ached, and stitches trailed up her torso from where the druid started to skin her. Memories of the event flashed in her mind, and she squeezed her eyes shut against them.

  A warm furry muzzle nudged her hand, and she looked to find Kira watching her. The big cat cocked her head to the side.

  “Fine,” Angelique said, holding out her hand, “come back to me.”

  Kira leapt onto the bed as gracefully as expected for a feline. The bed sagged beneath her weight, and magic exuding from Kira sent tingles over Angelique’s skin. Kira placed a paw on her bare torso, and Angelique focused on her breathing. Pain burned where the big cat melted into her skin going from real life panther to dynamic tattoo.

  One paw, two paws, three… Finally, the bond they shared was reconnected allowing her to feel Kira’s emotions, which had the hazy side effect of Angelique having an edge of her personality at times. That didn’t matter. She enjoyed Kira’s company, but being in a relationship with Connor and having intimate needs required her to shed her familiar more these days since neither of them felt comfortable with Kira purring while they had sex.

  Kira brushed against Angelique’s back, leaving behind the silky feeling of fur caressing her skin as her familiar settled down for a nap in her favorite spot on Angelique’s lower back.

  “Good idea. He might have to work, but we have one more day until we go back to the daily grind. We might as well enjoy it while we can.” She stretched her legs and stared at the ceiling.

  Life had been easier before Connor came along. However, she preferred being with the one she loved over suffering alone.

  * * *

  The meeting with the new client had gone exceptionally well. Connor leaned back in his office chair. Already his boss was talking about the positive impact this new client would have on their yearly goals.

  He let out a deep breath, and his thoughts drifted back to his encounter with Angelique this morning. If only he could’ve stayed with her longer, especially after all they’d been through. Staying at her place most nights forced him to get up much earlier to arrive at work on time due to the extended distance, and he wasn’t exactly a morning person. If that wasn’t enough, the full moon was fast approaching, affecting his control and straining his already tense nerves.

  But that didn’t matter. What mattered was her safety and happiness.

  Her demeanor had changed since the druid attacked her. She tried to hide it, but his beast sensed her pain. Even Kira reacted differently around her.

  How could he clear out all of the turmoil their lives had been through recently? Perhaps if they did something spontaneous, it would break them out of their rut. But what could he possibly do?

  Two ladies from down the hall walked past his door talking a mile a minute. “My husband took me to the coast this past weekend for our one year anniversary!” Nancy, the secretary, said. “I couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to have spent the weekend.”

  “Girl, you’re lucky—”

  He snapped his fingers. Yes, that’s what he’d do. A weekend away might be exactly what they needed. He leaned forward, fingers poised on the keyboard. There were plenty of nice bed and breakfasts on the coast—

  His phone rang breaking his thoughts. He balanced it on his shoulder. “Hello, Connor O’Reilly speaking.”

  “Connor,” John said, “I’m so glad I caught you before you left for the day.” His boss still sounded fired up from the meeting this morning. “I’ve gotten more great news. The client wants to meet in person to discuss final details.”

  “That’s great, John. Sounds like everything is going well.” He typed “bed and breakfasts” into the search engine. A website database of locations came up on top, and he clicked the link, hoping to find an inn on the coast. John tended to talk for a while before he dug into the meat of whatever he wanted to say. He could probably find where they’d stay in that time.

  “Yes, it is. In fact, since you helped cement this client, I’d love if you came with me.”

  The phone slipped from his shoulder. His supernatural reflexes kicked in, and he caught it before it hit the desk. “That’s nice of you,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m sure it’s not necessary.” His heart climbed into his throat, and sweat dampened his palms. A wave of nausea roiled his gut.

  Taking a business trip now was a horrible idea with what happened to Angelique about a week ago. He needed to be there to support her and protect her.

  What if he went out of town and came back to find her dead? His grip tightened on the phone making the plastic groan. Mahon was still on the loose, and who knew when he’d strike again. This time, she wouldn’t have the advantage of the druid not knowing about Connor and his abilities.

  “Actually, I’m afraid it is. They insisted on meeting you in person.” John’s enthusiasm had falt
ered. “Is everything okay?”

  He took a deep breath, then released it slowly. What could he say? Honesty might help get him off the hook, but it’d be encroaching on her privacy. Unfortunately he couldn’t figure out a better option. The story for her workplace wouldn’t give the tone of urgency he needed. “Right now isn’t the best time for me to go out of town. My girlfriend was attacked last week.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Connor. Good conquers evil. I hope whoever did that rots behind bars.” Silence stretched between them, then John piped up, “You should bring her with you. I’ll contact HR and finance to make an exception.”

  “I…uh…” Uneasiness settled into his gut. She was set to return to work tomorrow. Would she be able to arrange to have time off? Would she even want to?

  “It’ll be fun. I’m sure she’ll enjoy herself. Their corporate office is in New York City. There are plenty of chic boutique shops and Broadway shows. I’m sure she’ll love it. Wow, this is going to be fabulous. Thanks. I knew I could rely on you.” The dial tone beeped in his ear.

  Dizziness weakened him as his beast ripped its way to the surface of his skin. Anger at John mixed with a strong instinct to protect his mate, intensifying his feelings. He surged to his feet, striding to the door before he regained control. He’d only been a werewolf for ten years, but he prided himself on not letting his beast take over.

  The world didn’t know about the supernatural, and life was better that way. The monster that turned him had killed his parents. Things were much stricter now. His kind dealt with enough strife in the older times, when people believed in the paranormal, and superstitions played a bigger role in everyday life. He wouldn’t unleash the news frenzy about werewolves by shape shifting and ripping out his boss’s throat.

  Taking a deep, calming breath, he returned to his desk. Violence wouldn’t solve anything. For now, he had to decide whether to tell her about their “getaway” in person or over the phone.