Doomsday Brethren Series, Book 2 — Caden’s Story
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN-10: 1416578447
ISBN-13: 9781416578444
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders
Simon & Schuster | Books-A-Million | Overstock

I’ve been promising to put up an excerpt for my next Doomsday Brethren book, SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW, now that copyedits are complete. I’m really excited about books 2 and 3 in this series, as I’ve had the opportunity to expand parts of the world, explore some really great conflicts and really dig into the characters of the Doomsday Brethren warriors. Caden and Sydney with both challenging and wonderful to write about. Without further ado… Hope you enjoy!

Excerpt – SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW
© Shelley Bradley LLC 2009

Cursing, Caden pulled his mobile phone from his belt and dialed an increasingly familiar number.

Bram answered immediately. “You have news?”

Did he ever, but first things first. “How is my brother?”

Bram hesitated. “Weak. We’re doing our best, but we’re running out of options.”

The wizards words were a stab in the chest. “Don’t you dare let him die while I’m in London doing your dirty work.”

“Believe me, if I had anyone else suited to this task, you would still be gnashing your teeth here at Lucan’s bedside. Matters are too critical for me to be there. Duke can pass as a human, but who would believe that the Duke of Hurstgrove wants a job at a tabloid? That leaves a fifteen-hundred year-old warrior, an attitude-challenged wizard, and you. You alone have both experience in photography and the human world.”

“Your problem is mine only as long as my brother is alive. If he dies, I cease to care. Are you clear?”

“As if you’d drawn me a picture.” Bram shot back. “Believe me, as desperately as we need wizards for this fight, I’ll happily release you when I can. I want only those committed to the cause.”

Bram’s intimation that he wasn’t good enough annoyed Caden. He shrugged it off. What did he care if Bram didn’t see him as a member of the team he hadn’t wished to join?

“What news have you to report?” the wizard barked.

“I’ve learned little about Sydney’s source of information. She’s guarding the name like a national secret.”

“Seduce her. Charm her.”

Bram’s suggestion made Caden grit his teeth. He didn’t have Bram’s easy way—and he was completely enthralled with the woman he was supposed to bamboozle. He wanted her more than his next breath—and was desperate to bury the feeling.

“Her secret is the least of our issues at the moment. I’m having a devil of a time stalling her next story. Before the bodies were removed from the tunnel, Sydney’s previous photographer took a few pictures. Grainy and fuzzy, which works in our favor, but we know of no one else who arrived in time to snap any, so she’s still scooped every other news source. People will pick up Out Of This Realm in droves, I fear, if she prints it with a proposed story that these men comprise Mathias’s unwilling Anarki army, out to dissolve the Social Order and eradicate the Doomsday Brethren.”

Bram sounded ready to hit the ceiling. “She knows about us? Where is she getting this information?”

“I’d like to know that myself and have no clue. Unfortunately, it gets worse.”

“Worse?”

“Indeed. I found the Doomsday Diary. Sydney Blair acquired it fifteen minutes ago.”

Bram cursed a stream of loud, ugly words.

“On that, we’re agreed,” Caden supplied.

“You’re absolutely certain?”

“There can’t be many old red books bearing Morganna le Fay’s symbol.”

“Bloody hell. We must recover that diary. Now.”

“I have good news and bad news about that. The bad news is that Sydney is a smart, tenacious reporter who’s determined to keep writing ‘fresh paranormal stories,’ in her words.”

“Which means she may choose to write about the diary.” He groaned. “How can there possibly be good news?”

“She doesn’t know its purpose. Yet. She’s been told that writing in the book will grant her sexual fantasies. And I’m not sure she’s convinced it’s real.”

“Pray it stays that way, at least long enough for you to do whatever you must—steal, sweet talk, or seduce her away from that book.”

“I’ll work on that while determining the name of her source. You’re coming to help, right? Use a bit of magic and…”

“Can’t. There was another Anarki attack two hours ago. I’ve just left what was the Pullmans’ estate. Burned to the ground. Their newly transitioned daughter is missing. Everyone else is dead. I have to report to the Council.”

That wasn’t good news. If the Anarki were attacking again, that meant Mathias was on the mend and his power rising once more. Caden didn’t want to care, but… he rubbed his tired eyes with his fingers. After seeing so much war and death in his life, attacks on families, on women, troubled him.

“You’ll come to assist with the diary once you’ve helped the victims of the latest attack?”

“As soon as I can,” Bram said. “Keep working on Sydney Blair.”

Caden could think of any number of ways in he’d like to work on Sydney. Completely naked with her on her back, came immediately to mind. But that couldn’t happen. Now he needed to focus on his brother. “I will.”

He rang off with Bram just before Sydney’s door burst open. In walked the source of his frustrations and fantasies, carrying the little red book.

A fresh wave of lust blazed across his senses. An electric pulse revved down his spine, shuddered across his skin. He burned with need. What the devil was wrong with him? Lately, he’d felt…off. Tired one minute, wired the next. His senses quickened, his fingertips tingled. The odd sweating out of nowhere…bloody awful, but it fit with his libido being ever ready.

What ailed him? A frustrating mission? The redheaded dynamo who drove him beyond sanity? Yes to both. The stress wasn’t helping. And he missed his job and his adopted home in Dallas, away from all this hocus-pocus. But he feared the problem’s true cause was magic. The urge to flee before it ripped away another loved one loomed large.

“What is it, MacTavish?” She thrust one hand on her hip. The other held the Doomsday Diary casually. God, if she had any idea what that book could do… he had to wrest it from her as quickly as possible.

She was in a snit. Caden hoped she wasn’t angry that he’d dismissed Jamie. The thought that she might have any interest in that knuckle-dragger made him grind his teeth.

“Right, then. I have some questions.”

“Shocking.” She crossed the room, slim hips swaying.

A caustic Sydney was a dazzling sight. He shouldn’t stare, but she’d snared him from the first, dug under his skin. Pink tinged her fair face, and her auburn hair tumbled across her shoulders. Those flashing brown eyes were a sucker punch to his gut.

Don’t think about her. Think smart. Think mission.

He’d rather think about having her naked underneath him.

“I’ll get to the point.”

“Lovely.”

Sydney stood her ground and stared back with admirable moxie for someone who didn’t reach his chin. She defended her stories with considerable passion and wit, fighting back when things got rough. The fact she was also smart and sexy made her damn near impossible to resist.

“But let me first say,” she went on. “If you’re going to warn me about the evils of Jamie, I’m a big girl.”

He hadn’t planned on it, but since she’d brought it up… “Are you actually interested in him?”

She shrugged defensively. “Why do you care?”

The possibility drove him mad. He’d never been jealous of such a wanker. He’d never been jealous, period. Splendid, a new low for him. And if the truth slipped out, she would know he wanted her in his bed, her nails in his back, screaming his name. She’d given off clues that she felt similarly, so revealing his desire would be a match on kindling. Still, he must have latent masochistic tendencies because the urge to tell Sydney in excruciating detail exactly how he wanted her bombarded him. But if he let himself be distracted, he might never find Anka. And his brother could pass to his nextlife.

“It’s none of my business, I grant you. We’ve been working together just a few days, and I don’t know you well. But I think you can do better.”

Sydney cocked her head. “Are you offering?”