Spotlight on the Hero

I was cast out and meant to die, but I was built to survive.  Ruthless and resolute, I'll do everything in my power to live another day, no matter the consequences. I live, because my clan needs someone to believe in the prophesy, to always look for the signs.

You're human, of a race I heartily despise, yet your inner strength shines like a beacon, guiding me toward you. Your quick wit and your steadfast humanity achingly remind me what I want most, while your intoxicating smell makes me want to inhale your very essence. 

You're the most dangerous of forbidden fruit, constantly testing my ironfisted control, but I believe you are key to this eternal prophesy that echoes in my head.

You are.my salvation.

                                                                                                                               Jachin Black,
                                                                                                                              Sanguinas vampire

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Reviews

 **NEW**

5 Stars! ~ "...I found Scions Resurrection to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, the action is intense and at times almost non-stop. The world building is masterfully done and the chemistry between the two main characters is so beautifully written. Jachin Black portrays the perfect alpha male who unwillingly finds himself drawn to the beautiful and feisty Ariel even though he despises humans as weak and pathetic creatures. And spunky Ariel Swanson is the perfect heroine, who finds the courage to face her fears and in the process finds a lasting love." ~ K. Nordhus, Kasey's View

RECOMMENDED READ! "...What a fantastic book! Action levels are intense and high, keeping the book fast paced and engrossing. The romance is beautifully done, with so much conflict and tension between Ariel and Jachin that we wonder how they will ever make it at the same time we know they are meant for each other...

I found Resurrection to be a sexy and satisfying read that I hated having to put away so I could take care of those mundane things in life like work and sleep. While this volume in the series is complete in and of itself, the ending hints and future events sure to be delved into with future books in the series. I was left hungering for more of the exciting Scions world, eager to know what is still to come."  ~ Kelley A. Hartsell,  CK2S,Kwips and Kritiques

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5 Ribbons! "A must read! Not only does it set itself apart from other paranormal romances with fresh ideas and a new spin on what it is to be a vampire, it's the most fun I've had with a novel in a long time. While there's more than enough high packed action to get your heart racing, what will no doubt keep it racing is the smoldering sexual tension..."  -Kerensa Wilson, Romance Junkies Reviews

4 Stars! ~ "Fast-paced and exciting, Patrice Michelle's Scions: Resurrection has a novel take on the vampire story..."  -Alexandra Kay, Romantic Times

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4 Stars! "...Both Scions: Resurrection and Patrice Michelle are a strong addition to the Silhouette Nocturne imprint.  This novel's fast paced action plot line combined with its spicy romance and fantasy thrills should be just what romance readers have been looking for." ~ Amanda, LoveVampires.com

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"...Scions: Resurrection (Jan. 1, 2008) by Patrice Michelle is an adrenaline rush of the first order with top-notch action sequences propelling the story from start to finish. Romance is involved, too, of course, as our hero and heroine ride a collision course toward destiny, with both personal and larger implications, in this first part of the Scions series from Silhouette Nocturne...

5 Angels! "...Patrice Michelle is the new voice to look for in the vampire world of romance fiction.  The story is action packed from the very beginning until the very end of the book and is impossible to put down once you begin to read...The beginning of this series has me hooked and I will wait on pins and needles until the next book is available.  I understand that the next book will be about werewolves so if you're looking for a paranormal to sink your teeth I highly recommend you picking up this series by newly published New York author Patrice Michelle." ~ Missy, Fallen Angel Reviews

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"...SCIONS: RESURRECTION is the first book in a trilogy by Patrice Michelle for Silhouette's Nocturne series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Patrice Michelle writes a fast-paced romance with complex characters and a wonderful plot. It is fun to watch the characters as they grow and learn about themselves and their destiny...

This was the first book by Patrice Michelle that I have read and I hated to put it down. It is the type of story that you can't stop thinking about, and I can not wait for the other two to come out. I highly recommend this to everyone, even if you don't normally like paranormal romance. This one is a keeper!" ~ Debbie D, RBL Romantica

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"This is the first book I've ever read by Patrice Michelle, and it is fantastic. It's not your usual soft and fluffy romance. This book has depth, grit and adventure that I didn't expect in a Silhouette novel...

The non-stop action/adventure in this book appealed to me greatly. The heart-tugging, seriously hot romance in this book hooked me completely. I'm going out to purchase all of Patrice Michelle's books!" ~ BAM, RBL Romantica

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5 Stars! "...In this first book of the Scions trilogy, author Patrice Michelle gives us the chance to find out if such a peace is possible.  She gives us a solid background and characters that are more than just one dimensional.  This is a harder and darker paranormal romance, and it has depth and an adventure I didn't want to see end.  This is a thrilling read, the action is fast paced, and doesn't stop, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I can barely wait for the next book in the trilogy."   ~ Tammy

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5 Stars! "...The first book in the Scions series describes a convincingly believable world where the extraordinary seems highly probable. With visually inspiring scenes and original characters, Patrice Michelle gives readers what they want in a paranormal romance.

Ms. Michelle is a master of taking the story in totally unexpected directions, making one wonder what could possibly occur next and this story is a prime example. SCIONS: RESURRECTION is a magical story which captures readers with its sincere emotions and sizzling passions amid an enthralling adventure. " ~ Amelia, CataRomance

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"...Patrice Michelle provides a wonderful vampire romantic suspense thriller. The fast-paced story line has an interesting twist..."  -Harriet Klausner

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4 Rating! "... SCIONS: RESURRECTION by Patrice Michelle is one wild ride. It is action packed and laden with sensuality. I loved this book and was caught up immediately in the story. This is the first book in this series and fans can expect the next release, SCIONS: INSURRECTION in May 2008. ~ Lori Sears, The Romance Readers Connection.

"...The first couple of Silhouette Nocturnes I tried were mediocre, but they have gotten better and better. I have now read several that I would recommend to others, and Scions: Resurrection is another to add to the list. It was a fast-paced story with nice chemistry between the hero and heroine."  ~ Devon, The Good, The Bad and The Unread ~~~

"...This story is fast paced from the word go. Jachin and Ariel are on the run for almost three quarters of the book but I never got bored. The characters are compelling and the world is fascinating. The world was so intricate I expected to plow through flaws and contradictions but I didn't find any. I may have been too busy enjoying the book, but nothing caught my attention..." ~ Alicia, The Good, the Bad and the Unread

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4 Hearts! "...Scions: Resurrection was a fast paced, action packed, engaging and enjoyable read. Ms Michelle is a gift author with a knack for storytelling, which will have readers rooting for the characters and getting immersed in the world, which she created. I recommend this read highly to those who like paranormal romance and look forward to reading the next book (Scions: Insurrection) in this series."  ~ Danni, Night Owl Romance Reviews

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"...Patrice Michelle has created a harsh yet intriguing world with SCIONS: RESURRECTION, the first novel in her new trilogy. Jachin was banished from his clan, and after spending so many years on his own, feels that he has lost his humanity. He clings to the prophecy as the means of saving himself as well as his people. Violence cost Ariel everything, and she has spent her life looking over her shoulder, afraid of the vampires responsible for the loss of her family. She hopes that writing about them will rid her of her fears, but instead it brings them to life. Both have their reasons for being distrustful, yet they will need to depend on each other in order to survive.

Secondary characters include Landon, a werewolf who has an uneasy truce with Jachin; Mira, Jachin's sister; and various members of the vampire clan, both friend and foe. A captivating tale, SCIONS: RESURRECTION should not be missed, and I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy."  ~ Jennifer Bishop, Romance Reviews Today

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"...Scions Resurrection is an action packed adventure that takes vampire mythology to another level. This story had me on the edge of my seat and I absolutely love Patrice's new take on vampires. This book offers readers something different than what they are used to seeing in a typical vampire novel. I look forward to reading book two in the Scions series." ~ Reviewed by Beth Senters, Paranormal Romance Reviews (PNR) 

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"...Resurrection is a vampire romance that starts off with a blast and continues with non-stop action until the exciting finale.  The storyline is an interesting take on the vampire myth..." ~ Reviewed by Sabella, Joyfully Reviewed

Back to the top

Excerpt #1

Unedited excerpt from the book SCIONS: RESURRECTION
by Patrice Michelle

Chapter One

A death for a life.

Jachin leaned against the rain-slicked building in New York City's theater district and stared at the name written in red ink on the five-thousand-dollar bill in his hand.  Such a wasteful use of the obsolete paper money indicated either his client's sheer wealth or his complete disregard for preserving items of the past.  Jachin didn't care which.  His client paid, he did his job.

He crushed the bill in a tight fist, mentally sending heat to his palm.  Damp, cool summer air blew in the alley between the theater and the warehouse, bringing with it faint scents of car exhaust and day-old trash from a nearby alley.  Jachin uncurled his fingers and ashes floated from his hand, dispersing in the wind. No trace, exactly the way he preferred to operate.

How many kills had he made over the past decade?  He stopped keeping track after fifty.   Dealing in death had become his means to live, yet doing so had darkened his soul. 

A sound in the dark recesses of the alley drew his attention and his shoulders tensed. He slowed his breathing to one breath every thirty seconds.  His heart rate followed suit while he harnessed his energy to enhance his sight.  Anger lashed through him, and his sharp gaze narrowed on the culprit. He'd ignored the hunger pains for four days longer than he should have.  No one would screw with this deal. 

Small vivid green eyes stared back at him in the alley's darkness before the cat hissed then fled.

The low rumble of voices exiting the front of the building told him the show was over.  His gaze dropped to the old-fashioned watch on his wrist.  It was more accurate since it didn't depend on a consistent pulse rate to power it.   When it came to his job, timing was everything.  Thomas Ramos' security would be escorting the senator out of the building in forty-five seconds.

Jachin slid his hand under his lightweight, black leather trench coat, his muscles tensing again as he pulled his pulser weapon from its holder at his lower back.  As the weapon powered up, he reveled in the high frequency zing and the realization the weapon was a detached extension of himself.  He could easily kill Ramos and his security detail with his bare hands, but this was business, not an act of vengeance.

Bright light flicked on above the theatre's backdoor, bathing the dark alley in a circular glow. 

The door began to open and Jachin's fingers flexed as he gripped his gun.  A female voice had him stepping behind a stack of crates.  

Damn. A woman.

He ground his teeth at the unexpected complication and ran his thumb up the weapon's dial, moving the power from kill to stun.

Four people spilled out of the Wesley Theater's back exit.  A tall security guard and a short, thick-necked guard preceded a blonde woman and Ramos.  Expensive perfume, spicy cologne, hyped-up testosterone and the scent of sex surrounded them as the woman giggled at the senator.

She gave Ramos a quick kiss on the cheek, while short curls bounced around her laughing expression.  "Honestly, Tommy, how was I supposed to keep my mind on the play with your hands doing their own kind of entertainment?"

Jachin stepped out of the shadows and pegged the woman with his first burst. 

She crumpled to the ground amid yells from the men.  Jachin mentally slammed the theater door shut before the men could retreat inside.  Instincts on high, he dove out of the way of a pulse burst that missed his chest by a couple inches.

"Sonofabitch!" The tall man fired constant bursts while using his body as a shield to back the senator toward the Dumpster at the end of the alley.

Squawks from a comm. unit echoed in the narrow space.  The short, bald guard spoke into a communicator attached to his wrist. "He moves like an animal, so fast I can't get a make on him.  Gotta be Slayer.  We need backup now!"

No one would come.  Jachin had already taken out the security detail sitting in the car outside the front of the theatre.

He advanced with rapid speed, using the alley's brick walls as springboards.  The security guards yelled, and pulser fire exploded around him, leaving singe holes in the brick wall one step behind him.  With each leap, he edged forward, corralling the three men. 

When one of them nicked his jacket, the close call made Jachin's heart beat faster, heightened his senses.  Predatory excitement grew within him. His mouth watered and his gums tingled as he forced the men to the back of the alley.  The inevitability of the kill was almost upon him.

Jachin leapt over the Dumpster to land in front of the tall security guard.

Before his quarry got one shot off, Jachin grabbed the man's scrawny neck and squeezed, his primal instincts taking over.  The dead man's body dropped to the ground with a heavy thump.

Holstering his gun, Jachin flexed his leg muscles and vaulted in the air.  He landed in front of the two men, blocking their path to the door.

The security agent's weapon discharged and surprising, excruciating pain ripped through Jachin's upper arm.  The burning sensation spread down his bicep as if his arm was being burned from the inside out. 

Jachin bit back the unholy roar of pain and fisted the senator's lapel in a tight grip at the same time he hammered his other hand against the security guard's barrel-like chest. 

When the guard's lifeless body fell to the ground, the senator's jowls quivered as he stared up at Jachin.  Stunned shock briefly replaced the fright in his eyes.  His gaze flicked to his attacker's elongated canines.  "You're a vampire?  But.but we thought you were extinct."

"Isn't that a helluva rub?" Jachin leaned close to him.  "My race was made by humans, condemned by humans, yet humans have no problem hiring one of us to do their dirty work."

Ramos's heart rate stuttered and a look of pain crossed his face.  Sweat trickled down his temples as he crushed Jachin's coat with meaty hands and gasped for breath. "You can't."

"Watch me." Jachin pulled the man close and sank his teeth deep into his thick jugular.  Rage made Jachin's chest constrict.  As Thomas let out a low scream, flashes of Jachin's Sanguinas clan members suffering from the humans' torturous testing, dying before their time, flew though his mind.  Decades of vengeful instincts, demanded he rip the human's throat out. 

Taking deep breaths through his nose, Jachin fought the urge to inflict pain. 

This was business. 

Instead, he merely swallowed the warm blood.  Thomas' low scream dwindled to a hoarse whimper a few seconds before the corrupt senator's heart jerked to a halt. 

Jachin had only taken two swallows when the familiar nausea slammed into him, twisting his insides.  Disgusted, he retracted his fangs, swiped his tongue over the bite wound and dropped the dead man on the damp asphalt.   

Not a single ounce of remorse entered his thoughts as he pulled his gun from the holster, adjusted its setting back to kill mode and put two pulse bursts into the senator's chest.  After he reholstered his weapon, he picked up the unconscious woman and set her inside the theater door.

Wiping the remnants of blood from his mouth, Jachin turned away from the carnage and never looked back.

* * *

A short time later, Jachin stood in an upscale gardened courtyard on the Upper East Side, banging on Roach's door. 

"Hold yer horses, for God's-sake," Roach said from behind the thick, intricately carved wood.

When the older man opened the door, Jachin barely held on to his consciousness.  He stumbled through the threshold and fell on the tiled kitchen floor.

"Six pints," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Damn it, don't you die in my house!"  Roach stamped his foot on the floor.

He scowled and bent over Jachin, running his hand through his spiky gray hair.  Jachin would forever associate the man's spicy cologne with irritating yet necessary salvation.

Roach's eyebrows drew together in a frown.  "Payment first.  Ten thousand."

Jachin gritted his teeth.  Ten thousand was half his take.  "Extortionist! Dim the lights," he growled and tossed the bastard his payment. 

"Bloodsucker." Roach's bony fingers gripped the slim card Jachin threw his way. Once Roach ran the card through a hand-held scanner he'd pulled from his robe's pocket, he nodded his approval and slid his finger across the touchpad on the wall to lower the lights.  Before he left the room, he tossed Jachin his card back and grumbled, "Don't you bleed on my new floor."

In order to remain conscious, Jachin slid his card into his coat pocket and focused on the newly remodeled kitchen with its contemporary black cabinets and stainless steel appliances.  The hard white tile beneath him felt surprisingly warm.  Heated tile.  Roach spared no expense on his new kitchen.  How ironic, considering Jachin sought out the man for his ability to concoct a palatable meal-a meal from a lab, not a kitchen.  He didn't know how Roach was able to make human blood viable for him.  All he knew was the man was a retired chemist.

Jachin lay very still.  Every sound echoed in his throbbing head.  Even the soft glow of indoor lights made him want to puke.if he had anything in his belly to toss.  He'd already retched up the senator's foul blood on the way to Roach's.

The grating shuffle of shoes announced Roach's return.  Several pints of blood smacked on the floor next to Jachin.  He winced at the deafening noise reverberating in his head and grabbed the pouches.

Holding three bags together, he ripped the plastic corners with his teeth and sucked down the pints in two large swallows before he reached for the next set.

A chair scraped the floor.  "Who bought it tonight?"

Annoyed that his hand shook, Jachin ignored Roach's question and lifted three more full bags to his lips. 

"Serves you right for attempting to take tainted human blood." Roach snorted while lowering himself into the chair.

Once Jachin downed his sixth pint, his cramping stomach abated somewhat.  He elevated himself on his elbow and focused on Roach.  "I should've drained you dry.  Keep upping your prices and see if I don't one day."

Roach laughed out loud and ran his gnarled fingers across the old scar on his neck.  "Just like all humans, my blood is poison to you. Can't you come up with any new threats?  I feel slighted that you don't make the effort to be original with me."

A lingering pain slashed through him, stealing Jachin's breath.  Doubling over with pain, he growled while flipping off Roach.

"Eh, that's what you need.a good lay."  The crotchety man thrummed his fingers on the table.

While the sterilized blood spread through his system, Jachin took a deep, inhaling breath.  He shuddered at the sheer power and nutrients it provided, the awakening of his senses.  The rush was almost arousing.

Almost.

"I don't need sex.  I need sleep." He glanced past the hole in his jacket and touched the burn on his arm.  At least the partially healed wound had begun to close. It would fully heal.  There was only one scar he cared about.

Roach slid his gaze to the empty plastic bags littering his floor.  "You wouldn't need so much if you didn't continue to believe in the ramblings of an old vampire on his deathbed."

Jachin stood to his six-foot-four inch height and narrowed his gaze on Roach.  "The prophesy is true."  It has to be. It's the only thing that keeps me going, he mentally finished. He turned to leave, and dizziness made him grab the back of the kitchen chair.

Roach let out a heavy sigh. Pulling two more pints of blood out of his plush terry robe's pocket, he handed them to Jachin. "On the house."

"Your generosity overwhelms me," Jachin said, taking the plastic pouches.

Roach snorted at his sarcasm.  "I have to keep my income source in fit condition."

Jachin turned to leave and called over his shoulder, "Friggin' opportunist."

"Don't let the door slam you in the ass on your way out, Bloodsucker."

* * *

Once he'd tucked the two pints of blood into his coat's inside pocket, Jachin took the subway to the Lower East Side.  Jamie's Pub was within a couple miles of his home.  As he walked inside the pub and sat down at the bar, the scent of burnt almonds, peanuts, smoke, sweat and free-flowing alcohol slammed into him.  The place was packed with men staring at the curvaceous blonde newscaster currently displayed on the large projector screen along the far wall.

"We interrupt tonight's sports event to bring you breaking news," she said, eliciting groans from the men who were obviously there to watch the tournament game while they downed a few beers.  "Senator Ramos and his entire security team were murdered tonight in what appears to be a brutal assignation.  The only survivor of the crime was a female theatergoer, but she was knocked unconscious before she could see the assassins.  We'll keep you informed once autopsies have been conducted."

As the newscaster cut to another journalist on the scene, Jachin scanned the room.  He caught a whiff of Landon's scent before he saw the man with short, light brown hair get up from a table at the back of the room and begin to weave his way around the tables.

"Your drink, sir." Kip set the imported whiskey down in front of Jachin.  Jachin picked up the double shot and inhaled the alcohol's strong aroma.

"Know anything about that deal tonight?" Landon narrowed his green eyes on him before he turned a deliberate gaze to the thin man sitting on the stool next to Jachin.  Jerking his head toward the main room, he addressed the man. "There's a better view of the game out there."

Landon's stance, his entire dominating presence, demanded respect.  

"Fine," the man slurred.  He cast bleary, bloodshot eyes Jachin's way before he swiped up his drink and slid off the stool to stumble to a nearby table.

Landon ran his hand across the cleft in his chin and accessed Jachin with shrewd frankness before he sat on the stool next to him and signaled for the bartender. 

Jachin threw back his entire drink in one swallow.  While the alcohol did its magic, burning all the way down to his belly, he deliberately eyed the smashed bullet plug dangling from the silver chain around Landon's neck.  The small piece of metal stood out against his black t-shirt.  He knew what that bullet meant to Landon and where the man's loyalties lay.

"You asking in an official capacity?"

Landon cut his gaze from the beer Kip just set down in front of him back to Jachin.  Picking up his cold longneck, he took a deep swig.  "Do I need to?"

Jachin noted the rise in Landon's heartbeat, the increase in his musky, primal scent.  He was tensing, preparing to fight if need be.  Jachin knew he could probably take Landon. Hell, in the past he could've overpowered him with one hand tied behind his back, but he was done with his share of violence for the night.

"Just out for a stroll and a drink before calling it a night." Jachin tapped the wood surface to let Kip know he wanted another round.

"You look half dead." 

Jachin glanced at the wall-length mirror behind the bar.  Whereas Landon's face appeared tanned underneath his scruffy several days' growth of beard, Jachin's clean shaven, angular face looked haggard and pale, his high cheekbones sharper and more defined than usual.  "Shit happens," he said after the bartender replaced his drink and walked away to help a customer at the other end of the bar.

"Nice and clean.  Smells like a pulser burn to me."

Landon's comment jerked Jachin's gaze back to him, but the man's line of sight was focused on Jachin's arm.

Glancing down at his coat sleeve, Jachin's gut tightened. He'd forgotten about being hit earlier.  "It rained tonight.  Your senses are off, my friend."  Jachin lifted his drink and gulped it back then met Landon's gaze with a steady, challenging one. 

Friends they weren't, but wary adversaries caught up in similar circumstances.  Those circumstances had made for an interesting, if uneasy truce between them over the past few years.

"He had a wife and a family."  Landon looked at the projector as he took another swallow of his beer.

Jachin considered the blonde he saw hanging on the senator, remembered the smell of sex that surrounded the two.  He snorted. "Life's a bitch.  I'll venture a guess that his family is better off."

"You're a cold-hearted sonofabitch," Landon snarled in a low tone, swinging his gaze back to Jachin.  His hold on the beer bottle was so rigid, his knuckles turned white.  "You call this surviving?  You've lost your humanity."

Fury swept through Jachin at Landon's comment, knotting his stomach.  "Humanity is who made me what I am.  You've been rubbing shoulders with them so long you've lost sight of the fact they'd hunt you down if they knew what you really are.  Maybe you should spend more time with your own kind."

Landon's eyes narrowed for a long second before his gaze swept the room.  "They're not all your enemies, Jachin.  Some have the capacity to understand and willingness to embrace all kinds."

Jachin took in the people in the room as he addressed Landon's optimistic view of humans.  "They are weak, pathetic, short-lived shells of what they could be." 

Landon grabbed Jachin's forearm and dug his fingers into the muscle.  "The man I listened to, the one I came to trust six years ago was a philosopher, an idealist with a will to live.  How can you believe in this prophesy you mentioned and spout that bullshit at the same time?"

The man's words hit home and Jachin's chest constricted.  He should never have told Landon what Ezra said before he died, but Jachin figured he might need an ally in the Lupreda world to fulfill the dying vampire's prophesy.

He jerked his arm out of the man's grasp.  Landon was right.  He couldn't go on living like this.  

Stepping down from the stool, Jachin stared at the projector screen where pictures of Ramos flashed on the news.  "We all get what we deserve."

Landon clenched his jaw before he spoke.  "One day the Slayer will screw up.  The NYPD will call me to hunt you down."

Jachin gave him a curt nod. "Fair enough."

A heavy weight spread across Jachin's shoulders as he left the pub.  He knew his tenuous truce with Landon had shifted.  He didn't miss the irony-that a werewolf, descended from a Petri dish, had more humanity in him than he did.a vampire born of man.

* * *

Jachin's boots echoed in the dark, narrow street as he made his way toward the building that housed his loft apartment.   Car exhaust, rodent droppings, human food remnants; from sour cheese to various nutty smells mixed with the polluted rain hanging in the air, bombarded his senses. 

As a backdrop to the smells, human and animal heartbeats pounded in various stages, from excitement to slumber.  Every sound and scent penetrated his consciousness.   Shaking his head to try and block them all, he vowed to never go so long without food again. 

Not only did the lack of nutrients wreck havoc with his ability to adjust his senses, it also slowed his reflexes.  At least the money from this latest hit should sustain him for a good three weeks. 

Unfortunately, the specialized blood Roach provided only lasted forty-eight hours once the bags were exposed to air and light, which meant he had to see Roach in a couple of days to retrieve more food.  

He despised depending on anyone.

At this point, with the money he had left, he could go two more weeks before he'd have to kill again.  He had a list of clients waiting on him to be hungry enough to work. 

When Jachin reached the end of the road, he ignored the bright yellow Caution, Dangerous Chemicals plastic tape crisscrossed in front of the six foot tall industrial grade metal fencing and building. 

Jachin sensed nothing but quiet peacefulness as he entered his loft apartment and shrugged out of his trench coat.  Once he pulled the pints out of his coat's deep pockets, he tossed the coat on a side chair in his entryway and poured the contents of a bag of blood into a martini glass he retrieved from the kitchen.

With a wave of his hand, he used his mental powers to turn on the projector and sound system.  While soft jazz music filtered through the surround sound in the two thousand square foot loft apartment, Jachin picked up his drink and sat down in his butter soft black leather chair.  

Sipping his drink, he savored the taste as it slid down his throat.  It had been so long since he'd tasted untainted human blood, he couldn't describe the flavor if he had to. As he took another sip, he knew this blood was missing something.   The spice of life was glaringly absent. 

It was the essence that made blood distinctive to a specific person, that made human blood irresistible to his kind.  The human's smell, the person's flavor, their very soul resided in their blood, giving it an added zing.  All the blood he'd bought from Roach tasted the same-bland.  Nothing to sink his fangs into.

But with it, he survived.

His gaze scanned past the shuttered windows that lined the entire exterior wall and landed on the side wall with built-in bookshelves.  They were packed with books, leather-bound originals in many cases.  The library had cost him a small fortune to collect over the years. 

Raising his glass in salute to the wall of books, Jachin said, "I'm not the uncivilized, uncultured man you think I am, Landon," as he stood and approached his collection.  Surveying the section related to psychic phenomenon, telepathy, and harnessing one's mental powers, he smirked.  His studies had their uses.  He'd been able to expand his powers over the past decade. 

Now a thick layer of dust claimed the books' surfaces.  He used to clean them like clockwork once a week.  In the past, the dusty sight would irritate him, but today he felt nothing.

Angry with himself for losing the simple joy of reading, he downed the rest of his dinner and turned out the lights.  Exhaustion weighed heavily on him.  He lifted his hand to mentally turn off the music and the same blonde newscaster from earlier came on the screen.  Turning up the projector's sound, he waited to see if there were any new updates on the Ramos story.

"Good evening. Here's the latest report on Senator Ramos' murder.  It is now believed that the assassination was done by one person.  The female witness does remember seeing a man standing in the shadows as they exited the theatre, but she never saw his face.  Stay tuned for the midnight news where we'll interview the witness.  And be sure to tune in for tomorrow night's special guest. We'll be sitting down with debut novelist Ariel Swanson and her controversial book about vampires that's causing quite a stir." 

A human writing about vampires? The thought intrigued him.

Landon's comment that he'd lost his humanity echoed in Jachin's head.  He cast his gaze to his library once more.  It'd been at least three years since he'd bothered to open a book.

Jachin walked over to his desk and switched on his laptop.  Why not see what a human has to say about vampires?  Once he typed in "Ariel Swanson" on the Internet, he was surprised to find hundreds of reviews of the woman's book already posted on the Web store's review site.

Jachin chuckled as he purchased the e-book version of Ms. Swanson's novel.   The Vampires' Return might make for some entertaining reading tomorrow. 

After he'd downloaded the e-book and opened the file to make sure he'd gotten the right version, he was about to shut down the laptop when his gaze landed on the quote at the bottom of the book cover page.

They thought vampires were extinct. In truth, the vampires were only waiting to fulfill the prophesy.

Jachin's entire body tensed.  This human female wrote about vampires.and a prophesy? 

Pulling out his chair, he sat, then scrolled down to chapter one of The Vampires' Return.

He didn't believe in coincidences.

Purchase Scions: Resurrection

From the book:  SCIONS: RESURRECTION by Patrice Michelle

Copyright © 2008

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The edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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