Blood Hunt (Sentinel Wars Book 5) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Teaser chapter

  ALSO AVAILABLE FROM Shannon K. Butcher

  ALSO AVAILABLE FROM Shannon K. Butcher

  ALSO AVAILABLE FROM Shannon K. Butcher

  Shannon K. Butcher

  Praise for the Sentinel Wars Novels

  Running Scared

  “Super-romantic urban fantasy. Shannon K. Butcher provides a terrific suspense-filled thriller.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “Butcher is fast becoming known for her gutsy and complicated heroines. Butcher’s books are dense and action-packed. Make sure there is room on your keeper shelf for all of Butcher’s books!”

  —Romantic Times

  “This was such a dynamic book. I certainly found it hard to put down once I started reading it. Anyone looking for a knockdown, action-filled adventure should put this book on their to-be-read list.”

  —Once Upon a Romance Reviews

  “The third installment of the Sentinel Wars and a really great one at that! [It] kept me reading and I cannot wait for the next book in this really fun series.”

  —Night Owl Romance

  “Fast-paced, action-packed . . . the world that [Shannon K. Butcher] has created is refreshing, creative, and completely captivated me with its originality. Her imagery is fantastic, and her characters are rich, dynamic, and deliciously flawed.”

  —The Romance Dish

  “I, for one, am hooked . . . a great book.”

  —DemonLover’s Books & More!

  “Running Scared offers titillating mind games.”

  —Romance Novel News

  Finding the Lost

  “Exerts much the same appeal as Christine Feehan’s Carpathian series, what with tortured heroes, the necessity of finding love or facing a fate worse than death, hot lovemaking, and danger-filled adventure.” —Booklist

  “A terrific grim thriller with the romantic subplot playing a strong supporting role. The cast is powerful, as the audience will feel every emotion that Andra feels, from fear for her sister to fear for her falling in love. Finding the Lost is a dark tale, as Shannon K. Butcher paints a forbidding, gloomy landscape in which an ancient war between humanity’s guardians and their nasty adversaries heats up in Nebraska.”—Alternative Worlds

  “A very entertaining read . . . the ending was a great cliff-hanger and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. . . . A fast-paced story with great action scenes and lots of hot romance.”—The Book Lush

  “Butcher’s paranormal reality is dark and gritty in this second Sentinel Wars installment. What makes this story so gripping [are] the seamlessly delivered hard-hitting action and wrenching emotions. Butcher is a major talent in the making.” —Romantic Times

  “Terrific . . . powerful.”—Midwest Book Review

  Burning Alive

  “Starts off with nonstop action. Readers will race through the pages . . . a promising start for a new voice in urban fantasy/paranormal romance. I look forward to the next installment.” —A Romance Review (5 Roses)

  “This first book of the Sentinel Wars whets your appetite for the rest of the books in the series. Ms. Butcher is carving her way onto the bestseller lists with this phenomenal, nonstop ride that will have you preordering the second book the minute you put this one down.”

  —Affaire de Coeur (5 stars)

  “Absorbing . . . erotic . . . unusual. . . . Fans of Butcher’s romantic suspense novels will enjoy her turn toward the paranormal.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Ms. Butcher offers fresh and delightfully creative elements in this paranormal romance, keeping readers engaged as the story unfolds . . . a well-crafted beginning to this exciting new series, and will have fans of the genre coming back for the next adventure in the Sentinel Wars.”

  —Darque Reviews

  “An exciting romantic urban fantasy. . . . Shannon K. Butcher adds her trademark suspense with plenty of tension and danger to the mix of a terrific paranormal thriller.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “Butcher’s first foray into paranormal romance, and what a doozy it is! Filled with sizzling love scenes, great storytelling, and action galore, fans of paranormal romance will rejoice to have Ms. Butcher finally join the genre!”

  —ParaNormal Romance

  “A different twist on the paranormal genre. . . . I will definitely be reading the next in the series.”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  NOVELS OF THE SENTINEL WARS

  Living Nightmare

  Running Scared

  Finding the Lost

  Burning Alive

  SIGNET

  Published by New American Library, a division of

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

  New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,

  Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

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  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  First Printing, August 2011

  Copyright © Shannon K. Butcher, 2011

  All rights reserved

  REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control ov
er and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  ISBN : 978-1-101-51719-2

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  For Nephele Tempest.

  Thanks for believing in my work and

  always having my back.

  Character List

  Drake Asher: Theronai warrior, bonded to Helen Day

  Briant Athar: Sanguinar

  Connal Athar: Sanguinar

  Logan Athar: Sanguinar, blood hunter

  Aurora: Athanasian servant

  Cain Aylward: Theronai warrior, Sibyl’s protector

  Angus Brinn: Theronai warrior, bonded to Gilda

  Gilda Brinn: the Gray Lady, Theronai, bonded to Angus

  Maura Brinn: Theronai, Sibyl’s twin sister

  Sibyl Brinn: Theronai, Maura’s twin sister

  Canaranth: Synestryn, Zillah’s second-in-command

  Meghan Clark: blooded human

  Helen Day: the Scarlet Lady, Theronai, bonded to Drake Asher

  Eron: Athanasian prince

  Neal Etan: Theronai warrior

  Madoc Gage: Theronai warrior, bonded to Nika Madison

  John Hawthorne: blooded human

  Mabel Hennesy: blooded human

  Lexi Johns: the Jade Lady, Theronai, bonded to Zach Talon

  Nicholas Laith: Theronai warrior

  Liam Lann: Theronai warrior

  Samuel Larsten: Theronai warrior

  Thea Lewis: human woman living at Dabyr

  Tynan Leygh: Sanguinar

  Lucien: Athanasian prince

  Andra Madison: the Sapphire Lady, Theronai, bonded to Paul Sloane, sister to Nika and Tori

  Nika Madison: the White Lady, Theronai, bonded to Madoc Gage, sister to Andra and Tori

  Victoria (Tori) Madison: Theronai, sister to Andra and Nika

  Torr Maston: Theronai warrior

  Jake Morrow: human, member of the Defenders of Humanity

  Blake Norman: human, Grace Norman’s stepbrother

  Grace Norman: blooded human, Gerai

  Jackie Patton: Theronai, daughter of Lucien

  Andreas Phelan: Slayer, leader of the Slayers

  Joseph Rayd: Theronai warrior, leader of the Sentinels

  Viviana Rowan: the Bronze Lady, Theronai, bonded to Neal Etan

  Cole Shepherd: blooded human

  Alexander Siah: Sanguinar

  Paul Sloane: Theronai warrior, bonded to Andra Madison

  Carmen Taite: blooded human, Gerai, cousin to Vance and Slade Taite

  Slade Taite: blooded human, Gerai, cousin to Carmen, brother to Vance

  Vance Taite: blooded human, Gerai, cousin to Carmen, brother to Slade

  Zach Talon: Theronai warrior, bonded to Lexi Johns

  Iain Terra: Theronai warrior

  Morgan Valens: Theronai warrior

  Zillah: Synestryn lord

  Chapter 1

  Kansas City, Missouri, March 16

  When death comes for you, it will not be gentle.

  Logan hadn’t truly understood Sibyl’s prophecy of his death until this moment. But now that he was staring into its jaws, he realized what she had meant.

  A Synestryn demon crouched behind a run-down three-story building, its eyes glowing a bright, feral green. It was huge, making the Dumpster beside it look like a milk crate. Heavy muscles bulged in its limbs, quivering in anticipation of the kill. Its breath billowed from all four of its nostrils, creating pale plumes of steam in the cold night air. Bright moonlight gleamed across its skin, reflected off the viscous, poisonous fluid that leaked from its pores.

  Logan had never seen anything like it before, but the human, Steve, groaning in pain on the pockmarked asphalt near the demon’s feet, was testament to the power of its poison.

  The man’s wife, Pam, stood pressed against the cold brick, staring in horror at her husband. Her pregnant belly protruded from her slim body, promising the hope of a new generation.

  Logan could not let anything happen to that child.

  Steve was still moving, but if Logan didn’t do something soon, he wasn’t going to survive. Not that there was much Logan could do. After days without feeding he was weak, his powers now dwindled to the point he barely had the ability to walk upright.

  Hunger churned inside him, demanding that he seek out the blood he needed, but there was no time to feed. No time to gather his strength. No time to call for help.

  If this couple and their child—a child he’d worked so hard to see created—were killed, many of his people would starve. Logan could not allow that to happen.

  The nameless creature lunged for Logan, bounding up from the pavement in a powerful leap so fast it made the thing look like a streak of moonlight.

  Logan pitched his body to the left, hoping to avoid the attack. His shoulder slammed into a brick wall. Pain lanced across his back and down his spine. He slid to the dirty ground before he could catch himself.

  The demon careened into a loading dock door, busting through it like tissue paper. The metal screamed as it gave way. Corrugated strips flew into the darkness of the run-down building, leaving behind a giant gaping hole.

  A blow like that had to have stunned the demon, or even knocked it out.

  Logan needed to carry Steve away from this place, and he knew the man’s wife would follow. He’d made it only a few yards when he saw the feral green glow of two large eyes within the gaping hole in the doorway.

  A sickening sense of defeat churned in his empty belly. Not only was the Synestryn still on its feet, but Logan now knew he was completely outclassed. If barreling through that metal door didn’t slow the thing down, there was nothing Logan, as weak as he was, could do to stop it.

  The demon lumbered through the opening, angling itself for another attack.

  Steve pushed himself to his knees. He wavered there, next to a frozen mud puddle, between a discarded mattress and a rotting wooden pallet. His skin was roughened by goose bumps. With every passing second, poison went deeper into his system.

  Time to grab the couple and run. Leave the Synestryn for someone else. It wasn’t his place to destroy the demon. That was best left to those who were stronger than he.

  Which currently included ninety percent of the planet’s occupants, no doubt.

  Logan shoved himself to his feet and sprinted across the slick pavement toward Steve. The tread of his boots slipped over the remnants of dirty snow left from the last storm, but he managed to stay upright and close the distance.

  Behind him, the demon snorted out a heavy breath.

  Logan spun around to face the thing, putting his body squarely between it and the pregnant woman.

  “Please,” whispered the woman in a voice trembling with fear. “Save him.”

  “Go,” ordered Logan. “Run. I’ll protect him.”

  “I’m not leaving him.”

  “Think of your child.”

  “I am. He needs his father.”

  There was no more time to argue. The demon charged.

  The woman let out a frightened whimper. The heartbeat of the baby boy inside her sped up, as if sensing the danger it could not see.

  That child deserved to live. If this demon got hold of the mother, both she and the baby would die because of the blood flowing through their veins.

  The injustice made outrage unfurl in Logan’s body, spreading dark wings of anger. That demon was not going to take the child—not while Logan still drew breath.

  Claws extended from Logan’s fingertips and his fangs lengthened. His natural weapons were nothing compared to the wicked blades the Theronai usually carried, but he refused to go down without a
fight.

  In the back of his mind, a hysterical part of him giggled at the notion of defeating such a creature. At his full strength he’d have a chance, but he was far from that—so far he couldn’t even remember what it felt like not to be weak and hungry and cold.

  But he had anger on his side, and it fueled him now, giving strength to his wasted limbs.

  With a burst of speed, Logan charged the oncoming monster. He leaped to the top of a trash can and propelled himself over the thing’s shoulder. His claws dug deep into the demon’s slippery flesh, making it howl. Slick, mucuslike poison collected under his fingernails.

  Logan straddled the demon’s back, trying to choke it with his legs. One wide paw batted at him, its talons raking across his forearm.

  Pain sliced up Logan’s arm. Poison entered his system.

  His first instinct was to shove the last of his dwindling reserves of power into creating an antidote, but there was no time for that. He had to kill the Synestryn before the poison incapacitated him, or being poisoned would be the least of his problems. And Steve’s.

  The creature headed for the cavelike shelter of the building, carrying Logan along for the ride. As they shoved through the opening, jagged metal sliced his skin, tearing a cry of pain from his lungs.

  Logan fished beneath his coat for the dagger he kept hidden there. He stabbed it into the top of the creature’s head, hoping to skewer its brain. Its skull was too thick and the blade slid to the side.

  The cut to its scalp was deep, making the beast roar in pain. It reached back, grabbed Logan by the head, and whipped him off.