After a chance encounter with a captivating woman and a man with wolfish good looks, Lea finds herself thrown into the center of the secret and clandestine Immortal world—filled with werewolves, vampires, and witches. Will she learn to navigate this new world with the help of her handsome werewolf friend? Or will she fall for the dark, seductive charms of its beautiful Queen…
Age Rating: 18+
Immortal Dawn by Jennifer Brian is now available to read on the Galatea app! Read the first two chapters below, or download Galatea for the full experience.
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1
After a chance encounter with a captivating woman and a man with wolfish good looks, Lea finds herself thrown into the center of the secret and clandestine Immortal world—filled with werewolves, vampires, and witches. Will she learn to navigate this new world with the help of her handsome werewolf friend? Or will she fall for the dark, seductive charms of its beautiful Queen…
Age Rating: 18+
Original Author: Jennifer Brian
She has honey-colored eyes…
It was the first thing I noticed about the mesmerizing woman who had just walked into Connect.
They were gorgeous, golden orbs that seemed to follow my every movement as I mixed a Manhattan behind the bar.
I’d never seen eyes like that before—they were sparkling.
I was becoming completely lost in their effervescent hue.
And the woman behind those eyes was striking too.
From head to toe, she was so stately I could’ve sworn she was royalty.
Her sharp, two-piece suit was definitely designer, and the blazer was incredibly low-cut…with nothing underneath.
A bold choice, which she pulled off flawlessly.
She was tall, with a regal neck that wore a blood red diamond choker. Her shiny, mahogany hair framed her pale, heart-shaped face and pouty lips.
Lips that were parting just slightly…
Beckoning me…
“Lea, easy on the whiskey!” Hector shouted at me.
I looked down to see the glass tumbler overflowing, spilling out onto the bar.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, feeling my cheeks burn.
I grabbed a towel and hastily cleaned up my mess as my co-worker, Hector, side-eyed me. He began to remake the drink I’d just ruined.
“Girl, what is on your mind? You’re, like, spacing hard.” His head whipped from one end of the bar to the other. “Who the hell here is dickmatizing you?”
I tried not to look at the woman who I was sure was still staring at me.
Why is she making me so self-conscious?
I’d only strictly dated guys before, so surely I couldn’t be attracted to her…
Could I?
I didn’t even know how to process the possibility.
“I’m just tired,” I replied quickly. “You keep scheduling me on the late shifts.”
“Um, yeah, so you can make money,” he said, rolling his eyes. It only took a moment before those rolling eyes landed elsewhere…on a muscular man in a button-up, approaching the bar.
“This one’s just my type,” he said, giving me a wink.
They were all his type. That’s what I loved about Hector.
As he disappeared to the other end of the bar, a flirtatious bounce in his step, my mind returned to the woman with honey-colored eyes.
She seemed way too high-society for this shit-hole club.
Although, admittedly, Connect was a shit-hole club that was near and dear to my heart.
We prided ourselves on being a safe haven to anyone—regardless of race, gender, or sexuality.
I wondered what had brought her here tonight.
I tried to resist getting caught up in her golden gaze again, but I couldn’t help myself.
I stealthily glanced over to where the woman had been sitting, but…
She’s gone.
I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me.
I don’t even know her name…
“Grace,” a silky voice said, startling me from my thoughts.
Holy shit, it’s her!
She was suddenly sitting directly across from me, her ruby lips smirking playfully.
“Aren’t you going to tell me yours?” she asked, looking me up and down.
“My…uh…my…” I stammered.
“Your name,” she said.
“Lea,” I finally managed to spit out.
“Well, Lea, can you make me a Bloody Mary? Extra bloody,” she said, leaning over the counter, exposing her cleavage.
“You got it,” I tried to say coolly. As I turned away and flipped on my phone camera to check my appearance, I looked anything but cool.
I quickly fussed with my wavy, auburn hair and tried to convince myself that I didn’t look like a total mess.
“You look lovely…trust me,” Grace said, making me even more flustered.
Is she flirting with me?
“Oh, uh…thanks,” I replied without turning around. “Where are you from?”
Maybe mindless small talk would help suppress whatever the hell was happening here.
“You’ve never heard of it,” she replied mysteriously.
“Really? Try me,” I said as I garnished her drink with a celery stick and passed it across the counter.
As she reached out, our fingertips grazed each other’s skin, and I felt a surge of electricity course through my veins.
It tingled and touched every part of my body.
Every part.
My eyelids fluttered as I pressed my legs together tightly.
I was so aroused that I was starting to get wet.
When I looked into Grace’s eyes, I saw the same arousal. Her tongue lightly licked the edges of her lips, and she leaned forward.
Wh-what is she doing?
I suddenly realized that I was leaning over the bar too.
For a moment, it seemed like Grace’s lips were heading for mine, but she changed course at the last second.
I was frozen, unsure of what to do.
Why am I not stopping this?
Because I don’t want it to stop.
Her soft breath drifted over my neck as my own breath hitched.
My nipples were hardening underneath my thin, white tank top.
I was scared.
I was excited.
I was captivated by this woman.
Grace’s lips grazed my neck, but only for a moment…
She pulled away, and the arousal in her eyes had been replaced with alarm.
“I…I have to go,” she said, hastily throwing a twenty-dollar bill on the bar.
I was so speechless that I couldn’t even protest. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to.
What the hell just happened?
Grace’s heels clacked across the floor as she rushed out of the bar without looking back.
Why did I feel such a strong connection with her?
When she looked at me with those eyes, it was as if she was staring into my soul.
And when she touched me…I felt as though nothing would ever be the same again.
She made me feel things that I’d never felt before…at least not with a woman.
It was only two or three seconds…but that moment…
It would linger in my mind forever.
***
I shoved my phone into my jacket pocket, my claws tearing at the leather.
I’d gotten so angry that I’d almost shifted.
I quickly retracted them, glancing around to make sure no one saw.
As the cold Seattle wind whipped across my face, all I wanted to do was howl—release my pain to the moon.
But I couldn’t do that here. I couldn’t risk a human seeing me. It was expressly forbidden by our laws.
My eyes welled up with tears, but I fought them back.
I’m not going to cry over that piece of shit.
I didn’t even know where I was going, but I just had to get the hell away from him.
Not only had I lost my boyfriend tonight, but I’d lost my best friend too.
This was a night that I desperately wanted to forget.
And I knew of at least one way to do that.
I need a fucking drink.
My eyes scanned the street until I spotted a flashing neon sign that read “Connect.”
I pulled my coat closer as I took in the exterior of the seedy-looking club.
It was a little dive-y for my tastes, but…
I guess it will have to do.
I poured myself a shot of vodka and threw it back, cringing as the liquor slid down my throat.
“You know you don’t have to drink the bottom shelf shit,” Hector said, teasing me.
“I do if I want to get drunk,” I replied.
And I wanted to get very, very drunk.
Ever since Grace had run out of the bar an hour ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
I was really beginning to think that something was wrong with me.
Do I have a fever?
Did I accidentally take a shot of absinthe?
Or do I just want her soft, red lips all over my naked body?
My face burned hot. Fuck!
These…feelings…were new to me.
Or maybe I’d just been pushing them down…
I mean, sure, I’d made out with a few girls in college. But who hadn’t?
And I’d always had, like, a girl-crush on Drew Barrymore. She’s a total goddess!
But that didn’t mean that I was into girls…did it?
No, I was strictly into dicks.
Except…maybe I wasn’t.
I poured myself another shot.
“You’d better slow down, girl. Getting drunk is a marathon, not a sprint,” Hector said, concerned. “We still have to serve customers.”
If it meant not having to think about my sexuality anymore, I’d gladly sprint to the finish line.
“Excuse me, can I get a gin and tonic?”
Hector and I both turned to the husky voice, and our jaws dropped open.
Standing in front of me was one of the hottest men I’d ever seen.
Tall, dark, and handsome didn’t even begin to describe him.
He had olive skin, radiant green eyes, perfectly manicured facial hair covering his prominent cheekbones, and a jawline that gave him a rugged look.
As he slipped off his leather jacket, his muscular chest and biceps practically bulged out of his tight T-shirt.
There was something almost otherworldly about his beauty.
And that just made me think of another ethereal beauty who had just been through here.
“Um…uh, yeah, of course,” I fumbled. “Can I get you anything else, uh…”
“Liam,” he responded. “Just the gin and tonic, thanks.”
He flashed a set of perfect, white teeth and gave me a wolfish grin.
Grace had thrown me off my game, but it was probably nothing. As soon as this gorgeous man walked in, I knew it was stupid of me to question my sexuality.
But as I stared into his emerald eyes, Grace’s honey-colored irises flashed through my mind.
Sure, just keep telling yourself that.
Hector suddenly grabbed my arm and whispered excitedly. “How fucking hot is this guy?”
I looked back at the man, and he gave me a warm smile.
“Maybe I’ll have to turn on the charm,” I said, smirking. “I might not be going home alone tonight.”
Hector gave me a condescending pat on the shoulder. “Oh, sweetie. I’m pretty sure this one plays for my team.”
“You think everyone is gay,” I replied defiantly.
I dropped a lime in his drink and handed it to the handsome stranger, settling across from him with a flirtatious hair toss.
“So…Liam…tell me about yourself,” I said.
So that maybe I can stop thinking about Grace…
Fucking hell! What was I thinking?
I hurried out into the cold night air, disappearing down the nearest dark alley.
I’d almost made a grave mistake.
What if she’d found out who I am?
What if she’d found out what I am?
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
My lust for beautiful women was almost as bad as my lust for blood.
At first, it was her heartbeat that had attracted me, signaling like a beating drum.
Followed by her scent…like fresh strawberries and honeysuckle.
Then it was that pulsating vein on her neck, so tender and tantalizing.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to fuck her or simply suck her dry.
But when I saw her face…
I couldn’t believe it.
She looked so much like her…so much like Janelle.
The same dark-blue eyes, like azure pools of wonder.
The same flowing, auburn hair that remained untamed no matter how hard she tried.
The same self-conscious mannerisms that I couldn’t help but find adorable.
I tried to shake Lea from my mind.
I couldn’t make the same mistakes I’d made before.
After what happened with Janelle…
I’d never let myself get attached to another human again.
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2
“Another gin and tonic!” Liam slurred, hiccuping as he slapped his hand against the bar.
I knew I should’ve cut him off, but he was clearly going through something, and it wasn’t my place to judge.
I made him another, heavy on the tonic water, and passed it across the bar.
Hector had knocked off about thirty minutes ago, and now it was just Liam and me.
I glanced at my phone. Almost 3 o’clock in the morning…
I’d be closing up soon, but I didn’t have the heart to kick Liam out just yet.
Despite his increasing drunkenness, I was actually enjoying his company.
We’d been talking for the past couple hours, and I’d found that we shared a lot in common.
Although, one thing we vehemently disagreed on was my veganism.
Liam’s motto was: “if it’s not bleeding, it’s not worth eating.”
We found common ground in the obvious stuff like art, music, and movies, but what I really connected with him on was boxing.
I’d been fascinated with it ever since I was a little girl. Maybe because my father had formerly been a boxer, and it was just about the only detail I knew about him.
Mom wasn’t exactly forthcoming about the man who she claimed had “ruined” her life.
Though she seemed to do a pretty good job of that on her own these days…
As for Liam, he’d told me that he had a high-pressure career in investment, and he used boxing as a way of relieving stress.
My eyes widened as he finished his drink in one monstrous gulp.
Apparently, he used drinking for that too.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “What am I going to do?”
I wasn’t sure if he was asking me or just talking to himself.
“Listen, I don’t know what you’re going through, but I’m hitting the gym tomorrow,” I said, leaning my elbows on the bar. “If you want to spar a few rounds…”
Liam looked up at me and gave me a half-smile. He placed his hand on top of mine. “You’re a really nice person, Lea. Truly. I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I realize this isn’t the greatest first impression.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I replied, very aware that his hand was on mine. “We all go through a rough time now and then.”
“I walked in on my ex giving a blowjob to my best friend,” Liam said abruptly.
“Oh…shit.”
No wonder he was drinking the bar’s entire supply of gin.
His ex-girlfriend must’ve been the world’s biggest bitch.
I poured a shot and, as Liam reached for it, I downed it myself.
“I’m taking that one for you,” I said.
Liam laughed. “Thanks. A true friend.”
Truthfully, he didn’t need any more. I glanced at my phone again. 3:05 a.m.
“Well, I hate to say this, Liam…you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay he—”
“I can’t go home,” he said suddenly, his expression growing somber.
Right, the cheating ex.
I sighed, knowing what I was about to do was against my better judgment.
“Come on, my place is just around the corner.”
***
Three steps into my apartment and Liam had collapsed face-first onto my couch and passed out.
It was probably for the best.
I was feeling pretty drunk myself and, as much as I had tried to force a sexual connection with Liam tonight, it felt more friendly.
Not like Grace…
There was nothing friendly about what I was feeling when she’d touched me.
I shivered just thinking about it as I walked into my bedroom and pulled off my jeans and T-shirt.
Those honey-colored eyes haunted me.
As I crawled into bed, odd scratching and grunting sounds carried in from the living room.
Was that Liam?
I cautiously crept over to my door and placed my ear against it.
He was panting heavily, almost…growling.
What the hell?
The scratching noise increased as I heard him thrashing around.
I glanced at my boxing gloves, hanging from the hook on my door.
I could defend myself if I needed to, but…hopefully it didn’t come to that.
I cautiously opened my door and peered out into the living room. “Liam?”
He was flailing wildly on the couch, groaning in his sleep.
“No…I don’t want to turn…”
He was having a nightmare. I rushed to his side and placed my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.
“Liam, it’s okay. You’re just—”
“NO!” he roared. His fingers swiped my arm, and I cried out in pain.
I backed away and retreated to my room, closing the door and locking it.
I’d always heard that you shouldn’t try to wake someone up when they’re sleepwalking. It turned out that applied to sleep-thrashing too.
My arm stung like a bitch, and when I looked down at it, I gasped.
There were three long red marks running down my forearm.
They looked almost like…claw marks?
Liam’s fingernails were short and manicured…but somehow they’d broken my skin.
As I washed my arm off in the sink and the red water swirled down the drain, I wondered…
Liam had muttered that he didn’t want to turn…
…But turn into what?
***
I’d woken up with a killer headache.
Damn, why did I take so many shots last night?
My head wasn’t the only thing that was hurting this morning, though…
I looked down to see the red scratches lining my arm.
I still wasn’t quite sure how that had happened.
I got out of bed and hastily pulled some clothes on before nervously peering into the living room.
Liam was already gone. But he’d left behind a nice little surprise.
“My couch!” I shouted, my eyes widening.
The leather was torn to shreds. Scratches and gashes in every cushion.
This was what I got for bringing a drunk and distraught stranger home for the night.
Next time, I’d just mind my own damn business.
I slumped down onto the ruined sofa and sighed.
My couch had gotten more action last night than I had.
Liam’s emerald-green eyes and Grace’s honey-colored ones flashed through my mind. I felt a tingling between my legs—especially as I thought of Grace.
I think I just needed to admit it…
I was sexually frustrated.
I walked into my room and grabbed the boxing gloves from the back of the door.
And I know just the cure.
I sat in a diner, sipping a cappuccino and hoping that all the bad decisions I’d made last night weren’t going to come back and bite me in the ass.
I can’t believe I almost shifted.
I’d treated Lea’s couch like a scratching post in my sleep.
When I woke up and saw my couch cushion massacre, I knew I couldn’t stick around to try and explain.
I felt bad because I actually liked her, and she’d put me up for the night when I was too wasted to even walk.
But if she found out what I really was…
A werewolf.
The consequences would’ve been dire.
It was forbidden for our kind to reveal ourselves to humans.
Normally, I had better control over my shifting, but my breakup with Jeff mixed with too much alcohol was a lethal combination.
I should never have let myself be that vulnerable!
With Lea…
Or with Jeff.
My phone began to buzz in my pocket, and I pulled it out.
Speak of the devil…
I was so pissed that I could’ve crushed my phone in my hand.
That asshole was trying to play the victim now?
As my fingernails started to shift into claws, I knew I needed to get control of my aggression.
Or better yet…
I needed to release it.
WHACK!
I punched the bag as hard as I could, trying to release my pent-up frustration.
I was finally starting to feel a bit better. Boxing always did the trick.
The gym was mostly empty this early in the morning, but that was how I liked it.
I punched the bag over and over as I drowned out the background noise of the news anchor on the TV in the corner.
It was better than therapy and, honestly…cheaper.
“Hey, I owe you an apology,” a familiar voice suddenly said from behind me.
I whipped around to see Liam approaching. Despite how drunk he was last night, he still looked like he had just stepped out of a Calvin Klein ad.
“You owe me a new couch,” I replied, crossing my arms.
“Fair enough,” he said sheepishly. “My nightmares can be a little…intense.”
No fucking kidding.
“Down to go a couple rounds?” he asked, nodding to the boxing ring in the center of the gym.
“Sure, but I should warn you…” I said, giving him a sly look. “I’m going to treat you the same way you treated my couch.”
His emerald eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Liam was about to find out just what it meant to go toe-to-toe with me.
I might’ve made a mean gin and tonic with an extra kick, but…
My punch was what he really needed to watch out for.
***
Liam’s technique wasn’t terrible, but I still wiped the floor with him.
I probably should’ve taken it easier on him, given that he was dealing with both a breakup and a hangover, but it was too fun to spar with someone twice my size and have the advantage.
When Liam left to hit the showers, I pulled my boxing gloves off and ran my fingers across the scratch marks on my arm. They were still tender.
An intense musical cue on the television suddenly demanded my attention.
“Breaking news,” an anchor said as he read from a teleprompter. “Sara Jones, the twenty-four-year-old woman who’s been missing since Friday, has been linked to an animal attack at Schmitz Preserve Park. Police say it appears she’d been hiking alone.”
My stomach twisted as a photo of a campsite appeared onscreen.
The ground was covered in blood, and her tent was torn to shreds.
“Authorities say they’re still searching for her body.”
The next image that appeared onscreen was a paw print—from a paw the size of a baseball glove.
“Large prints were found in the mud surrounding Ms. Jones’ campsite. The police have issued a warning to all potential hikers visiting the area…”
I looked down at my scratches again, and my heart raced as the reporter continued.
“…Be on the lookout for wolves.”
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