Infinity
Xandrian
Circle Series
Book
One
Allaina
Daniels
Genre:
Urban Fantasy/Romance
Date
of Publication: Aug 2015
ISBN:
9781516804696
ASIN:
B012UF5K2A
Number
of pages: 370 print
Word
Count: 97k
Cover
Artist: Isaiah Bowling
Book
Description:
Professional
animal trainer, Carmen Rockwell, is happy living her life on the edge
of society. She owns a high profile business that is run by her best
friend, Lissy, the only person she thinks she needs in her life.
Because of an unusual gift, she is the best in the country at what
she does.
She
goes away for work and finds herself suddenly drawn into a new world-
one that she never knew existed and against her will, it follows her
home, demanding that she enter into the life she was destined to
live.
An
important date is approaching fast, but will she turn away from this
new world and hide or will she face her fate head on? One man could
make all the difference- but does he love her or is she only a means
to an end?
Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/X3x7J4isLLY
North
Georgia 2005
Gabriel
Vorrian was miserable. His business was steady, but boring. His
surroundings were just a little better than spartan, and his quality
of life was less than stellar; but he supposed it was his own fault.
He had given up on ever finding true peace and happiness. When
someone had been around as long as he had, day-to-day life just
became one, long stretch of monotony. He was nearing his nineteenth
decade; and although his body was just as healthy and strong as the
day he turned twenty-nine—exposing his timeless, Xandrian
heritage—his mind was worn out.
He
looked around his modestly-sized home and grimaced. He could live in
a much nicer place, but why bother? The small, two-room cabin was
livable and suited his needs, providing him with the basic
necessities, even if they weren’t exactly comfortable. Not aging in
a typical fashion dictated a move every ten years or so, but this
place was his solution to that. There were no neighbors, and only the
most intrepid visitor would attempt to trek the steep, two-mile hike
of the driveway—if one could call it that. It was more of a narrow
trail with massive overgrowth which barely accommodated one compact
car. There was a dangerous, rickety bridge that went over a furious
river about three-quarters of the way up. Once there, if the solitude
didn’t turn someone away, the interior would perhaps convince all
but the most well-meaning to leave.
There
were no family photos, no pieces of artwork, and no signs of a person
with a life - just wood and the most basic of amenities. He moved in
eleven years ago and had never taken the time to unpack. The place
was a realm of utter chaos and disorganization. There were clothes
everywhere and stacks upon stacks of papers. Sighing, he bent over
one stack and began sorting it into piles at a languid pace. He
stopped when one particular piece caught his attention.
It
was a postcard with peaceful waters on one side and a note on the
other. His hand shook as he read the familiar script:
Even
the faithless deserve the peace that all people crave and would die
for. You still have time; continue your search.
He
set it down in the to-be-thrown-out pile, sighing and rubbing his
face with both hands. With a sudden spurt of anger, he sent the whole
thing flying across the room with one, tormented swipe of a large,
long-fingered hand. Didn’t they realize that he had lost hope a
long time ago? The grim reality of his situation rooted him to the
spot, until he caught sight of himself in the mirror which hung over
his desk. Underneath the dark, uncut hair and rugged beard, he was
still young and strong. Though his outward appearance pronounced his
youthfulness, he could feel the bending of time in his mind. He
didn’t have much time left, and he had lost all faith that he would
ever find his saving grace.
Amber
eyes stared back at him with indifference. Resigned, he moved around
to the large, leather chair and sent off the email he was working on.
The mundane details of his human existence kept him moving forward
when nothing else did. Minutes later he stood up from his desk,
stretched to his full height, towering over the room. He then shifted
into his favorite form—a gray wolf—and shed his clothes.
Gabriel’s
mind eased as he shook out his thick coat and stretched out his
lupine body. When he shifted, he was calmer. The anxious energy he
kept contained while in human form, dwindled away, and contentment
took its place. He needed to run and burn off some of the built-up
energy he had stored; but, he had to wait for the cover of darkness,
so as not to be shot by a hunter.
The
unexpected, familiar scent of his brother, Elijah, infused his
senses. He could hear thundering noises in the kitchen—as if being
made by an elephant, not a six-foot-four-inch, two-hundred-pound man.
Without a sound, Gabriel padded across the plush, chocolate-brown
carpet and through the maze of unpacked boxes. He followed the sounds
and crouched down in the shadows, lurking, waiting for his brother to
realize he had been noticed.
Gabriel
looked on as Elijah froze in place and scanned the room with his
eyes—obviously sensing that he was being watched. He made a slow
pivot and saw Gabriel.
Elijah
placed his hand over his chest and blew out a dramatic breath of
relief. “One day, brother, you are going to sneak up on the wrong
person and get your fluffy ass beat.”
Gabriel
let out a low, warning growl, baring his fangs.
“I
was just here to deliver some damn groceries. Quit acting so
territorial,” Eli snapped. He placed the half-gallon of milk into
the mostly-empty refrigerator and threw the plastic shopping bags
into the overflowing trash can. He leaned against the sink and
watched them fall to the floor, annoyance stamped on his face. “If
you keep up the attitude, you grouchy son-of-a-bitch, I’m going to
muzzle you. You need to get out of this house. Go drink a few beers
or chase some piece of a** around. Quit being a whiny b****. Quit
wallowing in self-pity and live a little.”
Gabriel
lunged for his brother, looking for a fight; but, Eli teleported away
before he could get close enough to tear a chunk out of him.
***
Gulf
Coast Florida 2008
It
had been a long, exhausting day. Carmen was a well-known, animal
trainer on the east coast—one who just happened to have a special
ability that made her better at her job than anyone else in her
field. She could speak with animals, feel their emotions, and with
just a little bit of mental conversation, she could completely rewire
bad habits in one session. Her clients knew she was worth the money.
They just didn’t need to know the exact why. She was with the last
client of the day and was beyond ready to go home.
The
German Shepherd stood in front of Carmen, alongside its annoying,
bossy, human. The dog tilted its head with affable curiosity, trying
to figure out for sure what she was seeing. Carmen kept her face
blank and sent peaceful thoughts its way, and the dog lay down with a
sigh. Carmen linked her mind to that of the dog and asked, “So, why
are you being so destructive?”
“I
get so bored when she leaves me alone and I can’t help myself. She
doesn’t mean to be so busy, though,” Athena answered without
hesitation. It was obvious she adored the debutante on the other end
of the bedazzled leash. The old adage, “Love is blind” had never
been truer than in that moment in Carmen’s estimation.
Carmen
couldn’t change personality traits in an animal any more than she
could change them in a person. If Athena was suffering from boredom
caused by neglect, then the only thing Carmen could do was make
Athena’s owner aware of her failures.
“Miss
Hall,” Carmen spoke in clipped tones, unsure of why this client got
under her skin with so little effort. She always did her best to
remain professional with whatever situation her job tossed her into.
But this particular woman made her want to throw away all of her
hard-earned manners and just go back to what felt was
natural—throat-punching any uptight pain-in-the-a** who got in her
way.
She
let out a long, dramatic sigh. Maybe the job was finally getting to
her, or perhaps it was the heat and humidity. She had felt a storm
brewing ever since she had woken up that day. Or, it could have been
linked to the feeling of being watched that she’d experienced that
morning while getting dressed. Whatever the reason, something was
off.
“German
Shepherds are a working breed. Their innate temperament will not
allow them to become couch-potato pets. You need to give Athena a
task.” Carmen nodded toward the dog while adding, “She needs to
be exercised, too.”
A
young blonde with perfect teeth and a very expensive manicure—Miss
Hall seemed to be the essence of everything that equaled an
overindulged princess living in Panama City on Daddy’s money.
Carmen almost hated her at first sight, almost. Her dislike was
cemented as she wondered how the princess kept her hair
stick-straight when the humidity did nothing but turn Carmen’s into
a constant waterfall of flaming curls.
“Miss
Hall, if you do not put in the effort that it will take to teach
Athena anything, she is going to continue eating your Jimmy Choo’s.
She will chew on your couch, your adorable dinette set, and shred all
of your magazines. You need to take her out to run more often. You
also need to take her to obedience classes. Athena is not the problem
here, you are.”
Damn.
Carmen winced a bit inside. She was losing her patience, and she was
sure that Miss Hall had become offended. Oh well. Carmen sighed to
herself and narrowed her eyes. Too bad. I’m not done. Miss Hall
would, no doubt, never refer her to one of her friends, but Carmen
didn’t care. She abhorred clients like this one; although, she
usually had more patience with them.
“How
dare you speak to me in that tone?” Miss Hall shrieked, as her
blemish-free, tanned complexion began to mottle. “I did not pay you
to come in here and disrespect me. I paid you to fix her. She is the
problem, not me,” she snarled while jabbing a flawless, manicured
finger toward the dog and eyeing Carmen with almost-feral intent. “I
do not have a problem, and I do not appreciate you taking that tone
with me.” Her ranting had changed her at-first-pleasant face into
one of a grade-A she-bitch.
Carmen
took a calming breath. It didn’t work. “Listen to me, you
shallow, vapid little girl. You called me. You needed me. I do not
need you as much as you needed this reality check. If you cannot wake
up and realize that you are in the wrong here, then you need to find
Athena a new home. A home with people who understand what she needs
and will provide for those needs. Don’t you dare punish this
beautiful creature for acting the way you have made her. You created
these issues. She is just responding in a natural way to the confines
you have created. She’s only eighteen months old. In human years,
that is just shy of ten. You wouldn’t treat a ten-year-old child
the way you have treated this poor dog, would you?”
Miss
Hall stepped back, aghast that anyone would speak to her that way.
Carmen wasn’t just anyone, though. She was a woman who had lost her
entire family at a young age, had grown up in and out of the foster
system, and still managed to come out on top. She had worked hard for
everything she had. She didn’t let anyone or anything stand in her
way. Carmen wasn’t afraid to get dirty or ruffle a few feathers,
and she could tell by the shocked look on Miss Hall’s face, she had
figured that out.
Miss
Hall smoothed her hair down in frustration. “I will take what you
have said under advisement. You are free to go now.” She
straightened her clothes in a dismissive manner.
For
the first time all day, Carmen felt amused; but, she refused to allow
her smirk to cross her lips. She didn’t want this woman to sense
any weakness in her. She needed to drive her point home first. “You
call me and tell me what you decide to do. If you decide to keep her
and train her, I know some local people who can help. If you decide
to find her a new home, let me know as well. I may be able to help.
Either way ... you will let me know what happens. I don’t want to
have to call animal control.” Carmen locked eyes with her, daring
the unpleasant woman to contradict her.
“Fine,”
she huffed. “God, you sound just like my mother.”
Carmen
walked out before she could let the obscenities taking up space in
her mind escape her mouth. She took her keys off of her belt loop and
unlocked her little car. It was a red 1994 Mazda Mx6. There was
something special about this little car. It was older, but something
about it made Carmen fall in love with it. She started it up, pressed
the clutch, put it in gear, and made herself proud by controlling the
urge to spin the tires as she drove away.
Driving
fast evened her temper most of the time, but in that moment, a jet
plane at Mach three wouldn’t have soothed her. Uncooperative
clients, jerk ex-boyfriend, the constant feeling of being watched...
it was all beginning to wear on her. Carmen turned the radio off and
suppressed the urge to fly around the puttering car in front of her.
She hit the steering wheel with the palm of her hand instead.
“Maybe
I need a vacation?” she said aloud to the empty car, as she
expelled a frustrated sigh. Her stomach roared, reminding her she
hadn’t eaten all day. Or maybe I just need to eat.
She
pulled into the Waffle House four blocks from her house. “Hi,
Carmen!” the staff and handful of regulars chimed at her. Several
of the male customers looked her up and down with unwelcome
appreciation. One of the braver ones called out, “Hey, baby.”
Another one whistled and grinned. “I wish I was whatever you’re
ordering.”
Carmen
didn’t even spare a glance. “I wish you were, too. Because then
you’d be deep-fried and quiet.”
He threw his fork
down as his buddies erupted into bellows of laughter.
As
she strolled to her regular booth, Carmen passed Penny—another
regular—who was seated at the bar. The lady’s button-down shirt
and demure demeanor refreshed Carmen’s memory. She was the
librarian from the library downtown.
“Heya,
Penny. Hiding out from your grandmother today?”
The
petite brunette nodded, offering a shy laugh. “Yes, sometimes I
just need a break, you know?”
Carmen
laughed but didn’t break stride. “Yeah, except I need a break
from people every day.”
She
found the waitress behind the counter. “Hey, Tiff. Can I just get
my regular?” Tiffany nodded and wrote down the order to call it in.
Carmen
smiled. She was a part-time fixture there. She couldn’t help it.
Hash browns soothed her, and anytime she had a dumb client, bad day,
or craving; she ate hash browns smothered with almost everything. She
was sure that one day her thighs and a** were going to pay the
ultimate price for her indulgence, but it hadn’t happened yet.
Carmen went to her favorite booth in the corner and sat with her back
to the wall while she waited, with the smell of wonderful, greasy
food teasing her. It almost helped her relax.
About
the Author:
Allaina
Daniels is a sassy domestic goddess from Georgia whose addiction to
caffeine is surpassed only by her passion for the written word.
Her
debut paranormal romance, Infinity, was released in August 2015; and,
her second novel is expected to be available by summer 2016.
Allaina
is an avid reader and reviewer of all genres and enjoys connecting
with her readers on social media.
No comments:
Post a Comment