Despite sweltering heat, Saturday night is in full swing at the local campus bars and cafes. Thumping techno bass competes against raucous voices and laughter until screams suddenly shatter the party atmosphere. A half-naked man charges through the crowd, savaging his peers. Zoe Clark witnesses the bloody attack and the unnatural behavior of the assailant and knows something horrible is happening in her quiet college town. Zoe opens her home and her heart to a mysterious newcomer who claims to have an explanation for the grisly attacks. Elliott Carter needs any help he can find as he struggles to discover a cure for the virus that can turn ordinary students into mindless, violent attackers. Attraction and dedication collide as the two are drawn into a high stakes race against a government gone awry and a menace invisible to the naked eye. As they fight to stop the spread of the deadly microbe, secrets and bloodshed threaten to destroy any hope they might hold for a happily ever after. When the world teeters on the brink of a deadly pandemic, how much will they sacrifice to save it?
***Warning for adult language and violence***
“You can only catch the virus through blood to blood contact, right?” Zoe asked, kind of out of the blue. “Not through saliva or anything like that?”
“Yeah, it has to be direct blood to blood transmission. Now, if two people both had bleeding cuts or sores in their mouths or something like that then it could pass along with the saliva but…” My oh-so-sexy description was cut short when Zoe pressed her lips to mine, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Oh God, this was going to complicate things so much, but I didn’t give a damn. It felt too good, too right. I groaned, losing myself in the kiss as I tangled a fist in Zoe’s hair, pulling her closer and trapping her between my body and the air mattress. We kissed hungrily, passion with a generous dash of desperation mixed in. When her hands slid under my shirt and traveled over my back and chest, I took it as an invitation to do the same. I rolled slightly to the side, pulling her with me so that I could reach the clasp of her bra strap under the soft dress that had already hiked up past her waist. Sighing with fascination, I ran my thumb over the silky smoothness of her breast and moved to kiss her lips again. She arched under me, and our mouths crashed together awkwardly, teeth clicking before we found the right rhythm. Zoe giggled, and then gasped when we both heard the front door open upstairs.
“Guess this will have to be postponed,” she sighed, swiping at her mouth with the back of her hand and attempting to rearrange her dress. Something about her hand caught my attention, and I reached out for her wrist as she struggled to re-latch her bra. A very slight red smear marred her pale skin, and all at once my nausea returned. With shaking hands, I touched my own lips to see if I was bleeding. Zoe blanched when she realized what was on her hand, touching her own face in concern.
“It’s mine! It’s not yours! It’s not your blood. I just nicked my lip a little on my tooth. I didn’t even notice it. It’s okay, Elliott!” she exclaimed, touching my face and shoulders, trying to draw a reaction from me. I’d gone blank, too focused on the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions raging inside my own skull to even respond to her. Slowly, I backed away and retreated to the freezer. My body temp hadn’t even started climbing, I simply needed space. I had to get…away. I had to get away from all of this.
I sat inside the freezer, not bothering to turn on a light. Zoe was the only thing that made me feel alive while I was busy dying. But humans are so damn fragile. What if I was the next to bleed? What if I killed her right along with the rest of the world? Surely that would send me straight to a special spot in hell. God damn it! As if I wasn’t in a special hell already.
Erin McFadden is the author of the Young Adult paranormal series, Descended from Myth and the adult fiction thriller, Whimper. She has several more projects underway so stay tuned for new and exciting adventures!
Erin lives in Indiana with her husband and two daughters. They love reading and watching movies together, as well as camping and hiking in the great outdoors.
An unabashed geek, Erin loves science fiction, all things paranormal, and anything involving a conspiracy theory. She firmly believes that everything is better with chocolate and a healthy dose of caffeine.
Facebook ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Pinterest ~ Twitter: @ErinMcF_Author
Muse (Descended from Myth: Book One)
TALENT (Book Two – Coming Soon)
Description:
Porter McGavin never imagined he'd become a member of a centuries old brotherhood, but then he never knew that ancient mythology was based on reality either. The combat veteran is dealing with his battle scars when he's recruited by the Guardians and his life changes dramatically. No more struggling to get by, no more fighting to fit in. But the real challenges begin when he's thrust into the role of Claire Montgomery's Watcher.
Claire barely trusts the Guardians. Too many former Guardians were involved during the years she lived in confinement and forced isolation. After her rescue she knows she needs protection, but will she be able to accept any Watcher, let alone one as damaged as Porter?
Forced to solve the dark secrets which haunt them both, can they learn to trust each other before the Guardians fall or they both lose what's left of their sanity?
