Wounded: Book 8 (A Rylee Adamson Novel)

P
RAISE FOR
W
OUNDED

“Shannon Mayer’s Rylee Adamson paranormal romances keep me glued to the page. Rylee is a kick-ass character who loves with her whole heart and reminds me of my own Rose Gardner—a collector and protector of lost and broken souls. Every new book is better than the last and I always finish her latest book hungry for more.”

-Denise Grover Swank
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

“The Rylee Adamson Novels are filled with a wonderfully detailed and rich paranormal world with engaging characters, a fast paced plot and lots of action. A must read for urban fantasy lovers.”

-Eve Langlais

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

“If you love the early Anita Blake novels by Laurel K. Hamilton, you will fall head over heels for The Rylee Adamson Series. Rylee is a complex character with a tough, kick-ass exterior, a sassy temperament and morals which she never deviates from. She’s the ultimate heroine. Mayer’s books rank right up there with Kim Harrison’s, Patricia Brigg’s, and Ilona Andrew’s. Get ready for a whole new take on Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance and be ready to be glued to the pages!”

-Just My Opinion Book Blog

Acknowledgements

To those who have made this journey an adventure; thank you.

To my readers who love Rylee, Liam and the rest of the gang; thank you.

To my team who keep me and Rylee on the right track; thank you.

To my fellow authors who commiserate and make me laugh; thank you.

To the two brightest lights in my life, who love me despite all my flaws.

*DPGROUP.ORG*

Author Introduction

The Rylee Adamson Novels are not written as standalone novels. While each book MAY be read on its own, to get a comprehensive understanding of characters and their interactions, I always advise to read the series in order. As the characters do make repeat appearances, I’ve decided to add in a state-of-the-art feature to refresh your memory when necessary.

In the Kindle edition of The Rylee Adamson Novels, the reader will come across occasional hyperlinks when a character first appears. Clicking on this underscored text will take the reader to a brief description of the character and how they relate to Rylee, for those interested in getting a reminder of characters and past events. Just hit your back button to return to the spot you were reading.

However, these links are in no way necessary to understanding and enjoying each book on its own or The Rylee Adamson storyline. The ebook format has allowed the opportunity to utilize this state-of-the-art functionality in a way that has been impossible in the print world. I hope this feature enhances your enjoyment of The Rylee Adamson Novels.

“A wounded deer leaps the highest.”

~Emily Dickinson

Chapter 1

ALL AROUND ME was silence; but under that silence was a brooding tempest of fear.
Doran’s
home and courtyard had never been so fucking quiet, though the calm hid the dread flowing around us. The four horsemen of the apocalypse would soon be upon us, thanks to
Orion
, the demon I was supposed to stop, according to the prophecies. We were in trouble, and as the truth set in, a literal explosion occurred within the council. Chaos. Total and utter madness ripped through the group, driven by fear, by the announcement
Faris
had made, and by the sight of his missing arm.

Faris was a powerhouse, a vampire who not many could take on and survive. Yet he’d been nearly killed by Orion’s demons, the ones
preceding
the four horsemen, who were, for all intents and purposes, stronger and more deadly.

The four generals of Orion were upon us.

There was a slam of hands on skin, roars of anger and fear. Yelling, pushing, and shoving. I watched as one of the ogres tripped over a zombie that rose under his feet; another zombie erupted out of the ground next to Faris and grabbed his legs. Faris ripped the zombie’s head off and tossed it behind him, inadvertently hitting a unicorn on the ass. The equine kicked out and nailed an ogre in the guts. Turning my head didn’t improve the view. Doran and
Berget
used their phenomenal strength to toss those who were closest to them backward, creating a space the zombies kept trying to push into.

All because no one had thought it would come this fast. No one thought they would really have to deal with the demons. Not with me here. Understanding dawned.

They’d said they would stand with me against Orion, but they hadn’t really believed they would have to. I could see it in the way they looked at me, their gazes sliding over me. Hope and fear lingered in their eyes, along with a healthy dose of recrimination. Like I should have already stopped this by now.

They didn’t think demons were truly something they would have to face. They thought there would be other supernaturals, or maybe humans they would each have to battle. But demons? No, that realization had only now sunk in. And it scared the ever living shit out of them. As it should.

In a matter of seconds, the council, so newly formed, was about to incinerate into tiny, dangerous shards that would leave us standing on our own against Orion and his demons.

Through it all, I sat, unmoving.
Liam
stood behind me,
Alex
sat at my feet and
Pamela
sat to my left. Against the edge of the house, my uncle
Erik
, last of the trained Slayers, leaned, watching. Surreal, the scene seemed to push me out of myself. I needed a moment; I needed distance. So I sat and did nothing to stop the fights breaking out. In that moment I needed calm and the only way to get it was to withdraw.

I needed to think, to remember why I was doing this.

Had it only been months ago that I’d gone after
India
, the young spirit seeker? It felt like years. That had been the first case I’d worked with Liam, though I’d known him as O’Shea then. The first case where I’d ever faced a demon. From that moment forward, my life had gone into overdrive. I’d been stung by a Hoarfrost demon and nearly caused an apocalyptic winter. I’d faced down a necromancer raising children from the dead, her blind attempt to fill the void her long deceased daughter had left.

My best friend
Milly
had alternately turned on me and saved me and now she was lost to the deepest veil, captive of Orion once more, and there was nothing I could do to save her or the child she carried. I’d found Pamela, a young witch who was fast becoming a power to be reckoned with. I’d lost
Giselle
, my mentor and mother of my heart. I’d fallen in love with Liam and chased him across Europe to prove it, to bring him back from the brink of losing his humanity.

I’d lost one of my best friends—
Dox
, an ogre and ally I could never replace. I’d lost
Jack
, someone who could have been a great mentor, a Tracker like me. I’d gained back my little sister Berget, who I thought was gone forever.
Blaz
and Erik had come into my life, giving me two someones to lean on as I faced what was on its way.

All of those things, both good and bad had brought me to this moment.

The current through everything in the last five months was a sense of urgency, a fear that drove me and those around me. Orion was coming, a demon sent to take the world into his hands and claim it for his own.

I was to stand between him and the world with nothing more than the memory of the books of prophecy I’d read before they’d been destroyed by
Deanna
and her druids.

I leaned back in my chair, watched the supernaturals around me yelling and roaring at one another, the noise distant in my ears. In some ways, I wish I didn’t need their help. The days of Tracking a child on my own seemed so far gone, and so simple.