"From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia’s greatest weakness—her wanton desire for him."
Author: Kresley Cole
Pages: 431 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: February, 2010
Form: Paperback
Series: Immortals After Dark #7 (prequel & anthology not included)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Amazon: Buy / $7.99
Book Depository: Buy / €5.22
Excerpt: Prologue and Chapters 1, 2 and 3
Garreth MacRieve is sick of easy women, sure the Lykae are the best built and most ruggedly handsome Lore creatures around but Garreth, the "king" until his brother Lachlain is found, is done with easy. Just as this crosses his mind in the middle of a Lykae vs. Demons rugby game he catches a whiff of his destined mate, the one woman who he now simply cannot live without, and when he catches the sight of her he's surprised to see a bow wielding Valkyrie. This bodes ill as the two Lore fractions don't... get along, to put it nicely.
Lucia the Archer, came by her ability as she laid broken and raped on the floor of temple of the Goddess Skathi who bestows on her her talent for archery and a mission to keep The Bloody Broken One, her attacker from leaving his ghastly residence every 500 years. Lucia swears an oath of purity, swearing celibacy for her healed body and unmatched archery, if she is to sleep with a man her gift would be gone. Another term is that if she misses she will experience unimaginable pain.
Now a wolf is watching her like she was made for him, and he doesn't take half-hearted no - after all he is gorgeous - for an answer. Finding out MacRieve's secret she tricks him and escapes to find the diemont, the god killer, which she can use to actually kill the god, The Bloody Broken One. But Garreth follows her whereever she goes, hunting her, always one step behind her. But she can't be distracted there is an apocalypse to stop.
"His strength amazed her, his fortitude imposing. That awareness returned, and her skin pricked in the clammy night air.
When he began removing the last arrow, he advanced on her once more, tearing it free as he stalked closer, barely giving a wince, that determined mien never faltering.
She took a step back, debated using her one remaining arrow to put him down. She couldn't kill him, but she could slow him with a shot between the eyes.
"I believe I've earned the right to stay—as well as a kiss from you."
She made a sound of frustration. "As if you'd be happy with a kiss? You expect to have sex with me and it simply will not happen—"
"But you want it to, do you no'?"
To have him take her here, hot and sweaty in the swamp? She swallowed. He was a Lykae—he'd want her on her hands and knees . . . Her heart sped up at the thought, but she shook her head stubbornly. "Of course not! Understand me, MacRieve, I'm a Valkyrie. I'm not bound by your . . . animalistic needs."
His voice a low rasp, he said, "After one night with me, Lousha, you will be.""
I absolutely loved this book! The story is fairly simple but Garreth and Lucia make it so spicy!
Lucia desperately wants the werewolf even though she cannot admit it, and Garreth can't think of anything except having her for forever even if this means chasing her all over the globe. It's such a yummy combination that it's impossible not to get a little giddy!
I'm a fan of Kresley Cole, and this was very similar to A Hunger Like No Other ( IAF#1 ) in its mood, and I absolutely loved it. Loved the world, loved the nasty dangerous Amazon and the Indiana Jones-esque story with hot enough romance to melt one's panties!
A must read Kresley Cole!
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