In The Cover of Night Read online

  Table of Contents

  In The Cover Of Night

  Praise for the Shadow Unit Series

  Praise for Arctic Bound

  Praise for Diamond

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  More books by Tigris Eden

  About the Author

  Sign up for Tigris Eden's Mailing List

  Further Reading: It Happened On a Tuesday

  Copyright © 2017 by Tigris Eden

  Cover Design: Kats Kreative Ideas

  Editor: Chelle Olson

  Published by: Kats Kreative Ideas

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews as provided by the United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  [email protected]

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

  Praise for the Shadow Unit Series

  “The Shadow Unit Series is an edge of your seat thrill ride full of steamy romance, conspiracy and best of all, hot shifters. A great series for any lover of the genre.” -Author S. Cu’Anam Policar.

  “This was one of the best 2nd in a series books I think I have ever read. I have been waiting to see what happened with Jes and Draven, the hotness that is Royce and Ronin. Great Follow up. Great writing, can’t wait till the others come out!” –Tka3nme.

  “Just when you think happily ever after there is another twist in the story that keeps you turning the page.” –1safelady.

  “The Shadow Unit Series is intense, gritty and HOT HOT HOT!!!” –Viki Sloboda.

  “Intrigue, love and action make an irresistible read.” –Vondetta Carter

  “Once you start reading them you can’t put them down until you’re finished. Then you are anxiously waiting for the next.” –Barb A.

  “Shadow Unit Series is an emotional, raw, sexy, action packed paranormal fabulousness that sucks you in from page one. You will cry, laugh, and blush throughout the series and burn for more.” –Indy Book Fairy

  “Hunky men, steamy scenes, romance and a touch of the paranormal. What more can you ask for? It’s all here in the Shadow Unit.” –Jennifer Ballam.

  “The Shadow Unit series is an edge of your seat mix of adventure and romance that will leave the readers wanting more!” –Ty Langston, Author of Decadent Dreams

  Praise for Arctic Bound

  “Arctic Bound is meltingly passionate and explosively sexy! Ms. Eden brings us an amazing story. Arctic Bound kept me guessing! Doesn’t happen often but I was stunned speechless a few times with plot twists I never saw coming.” –Bitten by Love Reviews

  “I enjoyed Arctic Bound because of the heroine, she was no one’s push over. She was a fighter. There was passion, mystery and all kinds of paranormal creatures.” –Debra Crosby

  “Do you want dark and brooding? Check. Do you want a heroine with a troubled past? Check. Do you want the leads to not be physically perfect? Partial check. Do you want your paranormal favorites in one place? Huge Check!” –Jenny

  “I love Tigris Eden as an author and here’s why, she puts everything I want in a book without it being too much. I am a huge fan of adding diversity into books and Tigris delivers.” –Reese’s Book reviews

  “The well-orchestrated events of this romance keep readers on the edge of their seats and ensure that the readers want to know everything. I was completely bewitched by the Arctic Wolves and their fascinating world and I can’t wait to read the next one.”– Evampire

  Praise for Diamond

  “My first book from this author and most certainly not my last. There are a lot of books available that claim to be dystopian with dark undertones but this book just knocked me for six! I wasn't quite sure what to expect but whatever it was it most certainly wasn't this. I read the synopsis and thought alrighty then futuristic sci fi with a mysterious heroine and the stereo typical alpha male. Can I state here and now that this book seems to have a life of its own and if it's a romance you seek then perhaps you will scream but if you want to get knocked on your (no doubt) shapely behind then this book deserves to be read!” – Marta Cox

  “I feel like if I just write WOW! that will cover the review, yet I know I need to provide more than one word.

  Let’s begin with the official stuff, I was provided a copy of Diamond in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. the cover drew me in; I mean seriously; this has to be one of the best covers I’ve seen in a long time. Once I read the book, it ultimately NAILED the female protagonist, Nadya.

  I have been drawn to post-apocalyptic stories for a while and read so many. This is a world where every breath is a fight, water is scarce, and food... Well, what do people do when food runs low? It’s savage, raw, and depicts a nightmare world. The imagery was brutal yet so realistic; I was thankful for my fresh glass of water.” –Boundless Book Reviews

  Acknowledgements

  To you, the READER... THANK YOU for reading my words and enjoying my stories. It means the world to me that you welcome me into your reading device on a regular basis.

  As always, a big thank you to God. Without him nothing is possible.

  Dedication

  To you, from me. Thank you.

  In The

  Cover

  Of Night

  By

  Tigris Eden

  Being mentored by a world-renowned Chef is at the top of Onessa Sol’s list. But when an unfortunate storm delays her arrival, and she’s found by two unsettling characters who believe she is theirs. Things go from uncomfortable to disastrous in zero to sixty.

  To make matters worse, Chef Cyriaque Ravenueax isn’t at all what she expected. He’s broody, moody, and downright mean. He’s also the hottest thing since well, anything she’s ever been privy to have in her line of site for eye-candy.

  A recipe gone wrong and an attack by creatures that shouldn’t exist is more than one girl can handle.

  Cyriaque (Cyr) Ravenueax is seriously rethinking his decision to start mentoring again, especially over the anniversary of the deaths of his wife and son. But when his adversary from the other side of the swamp stakes a claim that isn’t his to make, Cyr realizes that he needs to man up and take action. Only the woman’s appearance in his life is more unsettling than anticipated when he catches her scent and realizes the fates have given him a second chance.

  1

  LIGHTNING ILLUMINATED the dark clouds, followed by the rumble of thunder. Great! Just fucking great! Of course, she’d get stuck in a torrential downpour with no cell service and a broken-down vehicle. It wasn’t like anything else could go wrong.
Oh, wait. You’re in the middle of bumfuck nowhere and have no clue where you are. Her flight had been delayed two hours. Causing her more of a headache. The only car they had at the rental place was a small Ford Focus when what she needed was an SUV.

  Darkness embraced her, much like the soaked shirt that clung to her breasts. As the rain pelted her, Onessa tried not to curse. The night held all kinds of hazards, from the thicket of bushes that snagged against her jeans to the murky mud sucking at her sneakers. Where is the damn sidewalk? She didn’t want to walk directly on the asphalt for fear of being struck by a car, or worse, picked up by some nut job. Nikes don’t fail me now. Trudging along, Onessa walked in the direction she’d been driving. Hopefully, a gas station or some sort of convenience store appeared soon. Not a single streetlight lit her path. Thunderous clouds covered the moon, her only light source. Still, Onessa kept moving. The rain fell faster, and as she picked up her pace, she noticed multiple sets of yellow eyes off in the distance in what she assumed was the woods. Please let it be my imagination. She hoped it was her mind playing tricks on her. But as luck would have it—especially her luck—those ominous eyes were real.

  A twig snapped to her left and the distinctive sounds of growling had the hairs on the back of her neck rising. Don’t be that girl. The one who didn’t try and get to safety. Looking over her shoulder wouldn’t help—it didn’t matter, the animal sounded far away from her. Heart racing, Onessa took off in a dead run.

  Except, the fallen tree limb she tripped over ruined her escape. Thunder cracked off in the distance and another flash of lightning struck giving her a hint of light. Right in front of her, stood a pack of wolves. Too afraid to move, she pulled in a deep breath, slowly stood, and backtracked. Only her foot caught on something else, and down she went. Again. Onessa’s head hit a rock, her vision blurred making her see double before she greeted the darkness.

  “WHO IS SHE?” A MAN asked.

  She rocked a serious ache, and her body felt like it had been run over by a Zamboni. Not once, but twice.

  “Don’t know, but she smells good.”

  The last thing she remembered was falling, and landing...hard.

  “She sure does, you think Beau will let us keep her, seein’ as she’s on Leabauds’ property?”

  Leabauds?

  She was supposed to be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. How in the hell had she messed that up?

  “No, says right here on these papers.” They rustled through her purse, but Onessa couldn’t be bothered with moving. She ached everywhere and a slimy film of mud coated her teeth making her want to gag. Fucking storm. “Her name be Onessa Sol, and she’s from California.”

  At least they got her name right.

  “So, she belongs to California?” the other man asked. They sounded almost child-like and ignorant, but she could tell by the timber of their voices, they were grown men. She’d somehow taken a wrong turn and ended up in Cajun country if their accents were anything to go by.

  “Yup, says so right here,” the other man repeated.

  A sharp pain entered her side, and she moaned. The agony overwhelmed Onessa’s senses.

  “We best take her to Beau. He’ll return her back to California.”

  They lifted her, rough hands pulling and twisting her in ways that were not conducive to her feeling better. The two men only made it worse.

  “I think I can walk,” she groaned, opening her eyes and taking in the scene. Mud covered Onessa everywhere. On her clothes and hands. The dirt caked her face, as well. No part of her left untouched. One male wore a pair of overalls, minus a shirt. His face dirty, and his eyes a sapphire blue. His orbs a startling contrast to his black hair. He looked like he’d either been stuck under a car all day, or he had no idea what a shower looked like. She couldn’t tell if he was her age or not with all the dried dirt on him.

  “Ed, put her down, she says she can walk.”

  The one called Ed mumbled something under his breath, and after a few more steps, put her down. He didn’t fare any better than the other man in terms of cleanliness. And he looked identical to the one in the dirty overalls; only he was bald and was missing his two front teeth.

  “I’m Onessa.”

  “We know, it said so right there on your papers. You belong to California.”

  No, she belonged to herself, but she wasn’t about to correct them. Instead, she asked, “You guys have a car?”

  “Nope, Beau’s property is right there.” The dark-haired male pointed to a clearing off to her right, and sure enough, there was a house. If only the damn wolves hadn’t startled her, she’d have made it unscathed and would have at least been able to phone for help.

  “Thank you for coming along to rescue me. I ran into a bit of trouble. My rental car broke down back up on the highway, and I couldn’t get a signal on my phone.”

  Both males snickered.

  “You got one of them fancy cellular phones?”

  Fancy? Were they stuck in the dark ages? No one called cell phones fancy.

  “Yes, just a regular smartphone.”

  “Let me see it. Never seen one up close. Beau doesn’t care too much for them modern toys.”

  Before she could stop him, he took her purse and rummaged through it, looking for her phone. She didn’t know these men, didn’t want to cause trouble, and if they planned to hurt her, they would have tried by now. At least, I hope that’s the case.

  “It’s all wet and soggy in there.”

  “Can you hand me back my purse, please?”

  He handed the bag to her, and the two men motioned for her to follow. With a slight limp and a hell of a headache, Onessa walked across the yard into a big house. They were greeted by a young man who held the door open for her.

  “Beau’s real angry at you, Ed. You, too, Eddy.”

  Ed and Eddy?

  “We brought Beau something. She belongs to California.”

  The young man at the door laughed before saying, “She doesn’t belong to California halfwit, she’s from California. It’s where she lives.” Then he looked her way, piercing her with his gray-blue eyes before saying, “Beau’s gonna like you, pretty lady.”

  “I’m just trying to get to my destination. If I could just use a phone to call a tow truck and a cab, I’ll be on my way.”

  Onessa wasn’t getting a good feeling about the three men. And she always trusted her gut.

  “Beau can help with that. Right this way.” The man motioned for her to follow him.

  They led her down the hall into a wide-open office where a man sat behind a large mahogany desk. Broad shoulders encased in a gun-metal grey three-piece suit straightened at her appearance. The man looked like a Roman aristocrat, with his aquiline nose, high cheekbones, and dark brown hair perfectly parted. Some of the tension left Onessa’s shoulders upon seeing him—until he smiled. Stark, white teeth flashed, and his canines appeared larger than a normal person.

  “I see someone got lost on their way to Grandma’s house,” he rumbled.

  “I beg your pardon? I’m not on my way to my grandmother’s. My car broke down.”

  “Did it now? Well, then I guess I’m the lucky one. My name is Beau Leabauds, welcome to my home.”

  Huh?

  How was he lucky? The inkling of doubt she’d tried to dismiss earlier slid its way past her throat and into her stomach. Something was off with Beau. His bright eyes sparkled, but not with any kind of warmth. He reminded her of someone on the verge of a psychotic break. As if he barely hung onto a slowly decaying string of sanity. Glimpses of madness were evident in the way his nostrils flared repeatedly, and his eyes tracked her every movement.

  “I’m sorry, but if you’d just let me use your phone, I’ll be on my way.”

  “You’re not going to tell me your name?”

  She didn’t want to, but she did anyway for the sake of getting the hell out of his home in one piece. “Sorry, it’s Onessa, Onessa Sol.”

  The man behind the desk stood. A lot ta
ller than she’d expected, she stepped back. Broad shoulders, inky black hair, and the same color eyes as Ed and Eddy, only the blue orbs appeared to glow from within. He sported uncommonly long fingernails for a male. And when he approached her, the creepy vibe she’d noticed earlier was in full force.

  “Who do you need to call, sweet Onessa?”

  “First a tow truck, then I need to call a cab, and my mentor. I need to let him know why I’m so late.”

  “Who’s your mentor?”

  “Cyriaque Ravenueax.”

  That brought Beau up short. Onessa watched as his face changed. There was a hint of aggravation before it cleared, and then Beau relaxed into his toothy grin.

  “Cyr is taking on students again. How very nice of him. I know Ravenueax. I’ll see to it that he’s called and you’re returned. Unharmed.”

  Unharmed? Why would he say that? Because he’s an oily bastard.

  Before she had a chance to ask him to clarify what he’d meant, he disappeared behind a door in his office, but not before she saw what sat on the other side. Wolves. At least a dozen of them, lounging in his home like it was the thing to do. As if they were merely house pets.

  2

  THE WHISKEY BURNED a smooth path down Cyr’s throat. He didn’t care if it was the middle of the fucking day. Five fucking years. And it still felt like yesterday.

  “Really, man? Already? It’s not even dark yet,” Alaric, his best friend and right-hand man said as he stood in the doorway.

  “Your point?”

  “My point? Don’t we have someone coming in today?”

  “She’s late.”

  “Not her fault, her flight got delayed.”

  He had no business mentoring anyone. Bad idea all around. He wanted to cook, not teach. Maybe the female had changed her mind. If the fates wanted to do him a favor, they’d make sure she never arrived. Mating season and humans did not mix. Trying to produce offspring while having her around posed a problem.