Awaken Me Darkly
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
Snow is in the forecast.
In a time and place not too far away, Mia Snow is an alien huntress for the New Chicago Police Department. Heading up her expert team of Alien Investigation and Removal agents, Mia's unmatched at battling the elusive enemy among us, and she's the perfect girl for the job. She's seen her brother die at the hands of aliens. She's earned each of her scars. And she'll die before she cries. Now, a series of killings have Mia and her partner Dallas tracking alien suspects—but a sudden blast of violence leaves Dallas fighting for his life.
They are ice and fire.
The chance to save Dallas appears in the form of a tall, erotic stranger. An alien. A murder suspect. Kyrin en Arr, of the deadly Arcadian species, holds the power to heal the injured agent but not without a price. For Mia Snow, that price is surrendering to Kyrin's forbidden seduction … and embracing their electric attraction. She's walking a knife's edge, risking her badge and even her life. The closer she gets to Kyrin, the more Mia learns about her own heart, her human needs—and the shocking secret that will shatter everything she's ever believed.
Gena Showalter
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than fifty novels and multiple series, including the spellbinding Otherworld Assassins, Alien Huntress, and Lords of the Underworld series, her wildly popular young adult novels—Firstlife and Alice in Zombieland—and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. Visit her at GenaShowalter.com.
Read more from Gena Showalter
Haunted Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Intertwined Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Firstlife Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lifeblood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unraveled Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Instincts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twisted Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Blood Red Kiss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Catch a Mate Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tempt Me Eternally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kat in Zombieland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Awaken Me Darkly
Related ebooks
Enslave Me Sweetly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bad Wolf Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Seduce the Darkness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ecstasy in Darkness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Taste of Rapture Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Savor Me Slowly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tempt Me Eternally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Swan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Kiss Goodnight: An Otherworld Assassin Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black and Blue Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Blood Red Kiss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Forsaken by Night Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chained by Night Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Darkest Prison Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBound by Night Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vampire Fight Club Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wicked Nights Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Deep Kiss of Winter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eternity Embraced Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Night's Darkest Embrace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Primal Instincts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Demon from the Dark Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dreams of a Dark Warrior Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When Darkness Comes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shadow's Claim: Immortals After Dark: The Dacians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweet Ruin Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Royal House of Shadows: Part 1 of 12 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rebel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kiss of a Demon King Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Paranormal Romance For You
Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Flames of Chaos Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chased by Moonlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Siren: Rise of the Drakens, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Hunger Like No Other Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Oxford Year: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fighting Destiny Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insatiable Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wish Out of Water Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lassiter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fortuna Sworn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Dweller on Two Planets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEntreat Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lothaire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sinner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Witches of New Orleans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sheltering Rain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eternal Bonds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Silver Under Nightfall: Silver Under Nightfall #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Warlord Wants Forever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Vampire Bewitched Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lover Unveiled Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5AITA? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Turning Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Savior Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Blood That Binds US Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Masked by Moonlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eternally Bound Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alpha's Breeder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Awaken Me Darkly
257 ratings15 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to have a mixed reception. Some reviewers criticize the character development and plot, finding the protagonist's behavior inconsistent and the halfling creations confusing. However, others appreciate the story and recommend it. Overall, the book is seen as worth reading, with potential for improvement in certain areas.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Really worth the read. If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on Novel Star, just submit your story to [email protected] or [email protected]
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good book, good story as well! But as majority of this kind, the plot is boring, meaning that there's always this strong cold deadly man and the woman too is cold as ice but then she turns into a 15 years old when he's around. Sigh. I'll never find something more life-like when it comes to relationships.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mia Snow is an agent for A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal). She's been hunting aliens her entire life, and hated them ever since she was a little girl and they had killed at least one of her brothers, the other gone missing and never found. Now she's on the hunt for an Arcadian that's killing human men and leaving them to be found in compromising positions. But if she's to find who's behind these murders, and save her partner in the process, she must accept help from the most unlikely of sources: a tall, exotic Arcadian by the name of Kyrin en Arr. And as she gets closer to the truth, and closer to Kyrin, she discovers some shocking secrets about herself in the process.I went into this book not sure what to expect. I was thinking I might just be getting another romance in a paranormal wrapper, but I couldn't be further from the truth. :-) I totally enjoyed Gena's writing style, and Mia's kick ass character reminded me of the Anita Blake of old. This book would probably be considered more Paranormal Fantasy, or even Sci Fi because of the Aliens, though some of the powers they exhibit are very similar to what we see in Vampires in other stories: strength, quick moving, mind control, enhanced life, etc. After finishing this story, I immediately added the rest of the series to my wishlist. There's currently one other published, Enslave Me Sweetly, with the next two coming in June and July 2007 actually being YA, and a return the non-teen version in January 2008. I believe the YA books, going by the series title "Teen Alien Huntress", will take place in the same world but with different characters. (I added the forthcoming titles and release dates to the Ongoing Releases Dates thread at BookObsessed if you want all the details.)
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5My Thoughts on the audio: Justin Eyre has a smokey, sexy, just woke up kinda voice. At times it seemed raspier than others. I'm guessing she did this to fit the character, Mia Snow. Overall I did like her narration. She was pleasant to listen to. My Thoughts on the story:I'm a fan of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series, so I decided to give the Alien Huntress series a try. This book takes place in a futuristic world where aliens live among us. Some are good, others-not so much. That's where Mia Snow comes in. She works for the New Chicago Police Department hunting down outlaw aliens. She's hunting down a serial killer when she meets the sexy, mysterious Kyrin. He gives her a lead and then disappears. However Mia soon learns that Kyrin is the key to stopping the serial killer. The closer she gets to him, the more she can lose herself.Awaken Me Darkly is the first book in this series. This didn't grab me the same way Lords of the Underworld did, but I still liked it. Mia is a good character. She's strong, but also she has a lot of doubts. Her team trusts her and would go out on a limb for her no matter the situation. The chemistry she has with Kyrin is really good. They have a undeniable attraction to each other, even when they are fighting. The story line is good as well. Showalter does a great job in laying out the mystery and romance. She does leave you wanting more. Overall this is a good book. I definitely want to continue with the series to see where Showalter takes it.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5totally loved the strong heroine and action. Her romance didn't make her any less cool.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Awaken Me Darkly
4 Stars
Mia Snow is an Alien Huntress tasked with pursuing, capturing and, if necessary, executing extraterrestrials responsible for harming humans. When an alien serial killer begins targeting young, dark-haired, dark-eyed men, Mia and her fellow hunters must track down the culprit, but the case takes a disturbing turn when an enigmatic and erotic stranger contacts Mia with an offer she can’t refuse …
Science-fiction is not one of my preferred genres, however, the sci-fi elements in this book are secondary and contribute to rather than distract from the setting and the story. In fact, other than references to the arrival of aliens and descriptions of futuristic weapons and other technological advances, the story could very well be set in contemporary times.
Anyone expecting feminine softness beneath Mia’s tough-as-nails facade is bound to be disappointed as she is the personification of a ball-busting, hard-nosed female cop. That said, there is an inner vulnerability and need to be loved that makes her very appealing and adds an extra layer of emotion and intensity to her relationship with Kyrin.
Kyrin is an amalgamation of opposites. On the one hand, he is a typical alpha male - sexy, strong and secretive. Yet, he also accepts Mia’s need to be in control and even encourages her strength and independence. While it is difficult to classify his relationship with Mia as a romance given their intense battle of wills, there is definitely an emotional component that intensifies their underlying chemistry.
The mystery surrounding the disappearances of several young men is intriguing although the revelations toward the end are not all that surprising and can be guessed early on. The final confrontation with the villain is rather anti-climactic given the build up, but the resolution is ultimately satisfying.
In sum, the world building is detailed without focusing excessively on the sci-fi elements, the primary and secondary characters are compelling and the mystery is action packed. Justine Eyre’s narration is excellent and she is fast becoming a favorite. Looking forward to continuing with the series. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Not a huge fan of Mia; she's in her late-20s and acts like a bratty teenager who does what she wants with little regard for rules and boundaries. The plot was okay, but I couldn't quite grasp the "why" of the halfling creations (which should be the point of the story) - they're for making money...sort of; they're for creating a superior species...maybe; they're for...?
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Awaken Me Darkly is set in the future when different species of aliens are openly living amongst humans. Mia is part of a law enforcement group that specifically deal with alien-related crime. She hunts down the criminals and if she finds them guilty, they are executed. There is no trial.
Mia is a no-nonsense kick-ass alien hunter, she's had a tough life growing up. Her mother left after she was born, her two brothers were murdered and her father stopped loving her and turned abusive when her first brother died when she was just 5 years old. She has no room in her life for love but she cares deeply for her team of very loyal hunters. She is very physical with her emotions, if you upset her she lets you know right away with a punch or a slap to the face - as Kyrin notes “Can you not go one day without using your fists?” which lets you know just how often she gets upset!
Mia encounters Kyrin when she begins investigating a serial killer who is murdering human men and displaying them in public. Kyrin is the obvious suspect he had contact with all of the victims before they died but it isn't as simple as that. Mia is drawn to him, she can sense him, his energy - she's human she shouldn't be able to do that. She fights her attraction to him in order to remain cold impartial but he shows her that he isn't responsible for the murders, that there is a whole lot more to the story than just these murders. He shines a light on her personal life, her very being and reveals that she has a connection to the real murderer.
My only real complaint about this book is the lack of background. Being the first book I expected there to be more information about the different species of aliens, a little more on the supporting characters, even Kyrian and Lilla. I also wanted to follow Mia as she looked for the children, a loose end that was never addressed. I understand the next few books follow different couples so I guess that we will not find out what happened to the children.
I never would have read this type of book if it hadn't been for a group challenge. I'm glad I did. I had read the authors first book in the Lords of the Underworld series which I enjoyed so I naturally picked this book to fit the alien category of the challenge. I'm not sure whether I'll continue reading the series now that I know this story will not be continued but it was an enjoyable read. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mia Snow is an alien hunter working for futuristic law enforcement agency A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal Agents) In her capacity, she is allowed to kill alien wrongdoers with impunity, which makes her job both easier and harder than for today’s law enforcement. She has been taught from a young age to hate other-worlders and has a difficult time giving them the benefit of the doubt. That changes when she becomes involved in a case revolving around some disappearing men and a fertility clinic. She meets Kyrin en Arr and desires him immediately, even though he’s Arcadian, a particularly powerful race of alien. Kyrin seems like suspect #1 in her case, but she’s hesitant to believe he’s a murderer. She risks her career to work with him and discover the real culprit behind the killings and learns some important secrets about herself along the way.Suspenseful, crackling with heat and chemistry, just enough mystery and twists to keep one entertained, this is a pretty decent urban fantasy novel. The world building is done well, without a lot of exposition and things are revealed to the reader at a good pace. Recommended for fans of the genre.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I was already a fan of Gena Showalter before I read this book. Reading this, though, made her one of my "buy without question" authors. I loved this book -- its tone, the characters, the sex appeal. I couldn't have been happier when I realized it was just the start of a great new series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As a female on the A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal), Mia Snow had to constantly prove that she deserved to be there. With her instincts and talent that was not terribly difficult, but when men are being abducted by what turns out to be an Arcadian and a women, Mia had to find a way to work with one of the most powerful Arcadian men she had ever met. As Kyrin became more involved in the case as a suspect, he also became more personally involved in Mia’s life going as far as abducting her to prove a point. Would the information and the help that he could give her ever make up for some of his actions.Book 1 ….. An introduction into the Alien Huntress series. Getting to know the group of AIR agents was a handful but fun. There is so many agents and aliens species to get to know, but expected for a first book of a series. Being generous with a 4/5 star rating, I could not get into all of the characters as much as I wanted to, but I got Kyrin - liked him. Can’t wait to see who is part of the next installment in “Enslave Me Sweetly”.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the first book in the Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter. I really liked her book "Playing with Fire". I was a bit leery about this book because...well...it's called "Awaken me Darkly" and it has a scantily clad woman in a black corset on the cover; it kind of screamed romance to me. Well, it is not a romance. It is a tightly packed paranormal crime novel, with back to back action scenes and a sex scene thrown in for good measure.Mia Snow is part of AIR, Alien Investigation and Removal Agency. Basically she is an Alien Hunter; that takes out any aliens that are walking on the wrong side of the law. When she gets drawn into a murder case where nude males are left dead in plain site, she finds that the politics involved are extraterrestrial. When her partner, Dallas, is fatally wounded she finds that the super hunky alien Kyrin en Arr is the only on who can help him. Too bad Kyrin is the prime murder suspect, also too bad that Kyrin is the one who can help Mia unfold her dark past.This book moved at a fast clip. The plot was tight and well-done. I really enjoy Showalter's writing style. The murder investigation and action scenes dominated the book. Anyone who picks this up thinking it's a romance will be deeply disappointed. There is some tension between Mia and Kyrin and one really hot sex scene, but that's pretty much it for romance. Overall I really liked the book. Mia's kick butt attitude reminded me of Anita Blake before she went all succubus on us. Although Mia's character could have had a bit more depth and been a bit more tempered with something other than anger; I still thought she was a pretty good lead.I was also a little disappointed that they didn't go into more about the different aliens and their culture. Kyrin does go into Arcadian culture somewhat; but not in great depth. I also thought most of the aliens were a bit too humanoid, but well, I guess that's the author's decision.Overall this was a very engaging and entertaining read. I liked that the story had a more sci-fi focus; it was interesting to read something paranormal-like in genre that took place in the future and with aliens. The book tied up all the main plot points but left some minor ones hanging. It doesn't look like Mia Snow is featured in the rest of the books in this series. Either way, I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series. I am hooked on Showalter's writing style.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mia Snow is an alien huntress in the near-future working for the New Chicago Police Department. She has a grudge against aliens as at least one of her brothers died at their hands many years ago. She's starting to burn out a little though and her life seems to be one long shooting match with very little down-time.It's an interesting story that just doesn't quite thoroughly work for me, but wasn't a bad read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book seems to lend itself to high-concept pairings. I've seen "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Alien Nation" and "Eve Dallas meets Anita Blake." Personally, I'll go with Men in Black meets Romeo and Juliet... but without the tragic ending. It's about star-crossed lovers and finding an alien killer.Mia Snow is an Alien Huntress--she works for the Alien Investigation and Removal agency. It's a future Chicago where aliens live, for the most part peacefully. But due to their unearthly abilities, when aliens become a threat to humanity, it's not possible to simply throw them in jail. Which is where Mia comes in. (hence the Anita Blake comparisons, which, I admit, are apt--at least for the first several Anita Blake books)There's a murder that Mia determines was committed by a certain kind of alien, and the trail leads her to the Arcadians Kyrin and his sister Lilla. But the more she investigates, the more Mia finds herself falling in love with a man that duty says she should kill.It's a fun concept--add a star-crossed romance to Men in Black. The mystery is appropriately convoluted. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the emotional intensity of falling in love with the absolutely wrong person. And I very much enjoyed that Kyrin is written in shades of gray. So often in this kind of book, the alien (or werewolf or vampire or whathaveyou) is not only peaceful but altruistic, and is simply misunderstood. That's not Kyrin.However, it got a little too convoluted, and at times I was overwhelmed with the details. And there was that back-and-forth with the hero and heroine having the same fight over and over that always drives me nuts. Mia was also a little too willing to use asskicking as a first resort, and a little too undefeatable.I've been hearing that the second book in the series is a big improvement, and I did really enjoy the concept, but this book didn't wow me, and I have that monster TBR pile.... I haven't decided yet if I'll pick it up or not. Leave a comment and convince me.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mia Snow is a kick butt, leather clad alien huntress with a disposition colder than her name. She has fought for her position in a male dominated profession and will not compromise in her morals. However, when Mia and her partner, Dallas, begin investigating a serial killer with a fondness for young men Mia finds she'll need all her brains and all her skills to discover who is responsible. Not the least of her problems is the fact that one of their prime suspects is a heart-stoppingly handsome alien named Kyrin whom she is developing an almost otherworldly attraction for. When her partner sustains a deadly injury it is Kyrin who holds the key to Dallas’ life, but the alien’s price for the saving may be higher than Mia is willing to pay.I'm not a real big fan of the uber-tough, killer chick heroine types which, unfortunately, is exactly what the main character here is. Fortunately, the story itself was enjoyable and interesting enough that I was able to get around that. This particular novel is the predecessor to two young adult books by Ms. Showalter, also set in this world, in which Mia is a side character. It was rather interesting to see how the whole story began, even though I rather liked the YA books a bit better than this one. Although this book did have a respectable conclusion, the entire mystery has not yet been solved and in that respect it is a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm certainly interested enough in this series to keep an eye out for the next book.
Book preview
Awaken Me Darkly - Gena Showalter
CHAPTER
1
Midnight. The witching hour, some say. Since it was 12:07 A.M. and I was standing over a dead body, I had to agree.
The victim, William H. Steele, a thirty-six-year-old Caucasian male, six feet four, approximately two hundred and thirty pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, lay naked across a bed of crisp winter leaves. Moonlight spilled in every direction, and withered foliage mockingly framed his muscular physique. He bore no open wounds, no bruises. In fact, not a single blemish marred the perfection of his skin. He was only recently dead; heat still radiated from him and curled into the icy night sky.
Alien Investigation and Removal agents, also known as A.I.R., were scouring the area, meticulously searching between every blade of brittle grass, every grain of dirt. The faint murmurs of their chatter echoed in my ears. I tuned them out and intensified my focus on the body. The man’s legs were slightly spread and bent at the knees. One of his hands rested behind his head, and the other was bound to his penis with a—what the hell was that? I crouched down. Eyes narrowed, I reached out with a gloved hand and slid one finger under the material. A pale blue ribbon, tied in a perfect bow.
I scowled. Was he supposed to be a gift?
Yes. Yes, that’s exactly what he was, I realized, my scowl deepening. Frost gleamed in his hair like diamonds against dark velvet, yet he hadn’t been outside long enough to acquire the frost from nature. He was a gift that had been posed to look carnal, seductive. Alluring. To the average citizen, he would have appeared eager for a long night of sexual gratification.
To me, he just looked like the corpse that he was.
His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his lips slightly blue, and he wasn’t shivering from the cold. A dead giveaway, if you will. Besides that, his testicles were as smooth and shiny as marble, not shriveled like I supposed every other man’s out here were.
With a wry shake of my head, I pushed to my feet.
Perhaps my assessment was callous and indifferent; perhaps my humor was misplaced. Dead bodies were the norm in my line of work, and I couldn’t allow myself to view this man as an actual person. If I did, I’d have to acknowledge that he once had hopes and dreams, thoughts and feelings. I’d cry for the family he left behind, wonder about the life that had once pulsed through his veins.
I couldn’t do that and still hope to function. With tears came distraction, and with distraction came death. My first year of fieldwork, I had spent more time crying for victims than hunting for their killers, and I had almost become a victim myself. I glanced down at my wrist. The inky blackness of my glove didn’t quite meet the cuff of my jacket, leaving a small patch of skin visible. That skin boasted a tattoo of the Grim Reaper’s scythe and was just one of my many reminders to remain unemotional.
I’d gotten the tattoo after recovering from a nasty beating, courtesy of a pissed-off other-worlder. While I’d been lost in my grief for a victim I couldn’t even remember now, an energy-absorbing Rycan attacked me from behind—and kicked major huntress ass.
I had vowed never to cry again. And I hadn’t. Tears were a weakness only civilians could afford.
I am an alien huntress. I am part of the A.I.R. team, working with or against the New Chicago PD—whichever suits me at the time. Every night I stalk and kill other-worlders, and whether I’m investigating a death or causing one myself, I have to shove sentiment aside, find humor where I can, and concentrate on the facts.
I love my job despite the blood and gore—or maybe because of it. I love solving puzzles, fitting each piece of evidence together. I love that one by one, I’m ridding Earth of our unwanted visitors.
Yes, some aliens are peaceful and are allowed to live and work among us. Those, I leave alone. But the others? The rapists, the thieves, the killers? I despise them.
Alien sympathizers often ask me if I, a hunter, a legalized killer, live with guilt. My answer: Hell, no. Why should I feel guilty for destroying a predator? I’m proud of my work. I’m privileged to do what I do. Other-worlders who survive on human carnage deserve the sting of my pyre-gun.
A glacial blast of wind whirled past my shoulders, scattering a thin sheen of snow powder in every direction. The hem of my long black leather jacket danced around my calves. Four inches of snow had been predicted, so I needed to work quickly. Twenty minutes ago, I’d received a call from my boss, Commander Jack Pagosa. He’d briefed me on the situation. He’d also informed me I had until morning to present him with a suspect, or I would spend the next year behind a desk.
William Steele, a happily married father of one, had been abducted from his home four weeks prior. His wife and newborn child slept peacefully throughout the entire ordeal, unharmed and unaware. Abductor’s point of entry: undetermined.
Four other dark-haired, dark-eyed men disappeared soon afterward. One had been taken from his workplace, and two had been snatched straight from a crowded street during their lunch hour. Oddly enough, there had been no witnesses and not a single shred of evidence left behind at any scene. Because of the enigmatic nature of each disappearance, aliens were the prime suspect.
Just half an hour earlier, a hunter on patrol had found Steele in this deserted Southern District field. Thankfully, the hunter had preserved the scene until my team arrived. The first thing I’d noticed was that Steele’s body showed no indication of torture, no sign of having been restrained.
Second, I’d realized his death had nothing to do with impulse or rage—just as I knew the murder had nothing to do with stupidity or amusement. The scene was too precise, too perfectly planned. Mr. Steele had been killed for a reason.
What? I couldn’t yet fathom.
I drew in a deep breath—and stilled. Slowly, I drew in three more breaths. As I exhaled the last, I smiled. Since the first kidnapping, no one had dared guess which of the forty-eight alien species were responsible, but I had just narrowed it down to three.
The victim had been killed by poison. Onadyn, to be exact. A deoxygenating drug used by the Zi Karas, Arcadians, and Mecs for survival on this planet. They couldn’t breathe our air without it. To oxygen-breathers, the substance was lethal. Worse, it was virtually undetectable. Virtually, but not completely. A rare few could identify Onadyn by its scent, a subtle fragrance similar to a dewy breeze during a summer storm.
I was one of the rare few, and I smelled it now. The scent filled my nostrils, intoxicating and sweet, as lovely as it was deadly, and somehow suddenly more obvious to me than the scent of waste, rotting food, and charred leaves that made up so much of this domain. My observation wasn’t as solid as a neon sign blinking over the killer’s head that read I DID IT in bold red letters, but it did point us in the right direction.
Still, I wanted more.
I scanned the area to my right, paused, then scanned the area to my left. Except for the occasional twinkle from regulation halolights, the task force blended into the night.
I dragged my focus farther back, taking in the tall oaks that knifed the sky. The trees were sparsely scattered, their branches naked, their bark weighed down by dripping ice. Situated between the trees were homes and businesses. I use the term businesses loosely, of course. Nice people referred to this seedy, neglected district as Whore’s Corner. I’d once been fined for publicly saying what I called the place.
Had any of the residents seen anything unusual? Would they tell us if they had?
I’d already dispatched the most charming of my agents to question every citizen within a one-mile radius. But this late at night, civilians tended to be cranky and distrustful. Besides that, the Southern District was notorious for its hatred of law enforcement—human or otherwise.
What do you think, Mia?
Dallas Gutierrez, my right-hand man, strode to my side. He wore a black leather jacket and black combat boots that fit the hard planes of his body to perfection. At times, I thought he was too handsome to be real. His hair was dark and thick, and the inky locks hung in sexy disarray over the wide, muscled length of his shoulders. Perfect eyebrows arched over perfectly shaped eyes. Perfect cheekbones framed a perfect nose.
For some reason, he was smiling—revealing perfect white teeth, the bastard—yet even as the brown depths of his eyes glinted with mischief, he still possessed the razor-sharp edge of a hunter.
I admired him for that.
On more than one occasion, Dallas Gutierrez had flipped Death the bird and come out alive. He was a man who rushed into the middle of danger without hesitation. He considered his friends’ safety before he considered his own, and he never regretted his choice, even when he lay wounded and bleeding. He’d saved my life so many times, I should have tattooed his name on my ass.
What do you think?
he repeated. Which group of aliens is responsible?
Zi Karas, Arcadians, or Mecs.
A little of the sparkle left his eyes. You sure?
I tossed him an are-you-kidding-me frown. Can a woman lose one hundred and seventy-five pounds of unwanted fat by divorcing her husband?
Damn.
He chuckled, the sound rich and husky in the twilight. No wonder you’re still single. You’re vicious.
Damn right I was. I had to be. I was a woman in a man’s profession, and just because I carried a pyre-gun did not mean I was taken seriously. Not even Dallas had taken me seriously at first.
His first week on the job, he fought to have me relocated. Women aren’t hunters,
he’d said so many times I wanted to brand the words on his chest—while he was awake and tied to his bed.
I stand at five feet five, weigh one hundred and twenty pounds. I’m only twenty-eight years old, but I have an indomitable will. I do not take shit from anyone, especially when it comes to my job. The first time Dallas and I practiced hand-to-hand combat, I had him on the ground in three seconds flat, my palms wrapped around his windpipe while he gasped for air.
Funny enough, we were best friends after that, and he never again mentioned my relocation.
What makes you so sure of yourself?
he asked, folding his arms over his chest and pinning me with a frown of his own. A plastic bag dangled from his fingers.
I shrugged. Ever heard of Occam’s razor?
He blinked over at me, and I took that for a no. Occam’s razor is a nineteenth-century principle that states the simplest explanation for a mysterious event is most likely the truth.
His brow furrowed, and his eyes flashed dark fire. How in the hell did you decide the most likely suspect was from an oxygen-intolerant group?
I smell Onadyn,
I said, biting back a grin.
Christ,
he grumbled. I was excited that I knew something you didn’t. Thanks for ruining it for me.
My pleasure. Now what’s in the bag?
As soon as the words left my mouth, all traces of emotion drained from his expression. Silently, he studied me, as if trying to measure my inner strength. I knew what he saw. Straight black hair pulled tight in a ponytail, though several wisps had already escaped confinement. Wide blue eyes that had seen more evil than good, and an oval face that boasted delicate cheekbones better suited to a ballerina.
My appearance worked well for me at times. Suspects expected me to be feminine and delicate, and I was able to take them by surprise. At other times my appearance worked against me, bringing out all kinds of protective instincts in men. This was one of those times I wished I had a mustache and a long, hideous scar.
I kept my gaze locked on Dallas’s.
A sigh slid past his lips, leaving the words You win unsaid, though he didn’t answer my question right away.
Notice any footprints around the body?
he asked.
I peered at the ground, studying, searching. No.
Neither did we. And we’ve analyzed every inch of dirt in this godforsaken shit hole. At first we thought someone performed a beam-me-down-Scottie.
I tossed that idea through my mind. Maybe. But most aliens arrived here through interworld portals. Not spaceships. So they wouldn’t have access to the kind of technology required for a molecular transfer. Besides, the killer is cocky. What better rush than placing the body here, in full view of witnesses, and still getting away?
"Give us some credit, Mia. I said at first. We soon changed our minds. Smug now, he dangled the plastic bag in front of my face. Inside were six strands of white hair.
Found them snagged on a branch."
I frowned, studied the hair more closely. They were thick and coarse and…my frown deepened. There weren’t six individual strands of hair; in actuality, there were only two. Three strands per follicle.
Arcadian,
I said, confirming my Onadyn suspicions. Only the Arcadians had three strands of hair attached to one follicle.
Dallas nodded, his features suddenly tense, determined. You got it.
Dread prickled along my nerve endings, and my stomach twisted into a thousand tiny knots. Why couldn’t the Zi Karas or Mecs be responsible? Of all the aliens to invade our planet, Arcadians were the strongest, the deadliest. The hardest to capture. Their psychic abilities proved a sufficient weapon against us, helping them evade capture. And their talent for mind control…Damn. I didn’t even want to contemplate that right now.
No wonder there were no footprints around the body. An Arcadian could very easily use telekinesis to wipe them away.
Good luck to us,
Dallas said, his voice punctuating the sudden silence. Finding the other men alive doesn’t seem likely now.
We’ll find them,
I said, pretending I didn’t have my own doubts.
He pushed out a breath and motioned to the corpse with a tilt of his chin. One thing I can’t figure out. Why only men with dark hair and eyes?
I’m pretty sure I knew the answer. Our killer is an Arcadian female who’s only attracted to men who are the exact opposite in appearance to her kinsmen.
The corners of his mouth twitched. Occam’s razor again?
Brilliant deduction.
Another blast of wind pushed around us, causing tendrils of hair to momentarily shield my vision. I hooked them behind my ear. I think she wanted Steele and the others as her kinky new sex toys, but couldn’t obtain them through legal means.
Let’s be honest, though. No woman is strong enough to force poison down a man this size.
You know better than that,
I said, patting the gun at my side, reminding him that I could force a steel pipe down his throat if I wanted. I knelt down and pulled at the bow tied to Steele’s penis. Look at this. Is this something a man would do?
No.
Dallas shook his head slowly. No, it isn’t.
Hey, Snow,
one of the men called just then. I recognized Ghost’s deep baritone; he was a man I enjoyed working with. He possessed a heart of honor and courage unlike anyone else I’d ever met.
Yeah,
I answered and released the ribbon. I shoved to my feet, searching the darkness for his rich, chocolate-colored skin. He stood several feet away, his grin a beacon in the night.
Why don’t you come over here and do that to me? I’ll enjoy it so much more than Steele there,
he teased with a wink.
Of course, Ghost also possessed a warped sense of humor. The last breathing man who let me near his goods dropped to the floor in a fetal ball and begged for his mommy.
He gave a good-humored chuckle. You stay the hell away from my goods.
With barely a breath he added, You want us to erect the force field and protect him from the weather?
No, not yet.
I wanted to view him exactly as he’d been left for a little longer. I returned my attention to Dallas, who was scrubbing a hand over his jaw stubble. What are you thinking?
The killer went through some pretty elaborate measures to pose the body,
he said. The intelligent thing to do is destroy all the evidence, leave nothing behind.
Our girl’s into showmanship, but more than that, she’s into punishment. She took her time here, labored over every detail. See how the victim’s body is perfectly aligned? See how the frost is perfectly sprinkled in his hair?
A pause.
I’m guessing he did something to really piss her off.
Damn me,
Dallas said, but I think you’re onto something here. Punishment equals humiliation, and there’s nothing more humiliating than going down in history as the man found in a dirty, diseased field with one hand tied to his dick.
He snorted, his mouth quirking up at one corner. Maybe we should interview a couple of my former girlfriends. Sounds like something they might do.
Over the years, I’d met many of Dallas’s girlfriends. Some of them had needed icicles surgically removed from their veins—a sentiment I’d voiced aloud on more than one occasion. Not that he’d ever appreciated the genius of my insight.
I shook my head and said, All we’re likely to get from your leftovers is frostbite, so we’ll forgo the pleasure of interrogating them for now.
He shot me a teasing grin. Oh, oh, Miss Snow. Is that jealousy in your tone?
Bite me, Dallas.
Hmmm, with pleasure, Mia.
He was kidding, I knew. Our relationship had never been sexual. And would never become sexual. Sex destroyed more male/female partnerships than death, and God knows it would completely negate my authority, something I would not allow.
I stared down at the body for a long while, a new crop of questions running through my mind. I want you and Jaxon to interview the victim’s family in the morning,
I said. Jaxon was another member of my unit. Whereas Dallas was all intimidation, Jaxon was a man who could ask the most private of questions and somehow convince interviewees they were happy to answer. I want to know every sexual secret Mr. Steele possessed, every woman he ever glanced at. I even want to know the brand of underwear he preferred.
Dallas’s handsome face twisted in a wince, his full lips pursing in feigned pain. That should be fun.
If you’d prefer, I’ll assign you to PADD.
Paper and Desk Duty.
Hey,
he said, smiling like he was about to do me a huge favor, you want me to talk to Steele’s family in the morning, I’ll talk to Steele’s family.
Before I could comment, he added, What’s next for tonight?
I cast another glance around the scene. It was about to start snowing again, the night suddenly thicker than before. Boys,
I loudly called, go ahead and erect the force field, then call homicide. They can finish searching the area. We’ve found what we need.
To Dallas, I said, Let’s go to the car.
I pivoted toward our unmarked black sedan. I only set my feet in select places, using the same path I’d taken to get here. I want to search the database.
He fell into step behind me. When we reached our destination, I placed my index finger on the passenger ID scanner. After recognition the door popped open, and I slid inside. With a tug of my wrist, I slammed the door. Moments later, Dallas occupied the driver’s seat.
Start,
he commanded, and the vehicle immediately roared to life. Heat. High.
The heater kicked into action.
I glanced out the window and watched Ghost and the other men assume positions around the edges of the crime scene. Each man withdrew a small box, placed it at his feet, and pressed a button. Blue lights sparked from every box, and the air around them appeared to solidify, becoming liquid and spreading upward and out, until meeting and creating a protective dome.
We need names,
I said, turning to Dallas. Specifics.
That I can do.
Features tightening with concentration, Dallas unfolded his computer console, located where steering wheels were once positioned. Within seconds, he was plugging away at the keyboard.
Pensive, I removed my gloves and massaged the back of my neck. Pull up a list of every Arcadian hunted, questioned, or wanted for interrogation in the last year.
"Males, too?
Yes.
Already done.
He punched a few more buttons, and twenty-six names popped onto the screen.
Ignoring the names, I scanned the crimes committed. Prostitution. Robbery. Vandalism. Cross-reference this list with all Arcadians questioned for sex and human hate crimes. Delete those that have already been exterminated.
His fingers again flew over the keyboard. Mere seconds passed before the names dwindled to five. I nodded in satisfaction. Very few aliens linked to violent crimes ever lived long enough to gloat. Since alien supporters had yet to push through a law stating that other-worlders were entitled to a trial, hunters were often judge, jury, and executioner.
Instead of thanking us for keeping them safe, however, the supporters continued to fight us. Didn’t they realize that if aliens weren’t controlled, if their numbers weren’t kept to a minimum, they could overrun us? That they might one day have the power to wipe us out completely? Didn’t they realize that species with extraordinary powers like weather control, levitation, and the ability to absorb energy needed to know they would be punished if they harmed a human?
When the aliens first arrived more than seventy years ago, we would have destroyed them all if we could have. From all the reports I’d read, panic had spread worldwide, and we immediately engaged them in war. Instead of causing them to flee, we came very close to destroying our own planet.
In desperation, our world leaders finally met with the commanders of each species, and it was agreed that the aliens could live here as long as they remained peaceful toward us. However, as with humans, there are those who are innately good and those who are innately evil. When several other-worlders placed humans on their dessert menu, both aliens and humans agreed something needed to be done. A.I.R. was quickly established, granting us free license to kill those who proved evil.
We’ll question each one,
I said, see what they know.
Keeping his gaze on the front windshield, Dallas adjusted the pyre-gun hooked to his shoulder holster. The lines around his mouth were taut. To be honest,
he said, his voice just as taut, as if he were embarrassed by his words, I’m not sure I’ll be much help to you on this case. I’ve only hunted two Arcadians since joining A.I.R., and I had no luck either time.
Then consider tonight your lucky night. We’ll split the unit into five groups of two, and each group will hunt one Arcadian.
I shifted to my left, facing him more directly. You’ll be with me, and I
—I winked—always get my alien.
Not a bit cocky, are we?
His lips widened into a full-fledged grin, and he radioed the others and told them our plan. Jaffe, Mandalay, you’re searching for Cragin en Srr. Ghost, Kittie, you’re searching for Lilla en Arr—
No,
I said, cutting off his words. The moment he’d spoken Lilla’s name, cold fingers of apprehension had crawled up my spine. I want the woman.
His brow furrowed. There are two females listed.
"I want this woman." My instincts rarely proved wrong.
His eyes gleamed with curiosity, but he nodded, corrected Ghost and Kittie’s target, then continued his litany. When he finished, he returned the radio to its receiver and faced me. So you think Lilla’s our girl?
We’ll see.
I motioned to the computer with a tilt of my chin. Pull up her voice frequency.
When an alien was interrogated, no matter the crime, their voice was recorded and filed, and through voice recognition we were able to monitor their whereabouts for the rest of their stay on Earth. Alien voice was much like human fingerprints, and since high-frequency recorders decorated every street corner and were constantly monitored, we’d have the information we wanted in seconds.
Her voice isn’t listed,
Dallas said, confused.
She was questioned, so it has to be. Try again.
Silence. Then, I’m telling you,
he said, it’s not here.
No damn way. "See what else you can find on