Stealth Guardians (Book 3 & 4)

1

Heads would roll tonight.

Virginia stepped into the portal and concentrated on her destination.

The members of the Baltimore compound had broken the rules one too many times. She—better than anybody—knew what could happen when rules were broken. Even an hour’s hesitation to set things right could mean the difference between life and death. The difference between danger and safety. Between love and hate.

The guardians in Baltimore had to learn this. And learn it fast.

One single broken rule had cost her everything she’d ever held dear. One broken rule had changed her life. She wouldn’t allow history to be repeated.

Never again on her watch.

She wasn’t an ex-enforcer for nothing. Just because she’d risen to become a member of the Council of Nine, the ruling body of the Stealth Guardians, didn’t mean she’d forgotten her training. First and foremost, she was a warrior, a warrior who understood that the rules existed for a reason: to keep their kind safe. And nobody broke those rules without being punished. Not if she had anything to say about it. Which she did.

To intimidate the guardians at the compound and to demand instant respect, she’d dressed in the uniform of the enforcers: black leather pants, black T-shirt, black leather jacket with silver buttons adorned with the symbol of an ancient dagger. Her tall black boots reached to her knees and gleamed like a shiny new toy. At her hip sat a dagger forged in the Dark Days—the only kind of weapon capable of killing a demon.

Arrived at the compound, Virginia stepped out of the portal that had transported her thousands of miles in only a few seconds and took in her surroundings. She was in one of the sublevels of the Baltimore compound, and though she’d never been here, finding her way wasn’t difficult. All compounds had a similar layout.
She made her way toward the compound’s command center, but it was quiet there. The computers on the console were on standby, another violation she could add to her ever-growing list. She grunted in disapproval, then turned as she heard voices coming from the compound’s living area, more precisely the kitchen. She marched toward it. Outside the door, she stopped for a short moment. With a deep breath and a steely resolve, she opened the door.

“Tessa did it,” one of the guardians said.

She recognized him immediately, though she’d never met him. She’d studied the files of all the guardians assigned to this compound and committed the information to memory.

The guardian who’d spoken, Aiden, put his arm around his wife, Leila, a human authorized to live at the compound thanks to her unbreakable bond with Aiden. He added, “We should celebrate.”

At the words, Virginia wanted to snort. Instead, she kicked the door shut behind her.

“Celebrate what?”

All eyes snapped to her. Good! She loved to make an entrance. She had everybody’s undivided attention now.
“The fact that this compound constantly ignores our rules?” she continued. “Or maybe that your security protocols are so loose that a witch was able to breach your defenses? Or maybe the fact that you just don’t give a damn that no human charges are allowed here? Enlighten me!”

Virginia narrowed her eyes at the assembled: Aiden, Leila, Enya, Hamish, Manus, Pearce, and Logan, as well as two people who weren’t authorized to be at the compound. The human charge and the witch.

“And you are?” Hamish asked, his chin tipped up defiantly.

Figured that he was the ringleader. In a millisecond, she recalled the details of his file and the notes she’d made in the margins after reading it cover to cover: rebellious, stubborn, insubordinate. But also innovative, quick on his feet, and exceptional in hand-to-hand combat.

“Virginia Robson, newest member of the Council of Nine,” she announced.

A few mumbled curses reached her ears. As she’d expected.

“Oh crap,” Manus choked out.

Yes, they all knew the name and the reputation that came with it. And she was proud of that reputation.

“To what do we owe your visit?” Hamish asked.

“You must be Hamish. I would have expected better from you than bringing a human charge into the compound.” Her jaw tightened. “Not to speak of letting a witch run wild here.”

Her gaze shot to the couch where the witch in question stood as if paralyzed. For the first time, she looked beyond the aura that identified him as a preternatural creature. She took in the features of the man. Tall with dark hair and a lean, yet strong, body. Not unattractive. In fact, not unattractive at all. On the contrary. There was something about him that made her heart beat just a tiny bit faster. Annoyed at her reaction, she tore her eyes from him.

“But all this is about to change. I’m here to clean up.”

She noticed how Hamish pulled his human charge closer.

“Starting with the human.” Virginia pointed at Tessa. She’d read her file, too. A talented politician, a public servant who hadn’t forgotten what it meant to serve the public. A rarity. Nevertheless, rules were rules.

“She has no right to be here. You’ve compromised the security of this compound by having brought her here. We’ll have to abandon this place and relocate everybody. You’ll answer for this before the Council of Nine.”

“He didn’t do anything wrong!” Tessa blurted.

How dare the human raise her voice to her? “What did you say?”

“I have the same right to be here as Leila, Aiden’s wife.” A stubborn lift of her chin.

Virginia tilted her head to the side, suspicion rising like dense fog in the Outer Hebrides. “Are you telling me that you’re Hamish’s mate?”

“Yes.”

This changed everything. As his mate, she had every right to be here—if it was true. “And why has the council not been informed of this?”

Anybody else would have missed the quick but silent exchange between Tessa and Hamish, and the slight hesitation before Hamish replied. But Virginia didn’t. She was trained to notice.

“It only just happened. I was about to inform the council but we had to deal with a demon attack instead,” Hamish claimed. “I apologize for my tardiness.”

For now, Virginia couldn’t refute the statement. It was rare that she was wrong. And something was definitely wrong. She could smell it. It stank like the rotting corpse of a demon.

“Very well. I suppose congratulations are in order,” she ground out through clenched teeth.

If it turned out the two weren’t bonded—something she could ascertain at a later time—she would haul Hamish before the council and let him have it. Nobody pulled the wool over her eyes.

“Thank you,” Hamish said, his voice icy. “If you don’t mind then, my mate and I would like to retire. It’s been a long night.”

“Not so fast!” Virginia snapped. “There’s still the matter of the witch.”

“Name’s Wesley.” The witch grinned and walked toward her.

Did he think his charming smile would stop her from doing her job? Apparently, the cocky bastard thought she’d come to chat as if they were old friends. Never mind that the way he looked at her with his baby-blue eyes shaved off a few layers of her protective armor. Never mind that sweat was collecting on her palms. And never fucking mind that low in her groin, a second beat mirrored her heart, pounding an urgent rhythm of desire and need against a drum that only she could hear.

Fuck! She was well past rasen, well past the period in a Stealth Guardian’s life when the call of mating season clouded a warrior’s judgment. She’d never mated, and instead chosen to serve her kind in other ways. She couldn’t allow rasen to catch up with her now.

“Stay where you are!”

To underscore her demand, Virginia placed her hand on her dagger, letting the cool obsidian handle calm her.

The witch stopped walking. “Whatever you want. Anything, really.”

She tried to ignore his eyes running over her body as if he were a sculptor taking measurements. Instead, she noticed his lips parting in appreciation. She didn’t dare look at the other Stealth Guardians. Would they notice what was going on between her and the witch? She had to stop this now, or everything she’d built for herself, her reputation, her iron will, would wash away just like the green blood of the last demon she’d killed had washed down a storm drain.

“You’ll be interrogated. In the meantime, you’ll be locked up.”

“Wesley helped us with our mission,” Hamish said from behind her. “Without him, we might have never been able to thwart the demons’ plans to destroy Tessa’s political future. He’s no danger to any of us.”

Virginia tossed a dismissive look over her shoulder, glad to have a genuine reason to tear her gaze from the witch. “That remains to be seen. Anybody breaching our defenses is a danger.” She turned fully, scorching the guardians with her glare. “And you and your compound mates should have notified the Council of Nine immediately when the breach occurred. We had to find out from a guardian at another compound. This has not gone unnoticed. Together with the previous infractions of your motley crew, you’ve exhausted the council’s patience.”

Behind her she heard a sigh coming from the witch. “Oh, listen, Virginia, I—”

She spun around and glared at him. “That’s Ms. Robson to you!” Because if she allowed him to address her in any other fashion, a familiarity could develop between them—one she couldn’t allow. If that happened, she might as well stab herself with her own dagger and twist the blade for good measure.

“Ms. Robson then.” He shrugged as if he didn’t care what he called her. “Listen, it’s really not their fault. Don’t punish them for what I did.”

Before she realized it, she was nose to nose with him. “You, witch, listen to me. I’m the one giving the orders. If you think you can wrap me around your little finger like you’ve clearly done with these dimwits, you’re wrong. I’m your worst nightmare.”

The warning didn’t have the desired effect.

The witch grinned.

2

Nightmare? More like a wet dream.

Wesley couldn’t stop his imagination from taking him on a wild ride. Virginia was everything he’d ever dreamed of in a woman.

Long legs, strong and toned. A slim waist, flaring hips, firm boobs. Just the right curves everywhere. Hazel eyes with flecks of green, luscious plump lips. And then that hair. Flaming red. Like the smoldering embers of a fire.

And every time she lashed an insult at him, her voice sent a not unpleasant shiver down his spine. Not unpleasant at all.

Did she realize that her commanding nature was a huge turn-on? Or was she oblivious to the fact that he was about five seconds away from jumping her bones?
Virginia wouldn’t be an easy conquest, that was certain. She would be a challenge, but he didn’t mind. She was worth it. Worth the extra effort to get her into bed. Or on any flat surface. Horizontal or vertical. He didn’t care.
As long as he was inside her and she was panting in ecstasy.

Because one thing was certain: he was in lust!

“What are you grinning at?”

Another spear of heat raced from his neck to his tailbone faster than a vampire could extend his fangs.
Fuck! Didn’t this siren have any idea what her voice did to him? She might as well tie him up, strip him bare, and have her way with him.

“I asked you a question!”

He met her hard gaze. “Nothing. I always look like that.”

“Hmm.” She whipped her head to the other Stealth Guardians. “I’m locking him up until the council is convened and ready to interrogate him. I’ll transport him to the council compound myself when it’s time.”

“That isn’t necessary,” Aiden dared to say.

She shot him down with one look. “I’ll decide what’s necessary. You and your comrades have shown poor judgment. He’s my prisoner now. He’ll be locked in a lead cell.”

Aiden’s expression turned to stone. He motioned to the door in mock-polite fashion. “Would you like me to show you the way?”

“I don’t need directions,” she hissed and spun around, grabbing Wesley’s biceps.

Despite her firm grip, he didn’t mind the touch. “Well, it’s just you and me then, I guess.”

She shoved him in the direction of the door, emphasizing her command by lifting her chin.

“I’d say, ladies first, but I suppose you’d rather I walk ahead of you?” He pivoted toward the door, without waiting for an answer. He opened the door, then glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, and guys, I’ll have coffee and pancakes for breakfast. Black, no sugar. Appreciate it.”

“Move it, witch,” Virginia interrupted and marched toward him.

“Your wish is my command, Ms. Robson,” he answered and stepped into the corridor, Virginia right behind him. The door slammed a second later, and her heels clickety-clacked on the stone floor. They were alone, which suited him just fine. He slowed his walk so she was only a step or two behind him.

“So, what are you planning to do with me?” he asked casually.

For a moment he thought she wouldn’t answer, but then she said, “Are you deaf? You’ll be brought before the council and interrogated.”

He glanced over his shoulder, slowing even more so she was only a foot behind him. “What if I’d rather be interrogated by you?”

“You have no choice in the matter!” She nudged him not too gently. “Keep moving. The cell is in the basement.”

“I’m well acquainted with it.” Though he had no intention of spending the night there. Nevertheless, he picked up the pace and started heading down the first staircase. When he reached the landing, he stopped and turned.

“Listen, why don’t you interrogate me now, and get it over with? You’ll see very quickly that I’m no threat whatsoever. I’ll even let you tie me up.” He ran his eyes over her, contemplating the endless possibilities a little bondage session presented. “If that’s what you’re into.”

The last word had barely left his lips when Virginia gripped his biceps and slammed him against the stone wall. The crushing impact forced all air from his lungs, making him gasp.

“You think this is a joke?”

He snatched a quick breath. His admiration for the female Stealth Guardian had just risen by a hundred points. She was no pushover. Not a woman who would be won over with a few easy compliments. She was hard as nails, and if she pressed him against the wall a little longer, her thighs touching his, her forearms pinning his torso to the stone, one part of his anatomy would be just as hard.

“No, I don’t think this is a joke,” Wes said as calmly as he could. “But you must admit, you’re going about this a little heavy-handed, aren’t you?”

Her eyes narrowed in displeasure, and she applied more pressure—not only to his chest, but also to his lower body. He had to suppress a moan, clenching his jaw to hide the fact that her treatment wasn’t having the intended effect on him. Instead of intimidating him and putting him in his place, she was turning him on.

“I’m happy to answer any questions you have. I swear I’m only here to seek an alliance between your race and the company I work for. My boss at Scanguards might be a vampire, but he—”

“A vampire? You work with vampires?”

Genuine surprise made the green flecks in her irises shine like fireflies. For the first time since meeting her, her protective shell showed a hairline crack.

“I already explained all this to Aiden and the others. Guess nobody’s passed the information on to you.” He knew full well that neither Hamish nor Aiden had had a chance yet to talk to their superiors, but there was something about Virginia that made him want to provoke her so she lost her cool.

“Give me the summary!” she demanded.

Considering that she made no move to release him—and he did enjoy feeling her body pressed to his—he decided to go with the extended version.

“Well, since you’re asking…”

She growled like a tigress.

Fuck! Pull yourself together, man!

“I was born the second of three children to a witch—”

“You do know what a summary is, don’t you? Let me translate it for you: the short version!”

“This is the short version. Witch’s honor.”

“For the last time: summarize!”

“Fine.” He attempted a shrug, but she still had him pinned too tightly. “My siblings and I were meant to be the Power of Three. A witch betrayed us. My brother Haven gave up his mortal life, became a vampire. Ergo: Power of Three went poof. Result: vampires became our allies. The end.”

~ ~ ~

“You suck at summarizing.”

Virginia let go of him and took a step back. If she’d had to spend one more second pressing her body against his, she would have forgotten why she was here and tossed the impertinent witch to the floor to ride him.

Damn it!

She’d treated plenty prisoners the way she handled Wesley, but never had she experienced any kind of sexual reaction in the process. Not so this time. Her nipples were hard and aching to be touched. She was glad she wore a leather jacket, which concealed her inappropriate response to his alluring body. She was also glad he wasn’t a vampire, who would have smelled her arousal.

“I can give you the full version. Maybe over a glass of wine or whiskey?” Wesley added and smiled.

She had to grudgingly admit that he had a certain charm—and he used it to his advantage. But she wasn’t stupid. This wasn’t personal for him. He’d clearly used the same charm to rope the entire Baltimore compound into whatever scheme he was working on.

“Don’t bother. I get what you’re up to. It’s not working.”

“What am I up to?”

“Trying to win me over like you’ve done with the others.” She motioned toward the floor above. “They’re still young. Too green to understand all the consequences of their actions. I, on the other hand, am not.”

“So, you’re an experienced older woman, is that what you’re trying to say?”

“I’m old enough to recognize when somebody’s full of shit.”

His response was unexpected. He chuckled. And damn, if that sound didn’t send a shiver of pleasure down her neck and all the way to her nipples, lighting them on fire like Roman candles.

She had to get a grip of herself. Distract herself no matter how.

“You don’t like witches much, do you?” he suddenly asked.

“I don’t like witches who’re able to breach our defenses,” she shot back, not missing a beat.

“It was the only way to make contact with your kind.”

“Only Stealth Guardians are able to use our portals, no other creature has ever even managed to open one, let alone operate it.”

“Guess I’m a genius.”

She tilted her head to the side, studying him. “Either that, or you’ve had help from the demons.”

“What?”

“You heard me. The demons are the only other preternatural species who operate portals. If anybody might have a chance at accessing one of ours, it’s them.” Which was the Stealth Guardians’ greatest fear. Because if the demons ever gained access to one portal, they’d have access to all of them and could destroy her race from within.

“I’ve never met a demon. And nobody helped me. It was a spell I cast.”

“What kind of spell?”

“A transformation spell.”

“That does what precisely?”

“It made the portal think I was one of you.”

He looked smug, and she wanted to wipe that smugness off his face. Or perhaps kiss it away.

Stop it! Not another thought in that direction!

The faster she could get him into the lead cell, the better. So why was she still standing around here, letting him drag her into a conversation?

“Let’s move it, witch. Time to lock you up.”

He huffed. “Name’s Wesley. It’s really not that hard to remember.”

Only to make him comply, she conceded, “Fine, Wesley.”

“See, wasn’t that hard, was it?”

Another one of his charming smiles. Did this guy ever give up?

She pointed to the next flight of stairs leading down. “This way.”

Wesley followed her command, but instead of walking ahead of her, he walked alongside her. She knew if he tried to go for her dagger, she’d have no trouble overpowering him. After all, the runes that lined the walls, floors, and ceilings of the compound had stripped him of his magic. Only once he was outside again, would he gain his powers back. So why then did his closeness put her on edge? Was it because she felt another power in him? Not witchcraft, no.

The potency of a man.

When they finally arrived at the cell, Virginia was relieved. She unlocked the door and swung it open. She looked into the dark, lead-lined interior. The cell was meant for members of their kind who’d committed crimes or, worse, had been compromised by the demons. It was escape-proof. Stealth Guardians couldn’t pass through lead; it stripped them of their ability to make themselves invisible and drained them of their strength. Eventually, if locked up in a lead cell for an extended period, a Stealth Guardian’s powers would be extinguished for good and they would become human.
She’d heard of cases where Stealth Guardians had been locked up for a year—punishment for treason—then released into the human world, outcasts to their race. A harsh sentence.

“So, you’re really not gonna change your mind, huh?”

At Wesley’s words, she met his gaze. His baby-blues locked with hers. For a moment she felt hypnotized. And for a fraction of a second she wondered what would have happened between them had they met under different circumstances.

A soft smile suddenly curled the corners of his mouth upward. “One day you will.”

His gait confident, his head held high, he walked into the cell. Once inside, he turned around. “You’re an interesting woman, Virginia. I’m looking forward to getting to know you…” He paused, his gaze dropping to her lips. “…more intimately.”

Cocky bastard!

As if he knew what effect he had on her! As if he could see right through her.

Trembling—whether with rage or arousal, she wasn’t sure—she slammed the heavy door shut and turned the key in the lock.

Her heart pounded, and she leaned against the door, when she heard his voice through it.

“Sweet dreams, Virginia.”

A chuckle followed.

This witch would be her downfall if she wasn’t careful.

Able to render themselves invisible, immortal Stealth Guardians have been protecting humans from the dark power of the Demons of Fear for centuries. The Guardians live in compounds, which are invisible to humans and demons alike, but danger is never far away. Only the Stealth Guardians stand between mankind and the demons' evil plans of ruling mankind. While protecting humans from the demons and their evil leader Zoltan, the Great One, they have to risk their own lives to fulfill their mission without the humans finding out who they are. But not everything goes according to plan. And even immortal guardians can fall in love.

Each book can be read as a standalone and always centers around a new couple finding love, but the series is more enjoyable when read in order.

Book 1: Lover Uncloaked

Book 2: Master Unchained

Book 3: Warrior Unraveled

Book 4: Guardian Undone

Book 5: Immortal Unveiled

Book 6: Protector Unmatched

Book 7: Demon Unleashed

Stealth Guardians (Books 1 – 4)

Stealth Guardians (Books 5 – 7)

Exclusive Hardcover editions will be shipped from the UK. Large print paperbacks will be shipped from Ingram in the US.

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