“The Alpha’s Heart M/M, Paranormal Wars: Amur 1”

by Shea Balik

Release Date: May 31, 2016

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Excerpt

Ten minutes later a winded soldier came racing back. “Alpha Ren is sending someone to escort him,” the man told the guard who hadn’t taken his eyes off Taye the entire time they’d been standing there.

“He better send more than one,” the guard muttered.

Taye had tried to go for innocent and unassuming, but the guard clearly hadn’t been buying it. Not that it mattered. Taye was getting what he wanted, to see Kija Ren face to face. Then he could find out for himself if the Alpha was a traitor or not.

Based on the ineptitude of the men he’d encountered so far, Taye couldn’t say what he’d expected from the escorts the Alpha was sending. He definitely didn’t think it was the two men heading their way. They took lethal to a level that was just plan scary. Since Taye trained with some of the most dangerous men on the planet that was saying something.

Not that these two men stood a chance against Alek Rykov’s inner circle. Still Taye had to admit to a moment of trepidation as they stalked toward him. The grace with which they moved reminded him of Alek. It must have something to do with being a cat shifter.

Raidon Tao, second to the Asian Alpha and Divine Death, the Asian assassin, appeared just as deadly as their file had indicated. Both men had fought in the Great War fiercely. From the battlefield reports, they had enjoyed the kill a little too much.

Although, the same could be said about a lot of paranormals at the time. After being experimented and tortured for years at the hands of the humans, many Shifters and Mystics took it out on the human population who dared to wage war on them.

Even Taye, who had only endured fifteen years at the hands of the humans, had felt nothing but rage at those who had thought it was okay to do unspeakable things to the paranormals just because they were different.

Taye had been one of the lucky ones. Somehow he’d been noticed by Maui Koa, a Fire Mystic, who eventually became Alek’s enforcer. Even though Maui had been drowning in his own rage at what had happened to him in those labs, he didn’t let Taye do the same. Somehow a man who didn’t see the good in the world was able to force Taye to see it.

It had taken time and a lot of blood shed for Taye to recognize the soul eating fury that had been inside of him. When he did, Taye knew he had to change. Now he fought for what was right, not for the joy of killing. It helped him sleep better at night.

“What business do you have with the Alpha?” Raidon asked. His expression was one of boredom, but Taye could see the alertness in the second’s eyes. By the way his gaze stopped at certain spots on Taye’s body, Raidon had noticed the weapons Taye was carrying. The man missed nothing.

But it was the assassin with him, Devine Death, who preferred to be called, Death, that scared the shit out of Taye. Never had he seen such cold, soulless eyes as Death’s. They were so dark, Taye would swear they were black. This was a man who would kill just because he could.

“My name is Taye Kata,” he repeated yet again. “I’m from Stone Haven and I need to speak with the Alpha.”

Neither man before him moved or said a word. They just stared at Taye.

But this wasn’t Taye’s first rodeo. If he could survive Maui doing the same with the addition of a fireball being casually tossed from hand to hand as if the man were contemplating throwing it at him, Taye could handle anything.

It was five minutes before Raidon’s lips lifted a fraction. If he’d been alone, Taye would have pumped his fist in the air at a job well done. Since he wasn’t, he just continued to stare, not showing any indication that he was happy to be accepted.

“Come with us,” Raidon said. The gate was lifted and Taye soon found himself following the second with Death at his back. It wasn’t exactly the position he’d prefer. Not that it mattered. From everything he’d read, if Death was in the area, there was no where a person could hide. At least this way, Taye knew he was there.

What Taye didn’t understand was why no one bothered to remove his weapons. They had to be concerned about his intentions. If Taye was correct, and he was sure he was, the Asian Territory had the other five nukes. They not only knew about the plans to destroy Stone Haven, they were in on it. So why would they take a chance with their Alpha’s life. Unless they wanted Kija Ren dead.

Was Alek right? Was Kija being set up?

Large ornate doors that stood at least twenty feet high opened to a large foyer. It seemed impossible but the inside was even more ostentatious than the outside. Marble floors gleamed brightly as they made their way to another set of doors that were painted with a scene of a bloody battle from the Great War.

Triumphant paranormals raised their bloody weapons in victory as they stood over humans who lay in pools of their own blood. It was gruesome to say the least. Taye knew several of his kind who would appreciate the scene. Which was why, after four days, the Alpha Primus hadn’t opened the Alliance’s computer system.

Alek knew he had too many enemies who wanted to see him dead to risk the lives of his people. Until they had the worst of the radiation cleaned up and the wounded were on the mend, or at least somewhere safe, Alek wouldn’t reinitiate the system.

The doors before Taye opened and his jaw dropped. The room was blanketed in gold and jewels. Only the marble floor escaped the gaudy appearance. It was like the Alpha wanted everyone to know just how rich he was. From what Alek had said, Kija Ren had been a simple man with simple tastes.

The few trips Alek had made to the Asian Territory shortly after the Alliance had been formed, Kija had lived in a two room hut. The Alpha could often be found toiling in the fields with his men. So how did a man go from that to this?

“The Alpha will be with you shortly,” a small man with a goatee said from the other side of the room. Then he opened a door and disappeared through it.

Raidon and Devine flanked Taye. Their pose was casual, but Taye wasn’t fooled. They were both poised and ready to strike if need be.

Then the door the small man had left through, opened once more and the man who looked so much like the picture Taye had been fascinated with the whole trip strode into the room. Kija Ren.

A small gasp Taye couldn’t hold back escaped as the aroma of earthy musk filled the room. It couldn’t be. Yet everything inside of Taye said it was. Before him stood Kija Ren, the Alpha. A man suspected of being a traitor to the Alliance – and Taye’s mate.

About the Author

For out of the country traveling, Shea has been to every Caribbean country that cruise ships visit, several times.  Being a Floridian means easy access to ports and cheaper rates.  Although, now that she’s cruised so often, Shea gets discounts for being a frequent cruiser.  In a perfect world, Shea would cruise around the world, but she don’t see that happening anytime soon, unless she wins the lottery.

You never know, one day you may spark her imagination for her next book.

Whether at home or traveling she is usually in front of her computer writing or curled up with a good book.

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