Heat (The Grizzly Brothers Chronicles Book 2)

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  I called out for help. Trying the exercise that had never worked before. Instead of floating, I called out. It worked this time. I felt the dead. Tiny voices that grew louder and louder the more I opened myself up. And then I heard him. My grandfather.

  “Hold on, Mara. Don’t let go!”

  I couldn’t respond. I was nearing exhaustion.

  “You can do this. You are strong enough. Forget everything you’ve ever learned and go with instinct. Listen to your own voice above the others.” His voice sounded just the way it used to, and at any other time it would have brought me to tears. But I had no time for tears now.

  I felt a rumbling, and my body heated. I felt strong and invincible. The voices in my head grew louder and louder, until it was impossible to hear my own thoughts. It was as if the power and strength from all of them was now part of me. I grabbed the demon, pulling him back against me. I saw visions of red, and the demon began to scream as flames engulfed him. I held on, ignoring the fire that built up bigger and bigger. My grandfather’s voice called out over the others, begging me to hold on.

  I felt darkness. I felt hatred and anger like I had never experienced before. It felt natural and called to me. I wanted to soak it in. I wanted it to become part of me. It was part of me. I was one with the darkness.

  “Let go!” Lochlan screamed. “You must let go!”

  I listened. Stumbling backward as what used to be the demon started to crumble until it became a pile of black soot.

  Then the road started to tremble, and everything went black.

  “Mara?” Ian’s voice came right next to his ear. “Mara, please. Say something.”

  “Help.” It was the first word that came to me. I opened my eyes and looked down at my body. It was fine. There wasn’t a single burn on me. I could still feel some darkness, a dull ache inside me, but it was dissipating.

  “I’m here.” Ian took both my hands in his. “I’m here.”

  I looked deep into Ian’s eyes, and a wave of relaxation rolled over me. I was with Ian. I wasn’t darkness. I wasn’t the demon. I was me. “Where’s Lochlan?” I searched around and finally spotted him curled in a ball a few feet away.

  “We need to move.” Lochlan’s voice was weak. Much of his body was covered with burns. “Go and find Netta. Dig her up.” He rolled away.

  “But you need help.” How could I leave him?

  “Find Netta. You promised her help.” Lochlan’s face scrunched up in pain with each word.

  “Lochlan.” He’d given everything to defeat the demon, and I knew at least partially that had been to save me. “I can’t leave you like this.”

  “I will tend to him.” Isadora fell to her knees beside him. “Do as he said.”

  I closed my eyes and reached out for Netta. I wasn’t scared this time. I knew exactly what to do, and it happened quickly now that I could call out rather than float.

  We were close, very close.

  “She’s in the woods.” I pointed into the trees. “Not far away.”

  I led the way to the spot where I knew she was buried.

  Noah, still in bear form dug ferociously, splaying dirt everywhere. Then he stopped and jumped back. Bryant reached down into the hole Noah made. He picked Netta up and lay her down on the ground.

  Noah transformed and moved to his knees beside her. I ignored his nakedness as he immediately went to work wiping dirt from her face. She was sleeping—or in some sort of unconscious state, but she was breathing. She was alive.

  “Netta?” I knelt down beside her. “I came back for you. Just like I promised.” I was exhausted, and I already knew I wouldn’t find her if I tried to use my Séancer side to connect. She wasn’t dead—and she wasn’t trapped. I wasn’t sure what she was.

  “She’s going to make it.” Noah took her hands in his.

  I didn’t know why he was so concerned with her, but it wasn’t a bad thing. After everything Netta had been through she deserved to have someone care.

  “Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but she’s not going to be moving for a while.” Bryant nodded toward Netta.

  He was right. No one argued. But that didn’t mean there weren’t other things that needed to be dealt with.

  “We need to talk.” I looked at Bryant.

  “I’m guessing this is about the demon pet you promised me.” Bryant stuck his hands in his pockets.

  I took a deep breath. “Yes. We killed it.” At least I assumed we had. He’d been nothing more than dust when I last saw him.

  Bryant nodded. “I see.”

  “So…” I was too tired to say much else. I wasn’t going to apologize for destroying something evil.

  “So, you owe me.”

  “Owe you what exactly?” I asked carefully.

  Bryant shrugged. “Something. A favor. I’ll be back for it.”

  Ian put his arms around my waist from behind. “You’re bound not to hurt her.”

  “I know. I know.” Bryant sighed. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt. But I may need your help.”

  “But you don’t want it now. You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Going to miss me?” Bryant grinned.

  “Not really,” I answered automatically. I was still angry with him, but exhaustion and concern for Netta and the other girls I still needed to find had taken the place of any revenge plan.

  “Good because I won’t miss you. And do me a favor, if my enemies come looking for me, tell them I’ve left the country.” He winked before taking off and disappearing into the sky.

  I looked over to where Noah kneeled beside Netta. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since we found her.

  I hurried over to where Lochlan lay on his side.

  Isadora gave a faint smile. “He will be fine. I have done what I can, and a much stronger healer is on the way.”

  “You tried to sacrifice yourself.” I knelt down next to Lochlan.

  “It was the only way I could get the demon to make himself weak.” Lochlan winced. “It worked.”

  “I’m sorry if it’s my fault.” I swallowed hard. “If I am the reason you have the burns.”

  “You’re the reason the demon is destroyed. Focus on that.” He rolled his head to the side, and I took that as my cue to leave.

  I leaned heavily into Ian’s side as we walked back toward Noah and Netta. That seemed like as good a spot as any to start reaching out for the other girls. “The demon marked me as a child. I have darkness in me as part of my Séancer side.”

  Ian shook his head. “No. You’re good. Don’t let anything the demon said bother you. It was all lies.”

  “Not all.” I’d resisted his call, but for a moment I had enjoyed the darkness. I had wanted it despite the harm it could cause. “But it’s okay. I can still use my powers for good.”

  “You saved Netta.”

  “I did.” At least we found her body, and she was alive—what kind of state she was in was still to be determined. “And there are more girls to find.”

  “And you’ll find them. I know you will.” Ian brushed some of my hair away from my face.

  “What’s going to happen to them? Even if they wake up fully, how can they adjust to being back after so much time has passed?” If my hunch about Netta was right, she’d been trapped for decades.

  “I think Netta is going to be fine.” Ian pointed to where Noah sat with her. His eyes were glued to her face, and without understanding the details I knew there was something special there, a supernatural connection.

  I smiled. “Noah’s a nice guy.”

  “He’s stronger than I ever gave him credit for.” Ian looked over at his brother again.

  “That’s a common theme.” I was starting to think that about myself. I’d wanted to give up, but I hadn’t. I’d pulled it together and faced something far worse than any nightmare I’d ever had. I’d resisted the darkness. I’d held on through the flames.

  “What do you mean?”

  “My grandfather didn’t think I
could handle this. That’s why he hid it from me.” I was beginning to understand.

  Ian shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. Maybe he did it because he wasn’t strong enough to tell you.”

  I thought about his words. “I like that theory better, but I guess we’ll never know.”

  “Can’t you contact him?” Ian took my hands in his.

  “I felt his presence when I was with the demon. I heard his voice, but I don’t think I’m meant to talk to him again. I think I’m meant to keep the memories instead.”

  Ian pressed his forehead against mine. “I love you.”

  “I love you too. I love you more than I ever believed possible.”

  He brushed his lips against mine. “After we save the other girls it’s time to plan that ceremony.”

  “What ceremony? You said we didn’t need one.”

  “Not that one.” Ian smiled. “The one where I get to call you Mrs. Grizzly.”

  “Wait.” Understanding dawned on me. “A wedding?”

  “Yes. You’re my mate already, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to be my wife.”

  “Your wife.” My heart soared. “I like the sound of it.”

  “I’m glad.” He ran his hands down my back. “Because it’s happening as soon as you’re ready.”

  “I’m ready.” I stood on my tippy toes and pulled his head down to mine. “I’ve been ready for you my whole life.”

  His lips crushed into mine, and I knew I was exactly where I was always meant to be.

  Afterword

  Want more Chronicles? Check out the other series set in the Chronicles world.

  The Crescent Chronicles, The Empire Chronicles, The Allure Chronicles, The Dire Wolves Chronicles, and The Forged Chronicles. Also keep an eye out for the Pteron Chronicles, coming soon!

  Please keep reading for a preview of Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1) a New Adult Paranormal Romance by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  www.AlyssaRoseIvy.com

  www.facebook.com/AlyssaRoseIvy

  twitter.com/AlyssaRoseIvy

  AlyssaRoseIvy@gmail.com

  To stay up to date on Alyssa’s new releases, join her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/ktlSj

  Flight

  Sometimes you just have to take flight.

  A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

  Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

  Preface

  Closing my eyes, I tried to block it all out. Convinced I was about to die, I was only partly aware of his arms around me.

  “You said you wanted an adventure,” he said quietly, teasingly, as he tightened his hold.

  My stomach dropped out as an intense and complete feeling of weightlessness engulfed me. The wind stung my face as memories flooded my mind. I thought of my parents, of all the things I wanted to tell them but never did, my friends from home, and the experiences I longed for. Quickly my thoughts changed to more recent memories, to Levi.

  “Open your eyes,” he whispered, somehow knowing my eyes were clenched shut.

  Against my better judgment, I listened. The scream died in my throat as we hurtled toward the water that had seemed so beautiful from the roof above.

  Chapter 1

  I’d sworn off men, or really boys, because those were the only type of males I tended to attract. The numbers on the pump moved painfully slow as I reminded myself of the decision. Tying my hair up in a knot on the top of my head, I struggled to save my neck from the heat created by my long brown hair. Even a ponytail wasn’t enough for the Mississippi heat. I had heard all about the hot summers of the south, but I didn’t expect the temperatures to be quite so scorching in June. I was terrified to think about what August would feel like.

  Finally finished with the gas, I got back in the car to wait impatiently for my best friend Jess. We were only a few hours away from New Orleans, but after two days of driving, every minute was torture. I started the engine and turned the AC on high before leaning back into the comfortable seat. The new car smell still permeated my Land Rover, an over the top high school graduation gift from my father. I loved it and appreciated the gift but wished my dad had checked with me before special ordering it in what he believed was my favorite color—lavender. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that purple had stopped being my favorite when I was five.

  After a few minutes, Jess slid into the passenger seat. “Want some chips or soda?” she asked while smoothing out her blond hair, putting a few strands back in place behind her ear. The effort was wasted. Her hair was still messy and matched the flushed expression she wore.

  “Please tell me you didn’t make out with someone to get free chips.” I rolled my eyes hoping she would surprise me just this once by not having done it. We had been best friends since the sixth grade, and she had been boy crazy the whole time I’d known her.

  “I didn’t make out with him for the chips; I did it because he was hot.”

  Stifling a laugh, I pulled back out onto the road toward I-59. “Sure.”

  “We’re only young once. Don’t be so uptight.” Jess snapped her gum loudly.

  “Hey, it’s fine, but don’t come complaining to me when you get some weird communicable disease from one of the random guys you hook up with.”

  “Allie, I love you, but you have to relax. Promise me you’ll at least try to have fun this summer.” She sighed dramatically.

  “I’ll try,” I said with exaggerated frustration. I planned to have a great summer, just one that didn’t involve guys.

  “That’s not good enough. You’re not going to let Toby ruin the entire summer are you? So you dated a jerk, who cares, forget about him.”

  “I’m not going to let Toby ruin anything. I’m the one who dumped him, remember?” Thinking about Toby threatened to put me in a worse mood. He had only been the latest in a string of disappointing dating experiences. First there was Steve, we broke up when I found him cheating on me—with my best guy friend. After that was Matthew, who took commitment phobia to a whole new level when he actually set a cap on how often I could text message him. With Toby it wasn’t anything dramatic, the romance just didn’t live up to my expectations. Somehow, his declarations of how great of a power couple we would make didn’t cut it. As relieved as I was about avoiding him all summer, I still had to deal with him at Princeton in the fall.

  “So does that mean you’re ready to move on?” Jess asked excitedly.

  “No. I told you, I’ve sworn off men.”

  “Sweetheart, you do realize that men have many valuable roles other than boyfriends, right? Instead, how about you swear off boyfriends and just have fun?”

  “I don’t care what you do with guys, but I am never going to be the girl that just hooks up, okay?”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Wanting to avoid a fight, I decided to ignore her last comment. Sometimes it was easier to let her think she won.

  When I didn’t answer, she decided to continue. “Maybe getting away from high school boys will help.”

  “Maybe,” I mumbled under my breath.

  She appeared not to hear me and changed the subject. “It was so cool of your dad to let us come down and hang out at the hotel all summer!”

  “You mean it was cool of him to give us jobs, right?” I tried to keep a straight face, but really, I wasn’t surprised by her choice of words. When Dad called to ask if I wanted to work at a hotel he had recently purchased in New Orleans, I agreed only if Jess could come with me. She wouldn’t be much use as a coworker but she did have the ability to make any situation fun. I was counting on her working her magic.<
br />
  The Crescent City Hotel looked exactly as I expected; a historic building complete with wrought iron balconies and the dangling ferns that were in every picture I had seen of the French Quarter. Following along with the GPS, I turned onto Royal Street and pulled up front to the valet, not sure where I was supposed to park. Before I could worry for long, my dad knocked on the window.

  He opened the door once I unlocked it, taking my hand to help me out. “Hey sweetie, how was the trip?” He pulled me into a hug as soon as my feet hit the pavement. If you didn’t know any better you’d think we had a normal father-daughter relationship.

  “It was fine, we made great time.”

  “Hi Mr. Davis!” Jess yelled as she ran around the car.

  “Hi Jessica, I’m so glad you were able to come down with my Allie.”

  “Of course! Thanks again for the job!”

  “It’s my pleasure; I hope you girls have a nice time.” He caught my eye over Jess’s head. Even as little as he knew Jess, he was under no misconceptions about her work ethic.

  Dad glanced behind him, lifting a finger and a bellhop a little older than us started unloading bags from the back of the car. Before he had finished moving our bags to the cart, Jess was already chatting him up. With my dad watching, the poor guy was trying to stay professional.

  “Let’s go Jess.” I grabbed her arm and led her inside. Dad had already gone ahead.

  The lobby felt huge, much larger than it looked from the outside. All the money my dad had poured into the updates showed. Large travertine tiles covered the floor and dark wainscoting framed the room, while a beautiful chandelier with dangling crystals helped light the space. The etched glass in the sidewall that bore the name of the hotel typified the way he had modernized the hotel without losing all its historical character. I especially loved the solid mahogany bar. I’d like to say my dad had an eye for design, but I’m sure he had nothing to do with the selections. The fact that he was even at the hotel was surprising. He usually oversaw his properties from afar.