This comes from my current WIP, The Outlaw, which is book 2 of my new Willow Creek (historical western) series.

This week’s contribution to Six Sentence Sunday comes from my historical romance, Winters Promise, one of my free short stories. To find out more about this book, and find out how to get your copy, visit the Winters Promise Book Page on my website.

The winter snow drifted outside the loft and the only sounds in the room were the ticking from the clock on the wall and the wind whistling against the windows.

It had been days since their first kiss, but every time Lindsey looked at Gabriel now, she pictured an eternity wrapped in red silk while this man made love to her. She could see her future in his eyes, nights of endless passion and pleasure she’d only dreamed of. No more formalities of trying to live up to society’s standards. No more endless nights of loneliness forced upon her by a husband who was too frail to love her. Months of craving for the simple pleasure of human touch flooded her body and she delighted in the knowledge that Gabriel could give her everything she ever wanted.

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“Are you sure about this, Gwen?” Eve stared up at the church, eyeing the stone gargoyles on the corners of the building. The expression on their faces mocked her while she stood there staring up at them.

“Come on, Eve. It’ll be fun.”

“Fun?”

“Yes. You can’t get more entertainment than this.”

Gwen’s idea of fun just seemed–wrong, somehow. Sure an entire church devoted to the belief that vampires were real was slightly amusing. Even more so when half the congregation thought they were vampires themselves. But to actually attend one of their weekly services?

The people walking into the church were exactly what Eve expected to see. Dark clothing and gothic chick gone to the extreme. Sickly pale faces and dark eye shadow accentuating their eyes made everyone seem eerie. Some, it appeared, even donned fake fangs.

“I don’t think these people think it’s as funny as you do, Gwen.”

“So,” Gwen shrugged. “Come on. We’ll just sit in on their little meeting and see what’s what.”

Eve rolled her eyes when Gwen grabbed her arm and practically dragged her up the walkway to the church. Two women stood by the large double doors, both wearing what appeared to be black robes, and handed them a program before welcoming them to the Church of Eternal Life.

The interior was unlike any church Eve had ever seen. The pews were covered in blood red fabric, the carpet in black. The stained glass windows depicted scenes of death and destruction and the music playing caused Goosebumps to cover her arms. The entire place had a very ominous feel to it.

“I don’t have a very good feeling about this.”

“Good grief, Eve. Lighten up.”

Eve followed her best friend into one of the pews before sitting and taking in the interior of the building.

The alter in front of the church looked like any other. Your typical podium sat facing the parishioners, a table with paraphernalia lining the top and candles littered every hard surface in the building.

Looking up, Eve saw a balcony jutting out behind the alter with curtains in the same color fabric of the pews covering whatever lay behind it.

Hushed whispers filtered through the church and the attention of almost everyone there centered on them. The clang of the heavy doors being shut caused Eve to jump before Gwen laughed and the room grew deathly still.

The two women who greeted them at the door walked slowly down the main isle of the church. Their black robes made a light swishing noise as they passed the pew Eve sat on.

Candles that sat on the table in front of the alter were lit, the two robed figures making a grand gesture of lighting them before lifting them over there heads and chanting something unintelligible. The other parishioners of the church in turn chanted the same phrase before the candles were placed back on the table and the two women sat on the front row.

The tension in the room seemed to grow in the stillness. Eve glanced around the massive room. Everyone sat staring at the alter with eager looks on their faces. A collective sigh brought her attention back to the front of the room. Even Gwen joined in with a surprised gasp.

A man stood there now. His tall, lean frame seemed larger than it should. His head was shaved clean, his skin the same sickly pale tint everyone else wore.

His eyes were black with dark eyeliner adding emphasis to them. Even from where she sat, Eve could see the dead nothingness in them as he stared out into the crowd.

When he spoke, the spectacle became real.

“Welcome, my brethren.”

Gwen smiled, the white of her teeth gleaming in the low light of the room and Eve couldn’t help but grin along with her.

“I come to you tonight with great pleasure. We have a new member to welcome into the fold and, I’m told, we have guests.”

All eyes turned to them then and Eve squirmed in her seat. There were no smiles, just open, blank stares. She swallowed loudly before looking back at the man behind the podium.

“I am Vance,” the man said, “And I welcome you to the Church of Eternal Life. Here, life isn’t endless days until death finds us. Here, the Kindred live with the knowledge that life continues–forever.”

Eve sat and listened, watching the reaction of those around her and the more she heard, the more she was convinced these people were delusional.

Vampires. They all thought they were vampires. It wasn’t that they just thought it–they apparently lived it.

Blood rituals were performed; the taking and receiving of life force from the new recruit and Eve knew they were in the wrong place. Gwen sat enraptured in the church proceedings. She had yet to move, or blink for that matter. She took in every word, watching the events happening without batting an eye. Eve wondered if it were just fascination in what was happening or if she was buying in to the mumbo-jumbo being spouted by Vance.

The tension increased until Eve found it difficult to sit still. She didn’t believe in magic but something was happening. She couldn’t explain the chill running up her spine when Vance read from a yellowed scroll of paper. The air seemed to crackle with energy.

The church followers chanted, initiating the newest into their fold and a collective sigh was heard as the man joining the church began to shake. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and when his body went limp and slid to the floor, Eve saw the red curtains on the second floor move.

She looked up, seeing a lone man shadowed in the darkened balcony watching the proceedings below.

He didn’t move, his eyes drinking in the action in the front of the church. He lifted his head and Eve saw him look out into the crowd. When his eyes landed on her, her breath caught in her throat.

Eyes the brightest green she’d ever seen stared back at her and the hair on her arms stood on end. His gaze never lifted and she turned to look behind her to see if he were truly looking at her. When she turned back to look at him, he was gone.

“Tell me that’s something you see everyday.”

“What?” Eve said, glancing over at Gwen before looking back up to the second floor.

“Were you not watching?” Gwen asked.

“No. I guess not.”

Eve stared up at the balcony. The man she’d seen there was gone. The curtains still swung slightly and his presence seemed stranger than what was happening. Who was he and why did her skin suddenly tingle as if he’d touched her?

Welcome to today’s Tuesday Teaser! I have a small excerpt from The Gathering, Book 2 in the Night Breeds series.

Book 2 in the Night Breeds Series.

Sequel to, The Calling

THE CALLING changed Rayna Ford’s life forever, now in THE GATHERING, she will find out what she’s truly become.

Rayna Ford didn’t believe in monsters, until she became one herself. As a newly turned werewolf awaiting her first shift, Rayna puts all her trust in Garrett Kincaid, the man who accidentally infected her and changed her life forever. But when old enemies resurface and take her from the one man who vowed to protect her, Rayna must face her fears alone.

The Collective, the Breed leaders of all the preternatural species, haven’t abandoned the dream of announcing their presence to the world and they still want Rayna to be the one who integrate them into human society. Her only chance at survival is to reveal the secret the breed leaders want her to show the world, but in doing so, she may alienate the very creatures she wants to protect and endanger her own life in the process.

“Just ignore it. There’s no one there.” Her over-active imagination played havoc on her mind. Glancing into the forest every few steps, Lara had the eerie sensation that someone was watching her. It had her paranoid. The utter darkness that made up the surrounding forest was suffocating and her stride widened while she walked along the highway.

But what if it’s a something instead? She frowned as she thought the last and gave another look to her right before taking a deep breath to try and calm herself. “There’s no such thing as the boogieman. Now stop scaring yourself and get a grip.”

The clicking of her heels on the pavement was the only sound Lara had heard for the last thirty minutes and she concentrated on the sound to try and distract her mind. The air was stale and stagnant with the smells drifting from the forest as she walked the yellow line along the edge of the road. A full moon lit her way on the deserted highway as she looked for someone to help her and she was grateful for its light. The road was lit well, but seeing the unfortunate choice of shoes she had made earlier that morning, it was a small comfort. Her business pumps had already forced a blister on her left foot, the pain of it was noticed with every step she took. The constant clicking of her heels seemed to echo around her but the noise was a distraction. It helped to keep her mind off of things she’d rather not think about.

Her drive back to the place she’d spent her childhood had been uneventful until now. Miles of back roads had gone unnoticed and she drove through every small town without any thought other than getting her grandparents affairs in order and getting back home. She had just crossed the Georgia line over into South Carolina when her car had lunged forward and sputtered before it finally gave a hissing squeal and died.

Ten minutes of looking under the hood, for what, she had no clue, had done nothing but smear grease on her hands and caused a string of curses to escape her lips before she kicked the front of the car out of frustration. It was just her luck. Things had not been going well for her the past two months, why would today be any different?

The area she had found herself stranded in was as ghostly as they came. Not a single car had passed her on the road as she drove, and the last town she’d been through was over twenty miles back. So, she did the only thing she could do. She set off walking to find help. It seemed like the logical thing to do at first but now, as she walked the darkened highway, she had the odd sensation of being watched.

Her fear of the unknown caused a frightened laugh to break the silence around her before she stopped and stared into the forest.

Jacob was staring out the window when they stopped behind him and he eased the door open. “It’s clear,” he said. “No movement and I don’t smell anyone.”

Garrett put his hand on her shoulder and eased her toward the door. “What’s the shortest path to the creek?”

“The shortest isn’t the best,” he said. “If we head toward the upper ridge first, we can lose them in the brush. Remember how it smells up there?”

Garrett nodded and his nose crinkled. “Which way?”

“Run straight for the woodshed,” Jacob said. “There’s a path just behind it. When it veers to the left, turn right, through the brush. There’s no path but keep a straight line and we’ll be fine.”

Rayna nodded and peeked out the door. The shed was on the left side of the house, half hidden by a dense growth of trees. Her heart was in her throat and she swallowed to get the lump forming to clear. Garrett gave her one last look before placing his hand on her back and nodding to Jacob, who slung the door open.

Her feet hit the planks on the porch hard and she jumped the step to the ground, running hell bent for the woodshed. When she was behind it, she turned her head to see if Garrett was indeed following her and froze. She had a perfect view of the front of the cabin and what she saw nearly stopped her heart. Dozens of people were lined along the trees and the number of wolves was too numerous to count. Seeing them the night before had scared her, seeing them in the light of day terrified the hell out of her. They ranged in colors from black to red, gold and brown. They were all huge; those on four legs were crouched low to the ground and the ones standing erect towered to dizzying heights.

Jacob finally ran behind the shed, Garrett right behind him. She turned, running for the trail and hoped like hell Garrett was still with her. She’d kick his ass if he ditched her now.

Jacob took the lead and she could hear the heavy footfalls of Garrett behind her. She ran until her lungs ached from the effort and her muscles burned from exertion trying to keep up with Jacob with not much luck. He darted through the vegetation like a spry rabbit, dodging trees and logs, jumping them with an ease born of a creature used to the forest. A fallen tree limb buried in the underbrush caught her foot, tripping her, and she tried not to scream as she fell. Garrett caught her before she hit the ground.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She panted for breath and nodded her head at him. He wasn’t even winded, she noticed. He smiled and said, “Do you trust me?” She wanted to say, “Of course,” but couldn’t get enough air into her lungs to do so.

He winked at her and she managed a small squeak when he grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. She barely got her arms around his neck before he was running again.

Rayna held on, burying her face in his neck as the trees sped by in a blur. Her stomach felt queasy as she watched them and eventually closed her eyes as he raced through the forest.

The faint sound of running water reached her long minutes later and Garrett slowed before coming to a complete stop. Rayna lifted her head, looking behind them and saw nothing but forest. Looking at Jacob she saw him turning in a circle with an odd look on his face.

When he turned toward them, she knew something was wrong. “What is it?”

“Shh,” Garrett said, his hold on her tightening. He turned his head, scanning the forest and her heart raced when he eased her to the ground. “Go to Jacob,” he said, quietly.

She didn’t argue. Jacob grabbed her arm the moment she reached him and pulled her close to his body. Like Garrett, he was barely winded but he held himself as stiff as Garrett was. They sensed something she couldn’t.

Looking up at him confirmed it. His gaze was fixed over the rise, and she turned her head to look. Movement in the trees, brief flashes of shapes darted amongst the brush and when she saw the first wolf jump toward them, she screamed.

Jacob grabbed her with both hands, one over her mouth, before he turned, looking behind him and started pulling her away. She screamed into his hand, her heels scoring the ground as the area filled with wolves. When the first howl echoed through the trees, she looked toward Garrett, her eyes widening as she encountered a sight she never wanted to see.

He was changing. Shifting into the wolf.

Tears burnt her eyes as she watched his bones shift under his skin, lengthening and reshaping, his flesh convulsing as the clear liquid she’d seen on Bryce dripped and slid off his body. Thick hair grew in wild patches, racing down his limbs, his clothes ripping as he grew larger. His face contorted, his mouth elongating as teeth sharp enough to break bones sprang forth. He lifted his head and howled, the sound causing every hair on her body to stand on end. She was crying in earnest by the time Jacob picked her up and darted through the trees, away from Garrett and the dozens of wolves he faced alone.